CRCA TTT

3 laps of Central Park, two riders. And it’s a Team Cup race, so we were feeling especially frisky.

Swanky’s managed to field three and a half teams—Nancy paired up with Karen Ulrich of Setanta to create a Blue & Gold team of fearsome strength. The other teams were: Emma & Andrea, Meg & Ann-Marie and Eve & Liz.

Despite Emma’s pre-race flat, Meg & Ann-Marie’s mid-race bike handling clinic and Eve & mine’s extensive discussion about getting dropped, everyone claims to have had a good race—and even better plans for doing more next time around. Check back in September to see if we pull them off….because sorry to say, we remain without any Team Cup points at all. (but we’ll get you yet, my pretties!)

(We would also like to extend congratulations to Cindy & Hannah of Sanchez Metro and Ellen [Foundation] & Angela [Axis] for laying down some fearsome times and taking the top two slots in the women's field. Nice work, girls!)

Moses

It has come to our attention that we have been sorely remiss in noting a very important change in the status quo of New York City women's racing—yes, it's true, our pal Ellen has upgraded to cat 3.

She promptly went and placed 6th in the Union Vale women's 123 field.

We are appropriately awed but will continue to treat her like our adopted Swanky sister anyway....(whatever the heck that means!)

Union Vale Road Race

Just Andrea, Emma and I for this one. Having spent the night in Poughkeepsie, it was game on the next morning at 9am. Two repeats of a hilly 14-mile course with a 1.5 mile finishing climb. Yes indeed, a race course made just for little ol’ flatlanding me!

And to be fair, the first 8 miles or so weren’t bad. Emma helped me stay with the pack, we were all in good position, it was excellent fun in a hill-climbing sort of way.

Second time around, not so much with the fun. As we climbed the hill to the feed zone (a hill I’d barely noted the first lap), I started to lose contact with the group. As Emma drifted backwards to try and get me, I yelled at her to stay where she was—there was no way at all I was going to be a factor in the remainder of the race. Andrea was drifting back at the same time, and before we knew it, the hill was topped out and we were chasing again.

Up ahead of us, Emma was able to organize a group to chase back on. Back where we were, we just time-trialed in a desperate attempt to find the pack again. We came close once, only to have them accelerate out of corner and away from us like a flock of Lycra-wearing birds. It was a frustrating reminder of how burnt we were.

Ultimately, Emma not only chased back on, but stuck right where she needed to be and took 8th, a real testament to how strong she’s become that she could not only keep me in the race far past the time I should have been and still contest the remainder of the race. (As a side note, the race was won by a triathlete doing her first road race, which just goes to show how keeping your nose in the wind isn’t always a bad thing!) Andrea & I trickled in a few minutes later, taking 19th and 21st. It’s back to the hill repeats for us….

Main Event Crit, Poughkeepsie

The ‘Main Event Poughkeepsie Criterium’ has eight corners and a four-block long straightaway leading into the start/finish. With six Swanky’s making the journey, we were determined to make this race go our way. Our plan was simple—attack. And then attack again. And again. And again, and again, and again, until something stuck. (We're simple people, ultimately.)

The pace was high from the gun and we were strung out single-file by the second corner. It only took a moment to realize that anyone too far back was going to have a hard time of it. Emma was already up front with Meg right on her, Andrea & I moving up, and Eve and Courtney were using the energy of the pack to save their legs. Three laps into the race, Emma attacked. She was quickly joined by four other riders (including Sanchez-Metro rider Kelleigh Dulaney).

Behind her, I’d caught on to the chase group, then bridged to the single rider between the two groups. She gave an incredibly hard effort, but was unable to close the gap, finally realizing that with ten laps to go, she was burning herself out towing me around—she sat up, and the four girls behind us caught up. There were no other Swanky’s with them, so I realized my purpose was the same that Andrea had identified in the pack behind us—to make sure Emma didn’t get caught.

Through the remainder of the race, the gap remained stable at 25 seconds—and the lead pack completely visible to us, several corners ahead. Just far enough to dissuade the unorganized pack from chasing, and just near enough that I couldn’t let my guard down for fear of someone trying to jump from our group.

