Various vicarious things

It's been three weeks since the Epica and I'm still awfully fond of the memories. So fond that I remain convinced about doing it again next year. So convinced that I can do things differently that I've ordered a steel hardtail 29er (which is in the LBS just now, but I'm so taken up with the school theatre production that I won't have time to pick it up and put it together until the week after next (report and pics will be posted) ... which is another story about what could possibly be so demanding that I won't have time to pick up the new bike I've pining for ... which is a story about me and priorities ... which is about habits of mind that are hard to break). In the meantime I've returned to commuting with my crossbike commuter, a set-up that I'm convinced is best for commuting in all weather in and in all terrains. (If you regularly need a fatbike to commute, you're probably living somewhere North of 60'.)

Canadians training in California (l-r): Jason Wiebe, Karlee Gendron, Danick Vandale, GeeVs, Chris Prendergast. (pic by Jayson Gillespie)

On the vicarious front GeeVs has begun her racing season in the southern states. After training for about a month in California, in Oxnard just north of LA, she now lives with a teammate in Tucson, Arizona. Her first race was the Valley of Fire stage race, last weekend in Overton, Nevada. She raced in the Cat 1/2/3 Pro category, as a Cat 3 rider and placed 7th in the Time Trial, 24th in the Crit (she was ridden off the course by another rider and lost the main pack), and 5th in the Road Race (sprint finish with same time for places 2 through 7) for 9th place in the GC. Pretty good considering there were US pro cycling team members in the field.

Yesterday she road the Old Pueblo Grand Prix criterium in the Cat 1/2/3 Pro race (the only women's race). This race is a pretty big deal, since several pro teams compete: Optum, Vanderkitten, Colavita. GeeVs rode on her own, wearing the Manitoba colours, and placed 21st out of 36, a result that made her very happy. She was fully prepared to have her ass handed to her, but she felt strong and able to manage the pace of a 50 minute race averaging 38 km/h over a technical 6-corner course, all while racing without teammates.

Road racing on a bike is not a solo sport at the upper categories. If you consider that teams like Optum, et. al. have six or seven riders each in the field who all work together to pull their best rider into the best position to sprint to win at the finish (for example, Optum's Canadian Leah Kirchmann placed 3rd in this year's race - a race she won last year), riding alone in that pack could be daunting, but GeeVs stayed with them and learned a lot about racing in a pro peloton. And GeeVs does not consider Criterium-racing her strength - she's more likely to have success in the road-race and time-trial disciplines.

The end of all this is that GeeVs license has been upgraded from Cat 3 to Cat 2, which is exciting, especially after only 10 months of bike racing experience! Proud PauPs? Yes. Indeed.

How's the kid doing?

The reason I'm out here in Illinois, staying in Woodstock, about an hour and fifteen minutes, by train, outside of Chicago, is to transport, support, advise, coach, and generally accompany GeeVs. She's taken up road racing. Having competed in five races in the Tour of America's Dairyland in Wisconsin (and learning a lot), she needed/needs more experience racing, so we're out here for four races. 

Her first race was in the Sharon Cycling Classic (like mine), racing in the Cat 3/4 race, which is 20.8 miles (33.5 kms). She rode conservatively, and got a conservative result: 8th. Still this placing allowed her to collect more points that, when she's earned enough, will allow her to move up to the Cat 1/2 races in the future. 

The start.

The pack.

Heading through West through town, and then onto the highways. 

 

After a day off on Thursday, during which we spent about six hours in Chicago, she raced the Superior Ambulance Elmhurst Cycling Classic criterium today, in Elmhurst. We'd talked about how to be more aggressive today, and that she ought to make a plan, and then execute it. Her criterium was a 40 minute race around a short circuit of about one mile. They are more intense than a road race, as you are cornering every 30 seconds and then accelerating out of the corner.

The plan was to use her strength and fitness to hide in the front group for the first 30 minutes, and then breakaway with about four laps left. Which she did. She opened up a gap of 15 seconds and then over the course of the next three laps expanded it to between 20 and 25 seconds, and she won! This is more impressive given that the temperatures were up around 100'F (38'Canadian), and there was a stiff South wind on the home stretch!

In the breakaway.

Making a break.

Crossing the line!

Podium!!!
(A sweet jersey, a bag of coffee beans, and $50!)

Need I say more? No. Except ...

Our hosts, Steve Middaugh and Laura Witlox, and their family - Noah, Ethan, Alise, and Lauren - are just completely fantastic and supportive hosts. I can't really say enough about these folks. Steve rides and Laura organized one of the races in the series. 

Two more races to go, tomorrow and Sunday. Both criteriums. Stay tuned. 

Dairyland Tour

GeeVs has taken up road-racing. For a PauPs who's kind of sort of always dreamed about doing it, but never hutspahed himself up to it, these are proud, and envious, times. But mostly it's just awesome! This past weekend M and I headed over to Wisconsin to catch a couple of her races in the Tour of America's Dairyland. Before we got there she competed in two road races, on Wed. and Thurs. and placed 10th both days. On Friday's criterium she crashed out on the last lap, when she got tangled up with other racers who were being lapped. 

On Saturday's Downer Classic criterium, racing near the lake and the university in Milwaukee, she placed 26th out of 48 finishers (59 started) - she went out a bit soon to take the lead for the second last lap, but couldn't hold it. 

The start

Coming into a corner

Cornering with the group

Exiting the corner

Out front

On Sunday's East Tosa Gran Prix criterium, in Wauwatosa (a community just outside of Milwaukee) she raced better tactically, staying in the pack at 5th to 8th wheel, rather spending time and energy our front. The result was a little better, 21st.

Up the hill to the start - finish

Digging deep in the sprint

Overall, having raced in only 5 of the 11 races, she placed 26th overall, out of a field of 55. Not bad for having only raced in 5 criteriums total, in her life. There is a lot to learn, and the only way to learn is to race more. Which can be a challenge if you're a women who wants to race road, in Manitoba. 

All in all it was a fine experience. We enjoyed Wisconsin hospitality - these are the sorts of Americans that a person could get used to - and the food. And we watched some people riding their bikes like they meant it. Pretty sweet. 

Debriefing after the race

What Would Jesus Drive? If he was in Minneapolis, it would be this.