Team Rambuski Law – Cyclocross Racing Team

USGP, Coyote Point

Quick race report by Devon:

We had a fun weekend of racing in Bend.  The conditions were quite different from years past.  Dry and dusty and only Sunday was cold.  The women had the biggest representation of any other team at the USGP — that is pretty awesome!  We also had great support from Edwin… who not only races while we sleep in, but also sets up camp, gets the women rolling, and provides awesome pit crewing! 

Saturday was not our day… I spent too much time hanging out with Edwin in the pit, Courtney couldn’t find her legs in the thin air after a day in the car, and Trina decided to play in the dirt and perfect her unibrow.  Sunday was a better day — we all stayed upright, C found her legs, and the pit crew only had to cheer! 

Sunday was a better day for Chris too — who finished way up in the men’s field!!!!  Even despite a small crash due to over enthusiastic cheering from Courtney and me (sorry Chris!).  Edwin was the only consistent one for the weekend — finishing in the top half both days!

Overall a super fun weekend in Bend!

Photo credit: Brad Goodson

BASP#4, Coyote Point – race report by Karen:

Final race of the 4 race BASP (which is actually not a series this year) was at Coyote Point. I have always liked this course – it is quite challenging technically, with lots of turns, burms, and the “beach run”, as well as physically with a significant climb up the Eucalyptus forest and some hard pedaling sections on the paved bike path. This year had an added challenge of the “Bridge of Sighs” flyover and a deep gravel pit with a tricky turn in it to break up the bike path along the beach. Gravel was rideable if you had a clear line (I rode it every lap) but you needed momentum, some power and a good line. I have raced this course the past 3 years and never been able to ride the beach section – the hard part is the 180 degree turn you have to negotiate through the sand in the beginning. This year I rode it on my first try in warmup, which was kind of cool . I rode it a couple more times in practice but also botched it a few times. Sand section seemed longer than usual and they kept us off the short concrete patch in the middle that you could sometimes remount on. The 2nd half of the sand was firm enough that you could actually power through it to make riding a clear advantage over running, but the trick was getting through the 2 turns and soft spot to the firmness. The down side of trying to ride was that you had to take a wide line to make the turn, which meant a runner on your wheel could pass on the inside.

I made the most of my front row call-up and got the hole shot and led up the climb at the start. At the top, I had only Ellen Sherrill (Bike Station) on my wheel and a gap to everyone else. I led Ellen down through all the twisty turny descent back to the beach. Then I botched the first turn onto the sand (before the 180). I didn’t go down, but got sideways and had to do a really awkward dismount to the right of my bike (guess I should practice that!). Ellen ran by me and the rest of the field was close behind. Ellen got a slight gap on the run, but I closed it as soon as we got back on the bike path. I then decided to let Ellen lead for a while. I was feeling pretty awkward on the course – I made everything, but took some bad lines that required too much braking. The course is always so much different at race speed! Somewhere early in lap 2, Gina Hall (Cal-Giant) caught up to Ellen and I (she must have had a bad start) so then we were 3. Ellen overshot a turn going into the descent, and I went by inside and was now back in the lead. On the beach, as I rode wide, Ellen ran inside and passed me so I had to dismount and run as well. Back on the bike path, Gina attacked from behind and into the next dirt section. I don’t mind 2nd position early in the race, but I didn’t like now being in 3rd, so I attacked before the gravel pit and took back the lead. Gina then came around somewhere in the turns and berms, but I kept her wheel with Ellen now in 3rd. I was riding a lot more comfortably on the course now. We stayed in that order all the way through the 3rd time on the beach. Gina rode and I rode it behind her and Ellen ran again. She tried to pass me in the soft section, but as soon as we the hit firmer sand, Gina and I were able to power away on our bikes, and Ellen never caught back up to us, so now we were 2.

Photo credit: Brad Goodson

At the start of the last lap (they were long laps – over 10 min!), I tried to attack on the pavement before hitting dirt again but Gina would have none of it and sprinted me to the corner and held her lead. My next opportunity came after the flyover on the hill where I attacked as hard as I could. I got a good gap and held it to the beach, but then I botched the 180 turn and had to run again. Gina rode it and cut my gap down to only a few seconds, but it was still a gap…I knew from following her that we were fairly even in the turns and berms section, but I had to ride completely clean through that and the gravel pit, and if I could hold any kind of gap until we got back to the last curvy pavement bike path, I could likely win. I was able to hold her off and took the win by 8 sec. Gina is always a good competitor and really good technically, and it was fun to have a close race. Ellen was 3rd another 30 sec or so back. Kathleen Hannon was 4th. 5th was Elle Anderson (Ladies First Racing) who came all the way from New Hampshire and unfortunately had a flat somewhere early in the race (and she was 3 years old when I started racing! Sigh.).

- Karen

Here are the results for our athletes in their respective races:

USGP of Cyclocross Deschutes Brewery Cup #2

• Edwin: 25th
• Chris: 42nd
• Devon: 4th
• Courtney: 32nd
• Trina: 34th

CXLA Sunday

• Edwin: 29th
• Chris: 23rd
• Devon: 15th
• Courtney: 26th
• Trina: 29th

BASP#4, Coyote Point

• Karen: 1st
• Karl: 20th