Wente Vineyards Criterium, April 22, 2007

[BikeMomma]

Finally found the time to write this, two weeks later!

Wow! This was a fun race. I remembered last year's race (2006) and recalled how much fun the course was, so I was eager to enter this year's edition. You could say that last year, I learned how to race this course, so this year I recalled what I learned and then applied it.

So anyway, we had the Women 45+ in the race again (6 of them), and we had 24 Cat 4's, for a total field of 30 that finished. The race started out pretty calm, but at the same time, we weren't crawling either. My teammate Charlotte, who raced the Cat 1-3 race a couple hours earlier, advised me where I should be on certain areas to avoid being pushed to the curb. As with most windy days, everyone wants to stay sheltered in the draft, and in this race, if you allowed yourself to get too far left, it was trouble. As it was, there was nearly a crash because of exactly this (with alot of unnecessary and unsportswomanlike cussing and name-calling, I might add ). The rest of the race was incident free, unlike last year.

As I knew the course and after testing Charlotte's advice and finding she was right, I could then free my mind to plan for the last couple laps. Because of the wind, all breakaway attempts made had been caught pretty quickly, so I knew that it would be suicide to try a solo breakaway. Actually, to clarify, it would be suicide to put myself any closer to the front than maybe 5-6 riders back (yes, it was that windy). I knew I needed someone in front of me, so that's what I did.

With two laps to go, I moved myself up and tried to keep anywhere within the top ten, without expending any more effort than I had to. I could feel the tension in the race increasing and I knew that I wasn't the only one vying to stay up front, either. Knowing that I had kept the same line all race -- staying on this side here, that side there -- I decided to change it up the last lap, just in case anyone had me pegged to go a certain direction. So on the "s" curve just before the last corner, I cut inside, where I hadn't the whole race and moved up on the outside of the wide curve before the corner. From there, I had no trouble putting myself in an excellent position around the final corner, about 6 riders back, just as I'd planned.

The corner went well, and as I thought might happen, about 4 riders were able to get past me, but I didn't panic, as they may be assets for finding a wheel to draft. Because the finishing straight is soooooo long and soooo windy, I just sat and waited. My sprint is not a fast-off-the-blocks sort of sprint (working on it!), and it usually takes me just little more time to wind it up to top speed. So, with that long finishing straight, it sets up perfect for me. There's an irrigation bridge about halfway down the straightaway that most people use as their "jump off" point, but I knew that I'd need to start my sprint either there or just before it to have hope of holding my position.

Sure enough, at the bridge, the first riders jumped and that was my cue. I found a wheel momentarily but then they started to fade and I had to go around. After that, I was out in the wind, and I just put my head down and made it hurt. I passed about 3 riders quickly and then was slllowwwly gaining on a couple others as we crossed the line, but I was fading right about then and didn't have anything left to pass them. Crossing the line, I guessed myself somewhere in the top ten, possibly about 7th or so. Good guess, but I wound up in 9th place, a helmet-length behind my (now) teammate Katrina Howard, the little 12-yr-old dynamo who got fifth last year. Here's the link to the official results page: 2007 Wente Crit

I had so much fun in this race, can't wait until next year! I felt so good that at one point I was joking with Katrina, telling her to "go kick some 'arse and show 'em how 12-yr-olds get it done." Struck me highly ironic that I was laughing and joking in the middle of a race when I was supposed to be serious with a pained grimace on my face. It's all about fun, though.

Thanks for reading all!!
cya
BikeMomma

[Eden]

Nice job - crits are the hardest race around if you ask me and it sounds like you had a plan that you accomplished well.

Wow - so many catagories, I'm jealous
I probably wouldn't be waiting at least one more race to upgrade if we had a separate 3's field.... (as it stands here you go from beginner to racing with the pro's - yup at the first WA stage race of the year two weekends ago the 1/2/3 field had at least 2 pros in it, including Mara Abbot who just happens to be oh, the #2 ranked NRC rider right now...) The only time there is a separate masters field for the women is at state championship races.

[tprevost]

Very Cool Kim! I love to read your race reports, they are so exciting!!! Well done! when's your next one?

[maillotpois]

Wow, that's great! What a great race.

I am dumbstruck that a 12 year old is out there doing so well. That's just fantastic!

[SadieKate]

How fun and congratulations! Thanks for writing up the strategy. I love following that.

I worked reg for the Davis Crit last year and it was great to see all the young women (though 12 is really more girl than woman) show up. I can't remember her name but a 19 yr old Velo Bella from Minnesota was there and did really well.

[velogirl]

I can't remember her name but a 19 yr old Velo Bella from Minnesota was there and did really well.

That was Leisel and she actually went pro mid-summer. IIRC, she was from Norway or Sweden and in the states to race and study and gain more experience. She was picked up by a european team.

[AZSpinner]

Thanks for the race report! I'm jealous that you got such a turnout for your race. I just did a crit this sunday and we had 6.

[BikeMomma]

Thanks for the race report! I'm jealous that you got such a turnout for your race. I just did a crit this sunday and we had 6.

Uggh...six -- we get those numbers, though not quite as low as six, when it's a combined Cat 1-4 field and there's some other factor, like rain/cold or locale, that discourages more entrants. Also, prize money and other races happening the same day or weekend also play a factor, as well as if it's a Cat 4 only race (or compatible category like the Wm 45+ that was in this one).

Edit: I was going to ask how you did in your crit, but I see you also have a race report! Will read that next!

~BikeMomma

[Mimosa]

Uggh...six -- we get those numbers, though not quite as low as six, when it's a combined Cat 1-4 field and there's some other factor, like rain/cold or locale, that discourages more entrants. Also, prize money and other races happening the same day or weekend also play a factor, as well as if it's a Cat 4 only race (or compatible category like the Wm 45+ that was in this one).

I think it's the same everywhere, also here in holland. There are two cat3/4 races on my agenda for the next week and both have a field of 22 riders. The problem is that race organisers start complaining that this is to few and if they make the same race cat 2/3/4 race they can get around a 100 riders. But then the cat4 riders never get a chance on a decent race since they are almost sure to get dropped by the pace the cat2 riders can (and will) set.

[BikeMomma]

Wow, that's great! What a great race.

I am dumbstruck that a 12 year old is out there doing so well. That's just fantastic!

Hi All --

Up late reading and deleting all my old email and came upon the reply link to this thread. Just wanted to put in a little update on Katrina Howard, my 12-year-old teammate.

I think I'm giving her a new name: Katrina How-it's-done, because she's now a triple USA Champ -- she won the Junior Girls Nationals in Time Trial, Road, and Criterium this year. Soooo friggin' awesome!!

We on the Central Valley Cycling (CVC) team are all SOOO terrifically proud of her. She's got great things in her future, for sure.

Good night...Zzzzzz....
~BikeMomma