Providence Cyclocross Festival - Women's Reports
Providence Cyclocross Festival
Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI
10/10 – 10/11, 2009
==========
Conditions:
==========
Finally, a race weekend without rain! The weather both days was stellar, although cool starting out. Sunny skies and warming temps made for some great racing, and little to no mud!
==========
The Courses:
==========
Saturday: This was the same course we used for ‘cross nationals in 2006. There were lots of power sections, a couple of curbs to negotiate at speed, two stair run ups, one set of high-speed barriers, the fun “spaghetti bowl” and “whoopdy-doos” and the paved uphill start/finish. Fast cornering, dismount and remount skills were definitely required!
Sunday: Sunday’s course was shorter, but more technical than what we had experienced on Saturday. There seemed to be more power uphills, LOTS more corners (with some off-camber turns for good measure), a different approach into the “spaghetti bowl” and “whoopdy doos”, one set of stairs and one steep downhill turn before a rooty off-camber approach to the start/finish hill. The course was fast and fun!
==========
Day 1 Results:
==========
Junior 10-14 (14 starters)
Victoria Gates – 8th
Women’s Elite (35 starters)
Clara Kelly – 19th
Women’s 3/4 (44 starters)
Cathy Rowell – 14th
Teri Carilli – 16th
Kathy Martin – 23rd
Loraine Warner – 27th
Jean Cunningham – 32nd
Kathy Graves – 37th
Julie Lockhart – 39th
==========
Day 2 Results:
==========
Junior 10-14 (16 starters)
Victoria Gates – 11th
Women’s 3/4 (52 starters)
Kathy Martin – 23rd
Cathy Rowell – 25th
Michele Archambault – 29th
Joy Stark – 31st
Jean Cunningham – 34th
Karin Turer – 36th
Kathy Graves – 37th
Marylou McPhee – 42nd
Juliane Oberle – 43rd
Julie Lockhart – 44th
==========
Reports:
==========
[Victoria Gates]
Saturday: My goals were to not let my call-up slip away and not to crash. I waited at the start line for the whistle. The whistle was blown and I couldn’t clip in. I blew my start. We went over a curb and onto grass and two people in front crashed. The field scattered. I rode the rest of the race solo. I used every last bit of energy I had. I crossed the line in 8th.
Sunday: I had a better warm up and practiced my starts before the race. I was waiting for the whistle to get blown. We were off and we all separated fast. There was a kid 10 seconds in front of me. I ran over the barriers. I went down an off chamber muddy hill and my wheel slid out and I flipped over the bars. I got up quickly and tried to ride my bike but the shifter was bent in and wasn’t working right. I ran and walked hopping on for down hills and I finally reached the pit. I did another lap and missed the first pit so I rode to the other pit. I was finally back on my good bike. I passed two kids and rode to the finish. I came in 11th and I was happy to finish and collect some points for the series.
[Kathy Graves]
Saturday: I lined up in front as I registered early. By the time we hit the grass I was towards the back. On some of the more challenging hills Women in front of me often would stop and walk up blocking me when I could ride up the hills and I didn’t have enough momentum to adjust my line and keep riding. Riding keeps my HR down more than running. I made it up the really steep hill and whooped it up to the amusement of the crowd. Riding successfully on the challenging parts of the course is exhilarating. I had hard time getting clipped in towards the end with mud packed in around my cleats. When I was done I was shaking and didn’t feel well.
Sunday: I loved how they changed the course. I pre-rode the course in sections before any races started and again after first race but missed the technical section on the far end which was a mistake. In my line at the start the five women front to back where all NEBCers.
Changed the course so it was more technical and hilly. The hardest hill yesterday you came straight into today you had a drop in making a 90 degree turn into a very steep downhill to get to it… dang it was scary and fun and I made it up the hill each time. Here the leader of the kids race caught up to me and kept saying things to get me to move out of his way, I held my line and he passed me when he could. I was a little disappointed I only got to do two laps. Steep descent in early part of the loop when we went too far side of course I never figured out the best way to ride.
I really enjoyed the courses and that it was 20 minutes from home.
[Julie Lockhart]
Saturday: A lovely race marred only by a flat tire that I did not realize until it had caused me to have difficulty topping over turns without clipping out to make the turns, I later realized I should have switched bikes. Lesson learned … equipment failure is valid, and I should realize errors are not all mine.
Sunday: Great start, and got through the first set of chicanes passing riders who were stopped at the turns because of crowding, I was pleased to ride descents that were sketchy, but was taken down 3 times during the race, and developed another flat, this time exchanged bikes and recovered some places, I loved the difficult spots and the new course.
[Kathy Martin]
I had a lot fun at the races in Providence. In fact, on Sunday I was thinking it would be great to just go out between races to ride the course again. :-)
On Saturday I got to PVD early enough to pre-ride and made sure to warm up well. I started the race a bit conservatively, and found myself in a small group, playing leapfrog for the first two laps. By the third lap, I had left them behind and was trying to close the gap to the next group, but didn’t quite. I crossed the line in 23rd place.
On Sunday, I employed the same pre-race strategy. The field was much larger, so there was more congestion in lap one, with lots of crashes, which I luckily avoided. On lap two, I was on my own, so I focused on trying to be smooth and fast. On lap three I was able to catch and pass some racers. I enjoyed the course more and my legs actually felt better than Saturday, so I was amused to find out that I finished 23rd again on Sunday.
