hell day...DAY #2!

wow...I am not even sure how I can start this one! There are just one too many things to be said about this race day.  I think that the best way to tell this one is to start from the end.  yes! backwards!! totally! So I learned on our way back home that the team bus ( oh ya the one we have been traveling on!) ran out of brakes...completely! well not only the thought of that was freaking scary but that also meant NO FEED for us! OMG! I raced 3.5hrs of FULL ON ALL OUT in the gusty wind with deep dish alum wheels on 1 bottle of mix that I had made for myself since (USUALLY ) we have our bikes ready to go with at least 1 bottle of acqua.  That was NOT the case this time, when I went to reach for my second bottle...well it was EMPTY!! HOLY CRAP! I just couldn't believe it! So I told myself that ...you can hang till the feed zone... that was 50km mark we were almost to 40...so the went by the feed zone and there was no one from the team to feed us! I was thinking to myself ...WTF! Sorry but at that point there were not many pleasant thoughts going through my mind or words  coming out of my mouth....oops...well...I am sure you can understand why! the race was 112km long and no more feeds were allowed (roadside) after 80km.  I had worked so hard to make the cut ( out of the almost 200 racers only 50 finish usually...and you better be in that group if you want a chance to contest a race) but coming along the 80km mark i broke down and had to call for the car which i did not want to do since we were approaching the end .  I had no choice, not having water for so long in the wind, and the efforts and unable to feed myself since I had nothing to wash it down with...it is just not good...not power producing...not smart...not gonna work for much longer on an empty tank.  Finally when the team car got to me and i grabbed the 2 bottles there was surge right before the steep narrow but short climb that I couldnt get to fast enough after getting my bottles....well...I got in trouble...with the DS but the way i look at it I was already in trouble...regardless...so i finished in the chase group.  ;o(     live and learn ...one step at a time. 

in the presence of greatness!DAY1

So...this past weekend (march 20, 21, and 22)we had a block of 3 one-day races! the first 2 days were the worst not only because of the tough course but also because of the massive wind! Also the presence of the most powerful teams like Cervelo (Kristin Armstrong), Bigla, Team Vision 1(Nicole Cooke's team), and Mariane Vos's team, Equipe Nuremberger, Flexpoint, amongst many others.  200 riders app. HOLY CRAP! just that in itself is pretty amazing! Usually only 60 finish! I have finished in the top 30 OR SO. but holy cow it is sooo hard to move in the pack! it takes soo much energy! I have learned a lot in one weekend! And learned the full throttle feeling ...wow! awesome!! learning as i go.  It is sooo key to stay in good position...but how the F do u do that when you have to move past almost 200 people!! oh yeah...just do it...where there is a will there is a way! its crazy! and i love it! it gave me an entirely different respect for the women's cyclists.  it is sooo hard to get up there and then respond to the final move ...the constant attacks the super duper fast pace, the well planned and delivered tactics from the powerhouse teams.  just amazing! can't wait to soak it all in!! 

TEAM PRESENTATION #2

So the next morning we were to be ready to go at 11.30 am.  I was wiped from the day before, and also feeling sore from hitting the deck on friday so I decided to take sunday off.  The girls went riding for a little bit in waves so we could manage the shower situation.  I didn't ride so while they were out  I showered and got ready before the chaos.  We arrived at the hotel where we were to have television interviews with the press and  newspapers and what not...BIG DEAL! hole mole i didn't realize how big this thing was going to be! All of our sponsors were sitting at this table, and were honored during the team presentation.  We were all introduced to the crowed, it was this formal sit down lunch ( well really long luch i would say!) with how ever many courses we had...apperitivo, primi, secondi...you name it! then in the end this huge cake was brought and i was this huge celebration! it was supercool! Actually the real celebration started later...when we were all having shots of "prosecco",  dancing and having a great time...finally!! hehe!! then came monday...with the DS trying to make us pay for it!! haha! it was all good!! ;o) bring it!

PS: the links on the right have the pictures of the presentation! 

