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Rob Report #1 : 11th July 2001
My first ever World Cup Mountain Bike race! The day was Sunday July 8th, the venue was atop Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Before the staging began, the atmosphere was rather quiet among the competitors when I heard “hey” from behind. A face that any keen Mountain Biker would recognise held out his hand and was keen to find out who I was. It was Mr Gary Fisher himself. He didn’t linger long but time enough to find out who I was and where I was from and totally happy that I was riding one of his bikes. Wahoo! That was pretty exciting.
One start loop and 7 laps!! The first corner of the pre lap was a ball of dust and stuck at the back I could see the leaders put the pace on and fire into the distance. The pre lap was not enough time to spread out the troops and naturally there had to be some who faltered on the rock drop off holding the rest of us up. So, it wasn’t a great start.
The course was short at only 4.7km, technical and had a section of steep energy sapping climbs at the end of each lap. The technical sections twisted amongst trees, were damp underfoot and of dark dirt with some nasty tree roots. Most of the course was single track with some loose rocky 4WD tracks. There were numerous bridges, lined with a non slip surface scattered throughout the course and a series of 3 fairly tight and gravely switchbacks. There were also a few fun rock drops. All in all, the course was excellent and totally challenging, having a bit of everything.
The top of the course was at 1100m and the weather surprisingly, wasn’t too hot. For most of the Woman’s race we were quite fortunate to have cloud cover. The men weren’t quite as fortunate.
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During my 5th lap, I took a fall. I picked myself up, only to find my bar end had been wedged into a near vertical position, which I couldn’t force back. I continued riding but lost a few more positions as I composed myself and got back into a rhythm. Just as I finished that lap I heard the motorbike behind me, signalling the leader wasn’t far behind. I finished in 34th place, 2 laps down in a time around 1 hour 49 minutes. A bit disappointed but a great experience.
A dispute arose during the woman’s race which disqualified the Italian, Annabella Stropparo, as evidence was shown on video that outside help was given during her mechanical. Final placings were Barbara Blatter, Chrissy Redden, Alison Dunlap, Caroline Alexander and Mary Grigson. Ex kiwi Mary Grigson was in 2nd place before she punctured on the last lap.
In the Men’s race, Kashi did extremely well finishing 11th, taking his World Cup position to 15th. I was out there cheering him all the way. On Saturday during the DH semi finals I managed to briefly catch up with JK, April Lawyer, Lisa Horlor and Craig McGinnity.
Now, I’m on my way to Bend, Oregon to compete in the 5 day Cascade Cycling Classic road tour which starts on Wednesday July 11. After that I’ll head to Mammoth Mountain for a NORBA race, but will miss the 5th World Cup race this weekend in Durango, Colorado.
Cascade Cycling Classic, Bend, Oregon July 11th - 15th
The Cascade Cycling Classic is a 5 day stage race consisting of road stages, individual hill time trials and criteriums. It is a renown race on the US National calender and always draws strong fields, and this year was no exception with the Mercury and Saturn teams competing in the Men's race and Autotrader, 800.com and Intersports in the Women's field. This was my first road race in the US and below is a stage by stage account of my experience:
Stage 1
This was a road race of 94km including climbing of over 3000ft up
Mount Bachelor (starting at 4000ft). There were 59 starters, including
the Autotrader.com team (7), 800.com team (6), Intersports (5),
and Boise Cascade Office Products (5). Suzy Pryde, who was part
of the Autotrader.com team was a familiar face in the peloton and
helped relieve some of my nerves. The pace was quite fast early
on with a fair amount of descending, and reaching speeds up to 80kmph.
The bunch stayed together for most of the race with many unfruitful
attacks. However, on the first main hill of the day the peloton
strung out with several riders being dropped. Then on the last hill
climb Amber Neden of Autotrader split the field apart and managed
to put over a minute on Nicole deMars of 800.com to go on to win
the stage. I finished 3 minutes down on the leader in 20th place
in a time of 2 hours 31 minutes. (The average speed of the winning
rider was 40.8kmph)
Stage 2
Friday's morning stage was a 1 km uphill time trial with total climb
of 500ft. The course started up a zigzag walking track with a few
tight turns. At the top of the walking track the road opened up
and curled around the hill to provide spectacular views over Bend
and the surrounding Cascade Mountain range. I don't know if it was
the altitude or just the suffering of a time trial, but at the top
I had the nastiest dry throat. I ended up 22nd - very happy to be
just eight seconds down on Suzy.