After testing my legs on a prime sprint, it came down to the final sprint. The girl who had tried to bridge to the leaders early on attacked from the right side with three blocks to the finish line. I jumped to the left, shifted up and went after her, seated the entire time. Towing her back in inch by inch, I ultimately took the field sprint by less than a bike length. Emma took 5th in the lead pack, and I took 6th overall. The rest of the team came in with the field, having done their jobs with stunning efficiency. Two Swanky’s in the top 10—woo-hoo!

Lou Maltese RR, Central Park

Back to the park! After what feels like months of racing elsewhere, we finally got to return to Central Park for a combined women�s 3/4 field with our results picked separately. Lou Maltese was one of the great supporters of cycling in New York, and this event, which focuses on the lower-level categories, is always well attended.

It is, unfortunately, also dangerous as heck. Not only do these racers have less experience (our field had a number of first-time racers, in addition to two junior women), but there'�s something about this race that leads itself to sketchy riding. Several of us have fond (and not-so-fond) memories of the 2003 edition, which involved a crash, being tucked into another person'�s body, and lackluster results. Everyone involved hoped to do better this time around. Half of us succeeded, so we still have some work to do.

Our plan was pretty simple�—mark the category 3 women that we hoped and expected to break things up. Unfortunately, it didn�t take all that long to realize that everyone had the same plan with one minor modification�—every team was marking Ellen (the newest cat 3 in the field) and no one was overly interested in throwing everything into going on the offensive.

As we finished the second lap, the bumping, sketchy riders and mental exhaustion involved in marking another rider were enough to make me consider quitting the race. But I knew the team was depending on me, and ultimately, that trumped all other considerations. Of course, the third lap is where the determining event of the race took place.

The frost heave that was an issue in the men�s race Ann-Marie & I did several weeks ago? Remains an issue. Despite aggressive marking and calling out, the third time we hit it, someone lost control of their bike, managing to take out the rear third of the field in the process. Ann-Marie, Andrea & myself were all in front or to the side�—unfortunately, Emma and Courtney weren'�t. Emma (semi-) successfully bunny hopped into the grass, while Courtney hit the ground, bruising her bum. (It�'s a team theme, eh?) Also down, a number of cat 3 riders and sprinters who ha�d been sitting in waiting for the finish. Some, like CRCA/Aquafina'�s Jane Kenyon, were out for the count, while others, like Emma, were able to finish the race, albeit through time-trialing the remaining lap and a half.

The crash spurred quick movement from the front of the pack—�Ellen & Hannah Long (of CRCA/Sanchez-Metro) promptly picked up the pace and strung us out down the west side of the park before we regrouped. The pace remained quick through the rest of the race, with a breather by Tavern on the Green when the remaining teams reassessed and began building their lead-out trains before speeding through the base of the park.

Without our designated sprinter, we were busy reassessing ourselves. Placement was key, and on that, we did well. Andrea and I were set-up behind Ellen at the front of the pack, Ann-Marie a bit further back. As we hit the base of Cat�s Paw Hill, the pack exploded into a full-fledged sprint to the finish line. Andrea & I hopped from lead-out to lead-out, finally finishing 5th and 8th in the W4 race (roughly 8th and 13th overall)—�in the money! That $5 for finishing 5th helped cover our breakfast coffee, and is hopefully just the beginning of many more subsidized breakfasts. (Because, heaven knows, none of us are going to get rich doing this!)

Brooke Wilson of Somerset Wheelmen took the overall/cat 3 win; Hannah Long took second and the cat 4 win.

Fitchburg, day 4—Back in the top 10!

Worker's Credit Union Downtown Criterium

Monday morning dawned all too early, and a little too damp for our preferences. As we left the hotel, it started to sprinkle, and as we rode the course (an elongated triangle with the narrow end at the top of an incline), it started to rain. It continued, on and off, throughout the next two hours, making for a crash-wary, wet, and barely watched race. (But we appreciated every single spectator & supporter! Thanks for sticking around!)

This being Womens 4's, of course, everyone showed up to race. After three days of racing, a little rain wasn't going to deter us from finishing what we had started. Our only hope was that we would get to finish what we'd started!

