Day 1:Stage 1: 6.2 mile TT with last mile being a 7% hill climb. Winds favorable for most of the TT course, heat rising to 90, humidity very high. No race equipment including cycling computer. A TT bike, heart rate monitor and an old SBW kit did the job. Finishing place 1st with a 15:25 time.
Stage 2: 14 lap crit course. Course .7 miles with leg 1 being crosswind from the east, leg 2 a 7% descent with a tailwind 1/3 mile, leg 3 a crosswind from the east, leg 4 a 7% climb dead into wind 1/3 mile. Wind: 30 MPH gusts blowing a steady 20+ MPH. Equipment: road bike with 404's- oh crap. Mixed field with some men's fields. Women's field came down to a sprint between myself and Roberta and I took her by 100 meters and it was a fight all race. Finishing place: 1st
Day 2:
Stage 3: 40 mile RR with first 50% descent, second 50% ascent average of 7% ascent. Weather very unfavorable. Winds steady at 11 MPH, fog heavy, rain pouring. Course descent on open highway with traffic. Equipment: road bike with 404's- oh crap again. Field mixed with all men except the M1-2's. A few tears nearly shed on the first descent and the field split, I was with favorable split. We hit the ascent and the men hammered. I was dropped eventually and at feed almost pulled out- it was pretty miserable...but I don't quit and I decided to try to catch the field anyway, now a good mile ahead. I caught them about 4-5 miles when a guy named Doug was TT'ing trying to get back in. Then we got dropped the 2nd mile in on the climb and Doug kept me honest and we finished 1/4 mile back. Finish: 2nd
GC Final: 1st
Summary: An excellent weekend of racing and we got a delish meal at Tako Tako, a cool Tour De Big Island shirt, and prizes and shwag galore! With the smaller fields, which is hard to get large fields in Hawaii as the mainland, it would be more like a formal training race for those used to larger fields but the race was 100% professionally done and the racing hard! I was so impressed with the Race Director and his team and the team of volunteers- it was their first stage race and it went like clock-work- if all races could be organized this well- nice going Hawaii Cycling Club! My fellow racers were awesome- both women and men, and Roberta gave me 'ell all weekend- watch out for her at Master's Nats- she's an animal! I hope this race starts a new tradition on the Big Island and with prior notice of the event I will make every effort to return. Thank you Big Island for a great weekend- you really made it worth my while on many levels, mahalo.
