Race Report: Cyberknife of Texas Stage Race 2013, Women's 1/2/3

by Allison Atkinson, ATC Racing

This was the first annual Cyberknife of Texas Stage Race. Saturday, The FRESH Road Race, consisted of three 18-mile laps around Lake Tyler in Whitehouse, Texas. This road race had rolling terrain. Attacks from Jubilee started right off the bat at the first right-hand turn off the main road. They sent one woman after the other off the front. The field bridged and caught every one. It was hard! At one point I thought I was getting dropped, but luckily my teammate Sammi pulled me back toward the front of the pack a few times. This was Sammi’s first stage race as a recently upgraded cat 3, and she was riding strong.

 Attacks initiated by Michelle Hayner (Velossimo), Ash Duban (Comanche), and various Jubilee racers continued for the entire first lap. Every hill was an all-out kick to the top, and everyone became strung out into a long pace line on the flat windy section.

 There was a hot spot on lap two. This was the lap where the winning break was formed. After a few rolling hills, Kayla Sterling (Exergy Twenty16) attacked. Initially no one went after her, but then, about 15 seconds later Andrea Thomas (Think Finance) jumped and bridged, followed by Duban and Danielle Bradley (Jubilee). Hayner and both Shama women were not going with the break, so I decided to stay in the pack. I figured we would catch them after they went through the hot spot.

It turns out I was wrong. Although we did end up catching Duban and Bradley, there were still two up the road, and their gap would grow significantly. I was feeling tired from battling the windy section leading up to the hot spot. Even though I was drafting off other girls I was still putting forth a huge effort to hang on each time crosswinds gusted.

 I expected Hayner, Sheri Rothe (Jubilee), or Mandy Heintz (Shama) to break away on this lap. Sammi and I spent a lot of time in the front chasing down a few half-hearted Jubilee attacks as we anticipated the move for the second break. Hayner went first. I was swallowed by the peloton, and we caught her. After that effort Hayner was breathing heavy, so Rothe took that opportunity to launch out from the back of the pack when we least expected it. I was boxed in by her teammates, but Hayner was still at the front. She didn't go after Rothe at first, so I thought we'd bridge as a group, but Hayner, without much recovery, jumped violently to catch Rothe. We chased but were outnumbered by Jubilee blocks.

It was frustrating watching the two drift further and further away, mainly because I knew I was supposed to be there with them. Sammi, Shama Cycles women, Duban, Monica Hyslop, and I worked to keep the pack moving. I moved to the front during the hilly section to spur some action by attacking each hill. All we could do was minimize the gap at that point, which turned out to be over 4 minutes!

It was a soft sprint to the finish and a pack finish time for Sammi and I. The Cobb Cycling Time Trial was later that day. This was a 5.6-mile TT starting at the church and finishing at the same point as the road race. It had one sharp right turn after a downhill, with rolling terrain. The ramp was pretty cool! I focused on staying steady down the first stretch. After trying not to slow down too much for the sharp right turns, I maintained a good effort. The hilly, winding section was fun, but I had to work to stay in my aero bars on some of the turns. Knowing that I was over halfway done, I upped the intensity to the finish. Hayner took the win with a time of 12:59.

Sunday was the Spine and Joint Hospital of Texas Crit, a 45-minute crit that went through the Tyler Junior College campus. The roads were in good condition, and the route consisted of two reasonably sized hills, the larger of the two being right before the finish. Right at the start Bradley and Kim Jennings (Jubilee) formed a furious break. The two got away fast. Bradley’s team did all they could to ensure that the gap was a big as possible, as she needed to up her GC position to earn the last of the points needed for her upgrade from a cat 3 to a 2. The GC leaders did not bother to chase down Jennings and Bradley, as they were not in contention for the podium.

The first lap was fast as we fought for position. I believe it was lap two where Michelle Montoya (Jubilee) went down after hitting a reflector on a crosswalk. She was okay and up and racing again by the next lap. With the exception of the prime lap, the pace was steady, with attacks happening on the major road before the right turn that led into the slightly bumpy downhill straight-away. That road led into a hard right-hand turn up to the hill before the finish. It was important to be in a

position toward the front on that downhill to ensure that you were first going into the hill. I did not do this too well. Although I am a good climber, I was usually positioned mid- to rear-pack, so I had to work extra hard every lap. The women up front would drill the downhill, stay wide, and brake before the turn uphill, which made it hard to smoothly take the inside line at a faster speed without risking a crash. Duban and Hyslop moved ahead for the prime lap, which Duban took. In the end the winning break finished 3.5 minutes ahead of the pack.

