[race report] Steamboat Springs Stage Race: Stage 3 criterium

Coming to stage 3, I felt a little optimistic about the criterium because that is what I'd been racing all year and definitely where I felt pretty strong. Plus, having taken the RR a little easier than some of the others, I felt like I might have a little more left in my legs.

Waking up on Monday morning, however,  I was not feeling great. I felt groggy and tired. It was storming outside. The storm died down but riding down to the race start was cold and wet. My legs felt dead as hell and as we rode the course and then some warm-up hills, I felt confident that I was getting dropped pretty quick. 

Denise and I lined up on the line after our warm-up laps and since the start was uphill I paid attention to be in a good gearing. I ushered Emily to start on the line and Denise and I scooted over to get her in between us. 

As the gun went off - I jumped and, much to my own shock, was on the race! We took the power climb hill the first time and it strung us out but I wasn't dropped! Our initial laps weren't all that fast - around 20-21 mph because we were all tired. Laps came and went and I shocked myself that, not only was I still on the race, I was one of three thumpers the most forward in the pack - with Sue and Emily being the only two in sight. Amy and Denise had been dropped. 

I told myself to not give up. I kept repeating in my head "don't you dare give up, you are in this race." I hung in until the mid-race prime lap, when the sprint split us apart and I started falling off the back. I kept pushing myself to hold on to whatever wheel I could until about 25 min in, I felt the wall hit. The hill that previously had been a fun challenge, was now a damn disaster. I was so tired. 

Amy came around me on the descent and I said "oh Amy, thank God!" and jumped on her wheel. I held on as long as I could but she was able to bridge up to the pack and I had nothing left. I pedaled around, giving as much as I could but there were a number of other girls already popped off the back and I wasn't going to win - and I was totally spent. Denise caught up to me and we acknowledged each other but were at 1 lap to go so on the descent we pushed through to the line to find out that Emily had won the crit too! Insane, man. Insane. I'm incredibly proud of and impressed by her and it was awesome to have a teammate take two races and the GC. 

I had my best standing of the weekend in the crit - not that it made a big difference. I felt happy because, compared to the beginning of the year, I performed pretty well in this one. Especially given that a number of these women have enough points or will have enough points to start racing a category up next season. Moreover I surprised myself. I'm looking forward to training hard and coming back ready for some better standings next season.