The NEBC Elite Women’s Cycling Team returns in 2009 after another successful year in 2008 with six racers: Rebecca Wellons, Susanne Delaney, Natalie Dumont, Samantha Dery, Clara Kelly and team director/racer Brooke O’Connor.
We are now 2-for-2. Our second team race ended with another NEBC win.
Rebecca Wellons (1st), Clara Kelly (7th), Brooke O’Connor (9th), Cathy Rowell (11th), Natalie Dumont (12th), Susanne Delaney (13th)
How it unfolded…
Neutral 2 miles from the school to the start/finish hill. Why have all the recent races started with a “neutral” climb? Once we started racing, it was quiet for the first lap. At the end of the first lap, came the first push up the hill, led by possibly Anna Milkowski (unattached). It was enough to split the field, with Nat, Clara and Rebecca upfront, and Cathy, Susanne and Brooke having to chase back on. Each lap up the hill this happen the next couple of times, with different people pushing the pace and slowly ladies being spit off the back. This saved NEBC from having to initiate all the attacks and made for some fun (and hard) racing up the hill and into the next few miles. Action was usually quiet on Rte 12 as everyone prepped themselves for the hill and because it was too windy to stay out alone here. Susanne, Cathy and Brooke took turns keeping the pace going on Rte 12 so our climbers would be ready to respond on the hill. After the hill at the start of lap 4(?), Debony Diehl (Sunapee) attacked and got a good gap. We weren’t too worried about her at first because it was still a long way to the finish to be alone. She steadily gained a sizeable gap for the rest of the lap. At the start of the 5th lap, Kristen Gohr (Colavita) attacked hard with only Rebecca able to stay with her. Another group of Clara, Kat Carr and Karin Holmes (Sunapee), Anna Milkowski and Rebecca Blatt (Kenda) formed behind. Cathy, Nat, Susanne and Brooke were in a third group with two others.
In the front group, Rebecca and Kristen took steady turns pulling, caught Debony and eventually left her behind for the second group to pick up. They gained about 2 minutes on the second group. For the finish, Kristen was pulling hard up the last hill on Rte 12, so as they got to the base of the start/finish climb, Rebecca sat behind Kristen until the hill flattened slightly when Rebecca pushed it hard to come around and beat Kristen up the rest of the hill, with time to put up her arms in a victory salute.
In the second group, they put 2 minutes on the third group. Unfortunately for us, there were now 3 Sunapee ladies in that group. They set up the finish so that Sunapee finished one-two in that group for a 3rd and 4th place of Karin and Kat, with Clara pushing it hard to finish a strong 7th place overall.
In the third group, it was a beautiful picture of teamwork on Rte 12. We had Susanne and Cathy taking short rotating pulls to keep the pace up and discourage any attacks from non-NEBCers. Nat sat third wheel preparing to attack up the finish hill, with Brooke sitting fourth wheel to sweep. This was working awesome until we got to just about the top of the last hill on Rte 12. Cathy kept pulling, Susanne was backing off and Brooke was waiting for Nat to follow Cathy so she could let the gap open. Nat let out a scream of sorts (found out later that a cramp suddenly developed in her leg), so Brooke went around Nat, yelled at Cathy to keep going (as she was already burying herself like an awesome teammate) until the base of the finish hill when Brooke powered around Cathy, encouraging her to keep going, and nabbed 9th place. Cathy was totally spent, but kept going, allowing only one to pass her, and finished 11th. Nat and Susanne finished right behind Cathy.
Upcoming team races (all national level crits):
Our first official team race started another season off with a bang!
Congratulations to Shannon Madison and the NEBC cat 3/4’s for making it a double NEBC women’s day!
