USGP Louisville Day 2

Another fair weather day for cyclocross in Kentucky with temps near 70. Course was nearly identical to day 1 with the sandpits being nice and tracked in and a bit easier to ride. Team Planet Bike hoping to improve upon Saturday's performances and keep racing strong against the competition. Warming up on the road
Hoping to have another good start but couldn't clip in right away and went into the grass in the back third of the field. Slowly but consistently moved my way around riders. Anna had a great start and was riding in the top 15. Here she is looking oh so Euro in the all white skinsuit.
On lap 2 I could see her group just ahead of me. Coming through one of the tricky sand pits I see her off the back of the group just getting back on her bike. She had crashed hard and I encouraged her to get on my wheel and that we would make it back up to the group of Meredith, Josie, Amy, and Rebecca.
Nearly a lap later were latched back on to the group. Through the same sand section a couple of girls dabbed and I surfed around them and pulled ahead with Rebecca Wellons. Two laps to go and we were together through the barriers and had a slight gap on the other riders. I try to stick to her wheel as we come through a pavement section and next thing I know I'm on the ground. Took the corner a little too hot and as I pound my brake lever back into place the chasing group of 4 riders comes around me. I hop back on try to regain lost ground but am flustered from the crash and take the corners more conservatively. I see a nice line of blood from my knee coming down my shin. There is no one within sight behind me and I find myself frustrated and complacent with my position. I try to push harder but the group has about 20 seconds on me. I hold my place for 15th with Anna riding well in the group and finishing 11th.

I was frustrated with my inability to stay upright this weekend and my continued issue with my starts, but otherwise felt like I was riding decently well. This was a super talented field and I knew it would be hard to break into the top 10. Definitely some things to work on but I'm still happy with how the weekend went for me. And above all else I did have a lot of fun out there - and in cyclocross that is rule #1 :)
After cleaning up my wounds and cooling down with Anna it was now time to spectate the boys in their race. They were both riding in the top 15 when Jesse flatted on the second lap, rode to the pit and then tried to make up lost ground and catch back on to Mark's group. He had lost a lot of places but was looking strong when he decided to bunny hop the barriers to try to make up more time. I happened to be right there and Jamie got these sweet shots.
Nice job clearing the first and now going for the second. Couldn't quite clear the rear wheel.
Landed hard on the shoulder.
Bike flies into the crowd - see me freaking out on the sidelines.

The crowd was loving it. I think he was the only rider to attempt jumping the barriers and he was so close to pulling it off. He rode for another lap before the pain in his shoulder forced him to pull out of the race. Bruised but not broken. A few days of rest should have him healed up in no time.

Meanwhile Mark and Brian Matter were ripping it up in a group of three that was racing for 10th place. On the last lap they were less than 5 seconds from Troy Wells. Mark got a gap on the two other riders and came across the line for a very impressive 10th place finish. Matter rode an equally strong ride and came in just behind Mark for 11th.

All in all a really fun weekend and good showings by Team Planet Bike. Follow the link for the new team blog. I'm posting lots of pictures and videos here along with some brief race reports. It's a work in progress but hopefully I can keep it updated in a relatively timely manner!

Thanks to Planet Bike and all the other sponsors for helping us get to the first weekend of USGP of Cyclocross and racing the big dogs. With several top 15 results we proved that we're a team to be reckoned with. And I think we caught some eyes with our hot new skinsuits. Thanks again to Jamie Young for being our personal photographer!

Life between race weekends continues to hum along. Having a lot of fun working with the guys out at Planet Bike and teaching high school. I had a conversation with some kids last week about text messaging and I was shocked to hear the sheer volume of texts kids are sending these days. One girl boasted 16,000 texts in one month to one person. Geez, sometimes I think we're a little too connected to our little electronic devices.

It's getting cold in Wisconsin and our annual contest to see how long we can go without turning on the furnace ended last week when it got to 52 in our house. Wearing a hat and gloves around the house was character building but 62 does feel better. And Cider didn't seem to enjoy wearing her down jacket that much. Winter is on its way and while it's fun to complain about it there is something nice about the
change of season and getting through the cold weather. Makes you appreciate the warmth of spring and summer more.

Some more local races in Milwaukee next weekend before I head to Toronto on Nov 8/9 for another round of UCI racing. Thanks for reading!