With two pack finishes and just an okay TT I took 9th GC. Hayner was 1st, Thomas 2nd, and Sterling 3rd GC. The courses, officials, and volunteers made the Cyberknife of Texas Tyler Stage Race a success and I look forward to racing again next year.

Full Results
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2013 Fayetteville Stage Race ReportWomen's Open

by Allison Atkinson

Cervelo P2 and TriRig Omega Brake
photo courtesy Lynn Hayner

The Fayettville Stage Race consists of a road race and time trial on Saturday, followed by another road race on Sunday. The Women's Open Saturday road race was two 23-mile laps. It started off mellow until Jubilee Subaru started launching attacks after the climb to the hot spot. That day's winning break formed once we got into the windy and flat back section of the course. Jubilee and Think Finance blocked us, while teammates Sheri Rothe and Danielle Bradley (Jubilee), Andrea Thomas (Think Finance), and Mandy Heintz (Shama Cycles) got away. My teammate Marla Briley noticed that her front shifter was loose and, as a matter of fact, the whole left side of the handlebar was snapped in half. She could not get into the drops or stand, so with the exception of a couple of pulls she did, we sat in. The break finished about three and a half minutes ahead of the pack.

After a good four hour break we lined up for the TT. The 8.9-mile course is flat on the way out with two sharp right-hand turns. It was hilly on the way back, with 11-15 mph gusts that created a headwind going up the hills. In order to do well you had to conserve the hardest effort for the last 4 miles, which is difficult when you know the clock is ticking. With a time of 21:49, Michelle Hayner of Velossimo Racing placed first, with Mandy Heintz (Shama Cycles) coming in second, and Camilla Schmitz (Think Finance) third. I placed 9th.

After a good night's rest I felt good going into Sunday's 3-lap, 49-mile road race. On the first lap, Sheri Rothe and I steadily led the pack up the KOM hill. Attacks from Jubilee began in almost the same spot as Saturday, but nothing stayed away. The attacks spurred a faster pace with faster cornering on the course's sharp right-hand turns. I believe it was shortly after the turn onto Ehlinger Road when the first crash occurred. I was behind the whole thing and saw at least three women go down hard, but don’t know what caused it. After slowing down to avoid crashing, I had to bury myself to catch back on to the main group. I ended up pulling Michelle Hayner with me, which was a plus. Luckily everyone slowed the pace, and that gave me a few minutes to recover before the KOM hill.

Unfortunately, I started the climb towards the back of the pack, which meant that I was not in the group that attacked at the hot spot located at the top. I saw Kathleen Hattaway (Jubilee) chasing the group, so I instantly got on her wheel. We worked together to bridge ourselves up. Once we caught on, we joined the smooth rotation with more Jubliee women, Mandy Heintz and her teammate Jennifer Wagner, Michelle Hayner, and a few riders from Think Finance. We had managed to drop the rest of the field, so we felt good until we heard a horrible screeching. Danielle Bradley had some kind of mechanical, so her teammate Kathleen stayed behind to help her out.

Our breakaway continued until the sharp turn before the feed zone. That is where Sheri and Mandy, our GC leaders, collided mid-turn. I saw Mandy fly over her handlebars and hit her head hard. I looked back and she was not getting back on her bike, but Sheri, with the encouragement of her teammate Kim Jennings, shot up and started checking her bike. I remember Kim shouting, "Sheri! Are you ready? Are you ready?" Michelle Hayner was looking back at me as I rode up to join her. Andrea Thomas and Catherine Moore from Think Finance were in tow, so we regrouped, rotated, and pressed on. At some point Jennifer Wagner (Shama) joined us, and then, maybe five minutes later, Sheri was back on and looked frazzled but okay. After sitting in for a few rotations, she took her turn in the wind, and we kept a fast pace for the rest of the second lap.

Going into the third lap we wanted to maintain a steady but fast pace. Michelle and I had a lot of incentive to make up time, as we were not in the winning break the day before. "Don't slow down! Faster!" Michelle kept the intensity up, and we all worked to our maximum capacity. Each hill became a painful fight. Whenever I felt like I was on the verge of getting dropped, I looked at the expressions on the others’ faces and was reminded of one of my favorite quotes: "Your suffering is not special.” We lost Jennifer on the rolling hills before the feed zone, but we kept pressing. I felt relieved after safely cornering the final right-hand turn. With 1K to go we upped the pace. The final sprint was more of a fast train rolling in. We stayed together, with Sheri crossing first for a GC win. Michelle was 2nd on GC and I ended up 5th.

