The Bock Report: Copperopolis

by Paula Bock

Copperopolis has a special place in my heart because, in 2000, it was my second road race ever. I remember the beautiful scenery, the cool, foggy breezes and the wicked fast descent. Bridget May, Cheryl Hebert and I stayed together the rest of the race after we got dropped on the first long climb. That climb felt like eternity, but the company of others was comforting. The race is especially nostalgic for me because I was on my first road bike: an old Basso frame put together with some hand-me down parts from my racer boyfriend (now husband Olivier). It was a bomber bike, fit me well enough, and funny thing is, I don't think I've ever descended better with newer bikes and more experience. Too bad I crashed in a crit the following weekend at Wente, and the Basso had to be retired. But, as they say, "steel is real" and it's all I've ever ridden since. This time around, six years later, I took my custom steel Inglis bike for the ride, and I couldn't have been happier with its light weight and nimbleness on the climbs.

Anyway, bike nostalgia aside, it was a great day, the best of road racing as I remember it. The usual early morning departure, except this time I got to sleep during the drive, Olivier had the early race, mine didn't start until 11:20. We went with our friend Shane Deal. It was really weird to wake up in the middle of the registration area, then standing around trying to get coherent with a full thermos of coffee. After finally achieving sufficient caffeine levels, I ventured off looking for friends while the boys got ready for their races. I found Katie, hung out and chatted oh-so-casually, while everybody else around us had to deal with getting ready and warmed up. We were probably the only people standing who weren't also in line for the portapotties. Katie couldn't help but notice a guy lining up who was in a Gerolosteiner kit. "Could that be Levi Leipheimer?" Katie asked. Sure 'nuf, upon closer inspection, he looked like the real deal. Katie went to get her camera ready so she could get some snapshots later.

Then we headed out towards the feed zone for our guys. The weather was getting nice: sunny and warm. We settled down on the side of the road and waited for the racers to start coming through. The pros came first, and Katie was ready: Levi came by and she caught him on film! The others riders started coming through in waves, and I was happy to see that all the guys I was supporting were in good positions after one lap. I got to chit chat with an old friend from my early days of racing, and catch up on other news of other friendly racing acquaintances.

Before too long though, it was time for my race to start. I hardly had enough time to warm up, but I wasn't worried, my expectations are so low of myself, I'm just out there to have fun, and suffer while I'm at it. At the start line, Olivier gave me words of advice and encouragement, and then we were off. I decided right away that I didn't want to be too close to anybody's wheel, and stay close to the front so I could see the road comfortably ahead, and also to stay clear of riders who liked to swerve a lot to avoid potholes/bumps/broken up pavement. As a mountain biker and having new burly training tires, the road debris and rocks didn't faze me, so I picked the straightest, fastest lines possible. Luckily, the places where drafting was most important, the road surfaces were safer and smoother. At this point, I could get into the nitty gritty Cat 4 women's racing tactics (or lack thereof, depending on perspective), but that's sure to put anyone to sleep, so I'll just say that that group got broken up, many of us were out there solo or in mini groups, and in the end, I didn't crash and managed to finish 5th! It hurt incredibly, but I was relieved to be finished and cheered on by my friends waiting at the finish line. They were so happy for me, and I was perfectly happy, too. The moment just kept getting better as I congratulated the other riders on their race, and then turned around to see my teammate Katie coming in across the finish line for 6th place!

Asbestosopolis

by Katie Kelly

I just learned from my friend Tricia Wallace that Copperopolis was named thusly as it was a copper mining town during the height of the Gold Rush. But when they were done mining that after World War II, they found they could mine asbestos as well. Then they later learned it's a toxic substance, so they started putting it back in the ground. They decided not to call it Asbestosopolis after all.

This was my first bike race ever three years ago. A friend talked me into it. He said it would be fun. I didn't know that it was known as the Paris-Roubaix of Northern California, nor did I even know what the Paris-Roubaix was (the most bumpy road race in the world), so I thought the numb hands and tweaked back was a normal part of bike racing. When I did this race again the next year, I actually had races to compare it to, and I swore, after collapsing at the finish, that I would never do it again.