The race was quick, generally safe, but not as active as it could have been. The field was keeping a close eye on the race leaders—the race leaders were keeping a close eye on the field. A few bursts of speed after the five sprint point laps were dealt with quickly and efficiently. Kimille Taylor of Radical Media came back from a miserable day on the mountain to try and regain the sprinter's jersey, but Amy Kurdok of Town Line Sprinters was determined to hold onto it—their sprints were outrageously tight and required video replay in order to determine the winner of each. In the end, Amy ended up going home with both the jersey and second place for the stage.

Despite two crashes at the bottom of the course (where the downhill takes two quick lefts before heading back up Main Street to the start/finish line), all the Swanky's stayed safe and in the game to the very end. Courtney proved that she's a sprinter at heart, coming from behind half the field to take 10th in the sprint—our second top ten finish of the weekend. The rest of the team finished with the pack, safe and sound.

It was, as Fitchburg almost always is, a great event. The team really came together as racers and as friends, with the welcome discovery that while we may consider ourselves underdogs on our home turf of Central Park, we are anything but that when given the opportunity to race against those of our own category. Racing against the same girls for four days in a row allowed everyone to experience racing in a whole new way, to make new friends, and to walk into our upcoming events with lots more confidence.

Finally, we all owe a debt of thanks to Andy & Milton who came to Fitchburg with Emma and Ellen, figuring they'd have a nice relaxing weekend and found themselves supporting the whole Swanky's crew instead! Thanks for all the number pinning, trainer-setting-up, bottle hand-off's, and yelling of names—we'll be sure to keep you mind the next time we need support!

Next up, Lou Maltese in Central Park, followed by a weekend of crits and road races across the region. Stay tuned for all the dirty details!

Fitchburg Crit results:
10 Courtney
13 Liz
14 Andrea
19 Emma
29 Eve
(all same time as winner)

Final Fitchburg GC
1 Ellen Moses at 4:00:05
15 Emma Nelson +4:49
16 Andrea Urist +5:15
20 Liz Seward +7:23
35 Eve Ashcraft +19:20
36 Courtney Trabon +20:07
DNF Nancy
42 finishers total

[The Fitchburg recaps are dedicated to M., who just got her first bike. Soon, she'll go more than three inches in one minute and instead of "Too fast!", she won't slow down. And after that? Well, let's just say Auntie Liz has plans!]

Fitchburg, day 3—"Uphill? Again??"

Stage 3—road race

We woke up this morning (early this morning) to discover we’d become famous overnight. Thanks to the observant eye of an official, we were warned on the official race communique and we are now in competition with Team Rona for worst number placement. While we are understandably excited to be in such exalted company, we hope we have redeemed ourselves through some remedial number pinning lessons and excessive questioning of other officials.

In other news, Ellen won the road race. She also ripped the legs off of everyone else there. It hurt a lot. But since it’s late and we’re racing at 9:15am tomorrow morning (which means yet another 6am wakeup call), let’s go right to the quick replay action.

This was Emma and Andrea's day. The two of them stuck with the lead group through all the laps until things started really breaking up on the third lap. They took 16th & 19th, and moved up to 15 & 16 on the GC. My climbing legs could use some more work—I took 26th and moved down to 20th on the GC. Courtney and Eve rocked, working together and both staying in the top 40 of the GC. We’re all exhausted but looking forward to the criterium—we’ve made it!

The overall in 25 words or less:
1 Ellen (surprise!)
15 Emma -4:49
16 Andrea -5:15
20 Liz -7:23
37 Eve -19:20
39 Courney -20:07

45 racers remain in the race, as two more riders DNF'd (did not finish) today.

Fitchburg, day 2—The Return of Ass Cancer!

Stage 2—circuit race

Our only mid-day start—funny how much time one little bike race can take up! Four of us rode over to the course, while Eve, Courtney & Andy (Emma’s husband and soignier) drove the cars loaded up with trainers, bottles and backpacks. What a treat!

