Congratulations Margaret! We can't wait to hear about how the crit goes.
VERY unique location for a crit too, in Churchill Downs. Please keep up
posted!
Charlsie and I are in Fitchburg right now. I think she is actually asleep
at the moment so she can't add to the report. We had a strong field of 52
riders starting for the 3/4 women, on a cold VERY rainy day, 56 degrees.
Charslie actually was the first 3/4 woman to start the TT, which is never
easy. You don't know how you're doing if there's nobody to pass up the
road. Charlsie finished 39th. The circuit race tomorrow has some good
bumps in it and will probably suit more those who can climb a bit, so look
for Charlsie to move up in the GC tomorrow. She's been riding tough lately
and will do better having fellow racers in her sights. I had borrowed Mark
Rishniw's TT bike. I rode it last night when Bob, Eli Robinson, Charslie
and myself rode the TT course, that was my first time on it.
This morning I lacked motivation because of having too little sleep last
night. I had a dream that I missed my start time, got scared and woke up
way too early,and couldn't get back to sleep. Another racer also told me
before the TT that she dreamed her aerobars broke and she couldn't fix
them on the start ramp. I warmed up as best I could but felt uneasy and
out of it when I got called up on the ramp (a ramp?? I hoped I didn't fall
off). With 10 seconds to go and the timer beeping down, all of a sudden I
woke up like I'd been slapped, and I didn't care about the ramp, I rolled
down it and started moving and found a rhythm. The swooshy noise the disc
wheel made egged me on. I passed one rider after about 5 minutes on
course. Kristin Lotito was the next rider I passed just before the
turnaround. I had a third in my sights for a few minutes and passed her
with about 1K to go. I finished in 9th place, 1:07 off the leader's pace.
Eli Robinson overslept despite multiple attempts to rouse him from his bed
(phone calls, gentle taps then real pounding on the door) but finished his
TT regardless albeit starting a little late...
Bob finished 83 out of 103 riders in his field, so he solidly spanked 20
riders.
That's all I can write now, have to go ride the circuit course and see if
I can find Charlsie, she's probably still sleeping.
One last thing: Jeannie Longo TALKED TO ME at the pasta dinner last night!
Okay, so all she did was ask if my free granola sample was good but still...
Vanessa