Two years later, this last Saturday, I did it again. Nobody talked me into it this time. My new Orbea is so nice to me, I thought, this bike's going to carry me through, like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the most fantasmagorical car in the history of everything.

I was joined by my teammate Paula Bock, a mountain biker extraordinaire, who no doubt would be able to jump her bike over the potholes and rocks. Of course, I had blocked these obstacles from my mind. I thought, if I could do this race twice, surely I could do it again.

It was a small field, under twenty, which made navigating the deteriorating road easier than two years ago. The climb, unfortunately, is just as steep as ever. And then, I was faced with my own inner-obstacle: my deep distaste for discomfort. I can handle it for short bouts, but not when I know I still have to ride for another two hours. I thought, good for them, able to push hard like this. But this is too painful for me. I found myself at the top by myself, while I watched a glob of riders, Paula included, ride away.

Up ahead, I counted them one by one. Nine. A thought flashed: miracle of miracles, I'm in the top ten. But before I could rejoice too much, there, on the side of the road were photographers Nancy and Russ Wright of Abbiorca. They only photograph my magical moments right after I've been dropped, and I tend to resent them for this,
even though it is no fault of their own. I bought all the pictures anyway.

I know it's not an optimal racing mentality to pay attention to the scenery more than to the race itself, but when you're by yourself, I suppose you have no choice. Some of these races are in beautiful locations, and Copperopolis is no exception. Nearing the top of the climb, I noticed a waterfall. The water pounded the rocks under the shade of the trees. How did I miss this before? And then, I rode around a peaceful lake and then through green pastures with cows.

I did all two laps by myself, just like all the other times. This time, however, my laps were actually comfortable. I'm not sure why.

I somehow managed to pass by three others, and wound up sixth of all things. How about that. Paula was 5th. We both got t-shirts that say Copperopolis: The Paris-Roubaix of Northern California. Now that I know what it means, I'm quite pleased.

Archived Report: Team Tam Sends a Strong Message at Mt. Hamilton

Originally published on www.ncncaracing.com

From our correspondent, May 29th, 2005

Livermore, CA -- Velo Bella led from start to finish to sweep the top three in the Women’s 4 category at the MIPS Technologies Mount Hamilton Road Race today. Deborah Levine took top honors, followed by Heather Kirkby and Ann Fitzsimmons. Birgit Cory of CRC/Hill & Co. finished fourth.

The race was the abridged version of this historical classic, avoiding the 15 mile climb from San Jose for which this race is famous.

Meanwhile, Clare Parker and Katie Kelly of Team Tam sent a strong message to the peloton today. Exactly what this message is remains unclear, but look for more good things to come from this growing San Anselmo-based squad.

Parker, of San Francisco, added yet another top ten finish to her resume, finishing 8th over all out of a field of a lot.

Kelly, of San Rafael, making her comeback to racing after hitting a pole accidentally and breaking her clavicle in five places and not being able to stop talking about it still, after ten months, finished a respectable 12th, but this was after a nearly disastrous start.

"The toilet dispenser wasn't working," said Kelly, minutes after the race, of her pre-race run-in with the porta-potty. "I kept hitting it, and cursing, and nothing was coming out. And I NEEDED that toilet paper."

Witnesses to the event were not sure what to do. "I saw the porta-potty shaking, and I heard her yells," said her boyfriend, who would prefer to remain nameless as of press time.

A man standing in line broke the door open, believing Kelly was trapped. "She scared me," he said. "There was a woman with chicken legs, with her pants down, pounding the dispenser. I don't think I'll ever be the same."

Although this equipment malfunction interfered greatly with Kelly's warm up, it did not impede her concentration. In her first of many messages to the field that day, Kelly tried a tactic never before attempted in the peloton, that is, on purpose.

Says Kelly, "I'm afraid of hurting myself, basically."

The race begins with a short steep climb, and then a series of sharp turns that have left others in the past extremely hurt. "So, I thought okay, I'll give myself a nice safety buffer, and then I'll pass everyone after they go down," said Kelly.

Unfortunately, her plan backfired.

"I was dropped in the first minute," said Kelly.

Meanwhile, Parker raced a solid race, like how a normal and skilled athlete would, staying close to the front of the peloton, climbing strong and descending gracefully.

"I didn't know what happened to her," said Parker.

