RACE REPORT
Masters/Junior/U23 National Road Festival, Pittsburgh, PA
July 5-15, 2006
Riders: Kathy Kirk, Cheryl Olson, Sarah Adams
Time Trial:
The time trial course was not for the weak as it took more than a time trial specialist to do well. Unlike the typical TT, this course was packed with long climbs, screaming, technical descents and short steeps that ground the strength out of your legs. Kathy Kirk, filled with focus and determination, attacked the course with only the podium on her mind. As she shot off the start ramp there was no doubt she would accomplish her goal. Kathy ripped an awesome second place in the 50-55 age group in a field that would intimidate most while just sitting on the starting line!!! Congrats to Kathy! What an awesome achievement! Sarah Adams accomplished her goal for her first TT, far from last place. Cheryl survived as well.
Criterium:
As Sarah and Cheryl arrived at the Crit course which ran part on a race track, the skies opened to dump buckets of rain. As we watched the men's field racing before us, groups of riders would go down on the oil slicked track corners. The field widdled from 80 to 30 before our eyes. Sarah wisely decided to NOT make this dangerous criterium her first and became the best race support ever for Cheryl. Cheryl lined up, but not without concern. The first 39 of the 40 laps were without causality and things were looking good as it was for certain going to be a field sprint. In the second corner on the final lap, someone over shot a corner hitting a barricade. The slick corner would not tolerate even the lightest of braking. To avoid the downed rider, attempts to slow speed were catastrophic and would result in a massive pile-up where of the 20 women in the final group, only 5 would stay up-right and sprint for the finish. Cheryl would emerge from the pile with wheels that didn't turn and run, bike on her shoulder, to the support pit to grab new wheels to roll to the finish to be ranked. Better luck next year!