Clara Kelly (1st)
Brooke O’Connor (4th)
Rebecca Wellons (6th)
Susanne Delaney (7th)
Natalie Dumont
How it unfolded…
Lap 1: Susanne and Brooke held pace at the front of the group the first time up Oak Hill (neutral start). At one point, Brooke had to tell Susanne to slow it down a bit as Susanne was climbing well. After coming up over the top, the race was on and there was the nice long downhill for a couple of miles. Pace was a bit too slow for Brooke on the downhill, so she half-heartedly decided to jump to see if she could mix it up a little bit (it IS a race after all). That attack came back very shortly afterwards and was countered by Rebecca. After passing the cemetery and turning onto Shaker Rd, Brooke decided to attack again to warm up everyone’s legs and make sure that no one was too rested for the next big hill. This ended up being a decisive time in the pack. Kat Carr (Sunapee) bridged up to Brooke and the two started working together knowing that they both had teammates in the field to block. Brooke didn’t think they could stay away for the whole race, but at least it was giving some action to the race and letting our teammates rest. Once we hit the 2nd (steep) hill of the lap, Kat fell off the pace, but Clara, Debony Diehl and Karin Holmes (both of Sunapee) bridged up to Brooke. Brooke told Clara to conserve her energy and Brooke pulled the next couple of miles down the hill to end the first lap.
Lap 2: Once we got going on the 2nd time up Oak Hill, Clara rode off into the sunset with the two Sunapee girls in tow while Brooke fell off the pace. The rest of the pack had splintered by this point. On the downhill, Brooke decided to wait for a lone rider named Melissa (moved to the area last year from WY). Then looked back again and saw the red and white of NEBC and told Melissa to wait so that we could get more horsepower. Rebecca and Susanne bridged up and the 4 were off, except Melissa couldn’t quite figure out the rotating paceline thing and kept surging ahead. It broke up our rhythm a bit, but also caused Melissa to waste more of her energy. We never caught Clara’s break, so we settled into our own pace.
Lap 3: Debony and Clara traded pulling while Clara was worried about how well Karin was resting up in the back of the group. Clara didn’t know that the 2nd Sunapee girl was Karin and she was concerned that it was actually Kristen Gohr (Colavita) who last year beat Clara a few times by sitting on her wheel and then powering around her on a short climb.
Behind in the second group, Brooke and Melissa kept the pace at the front of the small group up Oak Hill which unfortunately was a bit fast and Rebecca and Susanne dropped off the pace. Melissa and Brooke kept going for lap three while Susanne started feeling the need for more water.
Lap 4: Debony tried to get around Clara at the base of the long climb on the third lap (the steep bit). Clara was able to stay up and tried to maintain a good pace up the rest of it and over the top. Clara’s not sure what happen to her, but realized she wasn’t there when Clara was pulling the section after the descent. With maybe half a lap to go, Karin told Clara that she wasn’t feeling well and didn’t plan on sprinting if she made it with Clara to the finish. She hung on into the the final stretch and Clara didn’t see what she was doing when she started (too early) a sprint to the line for the win.
Behind, Melissa and Brooke made a pack not to kill each other on the 4th time up Oak Hill and stay together. On the final downhill before the finish, Brooke led at first, but then Melissa came around, so Brooke let her lead all the way until the 200m to go sign when Brooke easily sprinted around her to grab 4th place. Rebecca and Susanne finished shortly afterwards and grabbed 6th and 7th place.
This year the NEBC Elite Women’s team will concentrate their efforts and energy on competing against the best women in the country at the NRC (National Racing Calendar) designated races, but will still be around New England proudly displaying the NEBC red and white on many podiums throughout the season.
April 25 – Turtle Pond Circuit Race, Loudon, NH
May 9 – Sterling Classic Road Race, Sterling, MA
May 16 – Wilmington Grand Prix, Wilmington, DE +
May 17 – Kelly Cup, Baltimore, MD +
May 24 – RFK Crit, DC
May 25 – Tour of Somerville, NJ +
June 7 – Liberty Classic (Philadelphia, PA) ++
June 27 – NEBC Kids Crit
July 2-5 – Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic, MA +
July 19 – Yarmouth Clam Festival, Yarmouth, ME
Aug 1 – Concord Crit, Concord, NH
Aug 2 – NEBC Bow Road Race, Bow, NH
Aug 12 – Witches Cup, Salem, MA
Sept 20 – Portsmouth Crit, NH (Susanne’s race!!!)
