Wednesday’s course was a road race in Whitnall Park. It was a tough, hot day. I was sitting 3rd in the overall going into the day, and with road races counting for double points, I knew it was an all or nothing day. No letting a break get away again for me! There are three main ladies I’ve got my eye on at this point, and they are all eyeing each other as well, so it was an attack filled race.

There were two small climbs each lap, and there were one or two attacks each lap. I didn’t feel too hot most of the race and wasn’t able to jump too well. I knew I wasn’t getting enough water and food down for how hot it was, but it was difficult with the attacks on the hills and then the pavement was poor on the descents/flats.

We started with 39 ladies and by the end we were whittled down to a group of about 20. No one was able to get off the front until about 3 laps to go when a rider attacked. She hadn’t been at the previous races, so the ladies who had been chasing everything down let it go, thinking more of the overall placing than just the day’s. I thought about trying to bridge, but was glad I didn’t. At 2 laps to go there was another attack and my right hip cramped up so badly that I could hardly turn the pedals. Thankfully it gave way before I was spit out the back and I managed to hang on the group until the cramp subsided.

With a lap to go, I stayed up front and was on the second line of riders coming into the hill. It was a strange, uphill bunch sprint. No one attacked hard enough to make a separation and I ended up getting seriously boxed in. It must have been hard to call because we all came across in a mob, crossing wheels everywhere. I ended up 6th on the day, a little disappointing considering I made it through the day but lost the placings in the sprint. That’s the luck part of sprinting though. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen.