Hillsboro-Roubaix was Saturday -- one of my favorite races. With a 22 mile loop, its a "real" road race with challenging hills, sharp turns, rough roads (including a brick section) and killer cross- and headwinds. I've raced Hillsboro for the past three years - it was my first road race. This is my first year in the Women's cat 1-2-3 field.

I line up with about 40 other women. On both sides of me are pro racers. This is going to be HARD. In the first half mile I drop from the front of the pack to about halfway back before I catch a wheel I can hold. I'm starting to get the rhythm, when I see the women ahead standing up and sprinting. An attack up the first hill. I get ready to go and . . . my legs don't work. I have no idea why, but I can not spin. Beth comes by yelling 'grab my wheel!' but I can't. My legs are exhausted. They are made of cement.

I fall through the pack like I'm riding backwards. When I finally crest the hill, the pack is 150 feet up the road. Pathetic.

I bridge to another shelled rider and work with her. We get 40 feet from the pack before the next attack takes it away from us permanently. Of course, NOW I'm feeling strong. I ride away from the woman I'd been working with and bridge up to the next dropped rider and work with her up to the next. By halfway through the first lap, I'm in a group of six solid riders. We have a rotating paceline going and we're working well together. This is my race.



The first time up the hills and onto the bricks confirms that three of the women can climb adequately. Our group is back together by the start/finish line and we continue to work well together through the second lap. I'm tired. I haven't brought enough food. I eat everything I have except one gel that I save for the end. I take my pulls. I watch the other women.

We ride up the feed hill at a moderate pace and then we all recover on the flat. We start up the last hill and I attack. I still have my gearing from camp -- compact cranks and a 27/12 cassette -- so I have no problem powering up the hill in my big ring. I get a gap, I can hardly believe it. At the false flat I push harder, trying to extend my lead, then scream down the hill onto the bricks at full speed. I take the corner hot and sneak a look behind me -- I still have a good gap! I push and push and push up the long brick section, I'm almost there. I sprint out of the corner onto the finishing stretch, sit down and haul to the 200 ft sign and then sprint again and I WIN . . . my chase group.

I'm 19 minutes behind the winner, 28th place.

It really drove home my big weaknesses: riding in a big pack; explosive power; and to a lesser degree, climbing. I need to spend some quality time at Matteson this year.

Congratulations to Rebecca Much for winning the 1-2-3 race [way to go!], to Jessie Prinner for getting in the break with the pros and finishing fifth, and the amazing Kristin Meshberg for taking the field sprint. In the cat 4 race, my teammate Jeanette took second place -- bringing home the first trophy brick for the xXx women -- and my pal Leah Sanda took third. Two awesome racers who need to UPGRADE SOON and join me in cat 3 limbo. And congrats to all the xXx men who rode hard and placed well in their races.

The race was a blast. Can't wait 'til next year!