Subaru French Broad Cycling Classic Omnium Asheville, North Carolina

Women’s bike racing is very different from Men’s racing. The fields are much smaller and categories are always combined, so there is a wider range of abilities going on in the same race. In the men’s fields, most of the riders are at very similar levels. Even in races such as this one where the category 4 women have their own race, there are very distinct separations in strength in the combined category 1,2,3 field. Two years ago, I raced this omnium as a new cat 4, and was thrown to the wolves in a race with the likes of Shannon Hutchinson, Tina Mayolo, and Christina Underwood – I was happy just to finish. Last year as a cat 4, I won the criterium and the overall omnium when the 4’s had a separate field, and I used the points to move up to category 3. This year, I didn’t know quite what to expect of the start list, so I nervously scanned the updated time trial start list online all week long to see who was going to be there. I knew there were a lot of women up at ‘Toona racing the International stage race, so I didn’t expect to see a lot of big names there. Elite triathlete Alison Hardy, who won the road race here last year, was on the list as were many other strong category 3 women, but overall the field looked pretty evenly matched for once. I geared myself up for a tough battle, hoping to repeat my overall win.

River Road Time Trial

Last year, Kathleen Gleason and Candice Blickem dominated the time trial by nearly 2 minutes over the rest of the women. I knew Kathleen wasn’t racing, and had heard Candance was up in ‘Toona, so I set my aim for the time trial on last year’s 3rd place time by Alison Hardy. If wanted to win the time trial, I would have to best her time of 29:44, so I hoped I could manage a 29:30 for the flat 20K – this would be 1:30 faster than my time last year, but I had my spiffy new time trial bike that my super-mechanic husband had put together for me, so I had to be that much faster!

I got to the course in plenty of time, feeling optimistic about the race. But just then the skies began to grow dark and ominous thunder rumbled in the distance. Great, a repeat of the Giro di Coppi, I thought, and trudged over to registration with my umbrella. The sense of doom grew stronger as the rain battered the aluminium awning over the registration desk, and then I saw the name on the start sheet - Candice Blickem. <CRASH!> There went my realistic chance of winning this race. I overheard someone saying she had a bad time at 'Toona and was out for blood. Fantastic - like she needs an excuse to crush anyone on the bike. I guessed that the weekend would be Candice and then the best of the rest. C'est la vie - I'd be happy with best of the rest, but I wasn't going to just lay down and die either. I secretly hoped the storm would continue for her early start time, but well before the first rider climbed the start ramp, the skies had cleared.

I did a nice warmup, got to the start in plenty of time, picked up a fresh water bottle from my coach and hit the start ramp. Whooooaaaaaaah nelly. Staring down that ramp in my super-low cow horns that are much further forward and lower than my normal bars was an adrenaline pumping experience! As the official counted down the time, I concentrated all my efforts on making sure I would make it to the tarmac alive. 5…4…3…2…1…pedal…roll… wheeee! I made it down in one piece, and quickly got up to speed. I spent the first 5 minutes trying to control my hyperventilation from the start ramp experience. I settled into a rhythm and then –whooosh--- I got passed by my husband who started 30 seconds after me. He gave me a breathless cheer, and I pushed on. I concentrated on keeping a good cadence, pushing a good gear when ----whooosh---- Joey D’Antoni, a cat 1 guy from Raleigh zoomed by me on his fixed gear, his disk wheel rumbling like a Big Wheel. Trying not to feel slow, I got back into the zone, checking my splits against the mileage markers on the road. Damn! I’m on a 30 minute + pace! I pushed harder, determined to hit the turn around before 15 minutes. I made it, just, and then proceeded to have the world’s slowest turn around. “That sucked”, I said out loud as I completed the turn. I slapped it into a bigger gear and gave it everything on the return trip. I noticed the mileage slipping by a bit faster than before, and then I remembered that the first leg is slightly more uphill than the return. My goal still in reach, I focused all my efforts on turning a perfect pedal stroke, then on getting a little higher cadence on the gear, then on that darn Everclear song I heard on the drive up (aak! focus!). I visualized my pedals as winding up a string that was reeling my in closer to the finish. At 2.5K to go, I was within reach of my target time, and I had a rabbit – I was catching an earlier starter. I passed him with 1K to go, my legs on fire with pain, I gasped “Left!” as I passed. I kept low and aero, but I could hear Phil Liggett commentating in my head, “she’s pushing a HUGE gear, rocking and rolling, she’s all over the bike. Those legs are absolutely BURNING with agony”. Finally, I saw the finish and gave it everything I had left for the last 100 meters, and came across the line with a 29:38 or so! So close to my goal, and good enough for 2nd place, just barely edging Alison out. Of course, Candice won by well over two minutes. I was actually really pleased with best of the rest in this case because I knew Candice is an awesome time trialist, but I also knew she had a harder time with hills. Perhaps with a little luck I could get the better of her in the road race...

NEXT: The Road Race