USGP Louisville day 1

First off - big thanks to Jamie Young for all of the great photos from the events today.

A beautiful sunny day with temps in the upper 50s - my kind of cross weather. A good day for the Planet Bike cross team to rock the new black skinsuits. Jesse, Mark, and I made the trip down on Friday and met up with Anna and her dad, Jaime, for packet pickup at the Louisville Slugger Field. Fierce competition showing up for the first of three USGP weekends. 31 women on the line with riders from all over the country making the trip to Louisville. Long flat course with 5 sandpits, 1 set of barriers, 1 set of stairs built into a hill, and 1 green monster. The green monster is this huge ramp with about 7 steep stairs on one side, about 8 feet of flat surface, and then a steep descent on the other side. The whole thing is covered in that plasticy green carpet they use at mini golf courses. At the start I was determined to have a good start and get clipped in without issue. And somehow that happened. I was in the top 10 as we looped around to the barriers and somehow my bike slipped as I jumped the second barrier and my transition back on the bike was pretty awkward. I made it through the first two sand pits fine but on the third my front wheel got stuck in a rut and I had a spectacular endo crash. The super fans cheered loudly as I scramled to retrieve my bike and stay out of the way of all the riders trying to come around. My lever was all twisted so I had to take several seconds to pound it back in place. As I hopped back on the fans rooted me on and told me they caught my awesome crash on camera - sweet! - I'd like to see it. I was now sitting in like 25th place and began my mission to regain my lost position. I had a lot of adrenaline so I picked off quite a few in the first lap. I felt like I was riding decently well and luckily rode smoothly through the pits and barriers.

With two laps to go I picked off 2 more riders and could see two more in the distance. I really wanted to get redemption for my earlier errors. On the last lap through the sand Meredith Miller had to put a foot down and I took advantage and went past her. Rebecca Wellons was just ahead and as we looped towards the Green Monster I was gaining on her. Through the final turns before the pavement finish I was about 5 feet behind. I got in the drops and sprinted for the line but Rebecca held me off by a bike length for 10th place. One place out of the points I was frustrated but given the talent at this race and my stupid mistakes I was happy with how the race went. Hopefully tomorrow I can ride a clean race.


Anna rode a great race and also got stuck behind some crashes. She was consistently moving up within the field and snagged the final money spot for 15th. She flies through those barriers like a gazelle too - I wish I had those skillz.


The LaLonde bros put on a great show for us and rode together the majority of the race. Jesse got caught up in an incident by the barriers and it took him a lap or two to catch up to Mark. They then dropped the group they were riding in and hunted down riders. They rode a strong race and finished 13 and 14 in an incredibly talented field of riders. Trebon, Anthony, the Wells bros, Powers, Johnson - a who's who of cyclocross for sure.


Another Wisco kid representing strong out there was Brian Matter who was in the group for 10th place most of the race and ended up 12th on the day. Impressive ride.


Thanks to Bob and Planet Bike for helping us all get to this awesome event and racing the best in the country. I've got lots more of my own photos and some videos that I'll post once I get home on Monday. Tomorrow should be another great day for cyclocross - a little warmer and perhaps a little windier. Anna and Jesse are going to rock the white skinsuits while I think Mark and I will be sporting red - fun to mix it up! Thanks for checking in!!

Racing at Home

Photo:Jamie Young

Nice to have two days of great local races in Wisconsin in between weekends of traveling to UCI events. It was a beautiful weekend with sunny skies, cool temps, and colorful fall foliage. Saturday's race was at Badger Prairie - the home course that's less than 10 miles from my house - awesome. A fast course with lots of open power sections, one hill run up and a few twists and turns through the pavilion area. The GT boys put on a great race and the area's best announcer Mr. Rybarik was manning the mic. Brian is witty and funny and comes up with some great commentating. Here he is in action.

Photo: Renee Callaway

The usual crew of Wisconsin women was on hand for the race. Sam Schneider made her first appearance at a cross race after a long road season and we were missing Illinois powerhouse Devon. We started on the pavement and I moved into the lead to take the hole shot onto the gravel. Trying to keep the pace high I soon found myself riding with only Sam and my teammate Anna on my wheel. Photo:Jamie Young

I pushed hard and was soon riding alone. I tried to ride smooth through the corners and hunted down as many masters men riders as I could pretending they were my competition. It's easy to get content if you're off the front and start riding conservatively. That won't make me any faster so I focused on getting a good hard effort in.