Sept 26 – Boston Downtown Crit, Boston, MA
+ denotes NRC races
++ denotes UCI 1.1 race
[As told by Susanne]
5th: Susanne Delaney, 7th: Karin Mackin, 8th: Rebecca Wellons, 15th: Clara Kelly, 16th: Tami Buhr; Sam Dery – DNF (crash on last lap)
From the start S&W pushed the pace hard with Debony leading the way. There were several attacks throughout the race, by all S&W riders but nothing that stuck or got away. NEBC Elite women launched several attacks of our own followed by counter attacks on most of them. Rebecca got a prem. With 5 to go the pace picked up, one last attempt by S&W to shake us, but it didn’t work. Then on the final lap coming around the final corner, it was S&W 1st and 2nd, but there was a lag in when they decided to jump and sprint. I found the field clogging up so I went right and started sprinting at the same time Katherine Carr and Eve McNeil went.
We’re very excited to announce that Clara Kelly is joining the 2009 NEBC Elite Women’s team!
Earlier this year, Clara was a participant in the Intro to Racing Clinic. She caught the road racing bug in the spring and rode away from her competitors when the road turned upwards. After she quickly upgraded to a cat 3, Clara went on to have a phenominal performance at the tough Fitchburg-Longsjo stage race where she got 3rd in the road race and the overall in the cat 3/4 field. After a few more good results, including a 6th place on GC in the cat 1/2/3 field at Green Mountain, Clara had enough points for an upgrade to cat 2! Upon joining the elite team, Clara will benefit from learning the finer points of team tactics from all of her more experienced teammates.
Please welcome Clara to the best elite women’s team in the northeast!
Yet another upgrade from within the NEBC to elite level.
NEBC: Sally Annis (1), Rebecca Wellons (10), Mary Zider (11), Natalie Dumont (16), Clara Kelly (18), Sam Dery (19), Susanne Delaney (22), Tami Buhr (23), Katherine Snell (27)
From the gun, Susanne went to the front and pushed the pace. Being at the front with that speed, she was able to easily grab the first prime called within the first couple of laps. Tami, Mary, Natalie and Clara rotated around the front to help keep the pace up during the race. Rebecca and Sally alternated attacks that kept the rest of the field chasing. One of Rebecca’s breaks kept her off the front for about 3 laps. Then a $100 mid-race prime was called just as Rebecca was about to get caught. She kept digging in, but unfortunately she was caught right before the last corner and it came down to a drag race between Sunapee sprinter Eve McNeil and our climber Mary. Mary gave her a good sprint, but was just nipped at the line. Eve got that prime, but Rebecca and Sally napped the other two primes during the race.
For the finish, team director Brooke turned to Sally a few laps before and said she’d give her a lead-out. While the pace naturally got a little higher in the last couple of laps, it wasn’t fast enough to prevent Anna McLoon (Colavita) from jumping with one lap to go. With Sally on her wheel, Brooke pushed hard to catch back up with Anna, and coming out of the last corner, Sally jumped hard and held off Sunapee sprinters Kat Carr and Eve McNeil to take the win.
Race Plan
Since NEBC made up one-half of the field, we knew had to have good results at this race or go home very disappointed. We planned to be active, go after every prime and if the opportunity for a break presented itself, seize it. Otherwise we would wait until the finish and set up Sally for the win, this being her home town race.
