Stage 4 – 11 May 2003 – 60 minute criterium

Conditions: sunny and not humid – 75F

The criterium course was a 1.5km anti clockwise loop with 12 corners and 3 climbs per lap.  The first downhill corner after the start/finish line was a left off camber 90 degree turn.  Taking this corner near the front was a lot faster and smoother so I tended to ride most of this race in the top 5 positions.

The race was aggressive with a number of attacks from Genesis and TDS, however all attacks were shut down and at 2 laps to go it looked like it would come down to a field sprint.  Just before bell lap, Candice Blickem (Genesis) and Lynn Gaggioli (Velo Bella) attacked from the back of the field down the back straight.  Shawn (TDS) was sitting on Blickem’s wheel and went with the attack.  Unfortunately, Shawn was unable to hold the wheel and she was gapped off as they took the bell with one lap to go.

Amy Moore (Saturn) took up the chase while I sat 2^nd wheel hoping Shawn would drive it hard and take 3^rd.  With two corners to go I knew Shawn wasn’t going to hold us off.  Magen Long (OBRU) attacked down the right side of the road at the moment I hesitated and should have attacked myself.  I jumped on her wheel and she lead through the final corner and held me off to take 3^rd, with Gaggioli taking the win from Blickem.  Hannos (RONA-Esker) pipped me right on the line giving me 5^th for the race.  Joan finished just behind in 7^th.

With only 3 years of total cycling I am still learning so much about tactics and realised today that waiting in the peloton and hoping Shawn could hold us off wasn’t the right decision.  Cycling is such a challenging sport because with each race, the scenario is different, and often, a slight hesitation can cost you the race.  So as well as training the body up to 30 hours a week, it is important to educate yourself on tactical scenarios so if a certain situation arises during a race, you can react without thinking, and give yourself the best chance at winning.

I am now back to San Diego for a 3 week climbing block before hoping to get over the climbs in the front group at Philly and Nature Valley.

Final General Classification

1 Lynn Gaggioli (USA) Velo Bella                                                     7.23.42

2 Susan Palmer-Komer (Can) Genesis Scuba / FFCC                         0.28

7 Joan Wilson (USA) TDS                                                                  6.41

10 Helen Kelly (AUS) TDS                                                                7.05

17 Emily Gloeckner (USA) TDS                                                        22.08

18 Shawn Heidgen (USA) TDS                                                          27.48

21 Christine White (USA) TDS                                                           35.30