June 11 - Fremont Freewheelers Criterium, Fremont
Race website & results

Women's 1/2/3 report by Holly Roberts, Bay Area Velo Girls

Photo by Dashaun Duffy

This race was HARD this year. It had to have been the wind. Our team had a tough time communicating during the race, and I swear it was most due to being afraid to SHOUT our intentions. “ARE WE STILL GONNA ATTACK???” “WHAT???”. Ahem. Part of my job was to cover attacks in the first 30 minutes of the race, one other super-secret job, and if all else failed, be part of a leadout for a teammate. I tried to stay vigilant of attacks. Just a couple of laps in, a prime went off, and sure enough, a group went after it. I jumped and went with them. But half a lap later, I was pooped and I started to gap. I heard my teammate Susan yell, “Holly, get UP there!”. OOOH. I went.

We didn’t get caught for another lap, just under. I recovered for a bit, then I saw another girl up the road. This one had me worried, although it shouldn’t have. It was still early in the race, and it was really, really windy. I got up front to ride tempo for awhile, and Brooke Miller kept calmly saying, “Let’s not let her get too far away” and after a period of time (indeterminate), I jumped and Brooke went with me. We weren’t able to catch her and it was so bloody windy that I couldn’t hear anyone yelling out gap times. We got caught about three-quarters of a lap later, and I barely hung onto the pack to recover. That hurt!!!

It was then, that I started watching the clock. At 35 minutes into the race, I got myself near the front of the pack to wait for our plan, which didn't end up unfolding. That meant, on to plan B, the leadout train. I tried my best to keep our designated sprinters and workers out of the wind, or give them a wheel, or open a space up in the pack for them, which meant putting myself into the wind to protect them.

At six to go, I found and stayed near our designated sprinter. I wasn’t sure I could get up into the leadout, but I knew I could sweep and create a gap, so I’d just go with whatever transpired. Two laps to go. Half way through the lap, Tracey and Denise were racing side by side. Cool! I thought that when Tracey went, Denise would go with her and I’d go with them, and see what we were going to do next. Unfortunately, after corner three, I got separated from Denise. I look up the road and see Tracey moving forward, but Denise is not. Crap. We’re approaching the start/finish, and I pass Denise, telling her to “get on my wheel, let’s GO”. I started moving us back into the pack (we were gapped). I look back – no Denise. Sh*t. So I slowed, and looked. I heard what I thought was, “NO”, so I look again. This time I heard her say, “GO!!!”. Oh, okay. I was bumming, cuz I had our course all plotted out, how I was going to get her back up to the pack, use the inside line on the second straight-away, use the tailwind to our advantage, etc. I did that alone. But I wasn’t really thinking, “Get the Velo Girl win”. I was still stuck on our “Plan B”, which didn't work out. Once we came out of the last corner, it hit me. SPRINT, WOMAN, SPRINT!!! The pack parted like the Red Sea and I went straight up the middle. And it was rough. Like riding through sand. That wind was awful. I was gaining and gaining and gaining, and typical, if I’d had more room, I could have done better, but alas, I’ll settle for sixth overall, and second in the 3’s.

I just wish I’d noticed the “disclaimer” on the plan, as my teammate Susan so eloquently put it. When all else fails, go for the win!

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