Race Report: Tour de Nez Criterium Women P/1/2:
After getting heckled by Dave Towle at the start line about the pronunciation of my last name; the Tour de Nez P/1/2 women’s criterium in downtown Reno, NV was off. In case you are wondering; it’s: La-fran-chise; pretty phonetic and sans the French accent.
A technical double lollipop shaped crit (with one street being used in both directions) was largely uneventful. I rode at the front; followed moves and eventually realized that unless the red leader’s jersey worn by TIBCO was up the road, no one was going to be up the road. The race came down to a sprint; and I had myself positioned well coming into the last few corners. A long; slightly downhill, tailwind sprint on a road that narrowed by half before the finish line. Dangerous?
Rounding the last corner the pace picked up and right when I was preparing to sprint the rider in front of me was on the ground, and she was taking up ALL the road. With nowhere to go I tried to minimize my loses (in my head I was saying: tuck and roll; take it in the hip and shoulder NOT the face)! I almost succeeded; my elbow got caught up in the mess of bikes and pavement. But I was lucky; I walked away with a bloody elbow, more bruises than I can count and VERY sore. I didn’t have to go to the hospital (possibly my least favorite place in the world).
Crashing is all part of the game; I brushed myself off and am preparing for the next race. Wishing those that got more seriously injured a speedy recovery.
JLAFRANCHISE
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