I want to start with a big THANK YOU to the organizers of the SEW Cycling Series. Not only was the race itself well-organized, on time, on a great course, tons of primes, etc, they equalized the top 3 payouts to the women’s races with those of the men’s races and offered both cat 3/4 and pro 1/2/3 races separated by enough time to rest & recover! You guys ROCK! Any women reading this- try to get down here & race- they’re doing great things for women’s cycling!
I rode in both races…
3/4 Race
My strategy going in to the 3/4 race was to be as aggressive as possible. I attacked a small (but tiring) hill several times during the 25 minute race. It was also sprinkling and windy, so I would accelerate down the hill on the back side of the course to a wide, sweeping corner. Some of the other riders didn’t feel comfortable with the moisture on the road and the speed of the corner. Those tactics thinned the field out to 5 of us. We rode out the last half of the race together. I should have been able to make a top 3 finish, but when it came time to sprint, I totally spaced! I took the last turn too wide and fell back a little, then started my sprint waaaay too late! I was able to eek out a 4th- Lucky, because Gina Tolbert, who is also strong enough to lay waste to most of the group we were with, was sprinting with me & got 5th! If anything, it was a good tune-up for the 1/2/3 race. Betsy, a regional rider of Team Kenda Tire rode in the race as well. She’s getting into the learning curve of crit riding (kinda like me at about this time last year!) and finished a lap down, but I bet once she has a few more under her belt, she’ll be right up in the mix!
Pro 1/2/3 Race
This was my first race where I was able to work with some teammates! I lined up with Lee Farabaugh and Molly Freeman as well as a very strong field of pro 1/2/3 women- including Rebecca Larson from Aarons Pro Cycling. The wind had picked up as the day warmed and the sun came out (people were flying kites near the course!) From the start, I rode conservatively. I hung out near the middle/back of the pack and let other people cover attacks. Not far into the race, Rebecca attacked into the brutal headwind of the finishing stretch of the course. She got off of the front with one other girl. They put a 5-10 sec gap on the field by the time they were on the back side of the course, and the other girl dropped off of Rebecca’s wheel to return to the pack. I felt good, so, with Lee on my wheel, I went for the bridge, and no one else followed. We kept the hammer down to get away from the pack. Rebecca had all intentions of not helping out once the break was established, but she kept sprinting for primes then dropping back and sucking the wheels of Lee and I. We were getting tired in the wind, and we were a little peeved. I noticed how eager Rebecca was to get primes, so I thought of a quick deal- I told her she could take all of the remaining ones uncontested if she’d actually work to help us stay away (we were wavering at around a 40-50 second gap based on what people in the crowd were yelling). It worked, and she started trading pulls (of course, the next prime was for $100 cash, but, tempted as I was, I held up my end of the bargain…) Molly worked for Lee and I back in the pack- everyone said she did a great job of covering attacks then slowing back down! It’s awesome to have a friend back there instead of a bunch of people wanting to chase you down! Lee, Rebecca, and I worked hard until we were about to lap the field. At that point, we relaxed a little with about 5 laps to go. Lee was awesome and let me stop working & stay on her wheel so I could rest for the sprint. When it came time, she did her best to lead me out, but Rebecca made a slightly early jump. Being a pro, she’s very fast! I actually did gain ground on her, and think that if the finish line had been 10 yards further away, I could have caught her… but I’m pretty stoked with the results anyway!
I love having teammates! I’m looking forward to next weekend. I’ll be back in Birmingham to ride in the Live to Ride circuit race at Barbour Motorsports Park.
Photos up as soon as I find some!
