Day 1 – Amateur start. I crashed myself (and fortunately only myself) in the first sweeping corner. I broke a plastic course stake which lodged itself around my handlebar, but luckily have nothing else to show for my tumble. It turns out I ran my tire pressure a little too low for the course conditions. I crashed when my tubular tire gave way riding through an off camber divot. This left me DFL and fired up to salvage something of the race. So I chased my heart out. Three laps later I had ridden my way up to fifth, but first through fourth were long gone. So I hung in there for fifth. Luckily, top-five get to share the podium so that was a nice surprise. Even if it made me look short.

Day 2 – Repeat of Day 1 without the handicapped start, which made my fifth place slightly disappointing. Only slightly. I’m taking this cross-scapade day-by-day, no expectations, each race as an opportunity to learn and have fun.

It was apparent that my cross practice also took a two week break. At Spooky Cross, I lost quite a bit of time and confidence over the barriers, up the run-up, and through the sand-pit. The difference at the Planet Bike Cup is that I had recently practiced re-mounts, dis-mounts, and shouldering repeatedly. I had also prepared with off-the-bike drills to help increase my leg speed (my short legs have to be quick!). Practice always helps. And a lack-of-practice hurt at Spooky Cross.

Now TJ and are back in Tucson. It feels good to be home.

That whoosh of German cars humming by doesn’t get old and it sends a shudder through our car as it quickly buzzes by. Kind of like how my start was at the Tábor World Cup. After last weekend’s finish I moved from 27th in the world to 22nd and was lucky to have a 2nd row start. I blew my start, but at least I made the slow start look good with my new baby blue Hakkalügi. The first 2 laps I seemed to constantly be in the wrong place at the wrong time, almost fighting past a rider but getting pinched at the last microsecond resorting to grabbing a handful of brakes and starting at zero mph in one of my hardest gears. Or you know how sometimes you’re in the perfect spot when someone crashes in front of you to narrowly sneak by? I was never in that spot. My legs and handling were good, but I wasn’t thinking ahead of the course and ahead of my bike.

About half way through the race I was able to grasp onto a bit of thinking whilst propelling my bike forward. I joined the English-speaking train that had formed of Mo, Nicole, Meredith and Gabby Day. We reeled in a group in front of us and would vie for lucky number 13 through about 20th. In the end Meredith and I were clear and closing in on 11th & 12th but never latched on and I settled for 13th. What is it about us English-speakers wanting to be in the same place at the same time? The night prior to our race the majority of us stumbled into the same Indian restaurant in the square of Tábor. Mo and Matt joined us for a lovely pre-race curry. Those two are two of my favorite in our cycling world, a class-act-duo.

The memories I had of Tábor were from the World Champs a couple years ago, a circuit covered in snow, ice & death ruts. This year, though still quite chilly, and still very challenging with the circuit’s use of the hillside, it was fast ground, railed corners and a slight switch-up to the Worlds circuit. The US again had a strong presence, this time with more riders coming in for the men’s race, and with adopted-American Katka taking a home-town win. I said good-bye to all my compatriots as they fly home to the states for Boulder Cup this weekend. And our 9-hour drive commenced, and I was home & in bed just a bit after midnight. Next Sunday is the second Superprestige in Zonhoven, just a hop & a skip from Begijnendijk.

Today my lucky call up number was 23.  The top-20 women had UCI points and the rest of us drew from a bag for our call-up spots.  The start was blistering fast, and I had a harder time moving through the field than in Vegas.  Luckily I spent some time practicing my re-mounts this past week and it showed.  I was losing time on the re-mounts in Vegas, but here I seemed to be gaining some.  I was inspired to practice by the book, “Talent is Overrated” by Geoff Colvin. The book makes the case that individuals who are truly exceptional at what they do simply practice more, and more effectively than the rest of us.  It’s worth a read and I’ve found it very useful for thinking about how I can train more effectively for cross.