Photo:Jamie Young

Fun course! It flowed really well and it was fun to fly through some of the gentle twists in the prairie. Forty minutes later I came across for the win with Anna having a strong ride for 2nd. So great to have so many people on the course cheering for me - thanks to all my superfans out there - you guys keep a smile on my face! Cale from Team Pegasus was trying to get me to take a beer hand up and I turned him down every lap - I appreciate the gesture though! Dave rode out to watch the race and it's always nice to have my better half out there rooting me on. Mechanic Mike made the trip up to race and stayed with us Friday night too so it was nice to have him out there too.
You can see I'm rocking the new long sleeved skinsuit - it's pretty sweet. All of our team clothing came in last week so it was like Christmas on Friday when I stocked up on the very stylish Planet Bike gear. Skinsuits in red, black, and white!? Hmmmm . . . what color am I feeling like today ;) Thanks to Bob for hooking us up big time!

Sunday's race was down in Janesville just a 30 mile drive from Madison at Gibbs Lake. Corey does a great job putting on this race every year and it's a beautiful location with some fun trail in the woods and lots of twists and turns in the start/finish area. Plus this year he threw in 7 little logs at the top of a grinding climb.
I tried to jump them during the preride but alas my bunny hopping skills are still lacking - but improving!! A lot of power sections and a pretty rooty fast downhill - another fun course. A few more locals showing up today with Kaitie from ISCorp racing Sundays while she's away winning high school cross country races on Saturdays. We also had strong MTBers Abby and Andrea join in the fun of fall cyclocross. After a casual (and somewhat unexpected) "go" I was back a few riders and worked my way up to Anna who was leading the charge. We traded off pulls on the first lap and soon found ourselves with a gap. The second time up "little log hill" she had a leg cramp and I kept pushing on. I picked off a few of the guys who start before us and again tried to ride hard for the entire race while staying upright. I biffed my remount after the barriers once but otherwise had a decent technical race. I know I'm still slow in some of those corners but the bike and those amazing wheels are building my confidence up. Another win and Anna recovered and rode well for another second place finish.
Great weekend for Planet Bike racers all around including a dominant win for Bob and great finishes by Gordy, Greg, Diane, and Patty.

As soon as the womens race was finished I pinned up a mens 30+ number and headed back to the start line. I figure I need the extra training at this point in the season and why not go out and keep riding on such a nice day and a fun course. Legs were pretty cooked by this point so I just tried to keep my effort strong and spun a bit more. Those logs were getting annoying and I found it difficult to jump over all 7 of them!

Photo: Renee Callaway
Thirty minutes into the race I tried to shift into my big ring to go down the bumpy decent and heard a pop and felt my front derailuer cable hitting my leg. I had busted the little pulley wheel on the back of the seat tube since the Ridley runs all the cables on the top tube for better protection from the mud. I was stuck in the little ring and decided to call it a day rather than continue to race with the cable slapping my calf all race. I'm pretty bummed and hopefully it can be fixed this week before I travel to Louisville this weekend for the USGP UCI races. Hopefully the threads aren't trashed and I can just get a new wheel and screw.

There was a pretty cool tricycle cyclocross race course set up too. Here are Paul and Glen giving it a go!

Photos: Renee Callaway

So it was nice to come away with two local wins this weekend but I know I've got some tough racing this weekend in Kentucky. Hopefully I'm continuing to improve on my fitness and technique and I can race well with the stiff competition that will be out. And a few more UCI points to add to the tally would be nice too!

Life between cross races continues to go well. I taught a couple of times this week including my first time teaching gym class at a high school. Mostly just watched kids kick around some soccer balls for awhile. Taught AP Biology the next day but the student teacher did all the work so I got to hang out and watch her give the same lecture for five hours. I also started working part time at Planet Bike this week which has been a lot of fun. The guys there are great and I've learned my way around the warehouse full of awesome cycling accessories. I'm super impressed with how committed the company is to sustainable business practices, refurbishing products and then donating them, and being so involved with bicycle advocacy (25% of all profits go towards advocacy). There was a big gala for the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin on Friday night at Saris and PB was one of the gold wheel sponsors that donated money and lots of product. It was a great event and the attendees helped raise over $100,000 for the Bike Fed - impressive. I was also impressed with the fact that a brand spankin' new PB blinky leg strap was attached to all of the bikes in the bike parking lot at the end of the night. A nice little treat to all of those committed to using bikes for transportation. I feel really honored to be associated with such a cool company that has such great values and is generous to the community it serves. They make darn good stuff and I encourage you all to buy Planet Bike product when given the choice.

