Weekend update: VA, CA, NC, and 3 wins!

Walton Park Criterium, VA

Morgan wearing her podium hat!

The Charlottesville Racing Club and Louisa County Parks and Recreation promoted a nice criterium in Mineral, Virginia. This year the race was the first half of the Charlottesville Omnium, the second half being the Wintergreen Ascent. Morgan represented the team at both races. It was rain for the crit, but she raced strong and the field stayed together for a sprint finish. Morgan won the sprint! Enough said. This is Morgan's 1st Crit win, and also her first season road racing, very proud of you Morgan!!

Wintergreen Ascent, VA

Gold- for Morgan and Mallory!

The ascent up to the Wintergreen Ski Resort in Virginia is 6.1 miles of climbing with an average grade of 8.3% and a max grade of 13 %. According to John Summerson of Carolina Cycling News, "Wintergreen is similar in overall statistics to the French climb of Joux Plane, a famous Alps ascent and one that is often used in professional tours including the TdF". The annual race took place this weekend and our team was represented by Mallory in the junior women category and Morgan in the cat 4 women. Both riders took the fastest times up to the top of Wintergreen and won their categories. Congrats on a great weekend ladies!

Tour de Moore, NC

Tour de Moore Road Race is one of the oldest road races in the South, this is it's 37th year, and in the past it has been used as a Pan Am games qualifier as well as a qualifier for the Quebec Provincial Team. This year the road race is the qualifier for an amature team at Nature Valley Stage Race, so the competition was all there trying to win the one spot. Brenna represented our team in both races this weekend. Saturday's road race involved a lot of attacking, but none that resulted in a break and the race finished as a group sprint. There were two near-wrecks close to the finish line with everyone jockeying for a position. Brenna safely navegated her way through, but lost some ground before the sprint, and finished 19th. The race winner was Erin Burton (RGF Women's Cycling).

Sunday's race, the Brick City Criterium, was aggressive with a break sticking this time. The break contained riders from 3 different teams who were all strong. Race winner Bergen W. (Pepper Palace) eventually broke away from her break and soloed back to the field a lap ahead. The sprint was for the remaining places and Brenna took a good position into the last corner and finished the race 8th over all.

Went Vinyard Road Race, California

one of the hills at Went Vinyard RR

Amanda W. spend her weekend racing and exploring in California at Wente Vineyard RR. The 64 mile road race is in it's 25th year, not a bad legacy. She did this race, hills and all, on a rented trek 2.1, which is not quite as nice as riding a Trek Madone in the hills.  It was a very challenging race, with amazing hills and Alison Tetrik-Starnes attacked, who attacked, and attacked some more - but there were two other beasts racing who beat her in the end. Around 20 women started the race and at least 7 got dropped and didn't even finish.  Amanda hung on for about 35 miles before losing contact with the leaders, but made herself keep pedalling the "tank", and ended up with an 11th place finish only 2 minutes behind the pack.