Stage 2 – Uphill mass start time trial 7.7 miles

March 28, 2003, Fairfield, CA

Stage 2 consisted of a short mass start 7.7 mile hill climb.  The first three miles of the race were relatively flat but had some strong cross headwind sections.  It turned into a race to the base of the climb with T Mobile and Saturn driving it along at 25miles/hr (40km/hr) along this section.

The peloton took a fast left hand corner into Mix Canyon Road and for the first mile up the climb, the pace was unbelievable.  Joan and I were both in the top 10 and were hanging on as T Mobile set a gut wrenching pace for Kimberly Bruckner.

Joan and I soon watched Kimberly stand up and lift the pace, with only Manon Jutras and Lyne Bessette (Saturn) able to go with her.  I stayed with Joan as long as I could, trying to keep her protected from the wind but also trying not to fall off the back myself.  With about 2 miles to go, the pace was too much for me and I dropped out of Joan’s bunch as the gradient increased from 15 percent up to 22 percent for the last 1.5 miles.

I was using a 12-27 cassette but I could have used a 32 because I could only turn the cranks over at about 30rpm.  I was zig zagging up the road and hoping I wouldn’t fall over.  This was certainly the steepest climb I have ever ridden.  My legs were burning with fatigue with the 7.7 miles taking nearly 45 minutes to conquer.

Bruckner (T Mobile) soloed in for the win (with reports that she wasn’t even puffing), finishing over a minute in front of Jutras with Bessette (Saturn) taking 3^rd.  Joan finished an impressive 8^th while I finished 22^nd, putting Joan in 10^th in GC and me 22^nd.  Anne, Shawn, Rebecca and Emily again rode steadily today, with an uphill time trial only suiting our mountain goat rider, Joan.

Results:

8^th Joan Wilson                             TDS                 3mins 38sec down
22^rd Helen Kelly                             TDS                 6mins 24sec down