Tour de Toona Prologue

Audrey Scott Race Report, Tour de Toona 2011
Well, these women are fast.
I am here at Tour de Toona with a Farm Team Elite composite team, racing with Jenny Ives, Amy Kneale and Jenn Magur of Farm Team, Marjolein Schat from Corning, and Australians Laura Meadley from MVP and Jane Despas from Yahoo cycling.
It was originally supposed to be 6 stages, but with lack of support from a couple of Towns, it was cut down to 4: 3 mile downtown TT Wednesday night, 72 mile road race with a hilltop finish Thursday, rest day (!?) Friday, 91 mile road race Saturday and 30 mile downtown crit Sunday.
78 women registered, with Juvederm, Tibco, Colavita, Missing Link, Danbury Audi and many other strong teams and riders on the list.
I had hoped to do well in the time trial, even though the course is far from flat and long, which I would be better suited to.
We pre-rode the course 3 times in traffic yesterday. Despite its technical nature, with 15 corners and some steep descents and a short but steep climb, I went with my TT bike and disc, thinking that I really wouldn't corner any better on the S3 and could use every bit of help I can get on the straights.
I finished 63rd. 47 seconds down. Honestly, unless I practiced it 10 more times, I don't know if I could have gone faster. It is disappointing, to say the least. But that's the thing about stage racing, today is another day.
Jenny used her crit skills and power to great effect, and was 33rd, 28 seconds down. So I and most of the rest of us will be working to protect her as well as possible today, and get her to the finish climb in good position. Jane was next fastest, so we will make sure she is going well too, and Laura is a climber, so should be delivered to the bottom of the climb as fresh as possible as well. I also have leave to go in a break if one forms, so if I am near the front and can go, I will try.
Race doesn't start until 2:45, but it is a point to point, with 45 miles in between, so we have a bit of a logistical nightmare and some driving to do in order to leave some cars at the finish to be able to get home afterwards.
Thanks for reading, more to come.
-a