University Road Race
Webcor Builders Team: Christine Thorburn (who just raced the men's P12 race), Stefanie Graeter, Karen Brems, Katheryn Curi, Cat Malone, Betina Hold
Feeders: Kim, Karl, Mike B.(You guys were amazing)
Placings: Katheryn(1), Stef(2), Karen(4), Betina(5), Christine(6), Cat(14)
Field: 31
Notes: This is long...sorry...I'm waiting for a simulation to finish and it's late and...

The hardest part of racing is having multiple goals. For the Cal Cup Series, there is winning a race and then there is winning a the series which may involve winning against a particular opponent. It would be nice if these two goals were both met, but that is not often the case.

Webcor women had a strong showing today and so did Palo Alto Bicycles (PAB). There were some other notable riders present, Penny Avril from Touchstone, and her teammate Sarah B., Maria Moniger (Left Coast), Barbara Howe, Vello Bella, Tait and Starr from Los Gatos. We also have some AV-ers Carola Berger and Brianne Burgess, and many more...

In Webcor fashion, we wanted to make the race safe and simple so we decided a little tempo would be good to thin down the pack. (Translation, remove the PAB entourage and alienate our competitor). So Katheryn and Christine went to the front and tempo'd. At times Stef and Cat joined in, while I sat with Karen watching Amber. Lap 1 and 2 strung out the pack but it became one again at the bottom. By lap 3 we were losing a few people on the climb. Lap 4 and 5 thinned us down even more. What a race of attrition. By lap 6 we were down to 8 of us. Christine, Katheryn, Karen, Stef, Bet, Maria, Penny and Amber. We succeeded in singling out Amber from her team and basically Webcor from the pack.

My thoughts through all these laps: (I think I am thinking too much during races these days) I remembered last year when I popped off at lap 8 because of that darn tempo at the beginning and now I was feeling good. Wow. Also I was amused at watching Stef ping pong back and forth....About halfway up the climb she'd appear at my side or in front of me and then as soon as we descended she was gone again, and then on the next climb I was just waiting for Stef to come... Once I didn't see her until the top and was worried but felt re-assured when I saw her after the right turn....

Anyhow, I think it was lap 6 or 7 when Katheryn attacked. That was fun. There was a little fleury, and then signs of a chase. For the next lap Amber, Maria, and Penny rotated and tried to keep Katheryn in sight. I don't know how much effort they were putting in because slowly Katheryn was pulling away. Around lap 8, with 6 to go, Webcor women had a plan. I dropped back and sat on Christine's wheel at the top of the decent. We then lauched an attack with Christine in front and me on her wheel. We flew by Amber and the others and got a gap. About half way down the decent, Amber chased us down and then Karen attacked. I hesitated then jumped on her wheel, but Amber was on my wheel. Failed attemp to launch me, and I made two mistakes... 1) I should have done something while the 3 were rotating, and possibly a little tired. 2) I should have countered as soon as Amber caught Christine and I, and not leave it up to Karen. Did I miss something else?

After this, Amber stopped completely and just sat on my wheel. I slowed...she slowed...I slowed more, she slowed more...ok, game of cat and mouse here... Karen then told Stef to attack on the hill next lap and she did... Amber made no move but stayed behind me. Maria started to chase and I sat on her wheel, but Karen told me to let her go. I did...So now Karen, Christine, Amber, Penny and I were going very slowly.. Then I think Penny saw the games and tried to go...So there were 4 of us...Again we were riding easy, watching and waiting. At this point I didn't really know what to do. Amber was watchful so we all sort of kept going. The next decent, I was just sitting on Karen's wheel, and she told me not too, so I let her go, by slowing down..Amber was my shadow, and then Karen just left. So now we were 3....

The last two laps Christine led a sweet tempo up the climbs. With 2 to go on the last little steep riser, I made an attack but Amber caught me after the right hand turn. Hey, I had to try something. We decended watching each other. With 1 to go, Christine again led a good tempo up the climb for the last time. Then like a storm, on the last little riser, Amber let out a huge attack. I chased her down and caught her just at the turn. I then sat on her wheel. We decended with me like glue...she swerved left, attacker right, swerved right attacked left, and then again... I think I really understand what an attack is now. What I had to do to keep up with her is how my attacks should be...OK..lesson learned...

Up the hill for the last time, we started playing games again. Amber asked if I was going to sit on and attack like Karen, and I replied "would you just let me win if I rode beside you", to which she replied "would you have any respect for me", at which point I did not answer. Ok, I guess no neutral sprint here... In any case, I looked back and wasn't going to do anything because I saw Christine catching back on again... Good thing, because she new what to do.

Christine rode ahead of us and up'ed the pace trying to push Amberon. It worked, Christine pushed the pace even harder and then got out of the saddle and went. Both Amber and I jumped on it. I looked for the line, it seemed far and I wondered if I could hold it. But then I saw Amber fade a bit and I just tried to breathe, go harder, and put my head down watching for that little orange line. Christine saw me come by and sat up giving me the sprint and 5th with her taking 6th. No win, but 4 points over Amber. Can't have everything.

That's it, that's all!

In the end, I realized that winning is not a gift, nor is it free. It will not come easy, and you have to make that door die decision in a blick of a second. I missed some opportunities and that may or may not have cost me a better placing. And it may or may not have helped or hurt the delta between Amber and I.

In the end, Katheryn solo'd for 1st, Stef out sprinted Maria for 2nd, Karen took 4th and I, 5th, Christine 6th, and Amber 7th, and I don't know the others because the results did not come out....

Thanks for reading and our tactics are open for discussion. I myself was confused about what to do the last few laps.

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