Monday, October 6, 2008

Elite Track Nationals - Individual Pursuit

Morgan, JennX, and Kelli each competed in the Women's Individual Pursuit (3 km) on Day 3 of Elite Track Nationals. Morgan finished in 9th with a 4:07.3, JennX in 10th with a 4:09.2, and Kelli in 11th with a 4:10.8.

Elite Track Nationals - Team Pursuit

The Women's Team Pursuit was held on Thursday, October 2, 2008, Day 2 of the USA Cycling Elite National Track Championships at the ADT Event Center in Carson, CA. The women's team pursuit is a 3 km time trial and the time is taken on the third rider across the line (unlike the men's team pursuits where they start with four riders but only have to finish with three). Four SBW riders stood on the podium after the event.

Christen teamed with Proman's Shelley Olds and Megan Guarnier and took the silver medal with a time of 3:45.370.

Morgan, JennX, and Kelli teamed up to form an all-SBW pursuit team and took the bronze with a time of 3:51.976. We were so excited about the time we set. In a month's time, we dropped 10 seconds. We had done a 4:01 in late August, and a 3:56 about five days before we hit the track at Nationals. We were 6 seconds off the silver and 8 seconds off the gold. Next year we could be right up there!

Many thanks go to Dotsie Bausch for all her help and advice and to Julia Cross for always being there to lend a helping hand.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Nationals

The amazing team support from Julia and our families and friends this week was incredible and absolutely made for a more successful run at Nationals. 

Our race was 4 laps of a 17 mile circuit.  The first half had a climb up Jamboree and the second half and a section of head wind and a gradual climb.   Right from the first lap Kelli was up front and JennX and I stayed protected up in the front.  In the second lap Kelli was up front coming down the big hill and just rolled off the front of the field!  The peleton didn't respond and Kelli's 8 second lead soon became over a minute!   The field stayed on her but Kelli's power into the headwind and the field's conservative effort gave her one of the two breaks from the field. 

The OTHER break from the field was JennX's attack into the climb on the last lap.  It was a decisive move that X made from the corner as she sprinted into the right had turn and never looked back.  Once again, SBW was off the front and the Shimano car sped past the field to support Jenn.  Meanwhile Christen moved to the front of the field and stayed in perfect postion.  Coming into the flat section the teams seemed to get more anxious about X's lead.  Finally, the field was forced to chase.  Once X was reached by the field the attacks for the finish started.  One after another into the climb where the field was strung out.  I stayed with the front group to the turn around.   We still had about 6 miles to the finish but the field stayed strung out.  The finish was 1K with a climb from the final right had turn.  When we made the right turn I rode in with the front group as the last attacks were launched but the hill was too much for an attack to stick.  Cresting the hill I realized I was still in a good position and just stayed on it into the finish.

I'm so proud of Kelli, Christen and JennX who made such an impression on this race.  Great day guys!


Happy but...

what is THAT picture?!?!?!    Ok, now on to Nationals...

SBW In Oregon

Morgan- 11th and Happy


The Girls