The Last Race of the Season
by: Kim Foland, Genesis Scuba
The seemingly endless 2004 cycling season finally came to an end on October 12. Nine months is a long time to maintain fitness, motivation and interest but the women racers who lined up for the Greenville Cycling Classic (formerly knows as the Michelin Classic) put those thoughts aside to race against each other one last time in the 2004 southeast road season.
In previous years, the Michelin Classic has been an NRC race for women with some of the biggest teams in the US lining up at the start line in front of the Greenville News. Past years’ call ups have included National and Masters Champions combined with the local talent and some unsuspecting local racer(s) in their first year of racing. OK, that was me. My first year of racing and second Pro-1-2-3 race, I lined up right behind Ina Teutenberg when she was racing for Saturn. She proceeded to tromp the field and win the race. I got dropped on my 4th lap, was lapped by the field and then dropped again and eventually withdrew to watch the sprint from the sidelines. This year the women’s race was not an NRC race but that didn’t prevent teams from inflicting pain on each other. And this time, I stayed in the race.
The teams that came out to represent were Team Fuji for one, with their sprinter Christina DeKraay. Christina is always a threat during the final kilometers of any race. And since she has been racing on the National Calendar this year, she is even more fit than usual. Spin Cycle/Duke Sports lined up with 4 racers. Those girls are never afraid to take the hard pulls and take chances with well timed attacks. My team, Genesis Scuba was at the line en masse with three sprinters and two all around riders and we were definitely ready to race. Other local teams included Cycleworks, The Forum, RBM and Defeet. There were some notables absent; the Travel Girl team had already hung up their Cannondales for the year after their trip to Bermuda and 2003 Michelin Classic winner Candice Blickem decided not to make the trip from North Carolina.
Our plan was to start the race off with a series of three attacks right from the gun. During the pre-ride lap, we decided that I would attack from the start; Alexis would counter when I was caught and then Grace would counter Alexis’ attack. Leigh would stay on Christina’s wheel, which meant waiting for the sprint. We lined up with about 25 riders and after the normal banter back and forth with the announcer and the head referee; we took our marks and were off.
I had a good starting position, which was most important for an early attack. I got into my pedal without incident and jumped through the first turn. The second turn is a downhill-watch-the–jersey- barriers-on-your-right-slightly-off-camber-incline-over-a -brick-cross-walk-and-a-drain-on-the-inside type of turn. There’s a lot to think about. Through the second turn and up the hill, I should have had good leg speed around the turn but since I haven’t taken that turn at speed in two years, I was off a little bit and almost ran into the curb. Then I saw Bill Parsons snapping pictures; don’t think he would appreciate it if I landed on his camera lens. Up the slight rise, Alexis countered my attack. She held her attack long enough for Grace to move up to start her attack before the start/finish. The early attacks never go anywhere but the race was on.
The pace was definitely enough to hurt in the first 20 minutes. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to see my heartrate or the elapsed time on my heart rate monitor. I probably shouldn’t have been thinking about that during a crit but my main goal was just to work for my team and finish the race. Crit racing has not been on of my strengths lately considering I stayed in Athens, Roswell and Gainesville for a combined total of about 30 seconds this year. I was hoping to redeem myself today but since none of the big teams showed up, it gave me an opportunity to attack and keep the pace high without the risk of getting blown off the back.
Spin Cycle/Duke did a very nice job attacking and counter attacking. Fuji chased down a couple of attacks, which included chasing down Alexis when she was off the front for half a lap. I heard Christina yell to one of her teammates to, “Go chase that down”, so I got on her wheel for the ride. When we caught Alexis, I was in a good position to attack as third wheel but we got surged by the pack and Grace was in a better position to attack. But it didn’t stick.
The course was extended another block this year to accommodate all of the construction in this area of town. A popular place to attack was on the inside of the road after turn two on the incline. More than a few times the peloton was strung out on the right hand side of the road after capturing an attacker when a look to the left revealed another attack moving up along the inside. There wasn’t really a bad place to attack on the course. The downhill after turn one would not usually be a selective place to attack but since the downhill was lined with jersey barriers and a sharp turn into turn two followed by a slight rise, it ended up being a good choice. Especially if a racer could attack through turn two, lead part way up the hill and then have a teammate counter attack up the inside before turn three. A couple of well timed attacks occurred in that order but the peloton was too determined and no one was getting away.
The first prime was announced, $20. Not like the men’s pro-1-2 $500 primes, or whatever they were, but we raced for it. With 7 laps to go, the second prime was announced, Michelin tires, which is a good prime and fitting for Greenville with the Michelin plant a couple miles away. Or maybe they were left over from last year.
The last 6 laps remaining went fast, before I knew it, we were coming into our bell lap. After turn three as we started up the incline to the start/finish with one to go I noticed Alexis on the front of the group with Christina on her wheel. This was not a great situation for us. I moved up to get in front of her. Prior to that I was planning to let the sprinters take care of themselves, we have not successfully completed a lead out this year or really practiced it that much and I knew with sprinters like Nancy Daigler (riding incognito in a red jersey), Christina and Allison Carter (DeFeet) that Alexis, Lauren and Leigh could sort it out for themselves. But I moved up to the front to get in front of Alexis. I didn’t pull hard because Alexis was yelling for me just to go steady. Past the start/finish line and into the first turn I looked over and saw Lauren barreling by us with Christina on her wheel. Before I knew it we were swarmed. Alexis was on my wheel and neither of us knew Lauren was coming so we missed the move. They didn’t get away but now we had to scramble again to try to get back into position. Christina attacked again just before turn three. Up the final stretch to the start/finish everyone was spread across the road. The sprint seemed to start, stop and then keep going, moving in slow motion. I thought I saw an opening that I could fly though but that was wishful thinking. The pack stormed up the hill with Christina taking the win and Grace Fleury right on her heels to take second. Patty Schoaf and Mandy Lozano of Spin Cycle took 3rd and 4th, they had done some work in the race and that was a good finish for them. Nancy Daigler finished 5th with Alexis finishing 6th. Lee Anne Blanchard, the dark horse of the late season finished 7th. Lee Anne has been finishing well lately, including the Duluth race which she took 4th after racing the Tucker International that morning.
We were disappointed not to win the last race of the season but we worked hard for 2nd and 6th.
And that brings us to the end of the 2004 season. Next spring the peloton will undoubtedly have some fresh faces and some of the experienced riders will be riding for new teams.