Audrey Scott Race Report - Tour de Toona 2011
So I went into Thursday's 72.9 mile road race worried. I thought I had felt good in the time trial, but obviously wasn't going fast, so I didn't know how I'd make it through 72.9 miles with a monster 5 mile finish climb in respectable fashion.
It was a point to point stage, finishing at BLue Knob ski mountain, and both the start and the finish were a 45 minute drive from our lodging near Altoona. So between the 7 riders, two directors and 3 cars, we devised a plan to get everyone to the start on time and still have 3 cars at the finish (including the caravan car) to be able to get home.
The race started with a couple of parade loops, and we finished those, bombed down a steep descent out onto a concrete highway, and the race was on. Almost immediately I saw Jenny pulling off to the side of the road, and I hung back to help her get back on after whatever was a problem was fixed. I assumed it was a flat but I later learned it was just some sort of weird shimmy or something possibly caused by the concrete road, and she was soon back on and up near the front like usual. Also up there were Laura and Jane. As we went over the first big climb on the course, we lost Jenn and Marjo and Amy. At this point I realized that without Jenn, it was going to be up to me to get bottles from the car. It was hot. And I had according to instructions jumped on the second major attack of the day, so we weren't too far in and I already felt pretty worked and worried about making it through.
And then, it started to thunderstorm. At first, the cool rain was nice, but then the hot water up my nose from the wheels ahead of me started to get annoying. Then on a huge descent it felt like nails hitting my face. And then of course my shoes and chamois filled up with water. And so the real suffering began. We also had a helicopter flying overhead repeatedly, I guess as it went back and forth between the men's field and ours (they started 15 minutes ahead). I don't know how the riders in the grand Tours can stand that noise over their heads for 3 weeks straight.
The first QOM came, and I began to slide out the back. The caravan started to go by. I crested a big rise and looked down the following descent to see the front group. I was actually dragging myself back. Our car came alongside and it was time to take some bottles. I finished mine and chucked it into the front window. Luckily, I didn't hit Scott in the head, and I remembered to close it. A bottle appeared out the window. Get closer!!! There's rumble strips on the yellow line!!! The car came closer and I edged closer to the bumps and grabbed the bottle. Keep pedaling!!! I didn't fumble it and shoved it into the front bottle holder. I grabbed a second and shoved it in the front of my jersey, and off I went. I caught back on to the peloton and gave out what I got and took empties. My second attempt was a little smoother, and I even got the "power bottle." Unfortunately I never got a second bottle to Jenny, because attacks started to fly off the front as the final climb neared. I even managed to do some work and bring back a few attacks before we finally got to its bottom.
But as the road went up, I slid out the back again. I kept craning my neck to make sure that Jenny and Laura and jane were still in there, and then the road pitched up and switchbacks began and I couldn't see them any more. I settled in to just work myself up to the top. OUr car came by and Chris banged on the side of the car for a bit of encouragement, and Scott told me to think of feathering the pedals, which worked as a mental picture for about 3 seconds. I picked off a few people, saw Santa Claus at the QOM/3k to go sign, and then started to see bigger clumps of riders.
In the last 500m I saw pink ahead and recognized Jenny up ahead with a few others. She stood up for the final pitch and disappeared around the corner. I did the same and crossed the line around 6 minutes behind the stage winner, the new Canadian national champion Veronique Fortin.
I now sit 46th on GC.
Today was a rest day, and we went out for a spin (again in the rain) and relaxed. A good (and big) dinner of ziti and salad and bread, and now I will try to sleep.
91 miles tomorrow, with the same climb, from a different direction, this time 10 miles long, smack in the middle.
We have a race plan, and a plan B.
I'll let you know how it goes.
-a
No comments:
Post a Comment