Angel, Cheryl, and Julia working the front
EVENT
Sea Otter Circuit Race
CATEGORY
Master 1/2/3 Women, Cat 3 women, Cat 4 women and Junior women
DATE
Friday, April 11, 2014
AUTHOR
Julia Violich
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Approximately 40 mins of circuit racing on the Laguna Seca Raceway with one 150 ft climb and a ripping cork screw descent
PREVIOUS RESULTS
I won this and got second as a Cat 4
WEATHER
60s and sunny
TEAMMATES
Cheryl, Angel, Elise, Victkoria & Andrea (Kim Ford was injured)
GOALS
*Team- Try and get one or two of us on the podium
PLAN
Be smart, last for the entire race, use downhilling skills to save myself on the climbs
RACE SUMMARY
I am guessing there were over 60+ at the line because they combined four categories. The pace started out temperate for the first few laps. Angel, Cheryl, Elise and I didn’t have a ton of time to talk strategy, but we did want to hang in there and see who was strongest at the line and get them there. Laura Charmeda was in the mix. I know she is smart, strong and experienced so I decided to hang on her wheel for the first few laps. After about lap 4, a Cat 4 went for a gap at the front. She was older so I assumed she was a Masters 1/2/3 and did not chase. On the next lap, Laura Charameda gapped up to that rider. Again, I did not chase knowing I would just bring the crowd with me if I went for it and I wanted to converse energy. In retrospect, would have been good for a couple of us to gap up to her and the other rider using each other so we all weren’t tired from the effort.
The last three laps, the group had definitely thinned out. Lots of people had dropped way back. The hill was taking its toll. I stayed to the inside line on each climb and then on the descent so that I would go my own pace and conserve energy. I would get to the top in the top 10 but catch all on the way back down. Elise and Angel were with me most of the time. Each of us did our fair share of work during the race. I probably did a bit too much work on some of the straight aways trying to figure out who was strong and who would be there at the end. On the last lap, people were broken. Angel, Elise and I all stayed in the front group down the cork screw and then around the track. Going into the last turn, the two Twenty16 junior girls broke away. I jumped on their wheel behind another junior. The peleton stretched out in the final straight away. I was in forth wheel and feeling good, but when the sprint started, I had little left. Angel was on my wheel, and sensing my fade, screamed to let me know she was there and going for it!! Out of the saddle she went to the line taking 3rd. Elise was also there and had a great finish in the top 5 I think and I finished just after them.
TAKEAWAYS
Circuit races hurt
Next time have a bit more strategy going into the race
