Lee takes Sunderbruch Cat3 Title; Joann 2nd in Ca2

Last week's IMBCS race was held in Davenport on a 9-mile course that had many awesome features built in to it.  This was the first year that this location was part of the series and it proved to be enjoyed by all of the racers.  The FORC club puts on a great event with plenty of fans, food and an atmosphere that guarantees a fun day. 

Lee's race was two laps while Joann also had two laps but with an additional blue-rated and a black-rated section.   The race started with a torturous climb up a paved trail that seemed to go straight up and  and never end.    Lee shot off the line and hit the pavement first.  After encouragement by Zoe R (winner of the Jr Girl's Cat) Lee made it into the single track ahead of the rest of the field.   The course was pretty technical for a Cat3 race.   There was a banked, wooden section that beckoned you to take speed into the walls and carry it right back out. 

The course had a bit of everything...........roots, climbs, steep descents, bridges, logs and a great decent prior to heading back to the start to do it all over again.  However, for the second lap, the steep climb was eliminated and the riders entered into the woods and a 150'-long, raised wooden ramp that had to be navigated uphill.  The section was named Kickapoo up and it appeared to be aptly named.   The field closed in quickly and it was a three-woman race.   On the last decent, Lee could literally hear the two gals behind her breathing.   She grew a pair and let go of the brake and bombed the downhill section;  popped out on the trail and rode it like she stole it to the finish.  She was only two seconds ahead of the other two racers.

Joann's race started out quickly with a local rider that shot off never to be seen again.  Joann settled in and set the pace for the rest of the field.  She worked hard tackling many of the tougher features without fear.  The further into the race she got, the harder she pushed the pace.  She easily outdistanced the balance of the Cat 2 racers.

Joann and Lee have a few weeks off before they compete in the next series race on August 10 in Ida Grove.

Your Roving Race Reporter,

Luann

Joann and Lee Win Their Cats at Seven Oaks

Pink teammates Joann and Lee locked up another pair of victories in the Iowa Mountain Bike Championship Series by winning the Cat 2 and Cat 3 races respectively.

Seven Oaks is known as the most technical course in the series and rightfully so.  It is located on land that also is home to an actual ski run.  This may be as close to racing on a mountain that one can get in Iowa.  Joann tackled the full course which contains many climbs, drops, rooted sections and long with bridges that span deep drops.   There is nary a place where one can relax and catch a break.  The single track is so narrow that it is rumored that the trees reach out and smack you.  The post race was collection of racers showing off bruises, scrapes and welts.

Lee had three laps of the upper section of the same course.  The repeated laps made for some familiarity but also allowed for the very technical sections to have to be safely navigated multiple times.   Cheered on by many VR fans (yea for Team York), she ran negative splits to pull out the victory in just under 27 minutes. 

Your roving race reporter,

Luann

Dee Second: Karalyn K Races Hard in First Race

Congrats to Dee whom placed second in the Cat 1, 2, 3 women's road race today at the State Center Rose Fest. She took on a grueling 40 miles to finish second.

In the Cat 4 race, Karalyn raced hard in her first race.  The wind and hills were challenging but the practice on  Monday's paid its dividends.    She finished 9th just in front of Erika whom held on for 10th place.

What a great race showing for the Pink Gals today!


The next race is the Blues BBQ and Bikes in Clear Lake.  This is an awesome venue for races.  The crit is on a short course where the fans are close by and the fun is endless.  Whether you want to race or to cheer, head up there the weekend of July 13-14.

Your Roving Race Reporter,

Luann

LEE WINS NEBRASKA STATE MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

Has the world tipped sideways?  Why?...you ask.  There seems to be a  Pink rider tearing up the mountain bike Cat 3 around here.  However,  looking back thought my files or posts or dreams it seems like Lee had been paying her dues on the pavement for the last three years.  She was well known for towing the line often, and, in the last year finding some mild success in the master's category.  But let's face it, she was still rather green.

