Ah, Bermuda

Team presentation: Carmen, Felicia, Sarah, Rebecca

Someone missed their flight : (

This past week 4 members of the A-Team arrived on the island of Bermuda to race in the final race of the Women's Prestige Series, The Bermuda Grand Prix.

This go around I was thankful to arrive a day early to relax and hang out with Felicia who had also arrived early straight from the Tour of Leelanau in Traverse City, MI.

The day proceeding the opening day of racing the organizers put on a reception at the Bacardi Headquarters where teams are all formerly presented and everyone has a nice dinner and of course a little rum, perhaps in a Dark and Stormy or maybe a Swizzle.

The first night of racing gets things rolling with a 30 min. criterium in downtown Hamilton. It's and evening race starting at dusk and ending in darkness. Some of the A-Team was still finding it's legs while Felicia was duking it out with some of the top sprinters in the US. She would finish 4th on the evening behind race winner Kelli Benjamin, Laura Yoisten, and Laura Van Gilder.

Day 2 - The Lighthouse Challenge, a 1K uphill time trial, would see Felicia Gomez take the leaders jersey with an exciting stage win. Felicia bested her time of the previous year by 7 seconds!! Teammate Sarah Caravella would put in a good ride placing her in the top ten. With solid rides by everyone, the team was in the hunt for the team competition, trailing first place by a mere 3 seconds.

Hill Climb Podium

Day 3 - The Dockyard Criterium would prove to be a tough day for the A-Team. Upon completion of the race Catherine found she had a loose spoke that was causing her wheel to rotate "out of true". Generally what this means to a rider is a little unplanned resistance training. Felicia would try time and again to sprint for bonus seconds only to be outdone each time by LVG and Karen Brems. Let's just say, it was a good learning experience : )Felicia Leads the bunch at the top of the Cork Screw Hill

Day 4 - The Catlin Hamilton Circuit Race would be a new stage that would take the riders up a steep twisty hill which we were excited to see, however, not really long enough to take the sprinters out of the competition it would again be a day to contest the intermediate time bonus sprints. Powers was back and the team gave it a good go but at the end of the intermediate sprints it was LVG with 9 seconds, Karen with 9 seconds, and Felicia with 9 seconds...a net gain of zero. There was still hope, as the finish of the race offered still enough seconds for Felicia to be able to place 2nd overall in the race which would be enough to take the series. It wasn't meant to be as Felicia just didn't have another jump in her to go with the sprinters to the line. Sarah would be the team's top finisher in 6th for the stage.Team Podium: Sarah, Felicia, and Powers

Once all the seconds were tallied Felicia would be the team's top finisher in 3rd place overall. Catherine and Sarah would round out the top ten in 9th and 10th respectively. The A -Team would take the win in the Team Competition!

Manny, Felicia, Laura, Sarah, Kelli, Carmen, Catherine

It was a GREAT Bermuda this year! The best trip in my three years of going to the race. Our host families were the best...thank-you's go out the the Pilgrim's, Conway's, Manny Packwood and Lynden Rowe. We had a lot of fun hanging out on the beautiful beaches with several of the women from the other teams as well as nights out dancing and scooter racing...oops, I mean riding : )

After race Awards Presentation: Jon, Catherine, Felicia, Rebecca


And now...it's Viva Las Vegas!!!

Write up on Ardeche

Cyclingnews diary entry on Ardeche.

Kat Carroll WINS both final stage and Sprint Jersey

I will have to let Kat do the talking on this one but I wanted those inquiring minds to know that Kat not only won the Sprint Jersey in Ardeche but also got the final Stage win!

Sooo proud of you Kat!

Sprinter or Horse Jockey?

Three stages into the Tour Cycliste Feminin International de l'Ardeche I am in the sprinters jeresy. I'm hoping to keep it that way and help get another stage win before its all said and done. Brooke Miller bested her 2nd place finish in stage one by winning stage three. So far the USA national team has been working great together to dominate the intermediate sprints and the finishes.

Nice jerseys, huh?

Aaron's Team Does the Double

The Aaron's Atlanta Race Weekend, September 8 - 9, kicked off with the Grant Park Criterium. The "A-Team" comprised of Shannon Hutchison-Krupat, Sarah Caravella, and Rebecca Larson would give the home town crowd a taste of what was to come on Sunday for the Aaron's Buckhead Grand Prix. Sarah Caravella would convincing win the event with a two lap solo finish with teammates Rebecca Larson winning the field sprint for 2nd and Shannon finishing 4th.

On Sunday, it would be Rebecca Larson standing on the top step of the podium at the Aaron's Buckhead Grand Prix, after lapping the field to clinch the Double Win Weekend. To top that off she would be flanked by her teammates on the podium for an Aaron's Clean Sweep! Way to go ladies!

Still Going Strong

Just a quick up date for all our wonderful supporters out there who have followed the "A-Team" all season.

The US National Championship weekend in Downers Grove, IL had it's high points and certainly its low points. On day one, Katharine Carroll escaped the peloton early in a four woman breakaway and would finish on the podium in 3rd place along with race winner Brooke Miller and 2nd place finisher, Alison Powers. On day two the hoorahs and high fives were replaced with tears of pain and frustration as Carmen McNellis would end the day with a refractured collarbone from a crash in 2007 and Kristin Sanders would end the day with a fractured wrist. "It was crazy...there were crashes throughout the entire race. Everytime I would turn around another rider would be rolling into the pit from a crash somewhere on the course." Aside from the crashes and broken bones the women did have two great team races...I think a lead out train is coming.

The weekend after the US Nationals, Sarah Caravella traveled solo up to Binghamton, NY to compete in the Chris Thater Classic. She would score valuable points toward the "A-Team's" 3rd place NRC overall team standing by placing 6th on the day.

On Labor Day, Rebecca Larson, Shannon Hutchison-Krupat and Sarah Caravella would hit the streets of Atlanta bright and early to race the Atlanta 10K. No, it wasn't a running race but a 10K drag race on 6 open lanes of downtown Atlanta, GA. One might wonder why someone would be crazy enough to awake at 5:00am for a 7:00am race start to race for a total of 17 min....well how does a prize list of $10,000.00 sound! Agressive team riding by all would be finished off with a strong second place finish by Rebecca Larson only bested by the multi-time crowned US National Criterium Champion, Tina Pic.

Meanwhile...Katharine Carroll has joined the US National Team in Europe for some tough european racing. Beginning with a World Cup race in Poulay, France followed by the Holland Ladies Tour currently underway.