Friday, April 19: Load up and get psyched.

5:30PM: Call Time.

The team met at the Fairway parking lot to discover that our trailer was out of commission for this weekend, meaning we would have to use roof racks and probably feel like canned sardines all weekend. We all scratched our heads how 9 bikes, 10 people, bags, equipment (rollers, trainers, etc) will fit into 1 van. The rental van seated 15 so we removed the back seat and managed to pack everything up with plenty of leg room still left to enjoy even by the leggiest of riders (Dylan + Ben). The van was quite nice, even equipped with GPS… however it took 2 days for several BAs, BSs, MSs, PhDs, MDs, JDs seated in the van to figure out how to make it work (Thanks, Nathan!). Our drive to Providence, Rhode Island, was largely uneventful although the weather was very humid with continuous drizzle. The windshield was fogging up so we put some ventilation on it which unfortunately blasted heat to the rest of the van = unsolicited sauna action.

10PM: Hotel Motel Holiday Inn (actually Super 8)

We arrived in Scituate (pronounced “ski-too-it-tee” according to Joseph) in rainy weather – a bad sign for Saturday… We unpacked, stretched our legs (or pedaled through hotel hallways), and went straight to bed. Most of the team wanted to skip the team time trial the next morning and sleep in, but Anna and Isabelle insisted on doing it. Call time 6:30AM.

Spinning through the hallways (photo courtesy of Isabelle Cote)

Saturday, April 20: TTT and Road Race.

6:30AM: Call Time

Isabelle and Anna woke up at 5:45AM psyched for the TTT. The rain was coming down hard but even that couldn’t contain Isabelle’s “joie de vivre.” The rest of the team seemed less than enthusiastic about the early wake up, much less about racing in the rain, so they watched from the comfort of the van as relentless Women’s B team (Isabelle and Anna) warmed up.

9AM: TTT TIME!

Fortunately, by the time I&A were ready to race, the rain stopped, and the sun was peaking through the clouds (probably inspired by Anna’s pink shades). The TTT was short and fast (4 miles) but with steeper-than-expected rolling hills. I&A pushed through with their quads burning by the end. They were passed by a monstrous 4-person MIT Women’s A team and were inspired (or intimidated?). To no one’s surprise (but to I&A’s relief) they won the Women’s B TTT (although their position in the finish line photo was less than aero). The team was no longer as upset about the early wake up (ok, maybe they were a little).

WINNING in less than aero positions (photo courtesy of Velocity)

12:30PM: DIRT

Everyone on the team started in the second wave for the grueling road race. Women’s A/B field had 2 laps (57 miles) of rolling hills and 4 miles of hardpack. The first lap started relatively slow and the speed picked up on the hills leading up to the dirt sections. Isabelle stayed with the main pack while Anna was off the back. She chased back to the pack before the first lap was done, relieved to see her teammate crushing it at the front. The second lap inspired Rose & Co. to initiate multiple attacks. I&A found themselves chasing back to the pack and with Isabelle’s powerful descends they were able to stay with the pack until the first hilly dirt section. At that point, they exchanged “the look” (no words necessary) – they were not going to be able to stay with the pack. Nevertheless, I&A were not about to give up – they stayed together, working together and eventually picked up 4 other riders (MIT, UNH, Millersville, Army). They finished 6 minutes behind the main field, which was a rather large gap but I&A were very happy with their performance (getting 8th and 9th place in the Women’s B field).

Isabelle killing it in the road race! (photo courtesy of Jan Valerie Polk)

Strong finish by Isabelle and Anna (photo courtesy of Jan Valerie Polk)

6:30PM: FOOOOOD

We ate at a family style Italian restaurant. Yum.

9:30PM – and onwards: I&A still have too much energy

After dinner we did a quick stop at a grocery store to pick up some essentials (i.e. ICE CREAM). The evening featured ice cream indulgence, new kit distribution, and space legs. While the rest of the team passed out soon after, I&A stayed up to enjoy and critique the new kits in a runway-like fashion show (Isabelle modeling).

Ice cream. Yum. (photo courtesy of Isabelle Cote)

New Kits! late night fashion show (photo courtesy of Isabelle Cote)

Sunday, April 21: Call time 8:30AM, SAY THAT AGAIN????!

8:30AM: Call time (yes, 8:30AM!)

Because we did’t have any D or C riders with us this weekend, the team enjoyed an unusually late call time. I&A woke up at 6AM, nevertheless, getting pumped for their crit (do you see a trend here?). Unlike the rainy Saturday morning, Sunday brought us deep blue sunny skies with no cloud in sight (Anna became nostalgic for Colorado). It bound to be a great day for racing.

11AM: Crit without the hill (I&A are very happy)

We arrived at the beautiful RISD campus to discover that the officials decided to shorten the course of the criterium, eliminating the only hill from the course. The hill looked like the hospital hill at 165th although shorter and steeper (read: IT WAS TERRIBLE). Not having to do it multiple times was the best news of this weekend (besides free bananas that Whole Foods was giving away at the crit). Everyone kitted up in their new bright (and very white) kits.

Warming up in new kits (photo courtesy of Isabelle Cote)

Because the course was now flat as a pancake, we knew it’s going to be fast and furious. Women’s A/B field started to race full speed at the whistle. I&A found themselves at the back of the pack, already having hard time staying with the pack. Isabelle got dropped after several grueling laps and the officials unfortunately had to pull her (even so, she finished 12th in the B field getting some sweet points for the team – kudos!). Anna was determined to finish the crit (especially after getting dropped last weekend at the Army). She worked together with 3 girls from Yale to catch the main field but eventually dropped them to sprint up to the pack – miraculously  she was successful and was the last rider not to get pulled. Anna worked with the pack to catch a 2-person breakaway (2 MIT monsters). However, the chase was not successful leading to a final field sprint. Anna finished 23rd overall and 4th in Women’s B field, even scoring 1 sprint point! She was a happy camper for the rest of the day.

Rhode Race Criterium… Let’s catch them! (photo courtesy of Jan Valerie Polk)

Looking forward to the Easterns at Penn State next weekend. Anna’s goal: win the field sprint in the flat crit, or win with a solo breakaway… 😉