Stage 3
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The 3rd stage on Friday evening was a twilight criterium. The entire evening was running behind schedule as the tow trucks had a field day in removing heaps of cars packed on the city circuit. There was a carnival atmosphere and it seemed like most of the town had gathered to watch. The Woman's race was about an hour late, thus just beginning as it was getting dark at 9pm (typically the start of the Men's race). I had a disastrous start and found myself chasing from the gun. Luckily for me however, (unlucky for the rest of the peloton) a stray dog ran onto the course in front of the pack half way through the race and took out 15-20 riders. One was taken to hospital and one suffered a chipped shoulder, however many others left skin and blood on the tarmac. The race was stopped, and then eventually cancelled. The primes would be saved for the final criterium on Sunday. No results would count towards GC. Phew.
Stage 4
Stage 4 began early on Saturday morning, adding further stress after
the late finish on Friday evening. It was a hilly 11 km circuit
that we raced 8 times. The men raced the same circuit 11 times.
The first lap was an enjoyable pace, and then the attacks started
on the hills in the 2nd lap, which caught me at the back napping.
Suddenly I was off the back and once again found myself chasing
the lead bunch. A group of us worked together to pull ourselves
back on, and this time I managed to stay with the bunch until the
sprint finish, which was won by Amber Neden.
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Stage 5
The final stage on Sunday morning was a 0.8mile criterium around
the Old Mill district. This is a recent development in the township
and thus had wide roads with smooth seal. Determined to improve
on my performance in the last criterium, I started well and stayed
with the bunch. The pace definitely wasn't as fast as the last criterium
although this time we had the wind to contend with and a small hill
each lap. The final sprint was won by the US National Criterium
champion. As it is a year since the racing accident of Nicole Reinhart,
the Cascade Classic is a tribute in memory of Nicole. Thus there
were some very profitable primes ranging from $20 to $500 for the
women and some very stiff competition for these.
In the General Classification I was 19th overall, 4 minutes down on the leader. Unfortunately Suzy Pryde was unwell on Saturday and flew home to Monterrey before Stage 5, thus I moved up one position from Stage 1. All the damage was done during day 1 in the hills. I was thrilled with this tour result and just happy that I could mix it up with the big girls. It was quite an experience to race a tour with 59 other women! I had fun, suffered a bit, met some new riders, enjoyed the spectacular scenery, soaked up the heat, and revelled in the hospitality of the locals.
Other kiwi's competing were Nathan Dahlberg, Brendon Vesty, Glen Mitchell and Geoff Burnened
For detailed results of the kiwi performances, check out: www.cascade-classic.org
Rob Report #2 : 26th July 2001
The Cascade Classic in Bend, Oregon was very enjoyable. The scenery was just amazing and the people so hospitable. It was fun to be staying with Nathan Dahlberg as well, as he had unlimited cycling stories. I finished up 19th overall, so just out of the money as they paid down to 15th but I was totally happy at my result since there were some big teams and big names amongst the 59 competitors.
 Photo: Rob Scott |
The 4th round of the US NORBA (National) series was on Mammoth Mountain. It was a tough race. Detailed report attached (#3). I ended up 28th (out of 67 starters), which I was pretty happy with since it was a long race and at altitude, and yet again, some big names.
I missed my flight from Reno to Columbus so was re-routed via LA and Washington – so yes, I’ve now covered from the West coast to the East coast. It ended up being a 20 hour trip (including waiting at airports and 2 connections). Anyway I finally made it to Columbus, Ohio though arrived at midday and raced at 5:30pm with little sleep.
So I’m now competing in the 6 day Wendy’s Criterium series. I’ve got host housing here too, so that’s a bonus. I’m staying with a family with 3 kids – aged 2, 6 and 10. I completed 2 races and am sitting about mid way. The first was 58km of a 3 mile rolling circuit and the second 50km of a 1.1 mile flat circuit, so very different courses. There’s $30,000 prize money at stake, split evenly between Men and Women, so $1500 per race. Not bad, but there’s a catch – you’ve got to provide a social security number to collect your winnings.
This series finishes on Sunday, then on Tuesday I’ll start in the 6 day Tour de Toona, in Pennsylvania. It’s gonna be a full on couple of weeks but it can only make me stronger.
OK, it’s midnight here now, so I’m off to bed. Hope everyone is well.
