Pescadero Road Race

By Brianne Burgess
Date: June 24, 2006
Category: Women 3
Teammates: Lex
Place: 2nd
Winner: Sara Ellis, Village Peddler

I was excited for this race. I had made it my target race and really wanted to go out and win. I had crazy dreams all week and unfortunately didn't sleep as well or as long as I needed to, due to my lovely heat box of a place that was a blistering 95 degrees for 3 days.

Luckily Linda was gracious enough to invite us for dinner the night before, which was a great thing for me because I get carsick driving the winding roads that connect the inland to the coast. Lex and I scoped out the competition. We had Gyll from Left Coast, Sara Ellis and her teammates from Village Peddler and a few girls from Metromint that we were going to keep an eye on. I was a bit nervous withe HUGE field of 30 cat 3's and 18 masters that were racing with us. My plan was to stay on Sara Ellis's wheel and to ride away with her. I didn't get a great starting position but Lex helped me get to the front before Stage Road. I hopped on Sara's wheel and just followed her tempo. We broke the field up leaving us with about 10. Sara finally got frustrated on 84 and let me and some others help pull. When we got to the feed zone I lost Sara's wheel again and Lex found me and pulled me up to Sara. We hit the climb and immediately strung out. Before I knew it, we were down to 5: Sara, me, Gyll, and 2 masters racers (Tracy Lillig and a little 50 year-old woman). As we crested the climb, it was down to Sara and me. Tracy and Gyll caught us within a few minutes and the four of us worked together until a group of about 5 or 6 caught us before Stage. We stayed together for the most part with me and Sara doing most of the work.

I was psyched when we hit the feed zone again. I was on Sara's wheel and we were already stringing the rest of the field out. When we hit the climb it was the 4 of us from the previous climb again. This time Sara and I pulled away much sooner. She was breathing really heavily. When we got to the 500 meters to go sign, I decided to jump her. I gapped her by a couple of bike lengths and sat down into a tempo, but she was on me again by the time we hit the 300-meter sign, so I jumped again. This time she jumped around me. Perfect I thought...stay patient. Unfortunately, I was too patient and I jumped too late. We crossed the line with her winning by half a bike/wheel length. So close, yet soooo far.

I was soooo proud of myself. It is great to have my legs back and feel good again. It is even better to be able to go out and believe in myself and just have fun and ride my bike. I am bummed I couldn't pull off the win, but psyched that I finally got my Cat 2 upgrade. I am ready to see what my legs have in store and how I can help assist the team.