Several New Yorkers are participating in the Central Valley Classic, a 3 day stage race in Fresno, California, including Catherine Powers of the Aaron’s Pro Women’s team, as well as the Lipton squad, with Katie Lambden. Also present are the TargeTraining team, with our Marco Quezada on board as their photog and the Sakonnet team with our newest blogger Andy Guptill. In a remarkable upset, part of the course was closed due to snow, while us east coasters enjoyed an early spring. Here’s a report courtesy Powers and the Aaron’s team, as well a couple of shots from Marco. (Correction: we previously stated that Smilie was directing the Lipton team. He’s directing the Navigators.)

Sunday’s Tower District Criterium

Yet again, Sunday started out with a cold rain and looked to be much more of the same weather yet today the afternoon start time did work to the women’s advantage. As Jeremy packed up the rental car for the race the sun started to peek out and the roads were drying up. Ahhh, the sun had arrived! Today’s race was a fairly basic course with a 180 degree turn following the finishing straight accompanied by a slight chicane before the finishing straight. The finish line was roughly 200 m from the final corner. Following the road race it was pretty evident that Victory would want to keep the race together while some of the other teams with quite a bit of depth would like for there to be a break. Catherine had come to this race by herself and hence she would have to ride a smart race, which she did. The race progressed much as expected with Lipton and Webcor being quite aggressive at the front and Victory content to keep the race together. Catherine stayed in good position throughout the race yet as the laps wound down it was apparent there was not going to be any break in the race. The last lap came with a Victory, Webcor and Lipton trains setting up their riders. Catherine put herself in the mix coming across the line for a respectable sixth place earning her a 10th place overall in the omnium.

Kearney Road Race

Following the trend as of late, weather forecasts for Saturday’s Kearney Road Race were for a cold and rainy day, and the weather did not disappoint. The men’s race that started earlier in the day had sporadic rain throughout most of the race with a cold bite in the air. With two laps to go in the men’s race the rain started to pick up to a heavy steady downpour. On the last lap of the men’s race the promoter announced that the Women’s start would be delayed approximately 20 minutes. Yet as the rain really started to pick up the promoter started waffling between an on time start and a delay. Roughly 10 minutes before the scheduled start time the promoters rallied everyone for an on time start. Catherine was having a debate whether or not to wear a rain jacket and finally decided to take a brief poll of the immediate surroundings of fellow racers. Results landed her at cutting the sleeves off and donning the custom rain jacket vest! And a good thing she did!

Catherine was feeling great and energized by the TT the day before. She and Jeremy had talked through the course in detail and despite the rain she was psyched for the race. The course covered many a flat and straight road turning in and out of vineyards, palm tree lined streets and past various farmlands surrounding the Kearney Park. Once at the park the riders made a 90 degree right hand turn into the park where they had 500m of winding fence lined course to the finish followed by several kilometers of a tight turning circuit through the park before heading back to the surrounding palm tree lined roads. The feed zone was just outside the park on a straight and fast section that made feeds quite difficult for the slippery handed, which in the wet is most!

Jeremy sat in the feed zone waiting for Catherine as the sleet, heavy downpours and ever so short periods of sunshine dealt the riders quite a variety of Central California Valley weather. Several riders pulled into the feed zone frozen to the bone and retired for the day. Catherine had made a good decision on the rain coat! She came through lap after lap looking very comfortable sitting in the top 10 as the field behind was strung out with riders having to close gaps created in the park circuit. The weekend held great prospects for Catherine as the road race and crit were well suited to her ability leaving her with a good chance of a top placing in each race and a great prospect for a top overall.

Unfortunately this was not to be as with 2 laps to go Catherine flatted on the back half of the course and was unable to get back into the race to contend the finish. As Catherine rolled into the feed zone, you could see the disappointment in her eyes. Jeremy urged her to get into the car and warm up yet she made sure she was outside cheering for fellow racers as they came by. The women’s race finished with Victory Brewing setting their sprinter Laura Yoisten up for the win as the field came into the park strung out.

Central Valley Classic Time Trial

Early spring races in Fresno, CA generally prompt visions of sun, orange groves and vineyards, right? Well, it seems as though the inclement weather is following the early Aaron’s team events yet this time it somewhat worked in their favor as it changed an all out hill climb into a flat and long, winding time trial. The Aaron’s Women’s team officially kicks off their team’s season at the April 8th Jacksonville, FL race, yet Catherine Powers of the Aaron’s squad decided that she wanted to make sure that they had some representation in the early CA races and test her form.

Catherine and Team Director Jeremy Hutchison-Krupat arrived to the host housing Thursday night and were greeted by the incredibly hospitable hosts Matt and Susan who also gave fair warning of the weather forecasts for the next day. As Jeremy was assembling Catherine’s bike with her climbing gear Matt came with the news that the race course had been moved since there was snow at the top of the scheduled course! So Catherine and Jeremy headed out to the new course as the clouds got darker and sleet came down, followed by intermittent rain and even a little bit of flurries.

Race organizers and promoters did an amazing job of smoothly transitioning the race courses and actually had selected an incredibly smooth 16 mile time trial. The course rolled very gradually through vineyards, orange groves and by streams ending with a little over a 1k climb to the finish, which was well received and suited to Catherine.

After an extensive warm up Catherine rolled to the line with a minute to her time and rolled out and settled into a solid pace and rhythm that she held solidly for the entire course. As Catherine passed the 1k to go sign she stood out of the saddle and powered her way to the finish for a solid 7th place.

1 Christine Thorburn (Webcor Platinum) 39.55

2 Kristin Armstrong (Team Lipton) 0.52

3 Erinne Willock (Webcor Platinum) 1.25

4 Felicia Gomez (Webcor Platinum) 1.51

5 Leigh Hobson (Victory Brewing Team) 2.12

6 Chrissy Ruiter (Victory Brewing Team) 2.31

7 Catherine Powers (Aaron’s ) 2.41

8 Betina Hold (Webcor Platinum) 2.54

9 Anne Samplonius (Team Biovail) 2.58

10 Amber Rais (Webcor-Platinum) 3.16

11 Lisa Hunt (the olympic club) 3.21

12 Sue Palmer-Komar (Colavita/Cooking Light) 3.22

13 Sima Trapp (Colavita/Cooking Light) 3.24

14 Cat Malone (Webcor-Platinum) 3.27

15 Lauren Franges (Victory Brewing Team) 3.29

16 Beverley Harper (Touchstone Climbing) 3.31

17 Rebecca Larson (Cycle Science) 3.48

18 Moriah Macgregor (Dizzy Chicks) 3.52

19 Kirsten Robbins (Victory Brewing Team) 4.05

20 Dotsie Bausch (Colavita/Cooking Light) 4.15