Rob Report #3 : 26th July 2001
It could've been a NZ National Mountain Bike race due to the familiar faces on the start line and milling around the event village. But it wasn't. It was the 4th round of the US NORBA series in Mammoth Mountain, California and the Pro Women and Men races were held on Friday July 20. Lisa Savage, Brenda Clapp, Rebecca Cullen and myself lined up against some of the World's best women mountain bikers, however since it was out first NORBA race we were staged down in the ranks, from 48 down to 60. Then, only in America, we had to stand on the start line, hand across chest and listen to the American National anthem!
The race was pretty dam tough starting at 7000ft altitude and climbing to 9000ft. It was a climber's course, yet there were some great fast, loose, single-track sections for the technical riders. An awesome spectating spot was the "no fear zone", a steep, loose, gravely scree descent. Kashi rode this so beautifully and did the manoeuvre of the day by overtaking Bart Brentjens on the descent. Many of the Pro women ran this section.
 Photo: Chris Sinclair |
It was quite a change to be able to relax and enjoy the other events on the Saturday and Sunday including the sport class XC and the DH finals. I was supporting and feeding Chris Sinclair who had to fend off the huge number of sport riders (Men, Women, Senior, Junior and Master on the course at the same time). Despite the hold ups, he still made it home after 3 laps (excluding the smaller loop) in 4th place in 1 hour and 33 minutes.
The rest of the kiwi entourage included, Kashi, Paul Bishop, Dean Hill and Downhillers - John Kirkaldie, Nathan Rankin, Craig McGinnity, Glen Sisarich, Weasel, Lisa Horlor, Sheryl Mcleod and Vanessa Quin.
I'm now in Columbus, Ohio, racing in the Wendy's Criterium series over 6 days. 1 day off then I'll be starting the Tour de Toona, another 6 day road tour in Pennsylvania.
Rob Report #4 : 15th August 2001
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Columbus, Ohio is the where the Wendy's fast food chain began. And the suburb of Grandview has been behind the Wendy's criteriums for some years. The event is listed on the US National Racing Calendar and with a prize purse of USD$30,000 split evenly between Men and Women it is a very attractive race.
All the races were held in different areas around Columbus and were fully supported by the locals, drawing quite a crowd of spectators, despite many of them not knowing a thing about cycling. This year saw the addition of the suburb of Powell. The series of 6 races count towards an overall general classification but any of the races can be entered separately.
The Powell Cycling Classic, Tuesday July 24(58km)
The Powell circuit was 3miles of rolling terrain. We were racing
12 laps in humidity of over 40 degrees. It was a bunch sprint where
Clara Hughes riding for Saturn, and an Olympic medallist from Canada
took first place in a time of 1 hour 23 minutes. I finished 21st
out of 44 starters. Not bad for only my 5th ever criterium.
The Easton Town Centre Criterium, Wednesday July 25 (50km)
Day 2 brought thunderstorms and torrential rain. We completed 30
laps of a 1.1m flat circuit, which was very gritty from all the
rain. Clara Hughes (Saturn) attacked and took a rider from each
of the main teams with her - Autotrader.com, 800.com, Intersports,
Proctor & Gamble and Litespeed. Catherine Marsal from France
and Team Intersports took the race win in around 1 hour and 13 minutes.
I finished 26th.
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Again another 1.1mile circuit, though this time, a hill at the end of the circuit was the challenge. 32 laps of this eventually took its toll on riders. After 10 laps, a break of 13 got away, and again the main peloton eased up. Today I thought I'd go for a prime (given to the main peloton), and with a little more experience I set myself up early, however only to cross the line in 6th. With 2 laps to go Pia Sunstendt, from Finland and racing for team Intersports, launched an attack and rode to victory. In our bunch I sprinted in 8th and finished 21st in a time of 1 hour 30 minutes.
Bexley Street Sprints, Friday July 27
This was a new experience for me, sprinting down the street for
250 metres with 9 others under spot lights. Being so inexperienced,
I got a bad start and got my gearing wrong, so finished 7th in my
heat and thus I didn't progress any further. Shame really, as I
would've liked to have had another go.
This stage was not well organised at all, with a long delay viewing the photo finish and a total disarray of riders not knowing whether they qualified for the next heat. We started at 8pm and didn't leave until 11pm which made for a very long night. Apparently next year, this stage will be replaced by another criterium.
