Tour de L'Aude Feminin
May 12-22, 2005
Webcor Team members representing their countries:
Erinne Willock and Felicia Greer, Canada
Katheryn Curi, United States
Report by Erinne Willock


During the weeks of May 12th - 22nd, three of us jetted over to France to compete with our national teams at the Tour de L'Aude Stage Race.

Felicia and I were with the Canadian Team, while Katheryn was our competition on the American Team. We arrived a few days before the race started and got to hang out at some beach cabins on the Mediterranean. We also took an afternoon tourist shopping trip to this really cool ancient city Carcasson (where Felicia spent way too much $$$$). So we were starting to get over jet-leg once the racing started.

The tour consisted of a prologue, two time trials, one double day of two shorter stages, and six long hilly road races. There was a very strong show of teams and riders. For Felicia and Katheryn, it was going to be a big week of learning the way of euro racing as they are both quite new to it. I was hoping to ride for a GC spot with the help of my team. So Felicia and Katheryn were working hard covering and being represented in breaks. Katheryn was of course doing this for her teammates Kristen Armstrong and Kim Baldwin, while Felicia was helping out Lyne Bessette and I. The first few days of the race were very aggressive, but continued to be bunch sprints. The GC finally started to be decided on Tuesday. It was a double day and in the afternoon it was quite hilly. A small break with Amber Neben and Sara Carrigan got away and gained about 50 seconds on us. Amber was now in the Yellow.

Wednesday was the TT. Now this is what I was worried about since it was my first ever TT with the proper equipment and I now had to go 'all out' if I wanted to contest the overall. It was an extremely windy and rolling TT course that didn't really suit me. My goal was to lose minimal time to the other climbers. I got 12th, which was super surprising and exciting and I guess I have finally started to figure out that TT stuff.

So now the race has really started!!! The big hills are a day away!

Karin Thurig, the present World TT Champion was now in the Yellow. Thursday, Friday, and Sunday are all very very hilly with Sunday finishing at the top of a big steep ski mountain.

The days are starting to wear on people. Felicia has had a few too many unfortunate mishaps. She's had flat tires, crashes, and trainer problems, and we all are having stomach aches for some strange reason. It was all that weird white French food. We have spent almost ten days together all day; we are tired, grumpy and some are even getting sick. But... the race must go on and we must bite our tongues, get along with our French staff, shovel down some more white pasta, and continue racing our bikes, (at least the French country side is absolutely beautiful).

So the mountains start but the teams are still being very patient, since Sunday will really be the deciding factor. Thursday a break gets away with only two GC riders and they gained two minutes. Friday I was hoping would be more selective so I could gain more time with the climbers, but once again it was a bunch sprint. So with Saturday being only a 5.6km TT, we knew that Sunday would be the deciding day.

Sunday morning we wake up and there are big black thunder clouds on the horizon. The race starts and ends in the mountains with three big climbs, and many in between. At the top of the second climb, Trixi Worrack attacks and gains 1.5 minutes by the bottom of the windy sketchy descent. There are now about ten of us chasing. This is when the thunder showers started. We are climbing closer and closer to the clouds and the groups behind us are still descending in this. It is epic. Anyhow, now Amber Neben attacks on a roller with about 15km to go and starts her chase solo. The rest of us continue working together until the final climb of 5km up to the ski station. Then it's everyone for themselves. I hang on for 9th in the stage and 9th GC. This is my first top ten at a big international event!
Katheryn and Felicia come in a bit later. Katheryn, having done the last bit alone, had to follow the trail of GU wrappers through the towns to find her way. What a day and what a week.... Katheryn and Felicia had great races as well. Katheryn helping her teammate Kristen Armstrong get 3rd overall and Felicial helping Lyne Bessette get 4th and me get 9th. Thanks!!!

The race was now done. We piled into our team vans to get dry and warm and headed down the mountain. That night was the race banquet and the next morning we flew back to North America to recover for the Montreal World Cup. Euro racing is sooooooo tiring! Thanks to Betina and her parents' house here in Montreal, our recovery was perfect!

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