But then she heard a voice. "She startled me. It came from nowhere. More like a screech. 'CLAAAAAARE! I'm HEEEEERE!'"

By this time, the pack had dwindled down to twenty, as they traversed the rolling hills towards Livermore.

"I was relieved to ride in a draft again," said Kelly.

Perhaps the duo's most heroic movement was catching a stray Vela Bella, who had broken away after the major climb."

"We caught her, and I mean, suddenly, we were, like, in the front!" said Kelly. "'Wow, I'm winning, I'm winning!' I thought. I thought maybe we could break away."

Kelly and Parker, in fact, did not break away, but they did succeed in pulling the field an awfully long way.

Then, suddenly, the Velo Bella squad of six began the first of their series of shenanigans.

"They started going a lot faster," said Kelly, adding that in the descent, they almost hit a snake. "That was icky," she said.

Parker held on to sprint to 8th, passing several people, all leaving Kelly to wonder what had happened.

"I mean, that snake," she said, still dazed and confused. "It was just slithering on the ground. That was upsetting," she said.

Kelly noted the strong teamwork of the Velo Bella squad, as well as an impressive showing of Kathleen Kubal, of Cycle Sports.

Still, she admits, she has no idea where they finished, and that she was 12th is a guess. She actually never looked at the results.

Still, she was happy with her finish, saying, "I got dropped, I caught back on, and I hung with the main crowd. And I have awesome teammates. Team Tam rules."

Kelly believes she learned a few valuable lessons. "Stay closer to the wheel in front of you is one," she said. "And bring your own toilet paper."

I Survived the Sea Otter

by Katie Kelly

My favorite quote of the weekend:

"Excuse me, but have you seen the group of people we
were riding with?" Words spoken to me as I was caught
by maybe the 20th rider in at the Sea Otter road race.

So Lynette and I did the circuit race Friday and the
roadrace with Paula on Saturday. I should let them
tell you their stories, but I am pleased to announce
that Lynette had a stellar finish in the road race,
12th over all, out of some 50 riders, and this is
after nearly getting dropped on "the wall", this
brutal, cruelly placed climb that became steeper on
each lap.

I know this, because I was with Lynette at this point.
Let me say that I have never raced in a more exhausted
state in my life, and I'd like to think that had I
been in a more recovered condition, that I could have
been a more helpful teammate.

But no, what happened was, I tried to stay on
Lynette's wheel on this climb, and I succeeded, at
least at the crest of the hill, because I then watched
Lynette pedal off into the sunset, as she grabbed the
tail end of the peloton.

The rest of the race was a painful time trial for me.
I was happy to see in the results that Paula finished
right behind me, and we were still mid-pack out of 50
riders. I learned later that Paula had suffered from a
terrible fit of "wheel wobble", a bike condition I've
only heard terrible stories about, during the first
descent at the beginning of the race. Let's say I've
heard of others encountering this, and then crashing
terribly, so I'm very thankful that Paula made it out
alive, and IMPRESSED that her tenacity pushed her back
up to a midpack finish, right behind me in the
results. She'd be up with Lynette otherwise.

The circuit race on Friday was the most painful of my
recollection. I really cannot recommend working 'til
10 o'clock the night before a big race, as well as
every night that week, on top of training hard for
three weeks straight and then honestly expecting that
you're going to win, which is kind of what I was
actually hoping. So, whatever, you improvise, you
change your goals around, and you do what you can. It
sure beats working.

But let me tell you about my big lightbulb moment.
Lynette had only been saying for a few weeks, "Really,
I'm just doing this for fun, I haven't even been
training, I just want to finish."

I ignored this until maybe the last twenty minutes
before the start when a little voice in my head said,
"Katie, wake up! That's how ALL the fast people talk!"

Sure enough, it was Lynette pulling the pack up the
hill. I can't believe I found whatever strength I had
to stay up with her. The rest of the race maybe isn't
that memorable. In fact, it's sometimes for the best
that you forget about the painful parts, or you may
never race again. But for a couple of minutes, anyway,
Lynette and I controlled the race, and I bet people
were thinking, wow, who is this Team Tam, they're
going to kill us. Either that, or they were thinking,
what are those fools doing, don't they know we have to
do this for 50 minutes?