Columbus International, Saturday July 28 (46km)
This was a fun course, though with one extremely dangerous corner
and 2 bridges. It was 35 laps of a 1-mile circuit in downtown Columbus.
This was the shortest crit of the series being only 1 hour and 7
minutes and attracted a larger field of over 50 since riders were
preparing for the upcoming Tour de Toona. Again a break of 4 got
away including Saturn, Autotrader, Boise-Cascade and Intersports,
and again, the peloton shut down. Jessica Phillips of Intersport
won, and I finished in the bunch sprint in my best position to date
of 20th. Finally in the money.
The Wendy's International, Grandview Heights, Sunday July 29
(51km)
The final day was held in Grandview Heights where most of the riders
were housed during their stay in Columbus. I had great support around
the circuit from my host family. It was 32 laps of a 1-mile course
that included a hill top finish. After only 5 laps there was a break
of 5, yet again representing the major teams. I was feeling the
pace today and the humidity did not help at all. On one of the descents
I got caught behind a crash, which saw me chasing to get back onto
the group. I finished with the peloton in 25th place in a time of
1 hour 24 minutes. Jessica Phillips of Intersport again took the
win.
In general classification I finished 25th, and the only other kiwi in the field Tanya Duff Miller finished 18th. A hard but thoroughly enjoyable series.
Final General classification
1 Laura Van Gilder (USA) Version
2 Tina Mayolo (USA) Autotrader.com
3 Cheryl Binney (USA) Proctor & Gamble
4 Shannon Hutchinson (USA) Litespeed
5 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) Saturn
6 Kim Davidge (Can) Saturn
7 Emily Gloeckner (USA) Veritas
8 Kerry Soraci-Schmatz (USA) BCOP
9 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Intersport
10 Clara Hughes (Can) Saturn
11 Jessica Phillips (USA) Intersport
12 Kelly McComble (USA) Northern Districts
13 Nicole Demars (USA) 800.com
14 Pam Schuster (USA) Autotrader.com
15 Katrina Berger (USA) Autotrader.com
16 Nicole Freedman (USA) Credit Suisse
17 Gina Grain (USA) 800.com
18 Tania Duff-Miller (NZL) Counties Ma
19 Erin Mirabella (USA) Jane Cosmetics
20 Pia Sundstedt (Fin) Intersport
21 Margell Abel (USA) Veritas
22 Andrea Ratkovic (USA) 800.com
23 Kerry Cohen (USA) Northern Districts
24 Stacey Spencer (USA) Procter & Gamble
25 Robyn Wong (NZL)
26 Rebecca McClintock (USA) Jane Cosmetics
27 Mandy Poitras (Can) 800.com
28 Beth Leasure (USA) Proctor & Gamble
29 Julie Young (USA) Autotrader.com
30 Marjon Marik (Swe) Autotrader.com
Rob Report #5 : 15th August 2001
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The 6 day Tour de Toona is the largest Pro-Am stage race in America. There is $110,000 in prize money split evenly between Men and Women, and for that reason the Men and Women race the same stages, which is quite unique (and quite tough). The Tour de Toona has grown over the 15 years, and is one of the more popular events on the US National racing calendar, probably due to the superiority of its organisation, promotion and sponsorship. The 136 starters in the Women's Pro Race outnumbered the 117 Men. Never before had I raced with so many Women!
To enter the race, I had to be registered in a team of 3 to 6 riders. I managed to form a composite team while at home via email and was joined by 3 other category 2 riders - Lauren Gilliland from Colorado, Troy Watson from San Francisco and Jennifer Scott from Maryland. Our uniforms were provided by Total Trainer/Voler, however we had no team manager or support. We agreed from the start that we would help each other when we could, otherwise we were pretty much racing as individuals. During all the stages Shimano provided neutral technical support, but there were no neutral feeds, thus we had to carry enough water for the entire stage. On all the stages the roads were open to traffic however the peloton was protected by a rolling enclosure, thus could use both sides of the road. However, once dropped by the peloton, you were on your own.
 Note from Tama: Robyn likes kids - but she couldn't eat a whole one |
There were a few other kiwi's competing. Sarah Ulmer was riding for Autotrader.com. Meshy Holt, who is also coached by Andy Reid (at the High Performance Centre in Wellington) has recently got a ride with the Rona Cycing Team. And Roz Reekie May and Annalisa Farrell rode for UPMC Pittsburgh Cycles.
