BC Cup #5 South Abbotsford

There were 6 riders lined up for Team Giant Whistler Canada at BC cup #5.  I must admit when I first arrived I really wasn't in the mood to race with the weather hovering around 10 degrees and looked like it could rain at anytime. But after a decent warm up and with the weather holding I ended up completely forgetting I was cold, especially after the good temp set up the first climb on the course that had a total of 24 climbs.  There were no splits on the first lap and the team was riding well. Heather was at the front and Lisa made an early attack, and from what I heard she continued to make attacks throughout the race.  On the second lap Total Restoration made a big move with 3 riders splitting the field and the only two other riders going with them, myself and a rider from Victoria.  Leah Goldstein made a break on the third lap and I almost closed the gap but thought my energy would better be spent staying with Sarah Stewart who is in contention for the BC cup overall.  With three laps to go I tried to split up the break but it was unsuccessful so I spent the last two laps being patient, which is a challenge for me.  The Victoria rider made a small break and the two Total Restoration girls waited for me to chase.  But knowing exactly what Jeremy would say, I was patient and finally they started the chase and reeled her back in. The final climb is where it all played out.  Gillian set a strong tempo, but in doing so dropped the other two. I was right on her wheel and was able to come around her in the final 100m of the climb to place second.  Sarah was fourth.  Shani was racing awesome and finished 6th overall winning the pack sprint. The rest of the girls raced strong in the pack, making attacks and keeping up the tempo. That is one of the greatest things about this team. We race our bikes. If we are in the race, you can be sure that there will be tactics, and attacks and counter attacks.  That makes racing fun in my opinion.  

Also Steph Roorda had some awesome results over the past couple weeks, racing in some big races in the USA.  Congrats Steph!!  Thanks for the amazing support from our sponsors and Local ride, who definitely made my day less stressful when I got a flat tire on my bike before the race started.  You guys are awesome.  Thanks to Jeremy, our team director, as well. 

Thats all for now, until the next race.....