So, just past the start I made it over the barriers and was quick enough on the remount to make a pass or two.  Through the following chicanes I made some more passes by taking some creative lines and trusting that my Hed Stinger 4′s and Typhoons would get the job done.  I am seriously in love with tubulars and want to find a way to race them on the mountain bike next year (I’ll just throw that one out there).  By the second pass through the pits, I was riding on Emily Batty’s wheel and we were just about to make contact with the lead group when she lost her front wheel around a corner and I narrowly missed running her over.  Still upright, I found myself a few seconds off the group and riding solo.  Eventually I made contact and realized that riding 6th or 7th wheel is incredibly frustrating and inefficient.  So I tried moving up and found that I had to fight really hard for each position, harder than I could at the time, and got dropped. Ugh!  So I kept chasing while Meredith and Georgia put in attacks up ahead.  Before I realized it I was starting to gain on the chasers ahead, and there were some women gaining from behind.  The last lap was a blur. Through the start/finish I had Emily Batty, Pepper Harlton, and Caroline Mani right off my tail.  Up ahead were Sue Butler and Nicole Duke.  I just pedaled.  I wanted to be in front because the course was pretty slick and crashes were likely to occur.  I also knew that I could really push the pace through the corners and accelerate hard.  I caught and passed Nicole and Sue and gained some time through a chicane. Someone crashed behind which gave me a couple more seconds.  I could see Meredith Miller up ahead and knew I was closing the gap.  That gap was just too big but I held it off four 4th!  I like head-to-head racing and tubulars so this cross thing might catch on…

I want to say thanks to my Mom and Dad for the great week in Wisconsin.  We spent the week in Spooner visiting with TJ’s family and then they tagged along to check out the USGP in Madison.  The trip wasn’t very comfortable; from Spooner we packed 6 bikes, 3 extra wheel sets, 4 people + luggage, repair stand, wash bucket, cooler, and some wedding gifts all into TJ’s new Honda Element.  We’re dropping Mom off at the airport tomorrow (post-race), then the three of us are driving to Colorado.  Then the wedding-craziness begins…

Now for the nitty-gritty race report.  Cross Vegas is notorious for thick grass and suffocating heat.  We got neither this year due to some rare rainfall in Clark County that left the grass soggy in spots and slick as snot around the corners.  TJ and I had gambled on dry grass for Vegas (which is usually a safe bet) and only had a set of FMB file treads ready to go.  With encouragement form TJ and Simon Burney I ran low tire pressure, I mean low.  Like 20 psi.  I didn’t even know you could do that with such tiny air volume.  I guess that’s just one advantage of tubulars.  The HED Stinger 5′s rode great on the Cross Vegas course.  Accelerating such a light wheel felt snappy and I had the confidence to try riding one of the uphill stair-step run-up’s.  I made it half-way and probably could have cleaned it with some more practice.  I just never considered it until half-way through the race when I saw Lea Davison make an attempt and I was thinking, “hey I can do that!”.

For the race, I got called up 36 out of some 47 starters.  The call-ups are based on UCI rank, then random order after that.  The start prologue was a fast, grassy, flat rectangle.  I approached it the way I approach a mountain bike start: line up on the outside of the first corner, against the barrier, big ring, clip in fast, be ready and go!  According to John, I was about 14th wheel after the prologue.  I had moved up but not enough to make contact with the quickly forming lead group.  Early on, I lost contact with my rear wheel around a sharp left hander and almost took myself out with Meredith Miller right on my wheel.  Oops, I was hoping to impress with my bike handling but somehow that didn’t quite work out…and then I lost Meredith’s wheel on the back-to-back run-ups and that was how I missed the lead group.  That all unfolded on the first lap.  I chased and I chased, but the gap in front kept growing bigger.  Luckily, another woman, Pepper Harlton (CAN), was in a similar predicament and when working together didn’t bring the gap any closer we decided to race each other.  So our little battle for 7th place unfolded.  It was epic.  She’s a solid bike handler and a bit quicker than me up the run-ups.  I decided my best bet was to lead over the barriers and the run-ups, which seemed to work but I still couldn’t quite get away from her.  In the last couple laps, I attacked over all the little hills and bit-by-bit was able to get away.  What a fun race!

chloe: Does riding in a Burley behind my Dad to pre-school count?  I remember my sister (Shannon) and me yelling at my Dad, “go faster, go faster” on the uphill stretch. Later, we rode our bikes to middle school, just the two of us.  We would have riding ‘no hands’ competitions and my first crash happened when I tried a ‘no hands, no feet’ stunt.  It didn’t work and I still have a scar to show for it.

When you were learning how to ride mountain bikes, were you a crier on the trail? Be honest…

chloe: Honestly, oh boy.  I probably cry more now than when I first started mountain biking.  As a beginner, each and every ride was a break-through.  I don’t remember crying much (except I did break down during my first race).  Now I might cry on a bad day. I’ve broken down when I’ve seen accidents on the road. When I’ve crashed. After thunderstorms.  Riding a bike can be an emotional experience and I’m a crier. So there.

