Nature Valley Grand Prix

Nature Valley Grand Prix turned out to be extremely intense riding in all 6 stages. Morgan and I had a big job holding our own against the best pro teams in the country. Morgan did a great job maintaining her position in the peleton and always finishing with the top girls. Neva was awesome support for us. We cannot express how important her help was to us during the 5 day stage race. It was also really fun having JennX as the announcer. It is always cool hearing your name over the loud speaker. Thanx X!

State Crit Champs: Morgan Kapp Takes Third

Congratulations to Morgan Kapp, who took third place at Sunday's San Pedro Grand Prix, this year's SCNCA Elite Criterium Championships.

The course was challenging and served as a great warm-up to this weekend's Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, as the two courses have some of the same features. From the start/finish, it was wide and flat to very tight right-hand 180 degree turn. From there the course went uphill, then a long downhill run-in to a speedy turn that went 180 degree turn (two 90 degree turns pretty close to each other) to put you on the finishing straight, which was a long, gradual uphill. Already a challenging course, the 96 degree temperatures made it that much more difficult.

Holly Mulvaney joined Morgan and me at the race, and Holly put in a great attack early (I think it was the beginning of the second lap), taking a prime before being tracked down by the field. I was able to go on a short-lived attack with another rider about five laps into the race. Then, about mid-way through the race, with Morgan well-positioned at the front (as she had been from the beginning of the race), I struck out on a solo attack. Nearing the top of the hill on the backstretch, the field was back on. I started slowing it down, and then Morgan jumped, with SDBC's Bonnie Bourque, Helen's Kat Lundby, and Bicycle John's Skye-Lee Armstrong going with her. Since I was on the front, I was able to do a little blocking, and soon the four had a pretty sizeable gap on the field.

I was able to cover a few of the jumps from the field, but SDBC, Helen's, and Bicycle John's had good numbers and were able to keep pretty good control on the field, making it easier on me. With two laps to go, the break was back in sight, and Anna Lang (Aaron's Pro Cycling) started up the chase once again. I was suffering going into the final lap, but saw Neva on the sidelines telling me to get back up to the front. Seeing Neva gave me a little renewed energy, and I was able to get back up to the front going into the tight 180 degree turn to slow the race back down for a few seconds. Once we hit the final hill on the backstretch, the race heated up again, but the break would not be brought back. I used whatever I had left to try to sprint up the long finish straight to finish among the field.

I then saw Morgan and she said she had finished in third. Although I know she wished she would have finished first, it was still a great result for Morgan and SBW. Third place behind Kat Lundby and Bonnie Bourque is terrific.

Thank you, Holly, for joining us in the race, and a big thanks to Neva for cheering us on and helping out on the sidelines. Most of all, though: Congratulations to Morgan!

Back on Track

Last Tuesday was my first night at the San Diego Velodrome this year. Not only was it my first time on the track bike since Nationals last October, but it was my first time racing at the track in San Diego since I crashed in a race there last August and broke my ribs. I was a little nervous getting out there and racing again at the site of my crash, but I was soon very comfortable and did much better than I expected.

The night started with the customary motor-paced warmup of 30 laps. The first race was a 7-lap then win-&-out, and my final race of the night was a 20-lap scratch race. I was not aiming for any results in the races, but instead was using the racing to get some extra speed training in. However, being able to hang with the field of very fast men (who are highly motivated by the beer primes) and finish the races in the field made me very happy about where I am right now with a full three months to go before Nationals at the beginning of of October. Racing at the track each Tuesday night will now once again be added to my training.

From the first Tuesday in April through the last Tuesday in September, the San Diego Velodrome is the site of Tuesday Night Racing every week. The San Diego Velodrome is no ADT Event Center Velodrome, though. I am so thankful to be only 100 miles from the ADT Velodrome, one of the best tracks in the world -- an indoor, 250 meter track with a wood surface and 45 degree bankings -- and feel very spoiled every time I've ridden there and then come back home to the San Diego track. The San Diego Velodrome is an outdoor, 333 1/3 meter track in Balboa Park's Morley Field with a concrete-ish surface and probably only about 20 degrees of banking in the turns. However, although it's not in the class of ADT, I am priviledged to have a velodrome only a quick two mile drive away that I can race and train on.

