July 2, 2010
While the rest of the team is recovering from a month long racing road trip, Ally, now based on the east coast, is racing the Fitchburg-Longso Classic in MA.
Ally, one of the teams' developing riders, finished off the Fitchburg-Longso classic in good form. Being based on the east coast, she took advantage of the nearby race to gain valuable experience and fitness for Cascade in 2 weeks.
Here are Ally's Reports:
Stage 1 - July 2, 2010: Fitchburg State College - Circuit Race
The travel to The Fitchburg Longsjo Classic Stage Race was not the most ideal. What was supposed to be a 4.5 hour car ride turned into an 11 hour drive. We hit every traffic jam from Philadelphia to Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Driving through New York is a nightmare as well. This made for an extremely long day in the car of random conversations, free style hip-hop lyrics, laughs and complete stops on the interstate.
My boyfriend and I rolled into our campsite after 11pm with many tasks at hand. Air mattress- check, tent- check, water- check and sleep- double check! I am so happy it was a late race start for stage 1.
The morning was very pleasant, no rushing around. Just making some of John’s JPMurph cycling coffee and breakfast. There is nothing else like waking up to some JPMurph Coffee! Freshly roasted. I love waking up in the woods there is something incredibly soothing about waking up in the outdoors.
John and I headed to the race; I was fired up for the day (Probably due to the mass consumption of JPMurph coffee). With a great night of sleep and a full belly, the day was going to be good. I am trying to make myself remember something our trusty mechanic Dave Drumm has told me a few times. Off the bike your friends are your friends and on the bike its game on. Your only friends are you teammates.
Once the race started, the groups kicked off with attacks from the beginning. BMW had a rider off the front on the first lap. Colivita let her go and then began to really race. The Colivita riders made the pace extremely hard trying to shell the field. They won the first, second, and fourth sprint. Those ladies in White with Olive Oil on their jerseys were not slowing down. I followed attacks and worked on my positioning. I was able to keep good positioning towards the front and race aggressive. With the race getting harder, the field growing smaller, and the laps becoming less, I was becoming more confidant with myself in the race. I just felt good about everything. Last lap and Colivita was drilling it at the front riding for Catheryn Cheatley to win the stage. I found myself in good positioning going into the last corner and gave a dig to the finish.
Coming in 10th today with the sprint I am very happy with how the day went. Catheryn Cheatley won the stage and other very strong riders followed. The ride back to the tent was extremely pleasant with thoughts of cooking food over the fire and most of all making smores.
The night is winding down, I have had two smores; for those who don’t know what a smore is its: Hershey chocolate bar, gram cracker and a fire roasted marshmallow. Smores are nothing but great race food for the next three days of racing.
Today has been a pretty good day.
Stage 2 - July 3, 2010: Wachusett Mountain - Road Race
It was a good day to wake up in a tent: we brewed some jpmurph coffee and made Oatmeal. I was ready to race. We loaded up our sweet mini van and headed to the race start at the Wachusett Ski Resort. This 6 lap race was a whopping 64 miles. It was pretty much up, up, up, straight up a wall, down hill and rolling then back up again. It was going to be a good day in Massachusetts for a bike race.
Doing all the pre race things have become pretty easy. This isn’t my first rodeo and they wont be my last. I’m in this for the long run. Commitment.
Ok back to the race, I get all my pre race things in order and its time to do the last few things before I head to the start line. Find a bathroom and sign in, ok its time to get the party going. Racers have become so funny - the race starts in 30 minutes and already a good group of women are lining up. Its 85 degrees out and getting hotter I do not feel the need to go stand in the sun waiting to race a road race. I am very happy with sitting inside sipping my icy cold water bottle.
Race time! The officials called up the top 10 riders and I was very pleased being one of them. The whistle blew and we were off. The race started off slow for the first few minutes and then teams and riders became aggressive hoping to establish a break in the very beginning. Colivita brought there A game and was shutting down anything that did not seem right. Each time up the steepest part of the climb leading into the feed zone the pace was really pushed. I stayed in the top 5 women and each time up the climb we would have a gap. Nothing would stick. The gap was shut down in a very few short minutes.
Since I came to this stage race without teammates, I had to be more aware of other riders around me - people I knew who would be good to be in a break with and or work with if something went up the road. Breaks would go for a little bit but nothing was going to stick. Not until the last lap when Cath Cheatly made her third attack in a row did anything finally stick. She and two riders went up the road. We got a small rotating pace line but we started too late and we only brought the time down by only a few seconds. I came in fifth in the group sprint and eighth in the overall for today’s stage. It was a good day.
Now I am back at camp with my boyfriend. While all the other racers have host housing or a hotel room, we are making gourmet meals over the fire and just relaxing. Pretty much every rider that knows I am camping really thinks I’m crazy. I feel I am just living. Life is pretty good.
Stage 3 - July 4, 2010: Courtyard by Marriott Fitchburg / South St. Time Trial
Good evening, I am sitting around the camp fire with a full stomach, my feet up and listening to the fireworks in the distance. Life is pretty good. I am really enjoying Fitchburg, MA. The racing is good and the weather is perfect. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
The TT went as good as it could. I did an early morning spin for about an hour. Came back to camp, made breakfast and headed to the TT start. When I got to the race it was time to focus. I wanted to keep my top 10 GC so I knew I needed to have the TT of my life. I did my warm up and got to the start.
It all happened so fast, I rode as consistent and hard as I could. I passed my 30 second woman and hurt pretty bad when I came across the finish line. I rode around for a bit then checked results. I came in 21st for my TT, putting me at 15th for GC. I know it isn’t a top 10 but I did my best and my TT’s are improving very slowly but surely.
Now back at camp I am focusing on racing the crit tomorrow, keeping in my head to stay safe and ride smart. This race has gone by so fast I wish it was a little longer.
Stage 4 - July 5, 2010: Workers’ Credit Union - Downtown Criterium
Today was the last day of the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic Stage Race. The race ended with a criterium in downtown Fitchburg. It was 96 degrees with a touch of humidity. The course was a very simple with a slight uphill to the finish. It was 25 miles in a total of 28 laps. The field was growing smaller with the start of each stage. Colivita was in the green and yellow jerseys so they were the team to let work the race today.
The race started and Colivita rode the front. Anyone that tried to get away they brought back, and they weren’t letting anything go. I tried a few attacks hoping to get riders motivated to race; but it was shut down pretty quickly. It was going to come to a bunch sprint. Now it was time to focus on my pack skills and good positioning for the finish. The speed picked up with 2 laps to go and riders were starting to pop. One to go, one to go, one to go! The announcer yells to the racers and crowd. It was go go time. I fought my way to the front and fought to keep my position. It was a sprint finish I came in 15th. Erica Aller, guest riding for Kenda won the stage and Cath Cheatly kept the overall. GC did not change too much from today’s crit. I kept my 15th in GC.
All in all it was a good four days of racing and camping. I look forward to coming back next year.
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