How's this for January in Colorado? Photo: Jeff Kerkove

Is it really the middle of winter right now? I’ve been asking myself that a lot lately as I realize I’ve once again over-dressed for a ride. Temperatures have been in the 40s and 50s which is pretty darn nice for winter training if you ask me. Others have been complaining about the lack of snow and the poor skiing conditions, but I just smile- I’ll take it! I’ve gotten out for some beautiful training rides lately, and every time I’m out there I think how lucky I am to live here.

Lucky. Photo: Jeff Kerkove

It seems like a loooooong time since I have raced my bike (if you could call my performance during ‘cross “racing”….), and I am starting to get excited about the upcoming season. I am ready to put a decent but somewhat frustrating 2011 season behind me and head into 2012 guns blazing! It has been so nice to be home for a big chunk of time, and even though on some cold days I (briefly) wish I lived in Arizona, I don’t really mean it. This is the longest I’ll go without traveling all year, and I am soaking up every minute of being home as I get ready for the 2012 season.

What are my goals for 2012, you ask? Well, to win every race of course! Seriously though, my first goal is to qualify for the Olympics. There are 2 spots and more than 2 of us that are vying for them. It’s going to be tough, but I think the qualification system is fair, and ultimately the 2 fastest U.S. women will representing the U.S.A. in London in August. Of course I have other goals too, like defending my national title and being on the (top of the) world cup podium. And as cheesy as it sounds, one of my biggest goals of the season is to consciously appreciate how cool my job is and how lucky I am to be able to have had this job as long as I have.

My season will start March 3rd at the Mellow Johnny’s Classic, which has one of the best spectator turnouts in the country. I have enjoyed racing in Texas the last two years, and I have no doubt that the new venue and course will be even better. Texans are always excited to have us there, and I look forward to seeing some familiar faces. After that, I will be home for a few days before heading to South Africa for the first World Cup. This year, I won’t be underestimating the toll that the travel will take: we’ll arrive in South Africa about a week before the race and allow for plenty of time to ride and adjust to the time.

But for now I am at home and loving it. Just me and my chickens (who have started laying eggs, by the way).

Inspirational? Yup, that's me!

One of the the more creative heckles...

USGP Day 1. I had a slow start, and things didn’t get better from there. The course was super fast, and it was difficult to move up. I was suffering and felt much the same as I had the past weekend- kind of flat. Luckily, there were tons of people out heckling (and cheering- seems some folks couldn’t bring themselves to poke fun at my slowness). Here are some of the Day 1 heckles:

“Get to the pit! Your bike needs a rider change!”

“Amy Winehouse does better lines than you!”

“My grandma rides faster than you!” (one brave kid!)

“You’re losing!”

“What’s the equal payout for 23rd?”

“Editing my dissertation was more exciting than watching you race!”

“Can you get Katie Compton’s autograph for me when she laps you?”

I was so flattered that so many people participated in #heckleme! There were some really hilarious heckles, some kind-of-mean-but-still-funny heckles, and some bad heckles too. I was happy to serve as the butt of so many funny jokes. In a few post-race interviews I was asked what my goals were for the next day’s race. “I’m really hoping to crack the top-30” I joked. If I only knew…

Day 2. A few hours before the race, I was in the Luna pit area when a young girl came up and said that she had heckled me during the previous day’s race and “if you want to get me back….my race is in an hour.”  Seriously?? A kid was actually ASKING to be heckled? It was a challenge I couldn’t resist. I heckled her all the way to winning her race (with the help of a megaphone provided by her own mother!). It was a blast.

After the junior race, it was time for me to get ready for my own race. I had decided that this would be my last ‘cross race of the season, so I was ready to leave it all out there and really go for it. I wanted the hole shot! The gun went off and I got about 5 pedal strokes in before I got horrible chain-suck. I hadn’t even made it off the pavement. I got off my bike and tried to dislodge my chain, but it was wedged tightly between the chainring and the frame. I started running.

