bcsuperweek #gscycling

9 races

10 days

7 crits

2 road races; 1 UCI road race

1 hill climb

This is bcsuperweek.

It happens every year in early July with events in Delta, Ladner, Tswassen, Vancouver (UBC), Vancouver (Gastown), Burnaby, and White Rock.

#gscycling #women #goingpro

2014 offered the largest and deepest women’s race field for superweek to date!  The heavily prized races attracted pro teams and individuals from across North America, Columbia, Germany, New Zealand and Australia.  I was using bcsuperweek to test myself against the pros including cyclists from the Canadian National team and previous Olympians.  I had two teams with me for the races: Glotman-Simpson Cycling and the Podium Push Team.  I was asked to guest ride for the local Vancouver team - Glotman-Simpson Cycling - and happily donned the black and yellow to be showered with the best kind of team support a girl could ask for.  The Podium Push Team was my husband’s parents feeding me, driving me to races and cheering for me as the peloton whizzed around corners.

The last women’s stage race I did was in Banff and I could never seem to get on the podium.  I always ended up 4^th or 5^th spot it seemed and was really frustrated with that.  I was really determined to get results coming into bcsuperweek.

Before the first crit at Tour de Delta the GS team talked race tactics.  Since this was my first appearance at bcsuperweek, the team manager warned me that racing with the pros would make these races very, very hard and that I would be doing well if I could make it even halfway through the race.

I thought, “Halfway???  Hmpf.  We’ll see about that!” and the competitive juices started to flow.

Coming into the last lap: Alison Jackson and Denise Ramsden

That first crit I played our team tactics until no one was ready to go with the attacks anymore – so I kept at the front not letting any breaks get away from me.  Soon the halfway point passed.  Then it was only 3 laps to go and I was in a break off the front with two pros.  The Vanderkitten girl got dropped so it was me and an Optum Kelly Benefits rider.  At one to go the Optum rider made a move that I wasn’t ready for but I was able to time trial it home in that last lap to beat the pack and get my first taste of a bcsuperweek podium.  My second place result shocked and surprised everyone but me.  In fact I was actually more relieved to finally be on the podium than excited that I beat a bunch of pros.

For the rest of the week I continued to have consistent top-end results while avoiding crashes that piled up in every race. 

The next race was a flat and fast crit that came down to a bunch sprint.  I practiced a lap sprint to win a prime during a prize lap in the middle of the race and was able to hold onto a top 5 spot at the end. 

Sunday’s race was a big deal race being that it was a UCI road race that awards riders international points.  The 93k course in Tswassen took the riders up a hill and through many corners every lap.  I played to race smart by staying in the pack to conserve energy and allowed other teams to chase down breaks.  Coming into the last 2 laps there was a dangerous break of 3 riders each from a different pro team in the mix.  The coach said bridge it and I did.  The group caught us in the final lap but I was able to grab a 9^th place at the finish, just one position out of receiving UCI points. I realized that I definitely need to add sprint practice to my training so that I can sprint to win at the end of these pro races.

I skipped the UBC crit race so that I could keep up swim and run training, then jumped in for the climax of bcsuperweek – Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix.

Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix

Gastown hit the record high prize purse for a cycling race in North Amercia with 1^st place taking home $13,000.  This race had the largest rider field of all the races with 77 Pro/1/2/3 women and even more pro/1/2 men.  More than 30,000 spectators lined the blocked off course to raise their voices at the excitement of the race.  There hunger to win radiated off the racers and caused me to be a bit timid in the race.  I hung out in the pack for most of the race until 2 laps to go where I started to move to the front.  I didn’t give myself enough time or maybe I wasn’t willing to go into the final sprint after working really hard to get to the front but I was happy with my 15^th place which was still in the money.

The week ended for me with Tour de White Rock which included a HC (hill climb), Criterium (with a hill), a RR (road race – with 2 big White Rock style hills every loop), and an omnium (an overall points winner of the three events).

Alison, Queen of the Mountain

I was feeling really determined at the HC to do well, but knew that it wouldn’t be easy.  I was ecstatic to make it into the final where the top 5 times would race up the hill together for a second time.  It was about a 2min effort of severe climbing and I told myself that I would not take anything less than first.  I was in second place as we approach the final and steepest part of the climb when my determination kicked in.  I shifted into a hard gear and punched it passed the finish line in first place by a bike length.  Happy (and again relieved) was Alison.  I love being on top of the podium!!!  And I loved receiving flowers and putting on the Tour de White Rock leaders jersey.

Holding onto the Leader's jersey

Day 2 of the tour was the crit.  I wanted to test out my sprint speed and timing on some of the prime laps before the finish to know what to do if it came to a sprint.  However, a single rider broke from the group and no one wanted to chase it down – including me – but with three laps to go I knew that I didn’t want her to get away, so I chased.  Two girls let me drag them to the finish and it was a close sprint to the end for me to take third.  I was happy to step on the podium twice that evening: 3^rd for the crit and in first place with the omnium leaders jersey still.

Day 3 I had a few things I wanted to try.  Grinding up hills is my strength and this course is won by strength more than hiding in the pack, waiting until the end.  I attacked on the steepest climb on lap 2 and 3, each time I got away with a few girls but it got chased down.  Then with 4 laps to go (80km) I attacked at an unexpected time and held a minute gap for a couple laps.  On the last lap two riders bridged up to me and tried an attack. I wasn’t gassed yet so I held on.  Coming down the last hill into the finish 2 other riders joined us to make a group of 5 into the finish.  I didn’t play my tactics right in the last km to the finish and took 5^th.  I was disappointed actually because I had this burn to win the race but I know that I made an impression.  Sometimes you just gotta try stuff and test yourself.  In the end I did get to step on the podium and take the overall Tour de White Rock win. 

Tour de White Rock Mens and Womens Omnium Winners

As always I am SOOOOOOO THANKFUL for all the names and faces that contributed to my success these 10 days.  A big thanks to my Podium Push Team and to Glotman-Simpson Cycling for supporting me at the races.  And a big, big thanks to God for legs!  And a big, big, big thank you to you who read this and are excited about my journey as an athlete.

My family.  My Podium Push Team :)