June 27, 2010 - Sunday was a busy day with Webcor riders competing in their national championships in 3 different countries! Andrea had the longest trip - all the way to Austria. It was a worthwhile one though as she came through with the big victory!
Here is her report:
Austrian Road Championships - Victory!!!
...about 2 "cancelled" nights, Austrian race organization, a clear lead and a narrow victory…
With a disappointing "Nature Valley GP", a flight delay with a chaos-night at Denver's airport at my way home from Minneapolis to Sacramento, and only 2 days at home in El Dorado Hills... I didn't feel like it would be worth spending another 2 traveling days, another sleepless night in the plane to go to Austria trying to gain the Austrian Road Title...
However... flight was booked, family and friends were waiting for my arrival... I found myself in the plane from San Francisco to London and then London to Munich only 2 days after my arrival home from Nature Valley and only 2 days before our national championships. This time flights were on time and except crying babies right, left, in front and behind me all the 12 hours of flying time (I guess it must have been 20 kids at least ;) my journey went well. Without any sleep I arrived in Munich, Friday at noon, and forced myself to stay awake and get on my bike immediately. After training and a great massage from my friend I felt better (but tired). Saturday was a traveling day to Oberösterreich - through half of Austria!!! (which seems not that far, after spending half a year in the US!) It provided time for race preparation and making up some sleeping time...
Sundays race included almost 2000 meters of difference in altitude on 3 laps of 38 km. There was one long climb each lap and a steep 500m climb 1k before the finish line. Honestly, I didn’t feel that great at the race day, and my feeling didn't get better when everyone told me how much the level of Austria’s womens cycling had improved this year. Although I am not the same strong rider I’ve been, everyone seemed to watch me during the race. But teams were much more balanced this year, and whereas I competed as a soloist against one dominant team with more than 10 riders in past years, it was a really colorful-mixed-jerseys-peloton this year. Also for me it was the first time having teammates from my Austrian club since 2005 (the last time I won the title).
In the beginning of the race, weaker riders of teams attacked, and as I had to concentrate on the strongest, I didn't go with these attacks. In the middle of the race, 3 of these riders were 3 minutes in front and although we knew these were not the strongest, we began to chase (wouldn't have been the first time with surprising Austrian champions). Immediately after, we caught the 3, another girl attacked and one of my teammates went with her, and as nobody worked in the peloton they again made a lot of time immediately. In the last long climb 15 km before the finish I went full speed, made up 2 minutes to the leading girls and could catch them at the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, my teammate couldn't`t follow and so we were 2 in front.
In the long downhill and flat section, the group behind us caught up again, but at this time I was already confident for having a good hill-top-finish as I was the strongest on the long climb. So I waited `till the 1000m and gave all I had in this 500m-climb. Nobody could follow and I had a huge gap with 400 flat meters to go... For some reason my legs (not me!) wanted to make the decision more exiting for the spectators - and for the first time in my cycling-life, my legs suddenly cramped. I saw the finish line in front of me and it seemed I couldn't reach it anymore... the girls behind me came closer and closer... somehow I managed it to do some more pedal-turns and then rolled over the finish line - as the winner - only 2 seconds before the silver-medalist!
It was great!
I expected nothing and won it all! My first victory since I won Mailand's UCI-race in the beginning of March 2008!!! Besides all my joy of the win, I was soon aware again why I don’t really miss Austrian racing: my name was never mentioned by the announcer - not even when I crossed the finish line first, there was no winner’s interview, no national anthem... I couldn't believe they didn't forget the champion’s jersey at the winner’s ceremony...not that I don’t like green, but I am so exited to wear my red-and-white jersey for another year. (but I promise – I’ll still go green;)
Thanks, WEBCOR (and my Austrian Radteam NÖ), for making my successful participation - far away from my temporary home - possible.
Andrea
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