Pic: all of us were hunched in the shade trying to stay cool before going to the start line. It was hot.
It was a crazy road race for me. As I described before, the 11 mile course was mostly rolling, with all right turns. The course started at the Wachusett Mountain ski lodge, where we made our only left onto the big downhill, then leveled off for a right turn, through some rollers to another right past a burger stand, more rollers for a while then through the 5k, 3k, 2k, 1k to go signs, a right turn and pretty steep little pitch up a short stretch to the final right and the finish line about 100m past that, with the course continuing up a pretty good and long-ish climb and through the feed zone, then to a few long, stretched out rollers and another climb up to the highest elevation on the course and then past the lodge and on to the downhill again. Anna and I spoke briefly before the strt - the idea was to make the selection up the feed zone climb every time. The first 3 laps were relatively uneventful. The third time through the climb the pack really started to break up, but then we were neutralized when the pro men's field caught us (they had started 15 minutes before us) and it all came back together on the rollers over the top as we waited and waited for them to come by. Finally, they passed and we were racing again on the descent (51.4 mph!). The 4 of us were all still there and I had been moving around the pack a bit, doing some work at the front and keeping an eye on Anna. With 2 to go, Anna was near the front on the climb and I heard the announcer call her name. Things broke up a bit near the top and I think she was in the second group, while Ann and Andrea and I were in the third. Through the rollers we kind of hung around the back, obviously not doing any work to bring it back to the group our team leader was in, but eventually we caught them, and then after the descent I went to the front to help with the work to bring back 2 riders that were out. When we caught them I was at the front and there was a fast and hard counter attack by a Colavita rider, followed right after by a Verducci girl. So I went for it. For a split second I thought I wasn't going to get up to them but closing gaps is what I do so I kept it up and made it up to them and then the three of us rotated through, getting reports from the moto that we had 30, then 35 seconds on the field as we went through the 5k, 3k, 2k and 1k signs. I was in a little over my head with those 2, and came through the finish with them but then started to get dropped on the feed zone climb. My legs felt right on the edge of cramping but there was still a whole lap to go. As I neared the end of the feed zone I heard a set of aero wheels come from the left and the orange jersey (Colavita) just went right by me in a huge gear. I tried to get on the wheel but couldn't hold it. So I spent the rollers and downhill and the first part of the back side by myself, forcing myself to keep drinking even though I was reluctant to get out of my drops and aero position for any amount of time. Eventually Alison Shanks (yes, the New Zealand track cyclsit and 2009 WORLD CHAMPION in the 3000m individual pursuit!!)bridged up to me and we were working together well as we went through the right turn at the burger shack (6 burgers for $10!) and headed toward the 5k to go sign. The moto told us a minute, and we thought he meant we had that on the chasing group, but I guess it was really how far back from the front 3 we were, because we got caught not too much later. Unfortunately, it was a pretty big group of 40 or so. With Colavita and Verducci up the road, obviously not a single one of those jerseys was on the front, and to my dismay I saw Anna up there with her nose in the wind. So, I went to the front again, and stayed there through the 3k...2k....1k... and even 500m where I tried to wind it up to give her a good launch into the final time up that little pitch. At least, I hoped she was on my wheel. I pretty much died right there, half way up, but shifted down and just kept turning the pedals over to the finish line. Anna finsihed 26th, 2:07 back of the orange jersey who finished first. The winner of the sprint in our group was Anna McLoon of Kenda, 1:44 back. I finished 38th, 2:29 down. Its amazing how much time you can lose in 500m! Ann and Andrea finished not far behind. I now sit 31st on GC going into today's TT, 2:56 down. I worked really hard yesterday, and learned a lot. Hopefully I've recovered a bit and can have a good TT today.
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