“This isn’t a 10k, it’s a ‘cross race!”

“I can ride a unicycle faster!” (another kid)

A couple people held posters that just said “you’re doing it wrong!”

I laughed as some people heckled, but most people cheered me on as I ran the flats and uphills and
coasted the downhills until I got to the pit and got a new bike. I charged off, still in dead last- hoping to at least pick off a few people. As I rounded a corner, a throng of spectators (led by my Superfan- my hero) burst into song: “Allll byyyyy my-selllllllf…..” I laughed, and kept drilling it. I was pretty sure I was going to get lapped (and pulled), so I really laid it out there. Slowly, slowly I started to pick people off. I was actually feeling pretty decent and I was pretty bummed that I didn’t have a chance to really RACE that last race. I did, however, get the chance to do a “feel-up”- some rowdy spectators had gotten in trouble for doing beer and dollar bill hand-ups, so they brought a blow-up doll and were offering racers “cop-a-feel-ups”. It was hilarious. As I rode by the pit there were plenty of heckles (thanks Geoff Kabush for some funny but not family-friendly ones…). I ended up 29th. Oh well, at least I cracked the top-30…..which was my goal….

Really, the energy and enthusiasm of the crowd that weekend is why I LOVE cyclocross. The fact that sooo many people participated (friends, competitors, kids, total strangers, my mom…) both in-person and over the internet shows why cyclocross is so awesome. And that’s why I am going to come back stronger than ever next year! So start saving up your heckles, you have about 9.5 months.

The fall weather has been pretty fantastic, and Dusty and I headed up to Steamboat Springs to do a little mountain bike riding before the snow hit. We were both really impressed with the trails around Steamboat- some of the best singletrack I’ve ridden in awhile. We were lucky enough to have a local show us the trails (thanks Kelly!) which meant we could just enjoy the ride and not worry about getting lost (always a bonus).  Turns out we timed our trip perfectly, as the first big snow of the season hit a few days after we got home.  Then it was back to ‘cross racing.

Boulder Cyclocross.  The first day of racing was at the Boulder reservoir which is usually a dry, gravelly, sandy course.  However, the big snowfall made for a mixture of mud pits and fast, packed sand.  I had a slow start but moved up pretty quickly to join Nicole and Caroline who were in 3rd and 2nd behind Katie who was already gone.  I chose to ride the 2 railroad ties which wasn’t really any faster, but I rarely get the chance to earn style points, so that was pretty fun!  The course was tough because there was nowhere to rest, it was pretty flat so you could pretty much be pedaling the whole time.  After going back and forth with Caroline for a couple laps, I lost her wheel, rode around by myself for the last few laps and eventually finished 3rd.  I wasn’t having a BAD day, but I wasn’t having a great day either- I just felt kind of average.

Having fun on a bermed downhill

Sunday’s race was held at the new Valmont Bike Park in Boulder.  I was really impressed with the venue, and the course was awesome.  There was a little bit of everything: some sand, some mud, some hills, some stairs, some pavement.  I had a spectacularly bad start, but was able to make my way up through the field by the end of the first lap.  I was feeling pretty decent, but I was riding much better technically than I had the day before.  And I was killing it on the stairs!  By the end of the first lap, I was riding in 3rd behind Katie and Caroline.  Katie was about 15 seconds ahead, and by the time I caught Caroline I needed a little time to recover.  She was riding strong, so I sat in and tried to figure out where I was faster.  On the second-to-last lap, Caroline bobbled in the thick mud, and I was able to ride it cleanly and get a gap.  I stretched it out by a few more seconds on the last lap and crossed the line in 2nd place behind Katie.  Not too shabby.

Now it’s snowing again, and I am getting ready to head out to Ohio for some more racing this weekend.

