The opening race of the Iowa Cup proved that February may bring 80 degree days but the first Cup race of the season will be cold and windy. The grey skies held off the rain long enough for the eight-lap race to take place. The Cat 1-4 women all lined up together near the apex of the hill. The perilous start line would also be the challenging finish line.
As everyone worked to clip in and start to pedal prior to falling over, the race took off in a flash. One way to get your heart rate up quickly is to climb out of a dead start. The Cat 1-3 ladies formed a gap by the mid-point of the first lap. Lee and Erika fell in to the group of Cat 4 racers. The winding roads and rolling hills did little to break up of the group. However, the long steep downhill that slams into a sharp left turn separated out the group into two distinct sets. Eventually there were three groups making the rounds. As each rider made the long and winding climb to the start line, another lap was counted down.
Lee found the wheel of a stronger racer, traded places for a few laps and set up for an exciting finish. She came around the bike in front for what was a two person race for placing. She was not quite able to close the gap and lost out by less than half of a wheel. Lee took fifth. Erika held on strong to take 11th place in her first crit race.
Kudos to both ladies for getting out and representing The Pink Biker Chicks in fine fashion.
Your Roving Race Reporter,
Luann
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