There are several types of bicycle races.
Time trials of you against the clock and which are short, sometimes a half hour or less.
Road races and circuit races out on a long course for several hours, 30-80 miles for the women's races around here. This is the best kind of race for me because of the hills.
Criterium races are fast races of 45 min-hour around a short loop in a downtown area. These are the most exciting to watch, because you can see the race from one place. They are sprinter's races, so the worst for me to ride. Also, scary because there seem to be the most crashes in this kind of race.
Stage races are multi-day affairs involving all of the types of races. The overall placement in the event, GC, is usually based on your combined times from all of the races. There are time bonuses for the first positions in a given race. Every rider that finishes in the peloton will receive the same time for that race.
USA Cycling officiates the races and tracks the results.
There are different categories based on your previous results. You have to race with others in your category. Usually, the races run all day with different groups starting out separately. Beginners start first, so we had a lot of early wake up calls this summer.
Cat 4 is the lowest women's category and Cat 1 is the best and most experienced amateur level. Cat 4 women are often put in with the older men's group or the junior boys because the race organizers don't think there are enough women to justify a separate race.
Race Reports
I can't find a race report for my first race of the season, Turtle Pond.
It was April and cold. The Cat 4 women were with the Masters (older) men and women. The masters men were pushing the group along on the 1st lap. I stayed up with them until we hit the hill after 1 lap, then became a straggler. I ended up 4th and rode almost the full last lap alone.
Sterling Road Race
Sunapee Road Race
Waterville Time Trial
Lake Auburn Road Race
Housatonic Hills Road Race
After Housatonic Hills, I had enough points with USA Cycling to upgrade to Category 3 and race with the stronger women.
Fitchburg Stage Race
Attleboro Crit
Seems that I've lost reports from a few races from July and August
Working Man's Stage Race
This was a multi-day event after work. The 2nd day was the road race and there were only 17 women, several of which were not experienced in bike racing. We got about 2 miles out and I was 4th or 5th in a line of ladies riding into the wind. The road was flat and decent condition. I suddenly heard the most horrible sounds behind me. Patrick was driving the pace car and looked in the rear view mirror to see an airborne bicycle. I did not look behind me because I did not want to see carnage. I knew that it was a big wreck because there was only a very small group still rolling. I later found out that 8 ladies went down. Several ladies suffered broken clavicles, head injuries or both. One the broken clavicles belonged to my teammate, Julie Lockhart who is 67 years old. I was worried that injury might stop her cycling, but not at all. A months later and she was out at the cyclocross races.
Mount Ascutney Hill Climb
This was a nice chance from the normal races. The race is short and steep. It is about a half hour - very slow uphill. I would say it is more of a personal challenge than a race. At the start I had to laugh at the guy next to me. He was concerned his odometer would shut off because he was going too slowly for the computer to register. Many people do this race with special gearing so they can spin up instead of standing up and grunting like myself. If it wasn't for the commitment to the NEBC team for next year, I think I would do more of these type of races, and a lot fewer crits.
Tour of Hilltowns
I was literally tearing up during the race trying to not get dropped on the climbs. Women were with master's men that were pushing the pace. I finished in the front group of women, 5th I think and have never been so happy that a race was over.
Tokeneke
This was a climbing race and my first one with ladies from the NEBC elite team. The downhill section was great fun and I felt confident moving between people while speeding downhill. After that, it was survival of the fittest up a massive hill. Two girls got away and I worked with a group in pursuit. The final climb is long and exciting with several attacks. Unfortunately, my calf muscle cramped up while I chased after the second attack. I wasn't prepared for the final turn of the course and it took me by surprise. I ended up last in the group that hit the turn together. That was good for 5th or 6th place and the silver medal for Massachusetts State Road Race. The winner was also from Mass and the other girls in the group were from neighboring states.
Witches Cup Crit
I did this race to get a little more comfortable with crits before heading to Green Mountain. It didn't fit very well into my training plan, unfortunately, but Patrick was sweet to drive behind me with headlights all the way home so I could get in a few more miles.
Green Mountain Stage Race
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