Racing a 10k bike race is, well, almost fun.

We had a closed course that ran a 6.2 mile stretch of Atlanta’s Cobb Parkway (a littlebit like Germantown Parkway in Memphis, except with hills). I’m not gonna lie- the hills were intimidating when we drove the course. They weren’t particulatly steep, but they just looked BIG.

The start was down hill, and the first mile was sketchy. Everyone wanted a good position for the first hill, and a few of the girls threatened to put you into the curb if you tried to pass to the right side of the pack. I don’t really remember the middle few miles, but somewhere in there, three riders got off the front- a TIBCO rider (Lauren Franges), a Cheerwine rider (Robin Farina), and another rider (who I didn’t catch the team/name of).
The 3-person break started to dissolve, and I bridged to the latter mentioned rider. The TIBCO and Cheerwine riders remained away (but not together). I pulled through, and a couple in the pack were sort of trying to bridge, but didn’t seem too willing to put in a hard effort. I was close to the front, so when they pulled off and started looking for someone else to do the work, I attacked. Without looking back, I aimed for Robin’s rear wheel and started to reel her in. I caught her about halfway up the hill- she looked over her shoulder, looked at me, and said “GO.” I glanced back, saw that the pack hadn’t come with me, and went with all I had with Robin on my wheel. We made it under the 200m marker in 2nd and 3rd place (Lauren was too far ahead to catch). I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but at some point before the finish, the two of us were swarmed by the pack, and Lauren won the race. Robin ended up 18th and I was 21st.

I’ve never been that close to a podium in a big race. It’s a crazy feeling, and I’m looking forward to trying again. The highlight of my day was probably when Robin approached me after the race and complimented my effort. I’d rather try to go for the glory and get 21st than sit in the pack and finish a few spots earlier, so I am stoked to get the opportunity to go for it.

Photos are popping up on Velonews. I’ll post a few once I’ve found some good ones.