July 23, 2010

Leah Continues to Show her Strength at White Rock

by Shani Russell

The Tour de White Rock is one of the last races of the season, and definitely one of the most challenging. The tour starts with the hill climb, an excruciating two minute effort up one of White Rock's many steep hills, is all about pacing yourself. The climb is anything but consistent; the average grade in its entirety is 16%, the steepest part over 20%. It was a tough one, to say the least. The women did well, I was the top rider in 8th, Noe in 13th, Courtney in 16th, Leah in 18th, and Annie in 24th. We may not have been deep in the points for the hill climb, but it was definitely a good warm up and motivator for the crit the next day.

With Canada's National road champion Joelle in the race, we knew we'd have to play our cards perfectly for the criterium. Leah won the Delta crit the weekend prior, and we knew if we could protect her, get her to the front, we would have a good shot. The course had a gradual climb, and was rather tiring. We all did about 30 hill repeats and recovery was hard to come by. As a team we did what we could to make sure if a break went, we were in it. Following multiple moves, nothing seemed to stick and it came down to the sprint against Canada's best. Leah managed to hold a good position and rounded out the podium in 3rd. A job well done by Trek.

Now for the final and most taxing stage of the weekend: the White Rock road race. The course was more selective than anything in BC. Girls were being dropped every lap, from the first to the last. With Joelle sprinting for every QOM, the pace was high every time around. Trek did a great job staying near the front and following threatening riders lap after lap. Noe managed to string it out over the second climb, dwindling the field even more. Soon after that, Leah attacked. She got away solo for about a lap and had a substantial gap. We sat up, waiting for other teams to work, feeling the excitement grow every second she gained. Nine chances out of ten breaks get caught, but we were hoping for that ten percent chance she would stay away. Unfortunately, Joelle, the race leader, wasn't having any of it. She was on the front, laying it down and brought our teammate back. Leah took a risk that not many riders are willing to take. It was a good move and worth the effort. This being said, Leah saved a bit of energy for the final show down, where she gave it her best in the sprint and came 2nd on the day, and 2nd in the over all.

It was a great weekend for Trek and overall a successful Superweek. We all worked really hard, and it paid off. We were an example that the teamwork and smarts is every bit as important as strength.

On a final note, I'd like to say a little bit about our lead rider Leah Kirchmann. She is a triple threat, and strong in every kind of race, time trials, crits, and road races. It was announced today that she's going to India for the Common Wealth Games road race. She's worked hard for it, and is on her way to being one of the best. We'll be rooting for her.