At this time last year I was in the hospital recovering from a crash that happened on day two of the 2012 Fayetteville Stage Race. That was my first Women’s Open race as a newly upgraded 3, and I remember barely hanging on off the back the whole time. After the crash I was so discouraged that I almost gave up racing. It felt amazing to be able to ride well enough to contribute to a winning break this year. Man, I feel the pain of those who crashed. Most of them got back up and finished, which, to me, is harder than any sprint or climb. Kudos to Sheri for getting up and winning after taking a spill. Congrats to Jubilee Subaru for incredible sportsmanship, much respect. Congrats to my teammate as well, Anne Flanagan, for placing 4th GC in the Women 4's!

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ATC Racing Women Dubbed "Most Romantic" at Ultra Provocatorio

by Allison Atkinson

One word describes this year's Team Wooly Mammoth's Ultra Provocatorio Gran Fondo: EPIC! The romantic chip seal roads of Fredericksburg were the ultimate backdrop for the drama that unfolded that day.

This was my first team fondo as well as ATC Women's Racing's first event of the 2013 season. Our goals were to stay on course, avoid flats, and have fun. We definitely exceeded them this year. Here are a few highlights from the 98.1-mile course:

60% Style 40% Talent
Yes, there was a magical presence at 9:20 a.m. when we rolled up to the start line in our new kits. A few spectators staggered back in admiration at the sight of the new, high-viz ATC orange jerseys. A Team Yacht Club racer hit the nail on the head when he remarked, "The orange to yellow fade out is reminiscent of Miami Vice." Indeed. Sock choice also played an important role in the overall performance of the team; long black socks solidified the roadie look. Frankly, I was a worried that if we did not wear true roadie socks that Missy and Marla might feel compelled to go for a run afterward. Rest assured, all we did was ride, ride, and ride.

Mile 1: Missy & Marla are ON POINT
Kudos! These ladies co-navigated the entire course without a mistake. It was impressive to watch them glance down at GPS directions and cue sheets covered in plastic wrap, shout directions, and not crash. Lots of the roads were hard-to-pronounce German names that kept us entertained. Left on Weimaraner Rd??? After getting a little strung out on the initial climbs we settled into a steady pace line where we took turns in the wind at 1 to 2 minute intervals.

Mile 15: Lori almost chokes on a gluten-free bar
Eating while on the bike is an art, an art that Lori has mastered. To say she is a pro would be an understatement. Even though she didn't feel like eating she knew from past rides that if she did not force-feed bars and gels down she would certainly run out of juice. On a side note, we apologize for any GU’s, bars, and chomps we may have "lost" in the attempt to open ridiculously wrapped packaging. A prominent racer from Team Ghisallo recommends: "Next time you should pre-open your snacks." Brilliant.

Mile 35: Emu, sheep & various livestock
Our strategy for endurance was to treat the first 50 miles like a warm-up. Beyond random remarks about livestock there was not much conversation. Our mantra: "Focus!"

Mile 40ish: Allison faces her demons...15 miles of gravel, washboard & such
Gravel, mud, sand, and low-water crossings were some of the many countrified challenges of the day. Things got real once we hit the first patch of washboard surface. I hung on to the rest of my team until the first low-water crossing then we became strung out. We slid all over the place, and I had to walk my bike a few times. As a result, I had one shoe with the cleat cemented to the pedal and one shoe that would not clip in. After a few attempts to rinse my cleats I concluded, as I rolled up to the end of the rough section where I met with the rest of my teammates, that I would not be able to clip in for the rest of the race.

Mile 75: Kat rolls up in a Prius
I'd never been so happy to see someone in a car! Our very own superstar baby-mama Kat pulled up just in time to give water and nutrition to those of us who ran low. Having her there meant not having to stop, which would have cost us precious time. We dedicated the race to Kat, whose tiny baby bump is just starting to show.

Mile 85: Sammi's Rapha cap, cramps & climbs!
Sammi's black and pink Rapha cap reminded me of the title of one of the Rapha blogs: "Glory through Suffering." The last hilly section proved hardest for everyone. Lori was on the verge of bonking, Marla was suffering from really bad leg cramps, and Sammi was a little mad from being jostled over the rough washboard roads. My legs were screaming in pain from being left with no choice but to attack each hill in the saddle as I still could not clip in, and Missy, being the experienced leader that she is, kept spirits high. Those who had the legs gave longer, steady efforts in the wind, but everyone worked together till the end. When you take away the option to quit, it makes it easier to suffer because there is nothing to debate, you just go. That kind of raw riding is why I love cycling.

Mile 98: Get me off this bike!
I attribute our success to team work. We all became each other’s best inspiration, giving us courage to push on. How romantic...

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