Walla Walla Stage Race

This past weekend we travelled to Walla Walla for three days of great team racing, with proven results from lots of hard work together!

Friday's road race, not included in the Sat/Sun stage race, was our opportunity to take risks and hang it out there. We launched attack after attack right from the start and managed to get Jess Hannah in the 6 man break after the first long climb. The winds were brutal and cold, getting up to 80km/hr and Jess was able to break away on a climb from the group for 15 mins before realizing that there was still 10km to go in the driving wind. Jess ended up in 5th place... a great result amoungst some of the strongest riders in the Northwest. Steph won the chase pack sprint, placing 7th with a great lead out from Heather.

The stage race commenced on Saturday with a 10km TT where Laura Brown showed her TT prowess by placing 3rd out of close to 90 starters. Jess was close in at 10th. Though the road race had several obstacles, including two times up a 3 km climb which marked the QOM (queen of the mountain) and finish line, the pack stayed mostly together. Jenn drove the pace at the front for the first 30km working hard for the team. Steph won the QOM sprint the first time over the hill and took 4th at the finish, Heather crossed in 12th. Shani had a great race, showing awesome stamina and power.

The Criterium was ours. Laura took shift number one, driving the pace, making lots of legs hurt. Then it was Jess and Heather taking turns attacking and chasing down anything threatening. With just under one lap to go, Steph saw her opportunity and took it, arriving over the finish line way ahead of the pack. The Queen of the mountain can sprint too... or is it the other way around!!!?

The placings of the weekend were a result of lots of hard work this spring together, great team leadership, direction and support. The 2nd place standing in the TEAM GC is pretty indicative of this.