I have top say, it’s pretty awesome to have a big race right in your hometown. After the huge success of the New Belgium Cup last year, I was looking forward to the race this year. I knew there would be a great turn-out, and all the heavy-hitters would be there duking it out.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t riding at the level I hoped to be riding at. After heading straight into ‘cross season after a crappy August, I was still pretty run-down. I wasn’t feeling good enough to get quality training in, so I was just kind of coasting along on whatever fitness I had retained from MTB season.  And when the US ‘cross racing scene is as competitive as it is these days, “just coasting along” isn’t going to cut it.  I accepted that; I would rather race and not be 100% than not race at all- especially when it’s a home-town race! I knew I wasn’t going to be able to mount a serious challenge to Katerina or Katie, but I hoped I would at least be able to make the race exciting.

Day 1. Despite the beautiful, sunny, warm weather we had experienced all week (and were due to experience the following week), Saturday was cold and rainy. In just a few hours the race course turned from dry, loose and bumpy into a muddy, slippery mess, but after pre-riding I felt pretty comfortable on my bike, and I looked forward to the race. I had a decent start and was in the lead group until about halfway through the first lap. Katerina dabbed in a tight hairpin, and I was forced to put a foot down (actually I managed to step into my front wheel, heard a crack, and figured I had broken a spoke). I jumped back on my bike, but Katerina and Katie already had a small gap. We were close to the pit, and even though my wheel seemed fine I thought it would be a good idea to get a new bike, so I headed to the pit for a bike change. I lost a few spots while I was in the pit, but I was able to catch back up to the small chase group and rode with them for the rest of the lap. Coming through the start/finish Mical put in an attack, and I jumped on her wheel. We rode together for about half a lap, but I could tell I was riding a little faster, so I went around thinking I might be able to close down the gap to the leaders. Unfortunately, the leaders weren’t even in sight anymore….Oh well. So I rode around by myself for the rest of the race, with Katerina and Katie WAY ahead of me and Mical behind me. The crowd was pretty fantastic: it was raining and 40 degrees out, and only the most hard-core spectators showed up to watch.  But they sure made their voices heard!  Thanks to everyone who came out and hollered at me.  I did everything I could, but 3rd place was all I could manage. I was feeling pretty good and riding well, so I hoped for good things the next day.

Day 2. The sun came out, the mud dried up, and the course was hard and fast by the afternoon. I missed my pedal at the start, and was immediately out of the top-10. I couldn’t believe how fast everyone started, I was really not prepared for that (why would I be prepared for a fast start in a cross race……..?). I didn’t have the jump to make it up to the front group, so I just settled in and tried to keep a steady pace. After a few laps, people in front of me started cracking, and I was picking them off (slowly) one by one. I was just about to make contact with the chase group when I went over the barriers, jumped on my bike and realized that my chain was all balled up. I got off, and tried to pull it out from between the front chainring and the frame, but it was wedged in there pretty good. People were passing me as I stood there and tried desperately to get it out, but to no avail. A spectator finally suggested that I just run to the pit, but as soon as I started to run I realized just how FAR it was to the pit.   I stopped and tried again to pull the chain out, but no luck.  I started running while one by one more racers flew by.  When I finally got a new bike I figured I would probably be able to make up a bunch of places.  Boy, was I wrong!  The course was so fast and the field was so spread out that I only made up a few spots in those last laps.  It was hard.  Lots of pedaling and virtually no rest.  I finished 13th.

The next morning as I was getting ready for the race, I was approached by a woman who said something to the effect of, “if I give you this cupcake, can I interview you?”  Was that a trick question?  Do you know how many interviews I’ve done without realizing that there could be this kind of quid pro quo?  How many cupcakes have I missed out on?  Um….YES.  But only if I get to eat said cupcake during the interview.  (It looked too delicious to save for later).  I must say, it was one of the more enjoyable interviews I’ve ever done…

I pre-rode a few laps to figure out the perfect tire pressure and ended up almost missing the start because I hadn’t heard the announcer call us to staging.  It was a pretty lame move on my part, and I apologize to everyone for the last minute drama on the start line.

