2008 Blogs
Fort Collins and CSU put on a good few races this weekend. It was a nice hop and a skip up to Fort Collins...no big travels. The host hotel, where we stayed was the plush Hilton. Comfy beds, feathery comforter and four pillows. Nice. Though tough to rise from at 5:30am every morning!
The omnium began with a bang on Friday with the Team Time Trial. Stanford took the title, and we were 27 seconds behind in second. Coming in as reigning National champions, it was a disappointing day for da boyz too. Ian was out of commission with a broken collarbone from Gila. German was still hurting from wounds at Gila. Alister's legs just decided to stay at the Hilton. Jesse and Joey rode hard. They rolled across the line in 5th place. This put the team in third (I think) going into the second day.
Saturday was the road race which started off with a climb into a gnarly head wind. Kristin and I drilled it in attempt to establish a selection. Upon the first switchback we glanced back to see that we had merely strung things out. Ho-hum. Turning into a tailwind we kept on the pedal and the gap formed of Stanford's Arwen Bradley, Carla Swart - a Lees-McRae rider (who took the win), Amanda Miller for CSU, two U of AZ riders: mountain bike junkies Chloe Forsman and Melanie Meyers, the Wrath of McGrath and myself. This break cruised up and down and around and on out to a 9-mile loop in Masonville. We lollypopped it back in before hanging a left and climbing along Horsetooth Reservoir, then culminating with Bingham hill before the final few K's back to Hughes Stadium, where Dave Towle's booming voice welcomed us home and snowflakes began to fall. Just as the snowflakes began to fall, our guys were off for their brisk ride through the hills. Jesse got into the break and thoroughly worked himself, taking a brilliant 5th place. The others followed closely behind. We are now tied for 1st with UC-Davis. Lees-McRae trails us just 10 points behind as we have one final 5:30 am wake-up call for the criterium in old-town Fort Collins.
Rise and shine! This one hurt. My eyes were burning. The coffee was too far away. I hucked the alarm clock out the window. After draining gallons of coffee for all it's caffeine, the team: Bean, Jess, Steph, Kristin, and I cruised to the course in 30-degree weather. Brrrr shizm. We did ok - wracked up some prime points, wrecked up a wheel, and finished un-wrecked. Lees-McRae holstered and delivered some power. We now sit in second, leaving our boys with 10 points to make-up on Lees McRae. Long story short, it didn't go as planned. When we needed to deliver bullets, all we could muster were darts.
My oh my, though. The cheering squad from Boulder delivered indeed. My temporary family, Chellie and Tim came up to Tim's old stomping ground. After Sunshine HC, Sparkles was in Boulder, so she and Beth strolled on through. Alan and Heather threw a caravan together with brother Dan, Shippey, Selina, Rory and Tasha. Missy and Margel were heckling real well too. As always, thanks for your support.
In the final team omnium Fort Lewis finished second to Lees-McRae, with CSU in third. Pretty cool that two Division 2 schools are atop the Division 1 podium. Things coulda been better, but they also coulda been worse. Way to leave it all out there Fort Lewis. Thanks to Dicky Dub and his dad, Rich for wrenching. Thanks to Crawford and Hagen for their eyes for detail and organization, and for running a stellar program. Thanks to Mike Engleman who consistently doubles over backward with support (and who's always hungry for sushi).
The omnium began with a bang on Friday with the Team Time Trial. Stanford took the title, and we were 27 seconds behind in second. Coming in as reigning National champions, it was a disappointing day for da boyz too. Ian was out of commission with a broken collarbone from Gila. German was still hurting from wounds at Gila. Alister's legs just decided to stay at the Hilton. Jesse and Joey rode hard. They rolled across the line in 5th place. This put the team in third (I think) going into the second day.
Saturday was the road race which started off with a climb into a gnarly head wind. Kristin and I drilled it in attempt to establish a selection. Upon the first switchback we glanced back to see that we had merely strung things out. Ho-hum. Turning into a tailwind we kept on the pedal and the gap formed of Stanford's Arwen Bradley, Carla Swart - a Lees-McRae rider (who took the win), Amanda Miller for CSU, two U of AZ riders: mountain bike junkies Chloe Forsman and Melanie Meyers, the Wrath of McGrath and myself. This break cruised up and down and around and on out to a 9-mile loop in Masonville. We lollypopped it back in before hanging a left and climbing along Horsetooth Reservoir, then culminating with Bingham hill before the final few K's back to Hughes Stadium, where Dave Towle's booming voice welcomed us home and snowflakes began to fall. Just as the snowflakes began to fall, our guys were off for their brisk ride through the hills. Jesse got into the break and thoroughly worked himself, taking a brilliant 5th place. The others followed closely behind. We are now tied for 1st with UC-Davis. Lees-McRae trails us just 10 points behind as we have one final 5:30 am wake-up call for the criterium in old-town Fort Collins.
Rise and shine! This one hurt. My eyes were burning. The coffee was too far away. I hucked the alarm clock out the window. After draining gallons of coffee for all it's caffeine, the team: Bean, Jess, Steph, Kristin, and I cruised to the course in 30-degree weather. Brrrr shizm. We did ok - wracked up some prime points, wrecked up a wheel, and finished un-wrecked. Lees-McRae holstered and delivered some power. We now sit in second, leaving our boys with 10 points to make-up on Lees McRae. Long story short, it didn't go as planned. When we needed to deliver bullets, all we could muster were darts.
My oh my, though. The cheering squad from Boulder delivered indeed. My temporary family, Chellie and Tim came up to Tim's old stomping ground. After Sunshine HC, Sparkles was in Boulder, so she and Beth strolled on through. Alan and Heather threw a caravan together with brother Dan, Shippey, Selina, Rory and Tasha. Missy and Margel were heckling real well too. As always, thanks for your support.
In the final team omnium Fort Lewis finished second to Lees-McRae, with CSU in third. Pretty cool that two Division 2 schools are atop the Division 1 podium. Things coulda been better, but they also coulda been worse. Way to leave it all out there Fort Lewis. Thanks to Dicky Dub and his dad, Rich for wrenching. Thanks to Crawford and Hagen for their eyes for detail and organization, and for running a stellar program. Thanks to Mike Engleman who consistently doubles over backward with support (and who's always hungry for sushi).