On with the stages…
Stage 1, Time Trial, Altoona, 4.8km
The course was highly technical and not your usual time trial course,
that took in 16 ninety-degree turns, a steep hill, and an alleyway.
It definitely wasn't a course for a specific time trial bike. The
Women started rolling off the blocks at 7pm in thirty seconds intervals.
The much talked about 19 year old from Quebec, Genevieve Jeanson
(Rona Cycling) won our race in 5 minutes and 39 seconds, with 6.86
seconds over second place getter Lyne Bessette (Saturn). Sarah Ulmer
finished 7th in 5:52.76, Meshy Holt 17th in 6:00.39 and I finished
36th in 6:10.85. I was totally surprised to be within the top 30%.
Gord Fraser, from Ottawa and racing for team Mercury, took out the
Men's time trial in a time of 5:11.54, while Canadian time trial
champion Eric Wohlberg (Saturn) was second with a time of 5:11.59
and kiwi, Glen Mitchell, riding for Navigators Cycling was 9th in
a time of 5:19.63.
Stage 2, Circuit Road Race, Johnstown, 118km
This stage consisted of 3 laps of a 39.4km circuit of rolling terrain
with two QOM's (Queen of the Mountains) and 3 sprint bonuses. The
circuit was pretty rough, with many potholes, bridges, and railway
lines. Everyone must've been feeling frisky, as there were many
crashes out there. I narrowly missed the one that happened on the
railway crossing, and I almost came a cropper in the argie bargie
positioning during the last 5km. One thing I learnt was the significant
easing of pace just prior to and after the feed zone. As I was feeling
pretty good during the first couple of laps, I managed to position
myself near the front during the feed zone and then climbed well
to get in a break on the last hill of the 3rd lap with about 12
others. This break was short lived and we were reeled in on the
descent. So, it came down to positioning for the sprint. There were
about 80 in the bunch and I finished 28th in a time of 2 hours and
53 minutes.
Stage 3, Circuit Road Race, Hollidaysburg, 97km
Stage 3 was 3 laps of a 32km narrow, winding, rolling course. Again
there were two QOM's at the top of a steep 1km climb near the end
of the circuit. I suffered in this stage, but many suffered with
me. The humidity was up around 40 degrees. Many riders DNFed or
lost considerable time due to the heat. Its days like these that
feeding is critical however I was without a feeder. I handled the
heat ok and pushed myself through the suffering to finish a respectable
29th in a time of 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Stage 4, Circuit Road Race, Martinsburg, 128km
Stage 4 was 4 laps of a 32km rolling circuit amongst the dairy farms
and cornfields of Martinsburg. Early on a crash took me down, however
I came out of it pretty much unscathed apart from a few chain marks
near my ankle. The bike was fine, but the peloton was off in the
distance and the caravan began moving ahead of the stragglers. Along
with a couple of others, we chased for about 5 minutes to catch
the peloton. During the second lap, the sky opened up and the rain
poured down, making the back of the bunch an extremely dangerous
place to be. There were some sharp corners so it was a nerve-racking
time with wet brakes. It was like we were swimming out there. At
times the rain was so hard my face hurt. Talk about contrasting
weather from yesterday. But due to the weather and the relatively
flat course, the peloton stayed together. Each lap finished with
a street circuit around Martinsburg, and on the final corner before
the sprint finish there was another crash taking down the leader
Lyne Bessette (Saturn). I didn't bother positioning myself for the
sprint but finished in the bunch with 82 others in the same time
of 3 hours and 19 minutes in 52nd place. In GC I was sitting in
33rd position.
Stage 5, Road Race, 152km
The mega stage! 152km and three QOM's. Not much happened in the
first 80km as everyone was aware of the length and toughness of
this hill stage. One thing I'd never experienced before is the peloton
agreeing to take a convenience stop and girls lining the edge of
the road with their cycling shorts around their ankles. Fortunately
for me, I didn't need to go. The rest of the peloton eased up but
continued pedalling until those that needed to had relieved themselves
and regrouped.