The race.  Nicole Duke shot off the line as soon as the gun went off, grabbing the hole shot and putting several bike lengths on the rest of the field.  I missed my pedal and ended up somewhere around 10th heading into the first few corners.  Things started to string out a little bit, and I could see Nicole and Katerina  up ahead opening a gap on the rest of us.  I was riding in a group with Caroline, Sue, Meredith, Chloe, Emily and a few others, and everyone was riding strong.  After about a lap, Katerina managed to drop Nicole who then joined our group.  The course was fast, and it seemed like everyone was pretty evenly matched, so I figured it was going to be a tactical race.  I sat in, biding my time and letting the gap to Katerina grow;  I didn’t have great legs and wasn’t feeling strong enough to ride solo for 4 laps, so I waited until 2-laps-to-go to make a move.  I wanted to get an idea of how everyone else was feeling, so I attacked on the run-up to see who could go with me.  I managed to get a gap and was able to maintain it to the finish.  I crossed the line in second- about 20 seconds down.  I was pleased, even though I would have liked to have been up there battling it out with Katerina for the win.

Day 2.  We woke up to rain Sunday morning.  Lots of rain.  The course was transformed into a sloppy mess which made for completely different conditions than the day before: tactics weren’t going to be much of a factor out there.  I had fun pre-riding in the mud, but in retrospect I should have pre-ridden a little bit more- especially since it’s been awhile since I’ve ridden in the slop.  (It always takes me a little while to sharpen up the ol’ mud-riding skills.)  I knew people would be making mistakes and crashing, and I was determined to get a better start than the day before in order to avoid getting stuck in the first-lap chaos.  I was also gunning for the SRAM $250 hole-shot prize.

I was quick off the line, but Caroline and I headed into the first corner side by side and since she was on the inside she just edged me out to take the $250.  Dang it!  I passed her on the next straightaway and just tried to ride as smoothly as possible in the slippery muck.  I’m not sure what was going on behind me, but Katerina was on my wheel.  We were able to get a gap and rode together for most of the first lap.  At the very end of the lap I slid out on an off camber section, and Katerina went around me.  When I stood up I realized I had stepped through my frame, and it took me a few seconds to extricate myself (clumsily!) from my bike.  Well, that was the end of riding with Katerina…

In my flustered attempt to bridge back up to her, I was riding like a total ninny, taking every bad line and making lots of mistakes.  I was trying to ride where I should have been running, pushing my bike when I should have been shouldering it and just all-around flailing.  I was sitting solidly in 2nd, but I really wanted to make the race a little more exciting than the day before.  Finally, in the last lap I started to focus on being smooth and trying different (faster!) lines, but it was too little too late.  I ended up 2nd again behind Katerina, and I’m now also 2nd in the overall standings.

Overall it was a great weekend of racing.  Thanks to everyone who came out and cheered (especially in the pouring rain on Sunday!). Madison might be the first place that I have been heckled during the pre-ride!  So happy to be racing the USGP series: the organization was professional, the racing was great, the spectators were awesome.  Thanks also to USGP title sponsor Exergy for stepping in to extend equal prize money to the top 15 women.  What a huge step for US women’s ‘cross!  I’m really looking forward to racing in front of a home-town crowd at the next round of USGPs in Fort Collins.

Caroline Mani got the hole-shot, and I was content to sit on her wheel- no need to tow everyone around on the start loop, right? Sue, however, wasn’t content to just sit on a wheel (she’s not nearly as lazy as I am), so she accelerated around us, and I jumped on her wheel. I went around Sue after the barriers and got a small gap. It was unintentional- I was just trying to keep the pace high to string out the field, but people started telling me I had a gap, so I decided to go for it. Katerina came across, and we rode together for a few laps, taking turns and working together. Behind us, a small group consisting of Amy, Kelli and Meredith was chasing hard.