How did you get into racing?

chloe: Conveniently, my 7^th grade teacher’s husband is Lennard Zinn—the longtime VeloNews Technical Editor.  He started organizing mountain bike trips through school and the sport really clicked with me.  I didn’t start racing until high school but I was always competitive on my bike—and riding my bike to school seemed to give me a head-start.  It took Kate Rau (who is now, most appropriately, directing Colorado’s High School Race League), the “Y-Riders” mountain bike club, ‘Coach’ Joss DeWaele, and a group of girls (Kayla Martin, Brett Dollar, and Shannon Priem) to get me into racing.  It stuck.

Do you have any good war stories from early races?

chloe: My first NORBA was in Durango in 2002.  I had just upgraded from Junior Sport to Junior Expert.  There were over 20 girls at the start of that race (which was the largest junior girls field I have ever experienced in the US).  Anyway, we hit the first climb and I couldn’t ride it.  I had to walk!  Later I rode straight past a course marshal the wrong direction on a fire road (I found my way back). Then on the downhill I flew off of a water bar and crashed. Then I had my chain fall off… so the biggest battles were with myself, my preparation, and my equipment.  Somehow, I had a blast and finished 14^th!

Up until now, you’ve balanced school and racing. You’re a college grad now, and textbooks and final exams are behind you, so how does that impact racing?

chloe: Textbooks and training complement each other quite well.  Intervals are a great escape from reading and it’s nice to finish up a training ride with a good book (or textbook).  Traveling for races was tough. Missing class was tough.  I didn’t have time to cook, stretch, sleep a full night, write hundreds e-mails to sponsors (J), and do all the things that ‘full-time’ athletes do.  So now I have an incredible opportunity to explore what I’m capable of given more time and more rest.  It won’t be easy as I think I might thrive on chaos—we’ll see.

Give us a little rundown on your training regimen. How many days do you train, what’s your typical hours/week, what do you do for cross-training… Basically, how do you get so fast??

chloe: I typically ride my bike 6 days a week, which includes 1-2 easy days. My training volume varies considerably based on the time of year, racing/travel demands, and proximity to key races.  A ‘big’ on-the-bike week for me is 15 hours. Typical is more between 9-13 hours.  For cross training I’ve done some plyometrics, weight lifting, running, and even a little Cross Fit this past winter.  The key ingredient for me has really been working with my coach and partner, TJ Woodruff.

You’ve proved yourself now in cross-country, short-track, and cylocross. If you had to choose one, which would it be?

chloe: Cruiser bikes.

_____________________

Enough about bikes…

When you’re not riding on two-wheels, what are some things you like to do in your free time?

chloe: I’m a book worm. Right now I’m re-reading James Harriot’s All Creatures Great and Small. I was inspired because I drove through the region of the UK where the book takes place on my way to the Dalby World Cup this summer.  Plus, I’m planning a wedding and baby animals have a calming effect on me.

What was one of the best vacations you’ve ever taken?

chloe: I travelled for three months in Vietnam with my Dad in high school. We traveled by bus and motorbike and never stayed in the same location more than a few days.  He was working on a photography project and I was along for the ride and working on some independent projects for school.

Describe your ultimate pizza:

chloe: Pesto, arugula, goat cheese, and prosciutto. Thin and crusty.

Now describe your ultimate dessert:

chloe: Chocolate chip cookies.

If you were a shoe, what kind of shoe would you be and why?

chloe: A flippy-floppy for sure.  No idea why. Maybe because of that song…

How about an animal. Which would you be?

chloe: Honey badger.

What color most represents who you are?

chloe: Lilac.

What’s the most important part of a sandwich?

chloe: Mustard.

_____________________

Now, pick one…

Chocolate or Vanilla?

chloe: Chocolate

Rats or Tarentulas (or Tarantulas)?

chloe: Tarantulas…they remind me of Tucson.

26 or 29?

chloe: That’s a loaded question.

Camping or Hotels?

chloe: Home

DNF or DNS?

chloe: DFL? Oh wait…

Trainer or Rain Ride?

chloe: Rainy ride.

Pancake or Waffle?

chloe: Pancake because I don’t like to clean the waffle machine.

Pig or Bacon?

chloe: Pigs are cute.

Big Bird or Cookie Monster?

chloe: Cookie Monster.

_____________________

Finally, any shout-outs to people who’ve helped pave the way for you?

chloe: My soon-to-be husband, TJ Woodruff. My parents, Kris and Chuck, My sister, Shannon.

