Hub Racing presents the RFK Crit Elite Women's Team Race Report
Not-National Road Calendar (NRC) crit, but with a $10,000 prize list, all the national level racers were there, Washington, DC
Susanne Delaney (13th), Brooke O’Connor (17th), Natalie Dumont (29th), Rebecca Wellons, Clara Kelly, Carol Berger
How it unfolded…
Course is a 1.8 mile loop for 35 miles and winds its way through one of the bigger parking lots at RFK Stadium on the eastern edge of Washington, DC. Although its almost pancake flat, there are two 180 degree turns, followed by a tight chicane, two fast 90 degree turns and a 120 degree turn into the finishing straight. The wind played a factor as usual by hitting us straight on the section before the last turn into the finish stretch. If the sun is not out and the pavement not 120 degrees F, it’s a fun course. Because of the equal distance and prize money to the Men’s Pro/1/2 field, it has started drawing all the big female teams in the past two years, especially since everyone was in town for the Tour of Somerville was just up the road the next day. Teams in attendance included Colavita-Sutter Home and the Australian National team, and not to forget one of the top sprinters in the country, Laura Van Gilder. Did I happen to mention its promoted by Hub Racing – the team I race for the previous 4 years, and the team Sally Annis is now racing for this year.
We were happy to have our new teammate Carol Berger join us for her first race as a NEBCer. She proved to be very strong in crits and always up at the front chasing or attacking. The whole NEBC team spent time at the front and all were fairly comfortably moving around the pack as the course was pretty wide. We had someone represented in every break, but the pace of the field and the wind brought all breaks back. There were many large $$ primes during the race, but unfortunately for us, the pure sprinters from the other teams were able to snatch all of them from out of grasp (including one for Sally).
In the end, Clare did a good job bringing Brooke up near the front and Rebecca and Brooke tried to coordinate a lead-out for the finish, but the wind was fierce enough that there was much swarming and it was a free for all for the finish. Susanne rode strongly to pull off 13th while Brooke got caught between two ladies who stopped sprinting and thus had to be satisfied with 17th. There were over 60 cat 1/2 women finishing in the field!