TEAM PRESENTATION #1

wow...let me start out with that...I have never been so tired like this before..to tell you the truth I would rather be training/racing than so another one of those things!! Day #1 started at 8:30am.  I had been up since 5:30am(for those of you how know me...you know what a HUGE deal that is) to ride the rollers and talk to Nathan on skype since my friend let me borrow his mac charger cable..yay! All the ( 10) girls all staying at the apartment ( 3 bedrooms, 1 shower, 1 small kitchen) we were stacked up to the ceiling!! But we all managed without killing each other.... haha...that is a good sign right? So after our departure, we went to Michela Fanini's grave and paid our respects to this phenomenal champion that she was.  It was very sad, to see a father and a mother stand by their daughter's grave, but also very honoring to be part of the team that carries on her dream.  And there were PICTURES LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES ...ALL DAY LONG! Then we proceeded to the "commune" in cappanori where we live.  that is the city hall and we met with the Higher-ups, they expressed how proud they are to support our team. Then we went to Brunellos shop where we hopped on our bikes for a ride to one of our sponsor Rox (shoe company)  and we were filmed along the way then took more pictures we got there...after that we rode to Brunello's house were we took more pictures..did i say we took pictures yet??? right...well by then this lil one here was not willing to smile at cameras anymore cuz I was starving!! once we finally left brunello's we went to have lunch ( at 2.30pm) uuuufff!! it was a long day.....but there is more....to be continued!

friday the 13th

so today we had our team training ride.  we were supposed to have a similar session to what we had on tues, 100km in 3hrs...oh ya and not all flat either...there is some climbing in there too...we were averaging 40-45km in our rotating paceline...holy crap...talk about finding the 'E' to go up the climbs after pushing the pace like that...is oh so hard! either way, on our way out of lucca, heading towards the coast, we were rotating through at 35km/hr on this not so busy road with very open crossroad, as this car coming from a crossroad on to the main road came on us as we rode by .  It was chaos.  The car came from the left side, and we were rotating from the left to the right which put rosane and i *the ones who went down* between the car and the riders on the right side...in other words not a pretty picture...her carbon frame is cracked long ways on the top tube,  scrapped knee, i have a massive contusion on my right buttcheeck elbow and knee, but thankfully no broken bones!! we spent 6hrs between police reports, hospital, xray etcs etc....if there is one thing i learned about italy today is that there is no such word as efficiency in their vocabulary!!! hole mole...how do they cope!!??  

and then...and then...NO MORE AND THEN!!

well how can i start!!??so much has happened! I don't even know if  I can fit it all in one post. But if you have not yet been made aware of the fact that I have a burned charger cable for my mac, and have been completely allienated from planet earth, a lot has happened since then.  I had my first euro race in brissago, switz on marchc 7th.  That was AWESOME! i must say i am actually pleased with my race! it was all i thought it would be...VERY HARD!SHOOT...I LOVED IT..GIMME SOME MO OF IT! it was very windy, and there were very steep short (3km long) climbs (10%) with even steeper descents(20%) ...a real rollercoaster! I made the front group during the last 2 circuits to the finish, then on the last one, i just didn't have enough saved up in the tank to respond to a surge, and a consequent gap that was opened by the rider in front of me...i finished 26th, and jeanie "grandma' longo took 2nd!! holy cow i want to get old like her!!  i will be posting pictures as soon as i get my charger !! the area was gorgeous and the trip was very short...i think that they were afraid we would get our hands on some yummy swiss chocolate....I CAN'T BELIEVE I WAS ACTUALLY THERE AND DID NOT HAVE ANY!!AAARRRH!!

and then there was more rain!

Ok, so we did our first amateur mens race on sat Feb 29 and we were also supposed to race on Sunday, as you can see in this picture we were at the course but it was pouring down rain and the DS called off the race since it was a men's race anyways. Either way we decided to watch the finish of the U23 men, holy cow...it was great..to watch as it was so wet and cold. We ended up being podium girls ! Ha! that's was funny.  Lol show up for a race..don't race, then end up giving the winners flowers....that wasn't exactly what I AM HERE FOR! but on a day like this...none of the girls complained about not having to race a mens race in the pouring rain...as you can tell we are all smiling and having ourselves a good much better time than the guys in the race!