Pescadero RR
https://www.sportsbaseonline.com/Item.aspx?item_id=2444Pescadero Road Race
Event: Pescadero RRBy: Anny Henry
Category: Women’s Elite P/1/2
Field size: ~26
Team mates: Claire
Place: 10th
Pescadero is one of the great courses in our district and always draws a big crowd. With Nature Valley this week some of our local pro teams were not as heavily represented, however, Bev Harper from Webcor and Sarah Bamberger from Cheerwine did show along with most of the strong women from our area so we had all the ingredients for a hard race.
I’ve had a good result here, I was off the back last year in my first race after my crash and I have the good fortune to train here and if I know one thing about Pescadero - it is a deceiving course. Haskins grade is about a 12 minute climb and many racers focus on it as the last time up is the finish. During the race though the decent off of Haskins, the Stage Road Climb and decent and the long false flat on 84 with the coastal wind can also be highly selective points on the course. Our group was set for 2.7 laps or about 75 miles and I knew it was going to be a real endurance test.
I was a bit cold when we rolled out but the skies cleared and you couldn’t have asked for a better day for a race. The first lap our pace was moderate and one gal got a little impatient with the group and jumped off the front. It was a great lesson watching how the experienced girls in the race allowed her to go, alone, and then kept her within sight but also dangling in the wind. Note to self, be patient first and after an attack that doesn’t work you should sit up and reintegrate. The group was all together when we passed through the feed zone the first time and Haskins was a tempo paced climb separating the group with about 10-12 of us cresting the top together.
A few minutes later after Stage on 84 Bev Harper calls a “nature” break. Being one of the pros in the group no one was going to argue with her and here again was a good lesson. I of course had to go but several didn’t and they just stopped and waited. This highlighted for me that there are rules and no rule book and my first 60 days in this group has been a real education. There were a couple of attacks on lap 2 but the group was mostly together as we passed through the feed zone and it was really a pleasure having Clair close and vigilant helping me get a feed and staying protected. The second time up Haskins created separations that would last the remainder of the race and we again crested with about 12-14 riders.
I felt good on the descent off of Haskins as we started the final lap was hanging with the front group as they started to tighten the screws on the Stage road climb. On the decent off of Stage I got gapped along with 4 others from being on the wrong wheel toward the back of the group. As we hit the long false flat on 84 the front group of 7-8 has 200 meters on our chase group of 4. In that group we had one with a teammate in the front group, one who I didn’t know and Catherine Goodkin from La Dolce Vita who is a terrific bike racer and good soul who is always game to work. So, I really had a decision to make, sit up and let the others work and pretty much guarantee not to catch the front group which was now fully aware of our gap and had put the hammer down or commit to the chase not knowing who else would truly work. No real hesitation as I make these decisions pretty quickly, I went to the front of that group and along with Catherine we pulled long and hard with the others pulling through to close the gap and by the feed zone we had them at 10 meters and caught them on the approach to Haskins. We hit Haskins and immediately I knew I was done from the effort on 84 so it was hard not being able to improve my position knowing that if I had the energy left I could truly give the girls at the front a run but today they rode away and I finished 10th. As I rolled down to the school I was hard for me not to feel good, sure I would have liked to have placed better, but being in the top 10 for the first time and only a few watts and saved kilojoules from really pushing the front I walked away satisfied knowing I left it all on the course.
I feel like a sponge these days with many lessons to be learned every time I pin on a number and clip in. As a CAT 3 or 4 you saw girls win by being “smart” and not using any energy until the finish or you saw some girls win on fitness alone. I tended to rely on my fitness however neither of these approaches work since the front group in the 1/2s are both smart and truly fit. They, the true elites in the front group, know how to conserve energy while contributing to the group and can lay it down in a moment and leave you gasping at the sight and gasping for air as you try and counter or keep up. I’m close, so close, but not there yet and at the end of the race I felt the pain of going the deepest I’ve gone all season as well as the fatigue of 24 starts and only 3 weekends off since February…the good kind of tired.
Thanks for reading.
Anny
Race Reports
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
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| - Documentum Crit | 2004-09-26 |
| - Giro di San Fransisco | 2004-09-06 |
| - Return of the Jedi | 2004-09-04 |
| - Winters RR | 2004-08-28 |
| - 12 Hours of Humboldt | 2004-08-28 |
| - US Pro Criterium Championships | 2004-08-22 |
| - Corral Hollow RR | 2004-08-21 |
| - TransAlp Challenge | 2004-07-17 - 2004-07-27 |
| - Superweek | 2004-07-09 - 2004-07-25 |
| - Wine Country Criterium | 2004-06-13 |
| - Fremont Criterium | 2004-06-12 |
| - ICCC Dash for Cash | 2004-06-05 |
| - California Outdoor Sports Championships | 2004-05-14 - 2004-05-16 |
| - Sea Otter | 2004-04-14 - 2004-04-17 |
| - Pilarcitos Stage Race | 2004-03-27 - 2004-03-28 |
| - McLane Pacific Foothills Road Race | 2004-03-14 |
| - McLane Pacific Downtown Grand Prix | 2004-03-13 |
| - Land Park Criterium | 2004-03-06 |
| - Apple Pie Criterium | 2004-02-07 |