I was totally unprepared for the hill and by being mid-pack I quickly lost sight of the leaders as I tried to move forward. Due to construction the course was changed this year to approach Blue Knob from the "steeper" side, also known as "left hand gap." Left Hand Gap Road climbs for 5 km up to the ski resort and is steep and narrow with a rough surface. The first few kilometres are like steps, steep, then less steep, steep, then less steep. The average gradient is 15% and near the top riders were zig zagging up the hill to prevent themselves going backwards. My 25 tooth was not enough. By the time I neared the top Genevieve Jeanson was long gone. She had managed to shake the few that held her wheel and took off to ride the second 80km of the race on her own. Totally amazing. After the first hill I was hurting but knew we were only half way there. Still, 3 more hills to come. There were about 30 riders ahead who had formed in smaller bunches of 10. For the rest of the race I was in a bunch of 20 including Sarah and Meshy and the pace was fairly cruisey. Everyone just wanted to complete the stage and survive the hills without being time cut. I finished 40th in a time of 5 hours and 3 minutes, 27minutes behind Genevieve. After this stage 11 riders were time cut, as they didn't complete the stage in 120% of the winner's time.
Stage 6, Criterium, 48km
Early Sunday morning I awoke with a ghastly throat, hoping that
I could start and get through this final stage. It was probably
the change in weather and the cumulative days in the saddle causing
me to be a little run down. However today's stage didn't start until
3pm so I had some recovery time.
There were 90 starters (still a daunting field size) in the final criterium, which consisted of 30 laps of a one-mile circuit in downtown Altoona. It had 6 sharp ninety-degree corners and it was fast and furious. Lauren Van Gilder, the US National Criterium Champion, started the attack from the gun and stretched the field apart. I knew how critical it was to remain close to the front of the race, though I was really feeling the pace by lap 8 sitting towards mid pack, and was wondering if I'd make the half way mark. The official rules stated that any rider pulled in the first half of the race (i.e. within 15 laps) would be eliminated from the stage race (i.e. DNFed). My aim was to finish the tour. Riders were dropping off and before I knew it I was near the rear again. Around half way the paced eased somewhat and the bunch closed up, giving me a chance to move to the front, but not for long. Meshy attacked and went it alone for a few laps before being caught, then with 5 laps to go, Genevieve Jeanson and Kim Davidge (Saturn) broke away and worked together. Finally Kim managed to out sprint Genevieve in a very close finish, with a time of 1 hour 9 minutes and 33 seconds. I went off the back and was in a chase group of 4 with 3 laps to go, finishing 40th in 1:11.25. 14 racers did not finish the stage and 26 riders were lapped but given a pro-rated time, reflecting the fast pace from the outset. I was pleased I hung in there and that the tour was over!
I finished 38th in General Classification in 15:06:31, putting
me in the money! None of my team mates finished. Roz Reekie May
did extremely well with a podium 3rd place. Other kiwi placings
were:
Roz Reekie May (UPMC Pittsburgh Cycles), 3rd, 14:39:32 @ 4:03
Sarah Ulmer (Autotrader.com) 30th, 15:04:56 @ 29:27
Meshy Holt (Rona Cycling Team) 37th, 15:06:06 @ 30:37
Annalisa Farrell (UPMC Pittsburgh Cycles), DNF
So after 6 days and 547.8km of racing at an average speed of 37.5kmph, the 136 starters dwindled to 71 finishers. I am absolutely thrilled with my result and the experience. It was one tough tour!
Further reports and results can be found on the web at:
http://www.tourdetoona.com
http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/2001/jul01/toona01.shtml
http://www.velonews.com/race/dom/articles/1325.0.html
Rob Report #6 : 28th August 2001
The 5th and final round of the US NORBA Mountain Bike Championships took place on Friday August 17 on Mount Snow resort, Vermont. 77 women lined up amidst grey skies at 11am. It was a race of four and a half laps of an 8km circuit comprising short technical climbs and windy, rutted, tree rooted single track descents.
I had quite a bit of time on the course prior to the race and had practiced it in all conditions as it rained early on in the week. So with my sweet Sugar I was feeling pretty happy. I knew it was critical to get a good start as there was no pre lap and only a short climb before hitting the single track.
However on race day, things didn't go so well. Somehow Lisa and I managed to miss our names in the staging process. Then, despite trying to be aggressive and all elbows in the start, I got caught behind when the masses bottle necked in the single track. The leaders flew off into the distance (Sadie and Lisa did well to get ahead) while we were running over creeks and tree roots. Bob and I shared our excitement about our Friday run. Further on during that first lap I dropped a chain which saw another 4 or 5 girls pass me. Things weren't looking good. In the second lap the rain came down making the course even more interesting in the slippery technical sections. I had a few close calls but managed to recover without falling (surprise, surprise). Finally in my fourth and final lap I rode well and made up some time and places.