Katerina was riding a little stronger than I was, so when I was a little slow getting back in my pedals after one of the run-ups she opened a small gap. I was able to keep the gap pretty steady for a while, but the chase group eventually caught me. I jumped in behind Kelli, and the pace felt pretty comfortable, but with 2 laps to go I knew it was going to be a tactical race. I wasn’t feeling particularly snappy, and so I figured that my best chance would be to make a move earlier rather than later- I didn’t like my chances in a sprint.  I felt pretty fast on the run-up and with half a lap to go I opened a little gap there, but I didn’t have enough in the tank and they caught me. Oh well, at least I tried something…

Amy made her move in exactly the same spot as last year, and Kelli jumped on her wheel, but I just didn’t have the punch to go with them. Meredith eventually went around me too- right before the finish- so I ended up rolling through in 5th. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but pretty solid. (Or, as Colt from Cyclingdirt would point out: “YOU SUCKED!”)  The crowds, however, did NOT suck. In fact, the crowds were amazing. I literally couldn’t see where I was going on one of the run-ups because there were so many flashes going off! It was a fun race, and I was happy to be back on my ‘cross bike.  Now that I have had a few more days at home, I am hoping to be a little more fresh for the next races: the first 2 rounds of the USGP in Madison, WI.

I arrived in Italy ready to make up for my lackluster ride at the Czech World Cup.  My plan was to go all-out at the start, destroy myself and not get stuck in any mayhem on the first lap.  I was in a decent position at the start, but by the end of the first lap I had switched to damage-control mode.  I wasn’t feeling very fresh, and despite my best efforts I didn’t have the killer instinct that I had hoped for.  I was getting passed, and I didn’t even really care.  Not a good sign.  The only thing I could do was just ride at my own pace, which incidentally was pretty slow (not terribly slow, but not terribly fast either).  After the race I was exhausted and felt drained mentally and physically, and I wasn’t exactly sure why.

The next day, in an effort to get out and do something fun instead of dwelling on my crappy race I decided to ride the famous “Passo Gavia” with Waldek.  It was amazing.  The road was so skinny in a few spots, it was little bigger than a bike path.  And the views….pretty spectacular. It was definitely worth the 5+ hours of round-trip riding (and the several cappucino stops…). We got back from the ride, packed up the van and headed back down to Pisa to spend a week training before making the trip over to Champery, Switzerland for the World Championships.

It was nice to be back in Pisa, even though it was HOT.  I had a few recovery days, but when I headed out for my next big training ride I still felt pretty fatigued.  Ben (my coach) suggested I take a few more easy days in a last-ditch effort to come into the World Championships feeling fresh and fast.  We arrived in Champery on Sunday, and my first race would be the team relay on Wednesday.  I had two days to pre-ride before the race.   I rode the course on Monday and Tuesday, and it was basically the same as in years past: very technical, with tons of roots, rocks, steep downhills and “the jump.”  “The jump” was an A-line option that was added to the course last year. Essentially, it was a drop that was maybe 3.5 feet high, but you couldn’t roll it, you had to have enough speed to launch off it.  Yes, I’m sure by any free-riding standards it was pretty tame, but it had me a little nervous!   It wasn’t particularly hard, it just took some balls (for me at least).  After standing at the bottom of the hill watching countless racers (and lots of junior women) nail the jump effortlessly, I knew I had to do it.  And I did (yes, I’m very proud of myself).  Unfortunately, “the jump” turned out to be one of the easier parts of the course.  It rained a few times in the days leading up to the race, and I struggled with the course when it was wet; I like to be in control and in those conditions it’s virtually impossible.  And of course my instincts were working against me: when I feel like I am out of control, my tendency is to put on the brakes, but when it’s wet a little extra speed is the difference between rolling over the roots and rocks and sliding around.

