Next stop…the dias (podium)

The 32nd Annual Fourth of July Criterium, Davis, North CA, USA (50mins)

Results (top 5):
1. Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO)
2. Katharine Carroll(Aaron’s Professional Cycling Team)
3. Davina Summers (Dewars Racing Team)
4. Taitt Sato (ValueAct Capital)
5. Anna Woldring (Code 3 Racing)

The online results also link to other US race results for these riders...but basically Brooke and Katharine are serious hot bike races (on the European circuit too).

My morning started early in LA, the lovely Sandra dropped me at the airport for my flight (and subsequent shuttle bus) to Davis. I arrived at the criterium registration and assembled my bike. Linds had not remembered my Dewars kit, so I was “Fleeting” it up today. The course was an “L” shape with 5 LEFT hand turns and 1 right. The road quality was a little poor in parts, but it just made it more interesting (and me worried that I had put too much pressure in my tires). We had about 43 starters, again some REALLY good riders; Brooke Miller (who ended up winning) also won the NRC Manhattan Beach Criterium on Sunday, and the good teams (PROMAN, ValueAct, TIBCO, Aarons, Cheerwine etc) were out in force.

I warmed up on rollers (Linds had arranged them, what a champ) and my legs didn’t feel too good. I was so excited about racing yesterday, but was sleepy and aeroplaney this morning. But before I knew it, we were off. The race had heaps of primes and heaps of attacks (normal racing I am learning) I can’t even remember them all, the pace was on from the start. As the course was short (0.7mi) with so many turns it was hard to move around in the bunch. There were a couple of breaks that got away, mostly from teams controlling the bunch, but not for long.

Lindsay was riding well, she was on the front working to bring back breaks and the commentator was talking her up. We came down to the last few laps and I was positioned well, on the wheel of Brooke Miller with 1/2 lap to go, but I was about 6-7 in line. Brooke was yelling at her lead-out rider to “kick”, but the poor girl wasn’t able to give her as much as she wanted. Into the final corner, I took the inside line to move up places (but slowed as a result) and kicked (I was in too hard a gear for kicking at that slower speed) and was not able to keep the wheel- plus I am sure her sprint is more refined than mine (well for now anyway).

One of the other girls in the front, who took a wider line fought it out with Brooke for first and second. I found my sprint (after changing down a gear) and threw for third, getting it by about ½ a wheel, a bike length or so behind first/second. More lessons learnt, I love sprinting against these girls, they are so good and the lead outs are well timed and organized. It is awesome just to be close enough to watch. My aim to finish on the podium can now be checked off. The race and sprint finish video can be seen here after you click on the Women 1/2 link. My red helmet stands out on the right hand side.

I met up with the Metromint Team that I will be riding with next week at Cascade and got my kits and passed most of my registration details to them. In preparation for today’s presentation, I was wearing Lindsay's jersey and she was in one of mine so I was promoting Dewars, but they were not very organized and in the end I collected my prize money and we packed up to go home (back to base camp in Paradise). We have decided not to race tomorrow, for a number of reasons, but will do a ride from Chico. All fired up for the state criterium race in Vacaville on Sunday.

Race stats:
HR max: 190bpm
HR avg: 168bpm
Speed max: 48.4km/hr
Speed avg: 39.4km/hr
Distance: 33.2kms

And finally, by anon. request, a photo of my fancy Specialized shoes…