June 8, 2009: State RR Championships…Day One!
State Champs Road Race!
The team went up to Bakersfield for the road race championships. Raegan and Angela were a little fearful that the temps would be 108 F, after their Kern experience…..but it wasn’t hot at all. In fact, the girls got rained on during Saturday’s Masters race. Who knew you could get SO dirty in an hour and a half! A heartfelt “Thank You!!” to Rae’s husband Chad for washing all our bikes!
SATURDAY MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP RACE
Saturday started off fast and furious, with Colavita driving the pace right from the start. Raegan (our junior! j/k) has to wait until next year to race Masters, so Saturday’s team was Rae, Carole, and Angela racing 35+ and Cindy racing 55+. After looking at the large field of mostly pros and all heavy hitters, we decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and sat in to the hill. On the hill, Helens and Colavita set a very high pace with lots of surges. Angela, Rae, and Carole were victims of the pace and came off on the hill, and Cindy hung in there. Unfortunately Cindy came off partway down the descent. Angela caught up to Cindy on the descent, so the plan was to try and get Cindy back up to the main group and back in contention for the 55+ Bear jersey. Rae – who in addition to being an awesome crit racer, has become both a road racer and a climber this season – was just a few seconds off of Angela on the climb, riding with Lana Atchley (unattached) and Carol Lynn Neal (CA Pools). Both Lana and Carol Lynn caught up with Angela and Cindy on the descent. To our great misfortune, Rae was crashed out on one of the corners when she tangled with a rider going half-speed on one of the tight switchbacks. You know how the most dangerous part of freeway driving is all the various speeds? You’re zipping along feeling great when all the sudden you run up on somebody going 10 mph in a 65 mph zone. Her crash sounded sorta like that. Luckily the helmet did its job.
Angela and Lana busted ass to bridge back up to the group, with some help from Cindy and a NOW-MS gal. Carol Lynn flatted out. They closed most of the gap and crossed the finish line less than a minute off the peloton. Cindy wound up 2nd place in a decent sized group of 55+ ladies! Angela took 10th in 35+ and was the 2nd Cat 3 across the line. Carole tended to Rae, who pulled it together despite all the wounds and still had enough gumption for a sprint across the line. Rae, you are one tough lady! Even with the crash, Carole and Rae still had a fast finishing time and put the smack down on some ladies.
