Merco Credit Union Cycling Classic Grand Prix, 3/3/07
Long race name huh? That's not all of it. The official name for this and subsequent years due to a change in the main sponsor is: the Merco Credit Union Cycling Classic Grand Prix, presented by McLane Pacific. Whew! Here are links to the race info page: Merco GP and the results page: Crit results. The first race on the National Racing Calendar (NRC) for the pro men and women, the Grand Prix is the criterium of this race weekend, with a road race out in the foothills the next day. A century ride is also held the same day as the crit. Kindof a cool set-up, as the century riders are usually getting back into town right before the pro races start. They get their after-ride meal and then sit down to watch the racing. Yea, that's a plug for next year's century, y'all. The ride is puuurrrty. :D
This race was in my adopted hometown of Merced (I actually live about 10 miles away in Atwater, but I work in Merced, ride in Merced, eat in Merced, shop in Merced...you get the picture), and pretty much all the local cyclists around here participate in the background operation of the race weekend in one way or another (I've helped out with the primes -- cowbell & all -- the last two years...best seat in 'da house). It's a collective and heartfelt effort to make it a good show for spectators and racers alike. Pro riders have told us that they look forward to this race every year, and so we're pretty darned proud. Here's an extra for ya: Floyd Landis raced here in 1995, and when we saw and talked to him at the Tour of Cali this year, he said he remembered the race and Merced well and said he always had a good time there. Pretty cool. :D ;) This year, Ivan Dominguez of Toyota-United won the men's pro crit, fresh off the Tour of California.
Sooo, enough braggin' about THE race....on to MY race. :D
So because this was "our" race, I was determined to have a good race for our home crowd, my riding buddies, and my family. My kids came out to watch -- it was so cool -- they usually don't get to watch me race because the out-of-town races are usually too early. I purposely didn't look for them, though, so that I wouldn't be distracted during the race. The next day at the road race, however, my oldest son (9yrs) rode shotgun while I drove support behind one of the mens' races, helping me watch for dropped riders and riders who flatted, and even handed a water bottle out the window to a guy in serious need. And....he made us stop twice on the side of the road for pee-breaks. No porta-potties on the course. THAT was interesting. :p
The criterium was on a .8-mile counterclockwise "L"-shaped course, with a three-block long finishing straight (it's actually two blocks to the finish line from the last corner) on really good to fairly good city streets in the heart of downtown Merced (even rolls past City Hall where I work). I had two teammates from CVC (Central Valley Cycling) in this race which was cool.
The race started out fairly fast the first lap. My start was sortof weird, as I realized right at the last second that I wasn't in the big chainring and so had to shift up right as I got going, plus click into the pedals, while trying not to lose any ground in the process! Big whoops. But it was fine, I started off well after I gathered myself and didn't lose any ground. It's always a mad dash off the line.
The first lap I was just watching everyone, seeing who seemed experienced and who didn't. It's always a crap-shoot this early in the season, when you get gals coming into their first year of racing and learning the ropes. We did have a pro racer mentoring the race -- Laura Charameda. Google her name -- she's extremely accomplished and was the head coach of the McGuire Cycling Team which lost sponsorship this year and under which I raced last year as a club rider. It was cool to have her back there taking note of our riding; she made herself available after the race for questions if we had them. Later in the day, she crashed out of the pro women's race (she was ok, her bike apparently wasn't).
As this is a well-prized race (yea, I'm bragging again, so what :p ), there were lots of cash primes to give out, and the guys up there on the announcer's stand started right in on the second lap with that darned cowbell, ringin' in the primes. We only had 18 laps to our race, and so they had to cram a whole bunch of prizes into a short race. Makes for a great fast race and alot of pain right off the bat! Uggggh....I was hurting by the time we completed about 6 laps, but when I saw Laura pass me to assume I was done for, I got really p.o.'d with myself and got my rear end back up into the thick of things. After that, I was fine and started thinking strategy, but not before shooting the prime-givers a dirty look (in jest, of course). Well, fine except for when I got behind one of the inexperienced gals and nearly got taken out in the corner when she put the brakes on hard right in front of me. yyyYikes! A couple laps later, I heard Laura back there yelling at her...."You can't DO that in the corners!!" very emphatically. I smiled. I was a newbie once. ;)
The race kept on, no more yo-yo'ing off the back, and with 1 1/2 laps to go, I was in a good spot with Charlotte, our strongest teammate next to me on the left, with me more towards the inside. We rounded a corner, though, Charlotte glanced back, had a clear path, and swung out to head to the front in preparation for the last lap. Me, I couldn't get to the outside and just sorta hung out where I was. Bummer. My other teammate, Karis, was somewhere behind me, but close - I was keeping tabs on her too.
Coming around the final turn, I was farther back than I wanted as I got swarmed on the backside of the course after moving up (grrr), but after we rounded the corner, I put my head down and moved past about six or seven riders, I figure. About a half-block to the finish, I saw a Velo Bella rider slightly ahead and to my right and figured I could get her at the line, so I gave a last push and missed getting my front wheel past her by about an inch (I saw the finish photo). Darn! :D
I ended up placing 21st out of 39 finishers across the line, and I know we lost a few along the way (we probably started with around 50 riders). Back at the car, I took my computer off the bike and it showed a max speed of 31.4mph. Average speed showed 17.1mph, but that includes rolling around before and after the race.
All in all, a fun day. Changed, put my bike up on the roof rack, locked it, then spent the rest of the day up at the announcer's stand ringing the cowbell and giving away primes. Both the mens and womens pro races were exciting with lots of action. There was a pee-wee kids "race" that both my sons (9 and almost 6) participated in. One got his pic in the paper -- he took it to school and showed his teacher. :cool: :p
Thanks for reading all -- GEEZ! Sorry this is SO LONG! Yeeowsers!
~BikeMomma