Tuesday Night Racing draws a great crowd every week, with the bleachers always full of a great mix of people taking advantage of the opportunity to watch track racing for free. Some bring picnics, others bring beer and margaritas, and others just come and watch, but all the spectators do a lot of cheering for all of the racers. In the past, they've even had a wine tasting night and a live band on another night. Gary, the announcer for Tuesday Night Racing, is hilarious and entertains the crowd with his race commentary and his ability to poke fun at anyone whenever the opportunity presents itself. Joly and Ray, two USCF officials that everyone who races crits and road races is very familiar with, are there each Tuesday to handle registration and officiate. Their efforts every week are greatly appreciated.

Our International Soigne and Friend Monsieur Foss

A happy reunion with Larry after Stage 3 Time Trial. A Minneapolis resident, Larry came down to watch his peeps. Larry will be married in September- Congratulations!! (No- Larry is not marrying SBW's Christen King as pictured-he's marrying Sophie who is not pictured because she is working hard with the Canadian National Team!)

Kapp Positions in GC Day 2 but Really Day 1

NVGP had a wild start Day 1 with the rain soaked crit ending in complete mayhem. Who was in, who was out but still in, and why did the 3rd place break sprint 2 times? Who knows and who cares...because the officials threw the race out! Don't ask. So Morgan's 21st position was literally a wash. Good for Christen, bad for Morgan...but both were in high spirits because that's racing and now Day 2 would officially start the NVGP for official stage results.

Day 2 was a road race and was sure to be a hammerfest since there was no GC and it was any one's GC to take. The botched start started the 2nd day of mayhem when the motorcade took the wrong road over a narrow bridge and realized they were off course so they literally turned the peleton around and the back became the front and the front the back and now all the work riders had done to position was in vain and mayhem ensued. I heard zone 5 was the result with heart pumping speeds for the first 30 minutes and rumor had it a group of 30 was shelled off the back. At mile 25 100 riders remained in the main peleton (145 were to start) and both SBW riders were intact but Christen looked like she was being gapped off due to a positioning error on a steep downhill into a sharp right turn...hang on CK!

Feed was at mile 30 and I anxiously awaited her riders. All hands were grabbing at my bottles and riders pleading me for water (it was awful because I could hear their desperation) but I held tight only giving one away to a No Cal rider while I anxiously looked for Mojo and King. Then everyone was gone and I was still with bottles- gulp...I yelled to the big team cars that had radios and asked if there had been a crash and the response was no so I waited and about 4 minutes behind the peleton came 2 riders and one was Christen. She looked pretty fierce with a determined look on her face ad plenty of sweat so I kept silent and prayed she would be able to grab the bottle- she did. I knew it was going to be a long 20 miles because the rider with her was done so Christen would be TT'ing solo trying to make the time cut. Over 10 minutes back came a group of about 12...too far back to help her...she was in that awful place called no-man's land. Bummer.

Morgan must have stayed in the main peleton so I headed to the finish circuit hoping she was fine with water. As the peleton arrived into the 5 lap circuit and made its way into the start of the laps, I saw Morgan looking pretty good- and she was in about 40th position of about 80 riders who made it into the circuit to complete the 5 laps. For the first 3 laps Morgan moved up just a person or 2 and then with 2 to go she had moved up near mid pack and in a terrific finish she ended up 28th! What was even more amazing is she placed 3rd out of 50 in the amateur Cat 2 division just a few places behind the leader. I then got word that Christen made the time cut so prep started for an early morning TT start in St. Paul.

Oh My Gwash is that a Wheanies Jersey?

JanX in Action.......

rain, rain, go away...

come back some other day preferably after this stage race business...    Wow.  It rained most of the morning but then cleared up around 3 so there was some hope for the evening but as we were driving to the race it started to rain again and then harder and harder.   The great news is though it that it's not too cold.  

Once we surrendered to the weather and headed down to the start/finish area we found a great guy, Carl who is showing his line KINETIC of trainers.  He had a tent set up right at the start and let us warm up and was so supportive.  

