8/6/2003 by Catharine Scott
I will try to be brief but there's so much to say. I won't mention anything about the pro week simply because you will be able to read all about it in the next Velo News. (Yes I got to see all of the big guns, in the flesh, racing).
I participated in the 3-day cat 4 women's points race. The prize money was big and so was the field. The points race also had a separate category and $ for cat 3 women BUT they raced us together which meant that there was a combined field of about 60 women racing. Most of you know that it is rare to even see 10 women in a women's race (but 60!). We kept our cool, and were competitively polite in spite of the proximity to one another in the pack and the general lack of experience of riding in a large field.
Day 1 Martinsburg
This was a rolling 20-mile course the hills were little longer and steeper than Orrville's Milk Race but pretty much the same thing farmland. The course was closed to traffic and there were many police escorts but because there was no yellow line rule we were 10-15 across, which made every turn a little crazy. The field pretty much stayed together we chased down every attack attempt (although I think that they were all pretty feeble). What I didn't know is that everything would change when we got back into town. (You know how we've always been told by those with experience to check out the course before a race ..Of course I hadn't that day) Well little did I know that there was a hill and 8 corners in that crossroads town before the 200 m to the finish. It also would have also been nice to have been positioned on the front coming into town. I did my best in this crit finish thinking that I'd never get to the straight- a-way. I sprinted the 200m finish got out of the saddle with nothing left (because that's what you're supposed to do) and good thing I did because I came in 15th for the cat 4's and they only placed 15. I got a point (1) and $25. I was so pleased to have placed because just as easily I could have not placed. It was a great day.
Day 2 Horseshoe Curve 2 laps 42 mi
Let me start by saying that during the staging for our race, Saturn's Laura Van Gilder came riding down the sidewalk and came right up to us and wished us good luck. I'll point out that she had just finished & won a 99 mi stage that was mainly mountainous torture and she came over to wish us good luck! She also warned us that it would be tough (an omen). The race started in town in residential Altoona and gradually climbed (false flat over 5 miles) out to the Horseshoe Curve visitors center. There we continued on through the one lane tunnel (that goes under the curve) and then on the other side the 3 mi climb started. There was a QOM prime on the 1st lap, so the tempo really picked up. The QOM $ was huge for the 4's it was $100, $75 and $50 even more $ for the 3's. I went for it not knowing how many of the gals in front of me were 4's. I blew up shortly after the QOM and the bad news was that the QOM was only ½ way up! Sometime during the blow up gasping for air, Phil from Peninsula (motor cycle marshal also marshaled at Murrysville) pulled up beside me and started making jokes about how this wasn't exactly a CVNP climb and the guy on the back sprayed water on me. Much appreciated distractions. Although that climb was fully shaded with trees, it was so hot and humid. I eventually made it to the top. A small group of us formed and worked together and then broke apart just before the world's greatest descent (not dangerous - and super long).
I won't bore you with the in-between.
Second Climb
This was just the worst. There was a group of us too. The second time up was just torture. One gal just road away like it was nothing. I thought that I was going to die. I could barely get up the steep part. There was feeding (watering) just above the steepest part - and good thing because I was out of water and clearly suffering from heat exhaustion. I was handed a water bottle I held on to it and drank the whole thing. I never felt that water slosh in my stomach.
Second Descent
This time it was "go time" on the descent. I was by myself and could see riders up ahead (far in the distance) . I also knew that there had been plenty of gals on that hill and they might catch up to me from working together so I didn't break once
On the way into town I finally caught up to a lone rider. We worked together to the finish. She had helped me midway through the race and now was in great difficulty. She was a cat 3 so I lead her out to the finish and let her cross 1st. (REMEMBER we were placed separately).
When I saw the results and saw that I got 13th I was so pleased (no QOM for me). 3 points and another $25!
Day 3 Downtown Altoona Crit AKA "The World's Most Dangerous Crit."
Nothing much to say here. The course had storm drains in the middle of the road covered with plywood and taped down with duck tape, man holes, potholes, an uphill, a downhill with a s curve a the bottom that took it from 2 lanes to 1 .. I could go on and on. Technical and dangerous, to say the least. We got gapped on lap 3 because of me unwilling to ride over a board pretty much stopping to go to the side of it and then we got pulled (15 riders) for being out of contention. They placed us where we were pulled. I didn't really care. I later found out that "the board" had caused many crashes all day.
I wound up getting 17th GC. 18 were placed. I was ecstatic! (I won another $35 for GC) I finally won a sausage. It was a great experience. I learned so much. I gave it everything.
I know that this write up was all about me (well that's what these write-ups are, right?). I hope that I didn't ramble on for too long. I also wanted to get the word out that Megan Winneberg from Team Dayton won GC 4, and finished day 1 & 2 1st overall. Here winnings were ~ $900 and a Cannondale Cad 7 frame. She was on fire. She is that good. There were 40 USCF officials there I'm sure that she was forcibly moved up to a 3 after the weekend based on the commentary over the PA system. My compliments go out to her.
Hey SWFs, we are not that far away from Altoona. Most riders came from the Bos Wash corridor which is much farther. With all of that prize money and all of the super stars of the cycling world in attendance this is a race to put on the calendar for next year.