We also got to see Christian VandeVelde speak and a live auction. Here he is with the crazy auctioneer from Texas. They were both pretty funny and it was a good time. Attendance included lots of familiar faces from the cycling community and it was great to see everyone out and digging deep to keep Wisconsin one of the top states for cycling. Word is we're number 2 to Washington but the Bike Fed is working to change that.

Alright - this entry ended up longer than intended! Thanks for reading and look for some mid weekend updates from Kentucky!

Ohio Racing Wrapup

Back home and I'm finally able to post some pictures from the weekend. A lot of fun and some fierce racing. I knew it was going to be tough even to finish top 10 in these races and I was just hoping to grab a few UCI points and get some good efforts in. Transitioning into cross after racing road all year is always a bit difficult - the bike handling skills and the full on 40 minute effort is a change and it takes me a few races to start to feel more comfortable. I'm getting there - I felt pretty good in the races and I'm definitely getting a feel for the new bike. It handles really well and the weight difference from the old rig is amazing - this thing practically lifts itself over barriers. Traveling with Marko and Brian was pretty rad. We came to represent the home state - Wisconsin crossers in the house. We had quite the setup with the Planet Bike van and got lots of compliments from fellow riders. Big thanks to Bob and Planet Bike for helping us out this weekend and getting us to the races.



Here are a few photos from Friday
going over the log
Brian and Marko
Marko

And Saturday (my camera battery died early)
the post race oasis
Mike and his rocket pop - thanks again for all of your help this weekend Mike!!

Finished up the three day stint of cross racing yesterday with the Biowheels race just outside of Cincinatti. Another ridiculous hot day with temps hitting 85 once again. Long course with two trips through a sand pit - one side being consistently rideable the other a little deeper and slower - a long twisty pavement climb, and a downhill 180 turn. Some pretty good power sections and I was hoping I had something left in the tank to shoot for perhaps another 7th place? The previous two days were pretty much the Katie Compton show. Georgia Gould, Rachel Lloyd, and Sue Butler were hanging up there but the race was pretty strung out. Sunday I was hoping to try to stick a little closer to the wheels of LVG and Devon.

I need to work on my starts - my acceleration is not great and I end up getting stuck behind riders and working to come around them in the first half lap. I finally moved my way up and was with the group of Dede Winfield, LVG, and Devon but in the middle of the second lap they pushed the pace and I started to drift back a bit. Nikki and Barb Howe were just behind me and eventually came around. I sat on their wheels for a lap or two before pushing the pace on a long gradual climb to get a gap and try to maintain. I was sitting in 8th and was trying to keep powering through the course to put time on the girls behind me and see if anyone in front of me was getting tired. I WAS getting tired - dry mouth was getting to me and my legs and lungs were putting up a white flag against a third day of intense effort.

Surfing through the sand - thanks to Brian's mom for the picture!

One lap to go and I kept my spot - 7 not being so lucky for me today - and finished 8th. A few more points to add to the total and some solid races to hopefully help get in me better shape for the weeks to come. It's always exciting to line up with some of the best racers in the country and I look forward to doing it again at the USGP in Kentucky in two weekends.

Then I got to yell at the boys in their race where some fresh legs came out for the C1 to try and grab big points. They both had a solid start and Brian was in the lead group of 9 for nearly a lap. They soon settled into a group of 3 that was racing for 9th-11th. The gaps between groups were pretty big. The announcer had some good one liners to express this. "The field is strung out like string theory" and "the riders are dropping faster than the DOW Jones" - pretty funny. There was also a dude on a full drumset banging out some beats to keep the crowd entertained. Cool atmosphere and a well put on race. Marko and Brian were looking strong and their group was actually really close to catching 8th place at the line.

Marko finished 10th with Brian just behind for 11th. Very solid performances by the guys and they came away with some well deserved UCI points this weekend. The finish yesterday between Powers and Bishop was pretty awesome. They were neck and neck when about 200 meters to go Bishop snaps a chain and has to run across the line for second. I think he may have taken him otherwise. Both J-Pow and KFC ended up with hat tricks in the only three consecutive days of UCI racing in the States.

