Aaron’s Cycling Weekend Report 

by Aaron's Professional Women's Team

The big Southeast Crit weekend had finally arrived!  The first race of the weekend was the Athens Twilight, which was very well attended by all of the strongest criterium squads in the nation. That afternoon the team hopped in the Hank Aaron Jaguar and headed out for the hour and a half jaunt from Atlanta to Athens.  This year the races went off right on time at 7:45pm and in a race where start position can be critical, Catherine Powers and Mackenzie Dickey were stuck in the back row without the luxury of a call up.   

Once the race started it was obvious that everyone had brought their A-game and that all teams were determined to make and keep this race fast.  The effect was immediate as within the first 5 laps of the race nearly one third of the riders had dropped off the back.  With all attempts to get a break off proving unsuccessful the race was all together inside of 5 laps to go.  With 2 laps left Team Lipton went to the front to set up a train for their ace sprinter Laura VanGilder.  Candice knew it was go time and came around bringing Shannon Hutchison-Krupat along with her to make sure she was properly placed as well.  As the women came down the front stretch with 1 to go it was Candice on the front keeping the pace high.  As the race crested the rise on the back side heading into turn 3 the field hesitated and Conex Train rider Jen McRae capitalized on the opportunity. Using the element of surprise to her advantage she attacked and obtained a good gap on the field.  Shannon knew Jen’s attack was dangerous and was the next to jump yet Tina Pic was quick to get to Shannon’s wheel.  Shannon took the race through turn 3 and 4 and down the finish stretch and was nipped by Tina at the line to take the 3^rd spot on the podium.   

Sunday’s Roswell Criterium served up a much quieter atmosphere from the college scene of Athens, GA the night before.  The women’s race however, was definitely not going to be quiet.  The Aaron’s women rode a perfect race for the first half with the right riders placed in each move.  About mid-way through the race a break formed with Tina Pic, Laura Van Gilder, Kelly Benjamin Laura Yoisten and our two Aaron’s riders, Catherine Powers and Candice Blickem.  This definitely presented a tough situation as we had the numbers while the other teams had their pure sprinters in the break.  As a team we made some key tactical errors, which undoubtedly cost us dearly in the end.   

With roughly 10 minutes left in the race the field reeled the break back to within sight of being caught.  VanGilder’s teammate Lara Kroepsch and Yoisten’s teammate Brenda Lyons bridged to the break and the gap quickly grew back to 25 seconds.  In the end it was VanGilder taking the win ahead of Pic and Benjamin as Candice and Catherine came in for sixth and seventh.