How the Race Unfolded
Along with Sunapee, who had four riders in the race, we kept the pace high from the start. Mary and Sally went after the first prime, won it, and established a gap. The rest of the team got to the front and blocked widening the gap. They stayed out there for a few laps, forcing other teams to chase. We continued to go after every prime, winning most. After another prime, a gap formed that included Sally, Mary, Rebecca, Susanne and Tami, a Sunapee rider (Eve McNeil) and a rider from Mt. Holoyoke (Emma Bast). The remaining NEBC gals in the field did a great job blocking to help solidify this break. We won several additional primes with this break. Sally and Mary started to steadily attack the break. Eventually, McNeil and Bast quit chasing and Sally and Mary got away. Rebecca and Tami blocked and what remained of the break was eventually swept up by the field. The NEBC gals then did a great job blocking and interfering with any attempt to chase down Sally and Mary, who came across the line together for first and second. With two laps to go, the NEBC gals went to the front and picked up the pace. We were still at the front with one lap to go and had our train put together, but a momentary slow down allowed us to get swarmed by the Sunapee train. At that point, it was every woman for herself. We were disappointed to lose the top two spots in the field sprint, but Natalie, Rebecca and Cathy all finished strong in the top ten.
Race Plan
Our overall goal for the race, besides winning it, was to get Mary in a break or good situation to win the race. Mary was not to be at the front or leading up the climbs so she could conserve energy for when she would make her attack. The plan was to launch an attack on the hill on lap 3 in hopes of shortening the actual “race” within the race. It was the job of others to set tempo and block at the front until Mary was ready to make her move. While this was happening we also were to be aware and reactive to a situation that did not involve Mary and if need be, to reel it back in.
How the Race Unfolded
Sally and Suzanne set a nice tempo on the first trip up the climb. Once we crested the hill and began the decent, Sally soon aided by Natalie, remained at the front to drive the pace. The only events of the first lap were when Mary dropped her chain, which nearly through the entire race plan out the window! However, the team sprang into action as Sam rode to the front to inform Sally and Natalie to slow the pace. Meanwhile, Rebecca slowed and drifted to the back to wait for Mary to help her back on to the pack. Once Mary had her chain back on, Rebecca was there to help chase her back onto the group. The well executed work of the team allowed Mary to recover in time to launch a decisive move on the hill as the second lap started.
As Mary approached the second trip up the hill, still being pulled by Sally at this point, she decided to make her move on this lap rather than wait for the 3rd trip. This move proved to be the right one as it seemed to catch the pack off guard. Mary was able to separate herself from the field rather quickly and hold the lead until after the descent. Silke Wunderwald (IF) and Audrey Friedrichsen-Scott (Bikeway) responded to Mary’s attack so Mary decided to sit up and allow for Silke and Audrey to join the break. As Mary made her move on the hill, Sally and Rebecca remained at the front to block the rest of the pack. As the trio worked up the road, the tempo of the remaining pack was controlled by the rest of the NEBC squad. Silke and Mary soon proved to be too strong for Audrey Friedrichsen-Scott as the two gained separation on her as well. The race remained a two rider break for the remainder of the way. As Mary and Silke approached the final 1K, Mary finished her pull with the hopes of Silke taking the lead heading into the last 500m. However, Silke never came around to the front, which forced Mary to take control from the front. As she rounded the corner, the NEBC/Cycle Loft tent came into sight. At this point she lowered her head and drove for the line. Silke did the same and both riders plowed, elbow to elbow toward the line. Natalie and Suzanne were there to cheer, yell and jump up and down. This bit of cheerleading proved to provide a jolt of energy for Mary and she was able to take her sprint to another gear and beat Silke by a bike length for the WIN! After controlling tempo on the front of the pack for a good portion of the day, Sally received a world class lead out from Tami and was able to find the one more match to win the field sprint for a 4th place finish, followed by Rebecca for a 6th place finish.
The NEBC win was truly a team effort. Everyone played a key role and helped contribute to the win. Overall, it was a very successful day on our bikes.
As told by Sally…
NEBC had the most team members in the field and as a result we set the lofty goals of winning every prime and getting 1st and 2nd in the race. It was a 6 lap circuit race and every lap was a prime lap.