I attempted to take some video yesterday and here are two short clips - one of the lead group going through the downhill 180 turn followed closely by Marko and Brian - and then the guys going through the barriers.





Now it's time for a few recovery days before hitting up some local races this weekend and the USGP next weekend. Looking forward to crossing it up these next two months!!

Lucky number 7

Two days down, one to go. Saturday's race was a fun twisty course in a park in Middletown, Ohio. Another solid field with strong riders Rachel Llyod and Laura Van Gilder showing up. It felt like mid July out there with the heat and sun - I know it's not true cross weather but the cold will be here soon enough! After a slight number mixup on the line - somehow duplicate numbers were given to almost 10 riders - we were ready to go. My start was a little better but I still got stuck behind quite a few riders and luckily avoided a crash of girls at the barriers. I picked off a few riders and then on lap 2 took a corner too hot and slid out. Two riders came around me and I tried to stay calm and move back up to them. Following the one set of barriers was a bit of a hill run up and I took back my 7th position. I pushed it on the open sections trying to get any sort of gap I could. I had maybe 5 seconds with two laps to go when I passed a running Georgia Gould. She had an unfortunate 2nd mechanical and for a moment thought 6th might be within reach. Devon and LVG were duking it out for 4th maybe 30 seconds ahead of me. I was getting a little tired and thirsty as I came through with one to go and I could hear the crowds cheering on Georgia as she was on a mission to make up some lost ground. With just half a lap to go she came around me and I tried to stay on her wheel but knew that wouldn't be an easy feat. Admittedly I was sort of complacent with 7th and the 15 second gap I had on the rider behind me. I just wanted to stay upright and make it through the monster sandpit. And that I did for another 7th place finish. Given the talent at these races I'm really happy with that and how I've been feeling. Hopefully I can continue to improve in the weeks to come.
After the race I hightailed it back to the van to rehydrate when I heard the music box sounds of an ice cream truck. I thought it was a cell phone at first but there it was just down the street - an ice cream truck. I grabbed my wallet and Mike (who once again was a trooper in the pit for me, cheering me on every lap) and we picked out some frosty treats. A frozen cherry slush for me and a rocket pop for Mike - it was perfect.
The men's race was next and there was a huge pileup of guys in the start. Marko was able to avoid most of it but Brian was not so lucky and went down and got run over by some riders. Marko was ridding top 10 all race and was looking powerful as he hunted down riders. He kept seperating himself from guys and ended up moving up to 6th by the finish - a great race for him. Brian moved up on a lot of riders and was able to still finish 15th despite the bad crash.
We're all feeling a bit tired from two hard days of racing but are looking forward to today's big race. It's a UCI C1 which means more cash and for the guys it means more points. This is probably the closest I'll get to a cross stage race and am excited for this last day. Just 45 minutes of suffering! Sounds like fun to me! Thanks for checking in - I'll post photos tomorrow.

Day 1 - Cyclo Stampede

I'm actually posting an update rather than a weekly recap! Nothing better to do sitting around at the Super8 waiting for this afternoon's race. No pictures until Monday though as I'm using the Ipod instead of a laptop. Traveled down to the races with my teammate Marko and Brian Matter came with us also. Not too often that you get three chances for UCI points. Hot and bumpy course yesterday in Kentucky and some fierce competition with Compton, Gould, and Butler racing along with several other strong riders - a total of 20 riders. I didn't have a great start - clipping my left foot in always seems so much more difficult after the gun goes off. Having a rider go down in front of you doesn't help either. The first two laps were spent picking people off and getting into 9th place. A group of three was maybe 15 seconds up and I had 30 or so seconds on the next rider. I managed to stay upright despite a few steep little ditches that I thought were going to throw me off my bike a few times. With two laps to go the riders ahead of me had some mishaps. I capitalized and passed two of them with a half lap to go. I tried to keep the pace high and the corners smooth and was close to catching the other rider but came across the line for 7th. All in all I felt pretty good and was happy to snag some points. Congrats to fellow Midwestern Devon on her poium 5th place finish. Thanks to my buddy Mike for being in the pit and helping me out pre and post race. It's so great to have someone in there just in case.
I then got to be a spectator for Marko and Brian in the Mens Pro race. Marko had some bad luck after the hole shot and after running into a downed rider he dropped his chain. After having to stop and put it back on he was in second to last place. I watched in amazement as he picked his way through dozens of riders. Two laps later he was in 15th place. Brian had a great race and was sitting comfortably in a group of three going for 7th place. A few laps later Marko had bridged to Brians group and on the last lap attacked them to cross the line for 7th. Brian was next for 8th. A solid showing for Wisconsin on Day 1. I'd like to see what Marko can do without a mechanical mishap. Today will be another hot one with a high of 84. Should make us good and dehydrated by the end of the race!

