Another Podium for Team Velo Girls (or the cows of Snelling)
0600:
The day dawned early for all of us, and we got our gear together in the dark and watched the sun rise as we drove from Merced to the course in Snelling.
The Snelling officials were trying out a new timing chip which they attached to our bikes with zip ties. Interesting concept, although where to put the chippie wasn't uniform, and the line for the chip stretched out way across the grassy, damp field.
We set up the Velo Girls tents, and in the fabulously capable hands of Tina Hou, got all our gear and trainers ready to go and warmed up to the rousing music (a la Yari) of the Love Boat theme, classic GNR, and Greatest American Hero.
0845-ish:
At the start, much to our chagrin, Kat was placed in the Women's 4B group instead of with the rest of us in 4A, due to a clerical error. She represented us with her usual aplomb, despite not having a single teammate in her field!
The promenade was about 2.5 miles, but the neutralizing referee pulled off early and boom! Off we went! The pace was fast, and there was a stealthy wind which made echeloning desirable but a little sketchy since we didn't know most of the 50 riders who were alongside us. At times we found ourselves at the back of the pack, as the full use of the road made it easy for riders to stream up the left side of the field and there was constant repositioning. Then I saw all my teammates begin to migrate through the pack, ninja-style, and appeared very comfortable and at-ease negotiating through the fluff, planting themselves towards the front, and avoiding the yo-yo effect of bringing up the rear. But with so much reshuffling, it was difficult to maintain one position through all the little hills and sandy corners.
There was a crash in the first lap involving a few riders, and thankfully Vanessa was unbroken, albeit with a few raspberries and an ouchy elbow-kiss. This split the field a bit, and all of us were somber for a while and winded around the course 2x2 for a while. Then we hit the jackhammer back section with acne-ridden asphalt, and I think all of us suffered every time we came around to that section. We rounded a turn and went past the finish for the first time, and then soldiered on for lap 2.
Emily and I tried to broker a deal with two riders from other teams who we'd raced with in the past, thinking we could make a break and stay ahead of the pack. They were agreeable to this, so we thought about trying to get off the front after crossing the finish line the 2nd time around. However, the pace picked up, as well as the wind, and my legs were getting pretty sloshed by then.
About 20 of us were strung out along a windy stretch, and at one point Emily noted there was a yawning gap between the rider in front of us and the 10 riders in front, so she said, "let's go, grab my wheel!" and pulled me up to the pack like she was on a Ducati motorcycle! 15 of us made it together for the rest of the final lap, and Emily and I enjoyed a tow at the back of the pack. My calves had been cramping off and on since lap 2, and every time I stood, a loud voice eminated from my calves in bassoprofundo, "Noooo," along with a sensation like someone was trying to squeeze lemon juice out of my calves (I called them "cows," since this was no baby calf cramp).
As we hit the last session of jackhammer alley, Emily, in her stalwart fashion, said she would try to pull me after the last turn so I could sprint around at the finish. At that point, there was unrelenting cramping in my left cow that I couldn't push through or stretch out, and I told Emily to go off on her own. Which she did, at Mach 3 with speed that made me blink as she blew past 13 riders and flew her way to a 3rd place finish. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to pedal through to the finish, but as long as I spun along in a gear that could barely make grass bend, I was ok and made it through to the blissful end.
It was a great early-in-the-season race, and I'm so proud of all my teammates!!
