2009 Road Racing Goals

[RoadRaven]

Julibird... all the best for your race... its Sunday here, so guess it will be Sunday where you are very soon. I wasn't sure if i would like racing when I first started - and I started with an ITT so I wouldn't have to ride with anyone else. I discovered I am hugely competitive, and quickly became addicted... I discovered I love to ride, to race and to cheer on family and friends who race and talk about racing... I wish you the same discoveries Looking forward to hearing about how today goes for you.

Great photo, Aica
Sounds like your season is going well for you. I really enjoy reading about race tactics and what happens, as bunch racing is still something I feel I have tonnes to learn about (despite having been doing it at club level for nearly three years!)

LadyDian... not such a great post. Really feel for you that your goals have been pushed out a bit and wish you all the best for your surgery. However, after full recovery you will hopefully be pain-free and get really strong and be able to achieve your goals. Keep us 'posted' about how it pans out for you and expected recovery time.

And me... well, wanted to write about yesterday's race. Our club instigated a FEMME grade (complete with the leader's "Maglia Rosa" jersey), hoping to provide a comfortable place for women to race in and to draw more women into racing that were perhaps put off by the stereotype of the 'aggressive male racer'. I did alot of base over summer and rode with either FEMME as a femtor (no men in FEMME grade) or our beginner grade to support and encourage slower or newer members. This has continued into Autumn, and subsequently I have not actually raced in a bunch road race since about November (although I have ridden plenty).
Yesterday I decided to race, and the other 4 women who turned out were all familiar with racing and needed no femtoring.
I wrote a race report for the club website... here it is. I was really pleased with myself. A good day, a great group of women and we raced hard and had fun. I'm MacKenzie.

Avanti Plus FEMME Grade means determination and tactics. Almost ideal conditions today saw the five women working well together on the way out, but at the turn around MacKenzie decided to lift the pace. Weskett answered the call and soon all 5 were riding together again. MacKenzie kept the pressure on but each gap was shut down by steady, strong riding from Weskett, Gough and the Maglia Rosa, Foote.
Whitham, only recently returned to racing, showed her improving form by also doing her fair share on the front. A couple of kms from the finish, Foote, MacKenzie and Weskett began to vie for the optimum position for the sprint. Foote was unable to make Mackenzie or Weskett come to the front and MacKenzie was able to ping off Foote’s wheel close to the line. However, Foote and MacKenzie had been so absorbed with watching each other that Weskett (showing excellent timing and race sense) was able to come round with metres to spare and take the win.