The Dirt Field

The Race: Jefferson Cup Road Race/Nature Valley Pro Chase Qualifier
The Course: 5 laps of a 10-mile lap
The Field: 1/2 Women
The Finish: 2nd

I have never spent so much time starting a race report. There is no logical way to report on an event that can best be described with a “SQUEEEEEEEEE!” and maybe some spirit fingers. Before I even try, I need to start by thanking Monika, who dedicated her race to helping me and reminded me of all the ways in which she is an amazing teammate and rider.

The Lead-Out
The days leading up to Jeff Cup passed in a fog of anxiety. I wanted the Pro Chase qualifier so badly that I could think of little else. I’d already analyzed the start list to figure out what to expect – my guess was that with the collection of strong riders from multiple teams, nothing was going to stay away and it would come down to a field sprint. That left envisioning the final 1K over and over through every waking moment. By the time Saturday came around, the jitters had calmed into a quiet hum in the background and I was feeling fairly collected.

HA! And Then It Was Bedtime
It might have just been the last latte on the drive down to Charlottesville, but for whatever reason, I slept for about eight seconds the night before the race. I got to bed early (the rush of excitement at having a TV in the hotel room led to watching a reality show about puppies which was – to my great astonishment – lacking in plot and thus sleep-inducing), but then failed to launch. 10:49, 11:06, 12:38, 1:10, 5:00, 6:02…don’t worry, folks, I watched diligently and made sure ALL of the minutes between 11pm and 6:30am are still there.

The Morning Came
And I was very tired. I hardly remember breakfast or warming up. I showed up in clothes with a bike, so autopilot was functioning AND I only cried for about ninety seconds. Hooray for being a big girl.

I Survived The Neutral Roll-Out
Despite the best efforts of the motorcycle referee who made an abrupt U-turn with forty cyclists on his wheel. I don’t think I’ve ever heard so many women yell in protest simultaneously, and I’ve watched The Bachelor for several seasons.

Then There Was The Race
I think it started sometime around lap two. No complaints here, since I wasn’t volunteering to stir things up. As the race got going, there were some attacks that motivated me out of the field and onto the chase, namely those from Katy of ABRT who was going to get away from me again over my dead body. Somewhere into my attempt to bridge her third attack, it felt like it was coming down to that. The field shut it down though, along with everything else that tried to move, and we came into the final corner as a tight field.

Here’s Where I Mention Kelly
She was registered as unattached and the name didn’t register at first as anybody I knew. Then something clicked and I realized she was the recently-retired Colavita super sprinter. I was excited to have her in the race; while her presence would make first place that much harder to get, it would make the race more interesting and I knew she’d be a great wheel to ride to the line.

So Then It Was Time
The finish was amazing. I wish I could relive it over and over (aside from that whole crushing agony in my legs part), because for the first time ever in a race, I successfully picked a plan and a wheel and stuck with it to the end. The field picked up the pace, we hit 1k to go, things were moving fast, then somebody went and we were sprinting, then we were not sprinting, and then it was inside the 200M to go and I was sprinting with everything I could squeeze out of my instantly-cramping quads. It’s all a blur because I was so intent on not losing Kelly’s wheel and not going too early. I didn’t have enough to outsprint her, but that second place was enough to bring tears of joy to my eyes.

When Kelly said the NVGP Pro Ride invite was mine, I may have told her I loved her. It was one of those moments where the happiness feels like you swallowed a rapidly-expanding balloon of glitter that is moments from bursting and showering everyone nearby with sparkles of OMFG HELLS YEAH!

So That Was Jeff Cup
It was awesome.