The team relay.  I headed out in the morning to pre-ride with Stephen and Howard (two of my relay teammates), and I was feeling better on the course, but I still hadn’t done a full lap without stopping.  The relay promised to be an exciting race: many countries were fielding very strong teams and there wasn’t any clear favorite.  Each team consists of 4 riders: a junior man, a U23 man, an elite man, and a woman, and each rider does one lap of the course.  It’s a great way to see the course at race-pace before the big race, and it’s fun to get to race as part of a team- something we don’t get to do very much as mountain bike racers.

The USA had a strong team in Todd Wells (many time national champion and all-around fast guy), Stephen Ettinger (U23 national champion who’s finished top-5 in the U-23 World Cups), Howard Grotts (junior national champion and winner of the Windham World Cup) and me.  I think we definitely had a shot at a medal.  We decided to send Stephen off first, then Howard, then me and finally Todd.  However, things got off to a rocky start as Stephen got tangled in a spectator’s waving flag and crashed, breaking his finger and one of his wheels.  In a display of extreme bad-assery he made it to the tech zone, got a new wheel and finished his lap albeit in last place.  Howard was off next, and while his lap was lightning-fast we were still in last place when I headed out for my lap.  I rode alone for the entire lap which was kind of nice (no one to get in my way) but also hard (it’s easier to push yourself hard when you are riding with other people, or when you can at least SEE other people up ahead…).  Todd rode a fast lap and made up some more time, but we were still nowhere near the front of the race.  Regardless of the results, I was glad to have the opportunity to race for Team USA.  I rode a clean lap, and while it wasn’t super fast, it gave me some confidence heading into the big race.  Then it rained, and after some sketchiness in my next pre-ride, I promptly lost all my confidence.  The term “basket case” could even be applied here…

I wasn’t feeling like I was able to be really aggressive on the course, which was frustrating.  I don’t want to just be riding around trying not to crash at the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, I want to be RACING. I was feeling pretty cracked from all the travel and my performance at the last 2 races wasn’t exactly inspiring me with loads of confidence and motivation either.  Nevertheless, you never know what’s going to happen in the race until you are in the race, and I was trying my best to be optimistic.

The race.  I had a decent start, but I got stuck in the scrum on the first downhill.  It was a tough course because there was no rest- the downhills were as demanding (physically and mentally) as the climbs.  My legs were feeling pretty crappy, and much like in the past two races, I felt like I only had one speed.  I made a few passes but ended up riding in a group of 4 or 5 riders.  I picked off a couple of racers but then promptly burped my front tire on a rock.  I stopped and put some air in it and in the process lost a few spots.  Since I was already having a so-so race, I decided to stop in the tech zone and get a new front wheel just to make sure I had the right tire pressure before tackling “the jump” for the last time.  Zak was super quick with the wheel change, and I was back on my way pretty quickly.  I made up a spot or two, then lost one when I bobbled on the last downhill.  I ended up finishing in 20th.

Needless to say, I was disappointed.  I knew I was capable of much more, I just couldn’t put it together for that race.  At the same time, I was relieved that the season was over, excited to head home and ready to put the last few crappy races behind me and focus on ‘cross season.  Which is where this long, rambling, probably boring tale ends.  Cross season!

I was feeling great in my pre-ride- legs were good, and though I wasn’t “ruling” the downhills, I was feeling decent.  Race day came, and I was just “off.”  I was having a hard time focusing, and I felt like the 2 hours before the race went really fast- all of a sudden they were calling us to the start, and I felt unprepared.  I had a decent initial start, but by midway through the start loop I was back in the twenties somewhere, wondering what happened.