We’re happy to have Chloe onboard with the crankbrothers race club, especially if she brings chocolate chip cookies around now and then.

age : 24

fav band : The Talking Heads

fav trail : La Milagrosa (Tucson, AZ)

fav training ride : Mt Lemmon (Tucson, AZ)

fav race : Usually one of the most recent in my memory, so the winner is the Cross Vegas Lady Lucx!  Second up is the University of Arizona Criterium which I’ve promoted the last couple years. There’s nothing better than a local race that wouldn’t happen without huge community support!

influencial people :
My Mom & Dad
TJ Woodruff
Ann Trombley
Lennard Zinn
Alison Dunlap

motto : Getting lost is part of the fun.

2011 Tentative Racing Calendar :

September
Queens of Cross & Lookout Cross (Golden, CO)
Cross Vegas Lady Lucx (Las Vegas, CO)
USGP #1 – Planet Bike Cup (Madison, WI)

October
Getting Married!
USGP #2 – New Belgium Cup (Fort Collins, CO)
UCI Spooky Cross Weekend (Irvine, CA)
Cycle-A-Cross the Globe (Globe, AZ)
Freestone Park (Gilbert, AZ)

November
Cincinnati UCI3 Cyclocross Festival (Cincinnati, OH)
12-13: USGP #3: Derby Cup (Louisville, KY)
19-20: North Carolina Grand Prix (Henderson, NC)
3-4: Cyclocross LA (Los Angeles, CA)
25-27: Jingle Cross (Iowa City, IA)



After my first day of the course kicking my arse I wanted revenge. But again, the course beat me up and the revenge was not mine. The day prior to the race I set off with Chloe and Spencer only to make it a quarter of the lap before my tire lost all air and I endo’d for the 4th time in as many days. I tried to keep a positive outlook and for the most part I believe I did. The course was more reminiscent of the few times I have ridden on the east coast. There was a start lap which began with about 200m on gravel, 500m on pavement, a left hand onto a fire road of 500m before funneling into the forest for some rhythmic single track known as Dixon’s Hollow. This led us onto the ending of the actual circuit which was time to play on the BMX track, followed by a pavement section, a banked right handed turn and back onto the start/finish straight. We wound around the expo area on fast grass and through the first feed zone before filing back into the forest for a rhythmic descent. This descent brought you onto fire road which alternated between sections on single track and sections to pass. This was probably my favorite part of the course. Then the real racing began as we went deep into the forest on tacky dirt into Worry Gill, some root drops and a couple switchbacks to keep you in check before “the drop”. A scary drop that everyone said was “easy once you did it”. “Once you do it”…that’s my problem…I need to “just do it”. Next, a shoot-like narrow fast descent and onto some double track with two jogs off to the right before the first evil climb, the steepest of the day which switchbacks upward and then downward to “Medusa’s Drop” (the section I endo’d on 3x…rookie novice, me). Medusa’s drops you into the 2nd feed zone and into the 2nd climb, a good grade and straight up for maybe 1km and right into a fun descent that brings you onto a fire road and then back to Worry Gill where a technical climb spits in your face. Then we go back onto dry single track which eventually leads us back into Dixon’s hollow. 



Saturday night the mechanics, Michel and Master Wayne helped me play with my front and rear suspension a bit. Suspension is foreign to me so it was nice to bounce around and tweak things.  And the next morning was game time. There were a ton of women – 82 starters and I was number 82. I was prepared for mayhem on the start lap and it was nothing short of wicked mayhem.  Somehow there was a crash before even hitting the pavement section which happened right before me and I was able to put a foot down and avoid. Then it was put my head down and pedal as hard I could into the head wind pavement section before seeing the enormous line-up train funneling into the forest. So I coasted for a while on the single track until the first corner where girls were tangled up like a spider web, some on the ground, others with both feet out just standing and shaking their heads. This eventually got moving and then the next corner, same story.  I saw a little opening on the right, dismounted and began to go for it but was suckered into a tree and fell through the tape. This is when I also moved into last place. I had my work cut out for me through the rest of the race.  The course offered quite a few opportunities to move pass people so I bided my time in the single track sections and made the effort count in any wider section. Most everyone was riding the A-lines and I was actually able to move forward through riding the bruiser-lines that I was comfortable with riding.  After the first lap I had moved into 60s and was feeling optimistic about my bike handling, as well as how my legs were feeling. I continued to keep my head up until there was a hang-up on one of the right hand jogs just before that first hard climb. I’m still mad at myself for this as it wasn’t even a section I was struggling with in training, but there was traffic on it and I didn’t carry the speed I was normally carrying and was pushed off my line and careened down that, actually knocking over a photographer’s tri-pod. It was a hard crash and I banged my knee up pretty good, as well as knocked my bars sideways and I couldn’t force them back. So the following switchback climb and descent was tricky, all cockeyed. As I was collecting myself I saw girl after girl pass me, those I had just worked so hard to pass. Once I had my bike situated in the pit I think I was about back to 82nd. So I set off to move forward again, coming through the 3rd lap about 70th and through the 4th lap and finished 65th.
 