The race got off to a fast start.  It was hard to see the front of the race and the corners were tight and tricky because of the speed, manhole covers and the rain.  It was really hard to move through the field, but patiently I could just move up a rider or two.  Then, the crashes started.  I could hear them mostly and just kept going forward.  Then after about 10 laps a rider rode across a manhole cover and slid out sideways.  I saw it so clearly and tired to clear her but I hit her bike and then slid across the pavement [slip 'n slide].  Our bikes were tangled together so once we pulled them apart and made our way to the pit, we were back in.  

The field was completely strung out chasing down Kristin Armstrong who was off the front and was trying to take the corners quickly and safely.  The rain was a huge factor today.  There were so many crashes.  K Armstrong took the win today.  Neva said her ride was impressive.  I finished 21st and Christen is in a main field with the majority of riders.  

Slip 'N Slide at NVGP Day 1

Pro Women Win State TTT

We did it! The 4 of us, Morgan, Jenn, Christen and Kelly won the Women's open California State Championship Team Time Trial. With little team training but excellent fitness we managed a winning rythem from the gun. We clocked in at about a 52:18 according to my watch, although "official" time is plus or minus 30 seconds. The 2nd place team put in a time in the 55 minute range.

We weren't the only Southbay riders to put in a TTT today. I think I saw 4 teams of 4. As I walked around the event I saw a lot of SBW riders, SBW member officiating, SBW support and SBW spectators. The club is really involved in the local scene. Kudos to Julia Cross and her team of time trialers, as we past them around mile 12 we yelled good luck. Her entire team replyed back with hoots and hollars. It really was a fun day. The team win puts us on a high note as we head in to the next month of hard racing.

Keeping you in the loop-

Morgan and Christen are off to Minnesota to race the Nature Valley Grand Prix and JennX goes to commentate.

Neva is still recovering from Tulsa Tough.

Kelly is focusing her training for Cascades in July.

All the women will be at the San Pedro Grand Prix while JennX is on assignment in Majorrca.

See you on the road

JennX

Tulsa was Tough

Just got back from a rather short-lived Tulsa Tough. Tulsa Tough is a 3 day crit omnium on the NRC calendar. Overall it is a great race to attend with plenty of prize $, great riders, and good fun all around. The races all sit within a mile from each other so once you get to Tulsa you can ride your bike everywhere. Tulsa also has some interesting sights including some fantastic architecture and some museums that are amazing like the Philbrook and the Gilcrest. Although I had a crash on day 1 of racing that took me out of the competition, I still enjoyed the weekend in Tulsa.

Day 1 race started at 7:30 at night with 60 riders for the women's 1-2 race. The pace started medium and it was hard to rev it up because it was an 8 corner .8 mile course so a lot of momentum stopped in the turns. I was riding Shelley Olds' wheel and following her course as she moved up through the field in the first 8 laps.

I had found a great spot in the top 1/3rd and was getting ready to settle in and find a wheel when a rider in a Vitamin Cottage jersey was cornering extremely erratically. I assessed very quickly that she was unnecessarily braking in the turns which was causing her to spin-out and wobble into the field. I knew to get far away from her and in turn 3 I was going to pass on the inside up the small incline. As I had that thought, she fishtailed out of turn 3 and completely lost control. I had moved to her inside and actually thought it was enough to miss her crash when either her bike or a rider behind her spun out and nicked my wheel just enough to send me into a perfect right sided slide interrupted by a rider plowing into me from behind and sending me into a full left sided tumble. I knew there were about 40 riders following so I tucked into a ball and tried to protect myself.

The pile-up had at least 16 riders in it and bodies were everywhere. I immediately knew I had hurt my ribs on the left side but was able to get back on the bike and found my way to the pit. the USA Cycling medic assessed me and through me back in a few laps later. I found I could not get out of the saddle due to my ribs and could not breathe so I sat on the back and just spun for the remainder of the crit trying to finish since it was an omnium. Later that night my injuries settled in and I knew I was a lot more hurt than I had anticipated. After a long night and an emergency ride to the hospital, it was obvious that my Tulsa Tough was over.

The races were all very exciting and Kelly Benjamin and Shelley Olds dominated. X-teammate Jennifer Wilson did great as well and placed 7th in the omnium. A shout out to Flavia, Jennifer, and Betsy who all kept an eye on me. So Tulsa was a bit tough on me but I recommend this race to anyone. Now for a long 5 weeks of rib healing.