This past 4th of July weekend was a 4 day classic stage race up in Fitchburg, MA, just an hour north of where I live. Hundreds of riders from around the country and world attended the event. For the women’s pro race, 110 riders started the stages with almost all domestic teams represented. Ladies that I had raced with in Europe last spring and summer included Emily Zell Carmen McNellis, and national TT champion, Allison Powers. Toni Bradshaw from New Zealand, who I lived with in Belgium and traveled to many races last summer was also there! Jeannie Longo, the 50 year old French legend took the starting line and finished strong. Fitchburg was more than a stage race, it was a European Union for me!! Our friend Clayton Barrows, from the UW cycling team was also racing.
Count down to start of TT.
The first stage was a 15K TT on an out-and-back course with several rollers. The weather had been very humid and wet all day with pouring rain in the morning. The past month in New England had consisted of several cloudy and rainy days. By the time I had reached the course for warm-up, the rain had stopped and the roads were dry. I started my warm-up with 30 minutes of spinning around on the road, and returned to the vehicle to start my heavy efforts on my trainer, before the start of the time trial. My coach Frank was there and he encouraged me to run to the officials and get my checked off for the mandatory inspection. I coasted over and immediately started the drama. The official took one look at my bike and said, “you’re saddle is sawed off at the tip, this is illegal, you must have a complete saddle.” I quickly rode over, grabbed the saddle off my road bike and struggled with the seat stays to get them attached to the TT bike. Finally we just took it to the Shimano crew and they attached it. But, the drama left me with only minutes to spare before my TT. So, with all I had, I put every ounce of my heart and focus into the TT and when I finished I was dizzy and breathless. I think it was my hardest effort on a TT ever. I finished 48th for the TT and there were over 30 girls within a minute of each other in my time frame. Pat at Landry’s Bicycles set me up with one of their TT bikes to use for the race and also his deep dish carbon wheels and Clayton let me use his disc wheel, so I had the equipment needed to run a great TT.
Me in the Landry's Kit #237
Friday was the Circuit race at the college in Fitchburg, we did 11-3mile laps with a steep hill for the last part of the lap. I stayed within the front 30 girls and would move up before the turn to the Pearl Street hill, staying in the top 20 coming across the line each lap. The first few laps weren’t too aggressive, but the pace really picked up with 5 laps to go and the field got strung out. I just held onto wheels and didn’t let a gap form (told myself I’d recover on the back side of the course). There were a couple attempts for breaks, but the field caught it. We whittled the group down the last 3 laps to about 65 people (starting with 110). I stayed on wheels and tried moving up on the last corner, but didn’t have anything in my legs for the sprint on the climb! My legs were dead. So I was near the back of our group, 59th, but I was still very happy about the results as I had finished with the front group of elite women. My coach Frank Overton from Boulder and father in law, Glenn were there to feed and cheer me on too!
Full Gas!!
Saturday’s Wachusette road race brought my overall GC ranking up 20 places! We did 6 laps, up the climb, totaling 64 miles. The course includes a super fast decent on the back part of the climb. Descending used to be a huge weakness of mine because I was extremely fearful of the speed (I’d literally panic inside and use the breaks to slow way down), but I’ve gotten over that from lots and lots of practice, so I was at the front 10 riders on each lap on the decent!! We were a big group the first lap up, and after the big climb and feed zone, there was a break of 5 girls up the road with most of the major teams represented, so I bridged up to the group, but it wasn’t long after, that we got caught. I stayed in the front 15 riders for the decent. The back half of the course is mostly descending and big ring work. Then gradual climbing and the steep stuff for a few K’s. I tucked in the pack so I was barely doing any work for most of the lap, but would move up on the climb, as the field would get strung out. The second lap, our group separated the field again and we were down to about 50 riders. About 15 riders caught up to us. The next lap there wasn’t much excitement. I kept drinking a bottle each lap and took a feed. I had pre-rode the entire course (all 6 laps) a few weeks back and figured out how much I needed so I wouldn’t cramp or bonk. My husband Aaron and his dad Glenn, were my support team at the feeds and did awesome!! We were ”Team Ross”.
With 2 laps to go on the climb, our group was neutralized because the men’s pro field were passing us. It was a teaser on the legs because at one point they made us completely stop so they could go by. I heard Jeannie Longo next to me cursing in French…she was not thrilled! I wasn’t either, but I still smiled. With 1 lap to go on the climb, the field again was strung out, and I just pushed as hard as I could over the climb to grab the wheel ahead and hang on. I stayed with the group and we were down to about 40 riders. There was a group of 5 girls that had gotten away up the road, but we caught them on the back-side. I just stayed on the wheels. All the girls in my group were on teams, so I wasn’t volunteering any of my efforts at the front. On the final climb the pace picked up, and I stayed in there. I saw my New Zealand friend Toni dropping off, and I yelled at her, “Come-on Toni!” We went around a bend and then the final steep climb to the finish, 500m ahead. I heard a Colivita girl with a British accent behind me yelling into her radio at her teammate who was contending 1st, “Come on, you can do it, you got it, you got it, go, go!!” I stood up and pushed as hard as I could, and came across the line in 30th! I was the first rider not on a team. The announcer recognized me as I came across, “And Melissa Ross…” I was very very happy about the race because I had come along way from last year. I had spent alot of time this spring and summer training for this. My positioning, descending, and mental toughness were so much better. I stayed with the top-ranking teams and cyclists in the country. I was sooo happy. I immediately drank about 6 bottles of water and ate a ton of food. My father-in-law Glenn could not believe how much a skinny racer could eat!
The final stage was the downtown criterium. It was fast, tight, and technical. The race didn’t have alot of excitement as it was a big group of women for 28 laps. There were a few attemps at breaks, but nothing got away. It came down to positioning on the final lap. I was in the middle of the pack, but moved up on the sprint. I finised 49th and everyone had the same time. But, I did move up overall in the GC to 27th!! I was the first unattached (meaning not belonging to a team) rider to finish overall, and was up behind some tough teams, so I think this will help get me a spot on a great team for next year.
Now, I will get focused on my next big race; the National Championship in Bend, OR at the end of the month. After the weekend, my body is just aching for another opportunity to fly on my bike.