Race Reports from the Women’s Team, who was very busy this past weekend!

Quabbin Reservoir Road Race
We had 3 team members in the Women’s Open field at Quabbin this weekend, Emily, Lucia M and Susan. From all accounts, it sounded like a really intense and difficult race, both due to the terrain and the stacked field of very strong Cat 1/2 women. Lucia M’s quote: “Quabbin. It sounds like a place from Lord of The Rings…and it felt like that.” Our resident mountain goat, Susan came away with the best result at 22nd, being able to hang on to the front pack the longest. Emily and Lucia M both really dug deep, working their way back to the main field, forming chase groups and picking off dropped riders along the way. With Battenkill and now, Quabbin being Lucia M’s first and second road races ever, she is clearly well on her way to clenching the title for “The Most Difficult First Year Road Race Choices Possible.” A really long and hard fought race for all – good job ladies!

Lake Nockamixon Time Trial
Lucia D and Stephanie both headed out to Ottsville, PA for their first time trial races of the year. It was a chilly start and a fairly hilly course, for a time trial, but the shoulder was wide and pavement smooth. It was an out and back (15 miles total) and it felt like there was a head wind both ways. Stephanie came in 4th in the Women’s Aero division and Lucia D came in 2nd in the Old School/Eddy Merkx division (i.e., no use of aero equipment).

Binghamton Circuit Race
On Sunday, Lucia D raced in the Binghamton Circuit race which was 13 laps of a 1.6 mile rolling circuit in an industrial park, with a little kicker of a hill at the end right before the finish (much like the Bethel course). The Women’s Cat 4 field started out fast from the gun (in an attempt to shed the newer and less stable riders) and the field shattered right from the beginning. There was a prime in the 3rd lap, which saw 2 girls off the front, eventually, we caught one of them, but the first one was never to be seen again. It was a 7 rider pack that rode together for the remainder of the race. Lucia started cramping in the 3rd to last lap and was not able to sprint at the end, but managed to eek out a 6th place finish. Better hydration will be a goal for the rest of the season, especially as the weather gets warmer.

Race Report from Peter N. at the Quabbin Road Race

It was a really sketchy field overall for the 5s, Jeff and I both were uneasy for the first 15 or so miles. I made a move at the hill around mile 22, had a solid 5 minute long solo break before the pack reeled me in. I was hoping that one or two other guys would jump on the hill and go with me, but no one else wanted to do any work.  Before I knew it, I was off the back and worked hard with an endurance werx and toga guy to try to reattach, we never caught the main group, which had split up by the end of the race. I tried to cram in as much fluids and calories, but the rolling terrain complicated eating. Ran out of gas on the second to last climb and lost my little CRCA group, food finally kicked in on the last climb though and I attacked on the hill to pass the two other guys who had caught up to me while I was bonking. All said and done, I learned a lot, and it was a really fun (and beautiful) course.

Race Report from Cheryl W. at the CRCA Spring Series Masters Race

Brian and I lined up with Scott and Laurent in the final race of the NYC Spring Series Men’s Masters 35+ field.  Teams were vying for their final points of the series and were well represented by Fincraft, Brauer Brink, Target Training, Deno’s, Blue Ribbon, Axis and many more.  There were over 80 starters.  The race was very fast from the start.  For 12 laps, the average speed was over 24 mph.  Laurent and Scott were at the front the entire race covering every move and keeping it together.  In the last lap, Brian got to the front and finished a remarkable 4th place.