Ah yes, riding with the riff-raff.  Everyone all panicky, riding out of control, yelling at each other…  I made a few sweet passes- at one point we were all off our bikes on a steep, technical climb, and I ran by 4 or 5 people who were content to merely hike with their bikes. When I came through the start/finish after the start loop (which was basically half a lap), I saw on the clock that I was already 1 minute down.  Already.  After 9 minutes. Geez.  I put my head down, tried to settle in, made up a few spots in the next lap, and then…I just kind of stayed there, riding around in 15th or 16th with a few riders in sight but no ability to close down the gaps.  I was riding downhill like…it was my first time on a bike.  I didn’t crash- I  wasn’t riding fast enough to warrant crashing.  I just couldn’t push it on the downhills.  So, I would close down gaps on the climbs only to see them open back up on the (relatively) short downhills.

I was able to pick off a few more riders that blew up or had mechanicals, but mostly I was just plodding along at my own pace: just me vs the course, and the course was definitely kicking my ass.  I finished 14th I think.  Not really sure- think I’ve already started blocking it out…

That’s the toughest kind of race for me: the one where you don’t really know what happened or why you sucked.  Were my legs good?  I think so, but looking at my result I want to say they weren’t.  Was I riding like crap because I got a crappy start and didn’t make the front group?  Was it psychological or physical?  Both?  That’s a hard thing about racing- separating out how you felt or how you were riding from the actual place that you finished.  It can be tough.

So needless to say I was pretty bummed, especially after having such a great race in London and then really good training in Italy leading up to the race in Czech.  I was looking forward to not being jetlagged for a European World Cup for once.  But I guess I’ll get another chance this weekend.  Hopefully things will go a little better.  On second thought…hopefully things will go A LOT better!

I could get used to this...

My cousin Miriam and her husband Paolo generously offered to let me stay at their home which is right in downtown Pisa (word to the wise: offer something like that, and I will DEFINITELY take you up on it…).  Paolo has been making sure that I adhere to a very strict diet which includes nothing but wine, cheese, fresh salads, fish, grilled meats and veggies, artisinal gelato….ok, I’ll stop). I’ve been supplementing with the blackberries that are growing wild on the side of every road, and I’ve been drooling over all the fig trees which also seem to grow pretty much everywhere- like weeds!

Paolo standing over our antipasti spread: fresh pecorino, octopus carpaccio, olives, "cappriccio di pesce," and a glass of white wine- no wonder he looks so happy!

Me, taking myself out for dinner

The amuse bouche at Osteria Bernardo: a fried sardine

My entree at Osteria Bernardo: coffee and sesame rubbed pork tenderloin with a carrot souffle

Pisa is a great town to base out of because I don’t need a car- everything is either within walking distance or a short bike ride away. The surrounding area is pretty flat, but there is a mountain range nearby- just a short 35 minute ride. I should also mention how nice it is riding on the roads here- there isn’t the same animosity towards cyclists that I’ve experienced in the US. Even a busy road with no shoulder is perfectly fine to ride on here (judging by the amount of older people I see out on bikes).

The bike path out to Monteserra

And heading back to Pisa

A roadside fig tree

Roadside blackberries

The few days before the event the weather had been overcast and cool, which was a welcome change from the sweltering conditions I left behind in Colorado.  Race morning, however, was sunny and warm.  Luckily there was a nice breeze so it didn’t seem too hot out there, but there isn’t much shade out on course so that could be a factor for the race next year.

I was called up 6th (my first front row call-up since the one I squandered in South Africa…) and was determined to make the most of it.  The start loop was a wide dirt road with plenty of passing and one short hill, then the course passed through the start-finish and headed up the first switchback climb.  There were a few of these climbs out there and they proved to be pretty tricky: the combination of tight switchbacks and loose gravel meant smoothness and line choice (tight inside, or longer outside?) was key.

I had a so-so start, and headed into the switchbacks in 6th or so.  I managed to sneak by a few women on the climb and then pass one more as we came into the first rock feature and everyone lined up for the A-line while I happily rode the completely-clear-and-not-that-much-slower B-line.  Julie was in the lead and opening up a slight gap, but there were a few more women I needed to get by, and they weren’t too keen on just letting me go- they blocked me for as long as they could.  Luckily the course has enough open areas that I was able to get around regardless.

