Race Report: Edwardsville Rotary Criterium

Pre-race, deep in thought.  *Photo credit:  Mike Dawson

I wish I could pinpoint where exactly I went wrong in my race prep.  I know I didn't get my usual fluids on Friday, but I made sure on Saturday to take in plenty.  Yesterday was hot and incredibly humid.  It was in the mid 90s around race time.  We had a great field, 18 women.  It's one of the fastest, strongest groups with whom I've raced.  The course was nearly flat, seven turns--a figure 8 of sorts, and narrowed in the back side.  I got a good warm up in and had plenty of fluid on my bike.  We got our instructions and took off.  I tried to stay mid-pack.  On lap two, right after the first turn, it sounded like a gun went off--Teresa blew a tire.  She headed to the pit and we went on racing.  The attacks were tough--Catherine Walberg, Jamie, and Soli threw up some great moves.  The ladies were smart, trying to get away on the back side where the course narrowed and the pack had to slow down to navigate the turns.  I felt good for the first 5-6 laps. 

Still with the group, turn one.  *Photo credit:  Mike Dawson

It with 10 to go when I knew I was in trouble.  I was fading to the back and struggling to hold a wheel.  With 9 to go, I fell off the first time.  I was able to catch back on and stay with the group for the next attack that Catherine launched.  It when Jamie launched a counter attack that I couldn't sustain.  I fell off the back.  I stayed with 10-20 seconds of the group, but couldn't get back to them.  Cory tossed water on to try to help me out.  Then, with five to go for some reason, the officials pulled me.  I hate getting pulled.  I understand why they pulled the riders behind me, they were all a lap down, but still don't understand (and have been questioning Klucker because he was officiating) why I was pulled.  If I'd had enough sense I would have tried to wave him off and keep racing--the worse that could have happened was they would not have scored me the next five laps.  I wasn't quite with it at that time though. 

I'm guessing when I pulled off I looked pretty rough because I was quickly surrounded with people trying to cool me down.  Steph grabbed some guy's water and poured it over me.  Eduardo shoved a bag of ice down my jersey.  Someone else took my helmet off.  That, and other bodily indicators lead me to believe I may have been dehydrated.  I can't tell you if I stopped sweating or not because I was dumping water over my head to cool down.  I'm really disappointed in my performance because I know I race better than I did yesterday.  I finished 14th and should have been in the top 10.  I don't mean for that to sound conceited or that I'm some unbelievable racers, I just know what I'm capable of doing.  My hope is that I'm able to feed on this next Saturday when I go to the line at the state time trial.  In looking over the field, there will be some good competition for that jersey.