Category: 5
Result: 1st

Snelling was my first ever RR back in 1995. I came from a triathlon background, and was quite fit, but as I had found out at the tail-end of 1994 at the Fremont Twilight Crits, doing crits and doing triathlons were two different animals. So, going into Snelling as a brand-new Cat 5, I didn't know what to expect. I arrived the day before and did a check-out lap. The course was rolling farmlands with lots of short rollers. It was wide open, and quite beautiful in its Sierra foothill setting. The Cat 5 group that year contained 28 starters.

We kept it together for two laps, then there was an attack and i found myself in the lead group of about 10. We had some confusion as we passed a slower race group in front of us that had started earlier, and some of our breakaway group either were shed off the back, or they decided to join in with the wrong group. Either way, my group became smaller. Very soon, it was just a racer from Sierra Half Wheel and me. At first, we weren't quite sure what had happened....we were now way, way off the front, and in looking backward, could see no one, not even the large group we passed. No one was chasing us?? This feeling was amazing, the adrenaline really started pumping. We formed an alliance and shared at pulling, but we had two laps to go, so really thought we were dead meat. In sort of a butch cassidy and the sundance kid type of thing, we kept repeating not "who are those guys?" but "where are those guys?"

The Half Wheel guy seemed to have a tad more strength, and looked younger than me. I was wondering when he would try to drop me, but that never happened (he did try a couple of times, I think). So, we stayed together and actually increased our lead over the chase group. The race now was perfect for my triathlon background -- time-trial-like, just go as fast as possible!! No tactics to worry about. As we turned the final corner, I wasn't quite sure what to do...we had been compadres for half the race...should we cross together? Should I let him have the victory for his 5% longer pulls? Nah!!! I figured it this way....if this young buck wants it, he'll have to fight me for it!!! So, the two of us hammered from around the corner all the way uphill to the finish line. Unbelievable sprint, the two of us were side-by-side the entire distance, out of the saddle, totally anaerobic, the crowds cheering!!! I took it at the finish line by a foot, in a bit of shock and disbelief, having just won my very first road race.

And this is one reason that keeps me racing to this day. I want to repeat that adrenaline-high story-book finish again somehow, someday. The incredible feeling of being off the front is something I hope all the new racers in the club will get to experience, whether or not it ultimately results in a win. So, I hope to see you all out there -- i think team FFBC has a great opportunity to win some races this year, and to share in more stories of victory and glory!

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