Cam Rock and Lapham Peak

Another weekend of some local racing - only this time no UCI designation so the field sizes were a bit smaller! I got the new bike built up by Wednesday and after a few trial runs dialed it in for the races. It's a great bike - incredibly light and handles really well. The slightly higher bottom bracket makes it good for clearance and it corners like a dream. And the paint job? . . . umm, I'm very patriotic? See all of my female teammates are current or former age group national champs and since we all ride the same size bike the frames all got the stars and bars paint job. And me? . . . well, I aspire to some day slip on that elusive jersey ;)

Saturday's race was at Cam Rock - a nice wooded setting for some fast and furious cyclocross action. The weather was beautiful and sunny with just a hint of chill in the air. I love early season cross weather! The course was hardpack and dusty with a few technical sections but mostly really fast. One set of barriers, a hill run up, and a couple of logs kept most riders on and off their bikes three times each 2 mile lap. Maybe someday I can bunny hop logs but for now I haven't quite developed the skillz.

A decent turnout for the womens race with maybe 12 riders on the line. My fierce teammate Anna took the hole shot with me on her wheel but Devon soon came around us both and pushed the pace. By the end of the first lap the gaps were forming and the three of us were all riding solo. After a few laps I was figuring out which lines to take and trying to keep the pace high. It's easy to get complacent when you're riding by yourself out there. I could hear all the cheering superfans on the hill and knew Holly wasn't too far behind me. She was chasing hard and I crossed the line no more than 10 seconds ahead of her for 3rd place. Congrats to Devon and Anna for the top podium spots.

I decided to race the 30+ mens race for some training immediately after my race. I need the intensity this time of year and what better way than to do a second race! I got passed by the majority of the 1/2 men but it was good to get another 60 minute effort in on the day. Congrats to teammate Jesse on his win. Here are a few photos I snagged from Flicker - thanks to Sherri Farrell. Hopefully it's cool I post these - I couldn't figure out how to get in touch with her to ask!




Sunday's race was at Lapham Peak State Park and as the rain started to fall as I packed up the car I knew today's race was going to be muddy. True cyclocross weather I suppose. Hanging out under the PB tent watching the steady drizzle I postponed my warmup as long as possible. Missing a few key competitors today with the Illinois riders racing in Chicago and Anna resting a tweaked knee. A bumpy course with lots of open sections, 2 barriers, and a steep hill. I went hard from the start and tried to ride smooth through the muddy ruts. I had some sweet Zipp 404s for the race and rode tubulars for the first time. Bike handled really well and I came across the line for the win.

Muddy races are always fun. It's the cleaning up afterward that's kind of annoying. You've got about 15 minutes before you start getting cold and trying to get wet muddy clothes off without getting everything all muddy is always a challenge. Nothing like a good dirt exfoliation to clean out the skin!



And then there is the bike cleaning. I squirted it down a bit post race - and really this picture doesn't even make it look so bad. There was a fair amount of grass caught up in the deraileurs and cassette though. I stuck it on the car so it could get a prerinse on the drive home and then meticulously washed it up with brushes and a hose. Now it's shiny and clean again! I can't believe how much mud my skinsuit picked up too - I sprayed that thing for a long time and the muddy water kept coming out!

Thanks to everyone who helped put on the races and all of the superfans out there cheering. The hill was a cave of noise on Saturday with all of the cheering and heckling fans - awesome. I was impressed with those who stuck out the cold and rain on Sunday too. Thanks to Bob, Planet Bike, and the other sponsors for the great support!

Ohio coming up this weekend with 3 days of UCI racing. Katie Compton (aka KFC) and Georgia Gould are both signed up along with some other very talented ladies so the racing is going to be fast and painful. Hopefully I can manage to stay up there for a few points!