I was in second at that point (I think- it kind of all blurs together…), but I dabbed on a short, loose climb and Catharine went around me.  I didn’t lose much time and was able to jump back on Catharine’s wheel, and we closed up on Julie pretty quickly.  I was feeling good, and the pace in some sections felt slow, but both women have won World Cups this year, so I figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to sit back, be patient and see what they would do.  The three of us rode together for a couple laps, then Catharine launched an attack.  I sat on Julie for a lap or two, but she didn’t seem like she was going to chase, and the gap was about 10 seconds and growing.

Finally, I went around Julie and was able to bridge up to Catharine.  She was strong on the long (I say “long,” but it was less than 2 minutes) grassy climb, but I was a little stronger on the flats and some of the switchback climbs.  We rode together for a few laps, and it was clear that it was going to come down to the last lap.  And it did.

About a third of the way through the last lap, I was following Catharine a little too closely down the fastest downhill section of the course when I completely washed out and went skidding down the trail on my hip.  Arrgh!  I knew Catharine heard me crash, and she wasn’t going to wait around.  I picked myself up, grabbed my computer which had popped off my bike, jammed it in my pocket and got back on my bike- I knew Julie was coming, but I hoped I had enough of a cushion to hang on to 2nd place.  As I started riding, I realized that my rear brake lever was completely bent and totally un-usable (luckily my shifter was working fine).  I immediately thought of all the short steep man-made rock features, and the thought of riding them with no rear brake was….a little terrifying.

The first feature I came to had a sketchy run-out at the bottom, so I opted for the B-line which felt so SLOW- I could feel my gap shrinking.  I came through the tech zone and stopped- maybe there was some kind of quick fix?  “Can you do something fast, or do I just need to keep going?” I asked Tom (the mechanic for Team USA), but I knew before he even answered that there was no quick fix.  I got back on my bike and just tried to pin it on all the uphill sections.  The downhills I rode gingerly, braking hard at the top and then coasting down no-brakes.  It felt like I was losing tons of time on the downhills, and I could hear the announcer say that Julie was closing down the gap (I knew her team had probably told her about my stop in the tech zone), but I hoped my gap was big enough to maintain to the finish.  It was.  I rolled in a minute after Catharine to take second place.  I was pretty excited.

Was I disappointed that I didn’t win?  A little, but I was fighting at the front the whole time, and I was riding well, so I am pleased with that.  And I’m glad I got a chance to race on the course: there is a little bit of everything out there, no one section is long enough to gain that much of an advantage.  I found the race to be way more tactical than I was expecting (ok, actually I didn’t really know what to expect…).  I think it is a worthy Olympic course, and all in all, I think the event was a success.  It was a great start to my European campaign; hopefully more good results will follow!

After the race, I went and got cleaned up in the medical tent (I had some good road-rash on my elbow, hip and leg from sliding on the hard-packed dirt).  Then I went to doping control and peed in a cup (always fun- especially when you are dehydrated!).  After that, I packed my bike and finished with just enough time to head out to the course and cheer on Jeremiah as he came through for his last lap in 4th place (nice work, JB!).  It was a great day for Team USA; thanks to Marc, Bernard and Tom for all the support (and for being all-around fun guys to hang out with).

As soon as the men’s race was over it was off to the airport for me, as I had an evening flight to Pisa, Italy where I am staying for the next 10 days or so.  It was a whirlwind day, and I was exhausted by the time I got on the airplane.  Luckily, the road rash on my hip started leaking through my pants (awesome), and there were a bunch of rowdy teenagers on the flight which made reading (or even thinking straight) difficult.  Clearly, I am getting old…  My arrival in Pisa couldn’t come soon enough (at that point I was ready for a shower and some sleep!)

It is so nice to be here, and I am looking forward to a little down time before the last two World Cups.