[Marylou McPhee]
Sunday: After riding the course during warm ups I was a bit nervous especially about one section “the spaghetti bowl” – I just couldn’t ride it. So, I had decided before the race started I was just going to run “the spaghetti bowl” but then on the first lap I was able to nail it. I was so excited!! Then it was time to focus on the rest of the race which went really well and I started to think this is great I’m not going to be lapped; well that is when a junior came flying by me. Another goal to set not being lapped. This was a fun course and I’m glad I raced.
[Juliane Oberle]
Sunday: This was the first race of the season for me; I didn’t pre-register so I started in the back of the pack. I had a pretty good start and managed to weave my way through a lot of the pack on the start and held ground for the first lap. I managed to miss a few near collisions with some crashed racers, but then I came around a congested muddy corner and hit the ground pretty hard. My back break jammed on my wheel. I rode a little bit more on it until I stopped to fix the wheel. By the time I settled up the bike the field was gone. I just hopped on the end and rode to finish the race enjoying the scenery, crowds, and nice weather. Had a great time on the hilly up and down twisty-turny part!
[Cathy Rowell]
Saturday: I raced at Roger William’s Park for the first time in 2006 – for ‘Cross Nationals. I remember the course being difficult, with lots of power sections and some technical handling skills required. I was happy to see that hadn’t changed ;). I had a reasonable start into the grassy section, but managed to let myself get “squeezed out” by a couple more aggressive racers entering the first turns. Knowing I was still sitting in the top 10, I pushed as hard as I could, having to yell at a Quad Cycles racer at one point as she ran a hill I was riding – she kept cutting into my line! I ended up giving up a few places in the final lap of the race – just didn’t have the legs to go any harder. I know I raced well, and I was happy with the day.
Sunday: The change in course was going to require more technical handling skills on Sunday. Before the race, world champion Kathy S came by and told me to ride smart, leave space, and take advantage when people make mistakes. On the whistle, I wanted to get a better start than the previous day, sprinted up the hill and hit the hole shot second wheel behind Natalia G. Kathy proceeded to pass me on the straight grass section and then crash in the second corner. I took advantage, and got by her to continue chasing Natalia ;).
I had an unfortunate bobble in the “spaghetti bowl” the first time through. I was forced to dismount on the first uphill and then couldn’t get clipped in fast enough going through the whoopdy-doos. That cost me about 5 places, and I was angry at myself for letting it happen. Heading into the same section on the next lap, I was behind Leah going up the hill. I didn’t quite make it, put my downhill foot out, and crashed, rolling to the bottom of the hill. Being the not-so-smart racer that I am, I jumped up only to crash right back down when I put weight on my left foot. I literally sat for 3-5 minutes before I was able to get up, get back on the bike and finish the race. The pedaling was ok, but anytime I had to dismount to run over or up anything, the pain was pretty brutal. I just don’t know when to stop ;).
Unfortunately, as I was crashing, Michele Harrison was behind me, looked up and simultaneously hit a divot, sending her over the bars and onto her already injured shoulder. That hill was jinxed for us – I managed to basically kick her in the head there the day before on a forced dismount :(.
[Joy Stark]
Sunday: I found the course on Sunday to be really tough. The steep little inclines did not treat me well. I probably wasn’t going at them with enough speed or fearlessness. In any case, I had a hard time getting comfortable. In the middle of the second lap, my handlebars slipped down, and while I could still ride, I was concerned that they might slip again and lead to something disastrous. I couldn’t decide if I should take the time to go into the pit, so kept riding, but backed off a bit. A bit later I noticed that I was having a tough time cornering and I noticed when I hit the pavement that my front tire was losing air. I tried to keep riding on it, but took a spill in a corner in the third lap and decided to call it a day. On the bright side, I now have more motivation to finally go out and buy spare tubes for my cross tires.
[Karin Turer]
Sunday: There was good and there was bad!
I loooved the course, especially the Sidewinder-style “spaghetti bowl” where momentum took you flying up and down the course. I especially figured this was a space where comfort with the technical stuff would help, and that seemed the case. Unexpectedly, the start of the race was like this as well – on the pre-loop, it hadn’t seemed technical at all but with 57 women all trying to ride it at once…well, that changes things! So I went from the last row at the start to around the middle when we got to the grass, and passed a bunch of people in course of various falls, flats, and who knows what else. The race could have ended there, right? Anyway, the whole first lap went pretty well, until…hm, actually I don’t remember when/where it was that my chain fell off for the first of three times!
Yup, three times – after two years without chain drops, now it’s happening all the time :( So I am working on getting a doohickey this week that was recommended by my buddy Chris Iglehart (I figure he should know!!) Anyway, each time my chain fell off, 3 people passed me. On the bright side, I was psyched that I’d been in front of them in the first place. On the boo side, now they were ahead of me! It was hard not to feel totally deflated by this stuff turning my race from best ever!! to just okay. Still, I’d wanted to beat 10 people and I beat 8 finishers (and 13 didn’t finish so if you listed me as 36th out of 57 starters that sounds even better). So now I have specific stuff to work on:
- remember to push on the pavement sections. I mentally take offense to pavement in cross, and that’s where people pass me. I should fix Oxo so I can get into the big ring, and use it, and stop being annoyed at non-dirt!
- don’t give up when passed. Bleah!
- switch back to my argyle socks (or the team socks when they come). My red stripe / blue stripe combination was not as fun, and a complete stranger came up to me at the start to bemoan the lack of argyle! :)
[Loraine Warner]
Saturday: Fun course. My goal was to stay upright, and try to get as good a position as possible on the hole-shot, which turned out pretty well. I didn’t get any sleep the night before and was up early to help volunteer for the race, and with all that was going on, I didn’t eat or drink anything before the race. No surprise I bonked by lap 2, and felt like I had nothing to push through and suffered especially on the run-