NEBC team members took turns at the front, launched some mini-attacks and then worked on leading each other out for the primes. On a few of the leadouts, the person doing the leadout had enough of a lead that they would take the prime and the person they were leading out, did not need to come around. At one point, one of the other racers said “you all certainly have “stage race” legs” as she was getting tired of us going for every prime, and generally pushing the pace.
the finishing stretch was a short uphill followed by a fast, downhill straight-away to the line. At the top of the last uphill climb to the finish, I found myself on rebecca’s wheel and told her I had her wheel. She then proceeded to give me a sweet leadout… she was going so well, i thought she could win it so i yelled at her to “go, go, go”... rebecca, thinking she had to go faster for the leadout proceeded to completely bury herself and motored toward the line at 39mph thinking I was going to come around her… however, i saw she could win the race, so i sat on her wheel making sure no-one came around her and crossed the line in 2nd place. With that finish, we completed our goals of winning every prime and finishing 1-2.
overall, a nice team effort.
The NEBC/Cycle Loft/Devonshire Dental Elite women are moving up in the world of bike racing by competing in the Tour of Prince Edward Island, Canada. It is a UCI level race with women competing from North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. NEBC is only one of two American teams in attendance. The race dates were June 8-12.
The first stage was a 99km circuit race in which we had 3 riders finish with the main pack, with the other 3 finishing just behind.
Riders competing during this stage race:
Sally Annis
Sam Dery
Natalie Dumont
Rebecca Wellons
Mary Zider
Leda Cox – guest rider
Race site links, results and photos:
http://www.tourdepei.com/Eng/index.php http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2008/jun08/tourdepei08/default
Stage 2 TT (14.54km) update….
Extremely windy as the day/TT progressed. Conditions went from overcast to sunny skies, but it’s still a whole lot cooler in Canada than it is here in Mass today (in the 60s).
Stage 3, 120K road race (As told by Rebecca…)
This road stage felt flatter than the previous day with its relentless rollers. There were 3 intermediate sprints and 3 QOM sprints during the race. An early break went with 3 riders who were no threat to GC, and that kept the race pretty tame actually until almost the last 20 km! There were a few crashes, the first being just approaching the feed zone, and that’s where Sam and Nat and Mary got crashed. Luckily, Sam and Nat both got back in. Mary was feeling good but had a mechanical problem after that and had to pack it in for the day and the race. Things sped up once we caught the break, and we crested a hill onto an exposed windy section that was just brutal. I’m not sure who was killing it at the front, maybe Menikini?, but we were strung out in the gutter, tongues dangling, just fighting to stay on a wheel for several kilometers. When I couldn’t pedal any harder and I felt myself slipping away, I looked back and saw a huge gap, and knew it was now or never: I had to stay with the field. With a little help from a small chase that immediately formed, I got back on. I really couldn’t believe the wind and how hard those kms were. Girls were shoving each other into the gutter and off the road to stay on wheels with the direction the wind was coming from. We came into the last km, and I grabbed the lead-out train of the Cuban riders (one of whom by the way, actually PUNCHED Natalie during the race!) but Rochelle Gilmore came up alongside me and elbowed me. They were the wheels to be on. I was in the gutter on the right, the road bent to the right and I had no idea what was ahead or where the finish line was. I lost the wheel and rolled in with the pack. The Cubans crossed the line 1 &2 ahead of Rochelle, but one of them was relegated to the back of the pack for not holding her line in the sprint. Leda also finished in the pack after riding strong at the front all day.
Stage 5:
A fast 1km rectangle crit with a gradual incline on two sides into a flat finish. Short finish straight, barely 200m to the line from the last corner. The first 10 laps were brutal and all about position. It strung out right away and gaps opened and that was the end for many riders. I started at the back but made massive efforts to move up as much as I could and just made it with the pack. A break of 3 got away and that kept the pace a bit slower for the middle of the race, but Menikini brought it back, and we caught them with 2 to go. I played the game of having to hit my brakes into the corners and close gaps at the back and every time I tried so hard to move up, I spent so much energy that I couldn’t hold my position, and I’d slip back again. Given my massive stomach problems the night before and that I had no food all day before the race, I was incredibly happy to finish! Leda rode great, but just didn’t have positioning for the sprint and got blocked in.
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