This past weekend, the "Jenns" rode toghether at the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix. Although not a NRC, the presitige of the race brought out a field of 60 women to the start line. Ted Ernst, founder of South Bay Wheelmen, gave us stern taking to at the staging area how "We" (women) need to bring out more racers or they will cut the women's event altogether. I was dissappointed in his statement, as I look around the women's field and see ladies who traveled from as far as Utah, Las Vegas and Australia to ride the 50 minute crit. I even noticed a few trackies who NEVER race crits, come out to ride with the best of us because of the prestige of the MBGP. Pro teams included, Vanderkitten, PROMAN, Jazz Apple, and Treads. OK, off that soap box and on to a race review.
It was a very dynamic race with lot of mini attacks and attempted getways by La Grange, Helens and Treads. The pace was very undulating, being slow through the corners and fast in the straight aways. I found myself having to focus on minimizing my surges so to conserve enough energy to give Jenn Wilson the lead out she needed for the win.
At 3 laps to go Jazz Apple put on an impressive attack on the backside that had the entire peloton take notice and chase. By 2 laps to go it was groupo compact and time for the Jenns to go to work. It got pretty heated as women fought to get to the front on the climb then fall back on the back side. The yo-yo effect hurt my legs a bit as I too had to fight for a lap to get in a decent postion. At 1 lap to go, I still found myself not where I needed to be to lead Jenn out, finally on the backside on the last, I made my move with about 1k to go. I found a very narrow hole in the gutter on the outside as the peleton got wide, taking up the entire two lanes of the course. There was a sidewind on the backside of the course that had the girls want to take cover on the inside as I HAD to make the move in the wind to get to Jenn.
Our plan was working, I was coming up the outside to meet her. I saw her in the front center of the pack making her more to the outside to meet me for a powerful lead out through the last corner. It was poetry in motion until someone got twitchy. The next thing I saw as I was passing was a bike leaning, then all I heard were screams and carbon cracking. I knew Jenn was caught up in the wreck and it was up to me to finish strong for the team.
I jumped to the 12 girls that were in front of the crash sprinted to to move up as much as I could before the turn, only 1 postion, I was gassed and a bit in shock, that our planned changed in the last 400 meters of the race. I put all that I had left in the 300 meters for the finish for 10th. 1st was Corine Rivera (Proman) 2nd Manlinidi McClean (Jazz Apple) 3rd Catherine Fielder-Cook (Tommasini).
Jenn Wilson is feeling great. She has a bit of muscle soreness but no raod rash. Unfortuntaley the Stork was trashed. The derailer hanger and caliber were sheard off and her frame broke at the chain stay. The race did not turn out the way we wanted, but Jenn and I rode great and are ready to KILL it next week at the Iron Hill crit in PA.
Check out photos at: http://kwc.org/cycling/photos/manhattan-beach-grand-prix/manhattan-beach-grand-prix-09/
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