Welcome to 2013............it seems that she is coming into her own on the dirt.  A little recap shows that she has podiumed each of the four mountain bike races in which she entered.    Now the score is even at two and two (1st/2nd).

Last Saturday, Lee traveled past Omaha almost to Lincoln for the chance to throw it down with the best that Nebraska had to offer.   She admits racing thus far on a bit of fear and downright sultriness.  The course at Platte River is known for it technical features, rocky gardens and never ending climbs.   It challenges you on the way up only to spit you out,steeply down praying that your butt is far enough back to keep your chin on the back side of the handle bars.  It is a fine line between a death wish and the ultimate adrenalin rush.  I would not have taken Lee's calm demeanor to be hiding this fascinating gem.

But, alas, she has prove me wrong.  The race was billed the Platte River Battle Royale and Lee made it a Royale venture.  She tossed fear to wind and raced it like she stole it.  That Jamis has melded with her body to make one sweet racing machine.     With this combination she brought home a State Championship to VelRosa!!!

Kudos to Lee for this fine accomplishment.  It appears that all of the hard training and lack of beer drinking is paying off in big dividends.  It has been a rumor that she repeatedly turns down a cold beer during the week prior to the races.......I did not see that one coming!


Your (humbled) Roving Race Reporter,



Luann

Dee Takes Water Works Crit; Aryn and Heather Place Top 5

Sunday was pink day at Water Works Crit.  There was so much VeloRosa gear on guys, gals and kids that I thought it was the annual party ride.  But in the early afternoon a bike race broke out.  The women in all categories raced together.  That pitted seasoned Cat 1,2,3 races against newer Cat 4 racers.   There was no forgiveness for the master's racer either; they also raced the top gals.

The pack rode together for several laps.  Heather, Dee and Aryn pulled the pack most of the way.  The other top finishers seemed content to just sit on a wheel and enjoy the pull.  That is the downside of tight crit racing.............some folks just sit and cruise.    A Prim lap was an attempt to break up the field and Dee was just edged out for that prize.  It would be the last thing she was edged out of on this glorious day.

You could tell when the pack came around.............pink cheers were loud and encouraging.   The VeloRosa gals rode a little stronger with each rousing cheer.  Finally the pack came down to include Dee, Aryn and Heather along with three other gals.  As the bell sounded the intensity picked up and you could taste the excitement.

As they rounded the last curve and headed home, it was hard to tell which gal had the front.  Dee used a very hard charge to clear by a bike length to claim the victory followed by two Mercy Specialized racers.  Aryn was 4th and the 2nd Cat 4 racer followed directly by Heather.  After racing strong just off of the main pack, Erika held on to 10th.  Abby chose to skip the last lap and watch the exciting finish.

What an awesome showing of the racing prowess of Team VeloRosa.    The ladies came out to race and to cheer.  Many of the teammates showed up with their families as it was Mother's Day and this was what our teammate-Mothers wanted to do for their day.

Here are some of the photos of the fun:

THIS IS BETTER THAN A WINNING MEDAL!

 

Your Roving Race Reporter,

WE ARE, VR

Luann

Joann and Lee Tear It Up at Ingawanis Mountain Bike Races

There seems to be a trend going on with this Pink Team!  Seems like two of our gals are putting the rubber on the dirt and riding hard.  The latest IMBCS race took place in Waverly, Iowa.  Beside these two ladies, Heather came out for her first mountain bike race.  Always good to see one of our best trying a new version of cycling.  She gets the tough-girl points for this weekend.

Back to Joann.............racing in Cat 2. She had two grueling laps of this challenging course.  Soon after she got on the single-track, there was a twisty, steep, rooted climb.  When she turned the corner at the top, they threw in some rocks for good measure.  Having made nice work of that hill, she cruised on through the tacky corners and long climbs.  A good, steady rhythm helped her to open a gap on Katherine whom did not give in but kept challenging Joann throughout the race.    At the end of the first lap there was about 75 yards of mud.  Now, given all of the rain that fell right up to race time, this was a relatively small amount of mud.  When you are on a bike, your legs are weary, this is a royal pain.  Joann skated through and started the second lap.  A bit more comfortable with the course, she moved quickly through it.  With just the same mud remaining, she sealed the deal and took the win!