Chrissy Redden led the race from the start, winning in a time of 2 hours and 1 minute. Her Subaru Gary Fisher team mate Mary Grigson took out second. The next 3 rounding out the podium were Alison Sydor, Alison Dunlap and Audrey Augustin. Lisa was the first kiwi home in 31st place and in a time of 2:19:06. I was next in 34th place (2:20:29), Bob was 36th (2:21:34) and Becs was 44th (2:24:26). After Sadie's all out start she did not finish. 10 others did not finish the race.
The mens race consisted of five and a half laps of the same course. A great win for Roland Green, followed in by Seamus McGrath and 3rd place was taken out by Kashi. Awesome race for Kashi.
 Photo: Chris Sinclair |
While at Mount Snow, the New Zealand team for the World Championships was announced. I made the team! Wahoo! Now, I had to see if I could extend my leave from work, as the World Champs had not been factored into my trip away. I needed another 3 weeks in the US. The World Champs are being held in Vail, Colorado on September 16 (with the team relay on September 13). The course starts at an altitude of 8,200ft so some acclimatisation is necessary for this one off race.
Due to important timeframes at TelstraSaturn I am returning to
New Zealand after the World Cup in Mont Sainte Anne as planned.
I'll be at work for ten days before heading back to the US to compete
at the Worlds. It's not the ideal preparation but it has to be done.
So, I'll be seeing a lot of you very shortly.
Rob Report #7 : 28th August 2001
The 8th and final World Cup for the 2001 series was held on the ski resort of Mont Sainte Anne, half an hour out of Quebec City, Canada. Before I found out about my selection for the Worlds I'd planned this to be my final race in North America, and the one I thought I'd have the best form for. However this wasn't to be my race.
The day prior to the race I stacked myself pretty well down a steep V shoot, launching off some roots at the bottom and plunging my front wheel into the bridge on the upside. I gashed my right knee, pummelled my left knee and taco-ed my front wheel. Bugger! There goes the race! It was the swelling in my left knee that gave me the grief, so much that I couldn't walk on it on Saturday night. Like a good girl I rested, elevated, and iced it just praying that I could start the race on Sunday morning as there were some valuable UCI points up for grabs. I tried to get hold of some anti-inflammatories but the UCI anti doping officer was adamant that I could only take Advil, which is similar to Panadol. Like that was going to help.
 Photo: Chris Sinclair |
The course was challenging with tight technical tree root and rocky sections. I didn't think it flowed particularly well - probably due to the single track being so slow. Luckily the rain that dampened the course on Wednesday had disappeared and the course had dried nicely, though there was speculation that there would be further rain later in the day. We were racing 6 laps plus one start loop of the 6km circuit, which took around 20 minutes per lap.
Surprisingly the field spread out after the first lap. Chrissy Redden took out another win in 2 hours and 3 minutes with 23 seconds over 2nd place getter Caroline Alexander. Barbara Blatter had already wrapped up the series and finished the day in 3rd place. Alison Sydor and Annabella Stropparo rounded out the rest of the podium.
I rode 3 laps before getting pulled under the 80% rule. I finished 36th. There were 45 starters and 5 DNF's. Sadie and Lisa performed awesomely to finish 20th and 25th respectively. Becs was close to Lisa on the 4th lap but then was unlucky to puncture and finished 30th. Bob didn't feel she was firing and rode 4 laps before getting pulled, finishing 33rd.
 Photo: Chris Sinclair |
So now I'm heading back to NZ to the corporate world for 10 days.
It's gonna be one long flight home in cattle class with 2 bung knees!
Hope to see some of the Wellington folk very soon.
Thanks to Trek NZ, Penny Farthing Cycles Wellington, TelstraSaturn,
Gary Fisher and my coach Andy Reid (at the High Performance Centre
in Wellington).
Also a huge thanks to my host families…
Michael Giesler (Bend, Oregon)
Laura, Steve, Dylan, Aileen, & Eliza Evans (Columbus, Ohio)
Marcy & Joe Chichester (Martinsburg, Pennsylvania)
And thanks to the following people for the rides…
Perry Johnson (Modesto, California)
Lauren Gaffney, Nicole Freedman and Allie Warfel (Team Credit Suisse
First Boston)