I was happy to finish in one piece, albeit wicked rough from the week of crashes. It was an absolute beautiful venue and if anything, I was bummed to not be able to check out the surrounding trails.  The course and the women I raced with were both eye opening as the entire time I was battling…even for 65th place! This is the sort of racing I thrive on – races where there is always someone in front of you who will huck herself to stay in front and always someone on your tail clawing you back. Even without the competition the course had me learning, through trial and error, through watching clips online of last year’s race, and through watching and riding behind others in training and in the race.

If you survive the route you’ll be drinking Cusqueña with your bros in 30 minutes or less, Salud!

Check out the video action here and be on the lookout for an upcoming article in BIKE Magazine.

One thing I love about Colorado is the number of amazing athletes who reside here.  On any given weekend you can rock up to a race 20 miles from your bed and line up beside competitors who you also see on the plane flying to national series races, World Cups, World Championships and maybe even Olympics. Indeed, as I rolled into the venue with Worlds Time Trialist silver medalist, Rebecca Much (now doing great things for World Bicycle Relief), we viewed our competition for the day and took a deep breath. We knew it would be a fast day when we saw Kelli Emmett. Then it slowly turned into a national series race as we saw Amanda Carey (this season focusing on 100-milers who proceeded to go tack on a couple-few hundred km after the sweltering race), Erin Huck (Boulderite who is crushing it this season… look out!), Caitlyn Vestal formerly of Trek-VW, and Erin Kummer, Ironman rockstar. 

The women were staged after the Sport men which we weren’t too stoked about, but riding out of the smooth track to pass can only make you stronger, right!? The pace started off fast as we rolled for about 1km on pavement and into a hard right turn onto the course. Kelli took off as soon as we tasted dirt and I tried to hold her wheel as she wove through men on the first climb. She and Erin  quickly distanced themselves from Amanda, Caitlyn and myself. I tried to hold their wheels through this first lap but the heat was beating me like butter in the microwave. I suffered that first lap something wicked and I know that giddy feeling of love for my Mojo I have felt every ride since building the Dark Knight, was a couple miles up the trail from me, dangling like a carrot. Brian Dallas came to help me out for the race and he was able to hand a bottle of ice water off which I took a big swig of and doused myself with as I entered the 2nd 10 mile lap. Further along the trail was a neutral feed zone; grabbed a bottle here and again poured it over my roasting body…took a gulp and it was a sugary drink mix…lovely. Maybe all the dusty dirt will collect to me even more and create an insulating dust-vest so I don’t catch the chills.   

Feeling a bit cooled off from the sticky electrolytes on my skin I was craving one of Clif’s double caffeinated chocolate cherry gels… like hitting the turbo button. Through the 2nd lap I was feeling a bit more in control of my body, able to make myself hurt s’more and some clouds moved in to cool the heat down. Toward the end of the lap the course is flat and fast with good rhythm. I put my head down and clicked into a perfect gear – one that I could roll over without grinding, keep the cadence high, and keep the legs and lungs humming. I rolled up on Amanda and we traded sucking wind a couple times to bridge up to Caitlyn. Though I don’t miss being a full-time road racer, I do lick my chops when a mtb race contains drafting, tactics, and maybe even a bunch coming to the line together. The course was very mellow, in fact I think a ‘cross bike would have sufficed. So I sat on the 2 for a while and when the opportunity arose surged to the front and opened a gap. With cooler temps and a 2nd caffeinated gel my legs were feeling pretty dern good. I wish there were lap splits because I would bet my final lap was my fastest; I had finally cooled down enough to warm up.  

I kept the power on the pedals and was happy with my first race since Sea Otter. I never caught Kelli or Erin, but I moved from a distant 5th to 3rd.  I had fun and finished giddy on my Mojo. I was even able to comment a guy I was overtaking on his new Black & Red Cobalts. Thanks to the Grip Shift my arm & wrist have had some respite and I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as all the TLC I’ve been giving it pays off.