Lee, racing Cat 3, shot out at the start hoping to surprise the rest of the field.  She did a good job and was leading almost all of the way to single track until Jr racer Zoe zipped past her.   Not deterred, Lee fought on and overtook Zoe on the first climb.   She then had to work hard to fend off the gals breathing down her neck.  She used the philosophy that every guy she passed became like a blocker that the gals chasing her had to also navigate around.  This seemed to work to both motivate Lee and  put some distance between her and the others.   She kept up the pace working hard on the climbs and doing some nifty navigating of the rock garden.  One brief upside-down crash only motivated her to get the dang race over with as quickly (but safely) as possible.   The mud that nearly took her down on the warm up lap. seemed to be no match for her dedication to getting across the line first.  To say she looked triumphant is an understatement.  Congrats to Lee on her inaugural first place finish!

Heather looked at this race as a change and to see what mountain bike racing was like compared to her successful road experiences.  The dirt was challenging but she she persevered.  She finished 4th overall in the women's Cat 3.  Hopefully she will come back for another go!

Your Roving Race Reporter,

Luann

Yes they had the blocks wrong!

Double Podium Finish for Joann and Lee at Sylvan Races

It was a rainy, dreary day in Des Moines; the type that many folks don't even think about riding a bike.  But two wild and crazy Pink Gals took off East to see what the mud looked like on Sylvan Island.  Now to refresh your collective memory, it had rained all week...............torrential rains.  Yes, the race is on an island (in dry conditions it means that it surrounded by water).  So how crazy do you have to be to head over there to race?   Pink crazy that is!

The first crazy Velo gal to take off and race was Lee.  Joining her on this day was Ali whom sauntered over to check out dirt racing.  Now it was a chilly 40 degrees at the start of the race, but it was dry and sunny.   This island is only about 1/4 of a mile wide and one lap is around 4 miles long.   That, folks, makes for tons of tight turns.  Plus on this little island there used to be a factory and quite frankly, it looks like they blew it up to demolish it.   There are random bricks, iron, walls, chunks of jagged concrete all over the trail.    This made for a challenging race.  Lee looked strong in her first lap and came out of the woods to the trail looking relieved to be done with one.  Heading into her second lap, this became her longest mountain bike race.   She used her road skills to pass several riders on the path and entered back into the less familiar land of roots and dirt.   This lap was more torturous as it became greasy and she became fatigued.  Numerous crashes happened but Lee was not deterred.  With about one more section of the race left, she realized that another gal was on her wheel.   Lee kept her cool and shot out of the woods.  There was about a 100-yard trail sprint to the finish.  Lee hit the trail like she was finishing a road race, took that Jamis and rode it like she stole it.   A mere 2 second win!   Lee finished second in the Cat 3 race overall!   Plus she finished behind and ahead of gals about half her age.  This lead to her winning her age group.   Ali also finished first in her age group.  A great pink showing!

The clouds cleared and the sun came out bringing a beautiful 70 degree day.   Those were perfect conditions for Joann to take the course.  She had four laps to get through for this day.    She took the challenge and raced with abandon.   She ran about 30 seconds off of the lead for the first two laps.  Each time the pink jersey flashed around a corner, there was the face of determination.   The gal racing in first expanded on her lead and looked like a little sprite that barely touched the ground.    This was her home course and it showed in her expertise and maneuvering.  Joann kept charging not knowing how close the third place racer was behind her.  All of the mountain biking that she did over the spring showed in her true grit in getting across the line to the cheering of teammate Lee.    Joann took second in consecutive mountain bike races.    

This girl is rocking the trails this spring.

Your Roving Race Reporter,

Luann