Personally, while I tend to find this day the most nerve-wracking, it’s also fun for the exact same reason—it’s our first chance to actually ride with the other girls and see what the field is like in person. And this year, we’ve got a really strong, really experienced field. Along with our six Swanky’s, there are approximately eight girls riding as the ‘Town Line Sprinters’—they’re actually a team of Boston-area collegiate riders. Kimille Taylor is the lone cat 4 representative of CRCA/Radical Media, and of course, Ellen Moses of CRCA/Foundation is representing quite capably as well.

The circuit race is held on a three-mile, roughly triangular course with a good sized hill leading up to the start/finish line. There are points for the sprinters jersey on three laps, but being as the hill takes a lot out of one’s legs, it’s a hard haul to sprint up it in front of everyone else!

But on the first time up, Emma took her try and took third in the sprint. How fun to see the Swanky’s jersey racing up the hill at top speed! (And it was pretty cool hearing the announcer mention us later in the race as well!) The rest of us just straggled up the hill in our own ways, managing to stick back onto the pack at the top each time.

After the third lap, the hill started taking it’s toll. Eve and Courtney fell off a bit, along with a number of other riders. And on the fourth lap, a bit of a disaster. Nancy got caught behind a bumping drill gone bad and ended up on the ground. As she so eloquently puts it, “This time I really did break my ass!”

Yes, it’s entirely true—she managed to crash her rear end into the pavement at such an angle that she may have cracked a bone in her bum. You heard it here first, my friends—the ass cancer returned with a vengeance. She was unable to pedal, and unable to finish the race. As a consolation prize, we’ve made her team captain (don’t tell her no one else wanted it!).

Leaving Nancy writhing on the ground, the rest of us continued to sweat all over the course. At two to go, another opportunity for the sprinters and an opportunity for the GC leaders to push the pace over the top and onto the other side of the course—which they promptly did. We hung on, and one to go.

Coming down the home stretch, Andrea, Emma and I were the three Swanky’s in the hunt. And the Town Line Sprinters started leading out past the Civic Center, I found myself exactly where I wanted to be—on Ellen’s wheel going into the final turn. I hung on for dear life, sprinted up that hill like the devil himself was on my heels and nearly died. But I managed to pull out 8th, with Emma at 11th and Andrea at 14th. Amy Kurdock of TLS/Harvard took the win, Ellen took fourth and held on to the (very bright) orange leader’s jersey. Eve and Courtney came in mere moments later in 39th and 43rd positions. Also notably, Kimille rocked those sprint points and took home a lovely green sprinters jersey for her efforts—nice work!

Overall classification update:
1 Ellen (CRCA/Foundation) leader
13 Liz -:55
18 Andrea -1:37
19 Emma -1:39
37 Courtney -5:27
38 Eve -5:28

Fitchburg, day 1

The first day of racing is done, we’ve had a big seafood dinner and watched ‘Legally Blonde’ as a team. Who says bike racing isn’t fun?

The first of our field went off at 9am this morning for a 7.8 mile time trial. It’s a gently rolling course with two turnarounds and then a weaving hill up to the hotel and the finish. There are almost 50 girls in our field and the competition is stiff, especially as our pal Ellen hasn’t upgraded yet!

Speaking of Ellen, she’ll be wearing the race leader’s jersey tomorrow—to her dismay, she won the time trial, finishing in 21:05, so tomorrow as we start the circuit race, she’ll be the girl with the target on her back. (Those playing the home game will recall that this would be Ellen’s second time trial—ever. Yeah, we hate her too.)

The rest of us straggled in behind her, with eminently respectable times ranging from 22 minutes flat to 22:52. The majority of the field is substantially closer in times than in 2003, so we fully expect the racing to be fast and furious for the next three days as everyone attempts to move up the general classification. But the weather should continue it's perfectness, and you know us—we love a challenge.

Official Results:
1 Ellen Moses (Foundation) 21:05
16 Liz Seward (Swanky’s) 22:00, down :55
21 Nancy Camp (Swanky’s) 22:18, down 1:13
29 Eve Ashcraft (Swanky’s) 22:38, down 1:33
31 Andrea Urich (Swanky’s) 22:42, down 1:37
32 Emma Nelson (Swanky’s) 22:44, down 1:39
34 Courtney Trabon (Swanky’s) 22:52, down 1:47
49 finishers