Race Report from Jamie France – Greenville Training Series Weekend #2

Saturday — Fork Shoals — 45 miles: It was sunny & windy. Our 11:20 AM start was delayed 45 minutes due to the races before us being delayed (women were set to start last). About 30 women lined up for the start, mostly all experienced racers (no squirrels). I didn’t know the course at all, having never ridden or even driven it. I had no idea where any of the turns were. It was three 15 mile laps. After rolling out at the tail-end of the pack (to see whichway we were going), I was up in the front third by mile 2. Attacks started in mile 3 and they never let up. It was attack/surge, followed by regroup/recover. I stayed up in the front third, which was good thing because there is a steep hill in mile 8. I did great on that hill, and I finished the first lap with an average mph of 21.9, thinking "this is tough riding, but I think I can hang!" Yeah, well, I was being naive. I got dropped when the pack surged up a small incline in mile 17. Three of us got dropped, one of which took off before I could ask her to work with us. The other gal (Erica) and I decided to hang together for the rest of the race (33 painful miles). With the wind, we had no hope of catching the pack again, unless they got neutralized due to the Pro 1/2 Men’s lapping them or a traffic problem. So we didn’t give up hope, but went as fast as we could. It got really hot; we ran out of water at mile 40; I got a sunburned face, arms, & thighs. I had nothing left to give at the finish (uphill, into the wind finish). So Erica beat me over the line by a foot or so.
The Cat 4 women’s results only listed results 4 deep, but they have Erica as 4th. That would make me 5th since we were together. (https://www.pre-reg.com/Users/RacerMain.aspx)
Sunday — Donaldson Center — 35 miles: It was cold at first, but it warmed up. I was tired from the day before. The normal huge field of women were there, including some squirrels (boo, hiss!). Even though I was tired, I was racing well. The first 4 laps went splendidly. I am definitely stronger on the hills. I went into the 5th lap in good mid-pack position, but… me and two other ladies got caught behind some squirrels and got gapped. I had to sprint once I got around them to catch the pack, which put me at the back of the pack starting up the hill at the golf course with already toasted legs & lungs. I fell off and finished the last 4 miles alone. I ended up 14th out of the 20 Cat 4’s, and 29th out of all the Women. That is two better than the 16th that I got the previous weekend. I am pleased with that, given the hell-race I had done the day before.

Fat Tire Fling

By Tracie Nelson
San Luis Obispo, Cali

But not in Merced.

Nope. No Merco for me this year. I’ve filled my central valley quota for a while, thank you very much. Instead, Ryan and I headed up to Fort Ordy-oh-Lordy to fill our poison oak and dust quotas at CCCX. Aaaalllll-right. (Who wants a body massage?)

So we packed up the knobbies and technu and chocolate chip cookies (the three essential ingredients to a pleasant mountain biking experience) and headed up north for a day in the dirt. The CCCX races remind me a little bit of collegiate racing because they’re so low-key and the feild sizes are kinda dinky and everyone is friendly and chatty and really dorky. I like it.

I raced the Sport division again, since it was only my second race, and was suprised to see that this one girl who has been winning every race under the sun was also still racing Sport. She beat me last time and is definately fast enough to be holding her own in the Expert class, but Whatever. I’m new to this; what do I know?

So a quickie blow-by-blow (the not interesting part): Winner Girl sprinted off like a bat out of hell from the line and I sat on her wheel on the pavement. I looked behind me to see if everyone else was sitting on my wheel and they were nowhere to be found. (Game on.) I jumped around her to get on the dirt first; dropped her on the first lap; she caught me on the second lap and rode away; I caught her on the third lap and rode away from her to win the race. (Yay.)

Ryan won her race too. ROADIES UNITE!

Now for the interesting parts:

1. Since I beat a sandbagger, does that make me a sandbagger? One of her friends asked me if I planned to upgrade to expert “next year”. As in, 11 months from now? As fun as it was to have a good hard race (that girl gave me a serious run for my money) and to have won (it’s nice to win something other than a scrabble game from time to time), I don’t really think it’s fair of us to keep beating up on girls who are new to the bike. I’ll race up next time.

2. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, get out of your chamois when you’re done with your bike! Not that I was timing them, but there were some peeps (who shall remain anonymous) hanging around in their spandex for a good TWO AND A HALF HOURS after their races were over (sitting around in the feed zone in your bike shorts does NOT count as training time!!!) I’d hate to know what’s growing in their shorts.

3. I saw a guy in baggies and shoe covers. I laughed out loud and then told him that I liked his fashion statement. Creativity deserves recognition.

4. I had fun. CCCX is not a FUPA.

CCCX MTB #3, Fort Ord, CA
5th, Cindy Shambaugh, Beginner Women
1st, Tracie Nelson, Sport Women, 19-34
2nd, Daphne Hodgson, Sport Women, 45+
1st, Ryan Hostelter, Pro/Expert Women
3rd, Beth Welliver, Pro/Expert Women

Merco Credit Union Foothills Road Race, CA
25th, Natasha Perry, Women Pro/1/2
5th, Sue Lovecchio, Women 3/4
23rd, Soni Andreini Poulsen, Women 3/4
24th, Thea Rusthoven, Women 3/4
42nd, Laura Sanchez, Women 3/4
51st, Sherri Lehman, Women 3/4

Dash 4 Cash Criterium, CA
16th, Rachel Mickelson, Women 4

Donaldson Center Road Race, CA
13th, Jamie France, Women 4

Merco Credit Union–Downtown Grand Prix, CA
8th, Thea Rusthoven, Women 3/4
10th, Natasha Perry, Women Pro/1/2

Fork Shoals Road Race, SC
5th, Jamie France, Women 4

Camp Pendleton Bulldog Road Race, CA

Camp Pendleton Bulldog Road Race, CA

2nd, Raja Lahti, Women 30-34
3rd, Stacy Dietrich, Women 30-34
10th, Emily Crow, Women 30-34
2nd, Terri Espinosa, Women 40-44
4th, Christine Silcox, Women 40-44
8th, Alyssa Freas, Women 40-44
12th, LaDawn Allen, Women 40-44
13th, Marie-Line Fournier, Women 40-44
15th, Sandra Fairchild, Women 40-44
16th, Debbe Dameron, Women 40-44
6th, Karen Casey, Women 45-49
13th, Becky Groenewold, Women 45-49
2nd, Whitney DeSpain, Athena Women
4th, Jackie Bickford, Athena Women
1st, CZ O’Grady, Women Mt Bike

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