The girls made it through a guillotine of a crit tonight. I'm not sure how many women started or finished, but I'll leave it at saying a SIGNIFICANT portion of the field was escorted off the course in threat of being lapped. It was as fast as expected, with a sprint competition at the half-way point leaving the window for a breakaway too tempting to be missed and eight riders of various teams were off the front. Teams tried to take inventory of exactly who was in the break and that confusion only let the break establish itself. Few teams of big enough numbers were left to work and chase and so the pack was left scrambling and chasing...
After 47 minutes of racing, Carrie's gap grew too big to deny the inevitable and she was pulled. And while I sound apologetic about one of our riders not crossing the line; one should know the carnage of the race...gap after gap; once one was covered, another would appear. Being in that position is similar to the effort required to be in the very front of the pack--even more so, since the mental anguish of feeling completely out of control of the situation, where all a racer is doing is trying like hell to hang on. So, that was Carrie. That girl will take a drink through a corner; the best bike handler I know....she "couldn't find time to drink". I know it was hard.
So there's Katie, hanging steadily to what was possibly the last "sweet spot" of the chase group. She held on to finish with the chase group (very thirsty as well).
And of course, we wake up tomorrow and do it all over again. Road race rolls after 5pm. 65(ish) miles.
Good night!
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