Intelligentsia Cup

This past weekend was the Intelligentsia Cup in the Chicago area. It was 7 days of racing, but we only showed up for the last 4 days. I have never done these races before, but it sounded like a good series and it was sponsored by Intelligentsia coffee! Only finding out I was going a week before the race didn’t give me much time to prep, but I knew I had good form from the past two weekends of racing.

On Thursday morning Fabio, Conor, and I headed to the airport to leave for Chicago. I never like flying the day before a race, let a lone the day of a race. I would prefer two days before so I can relax and get ready for the race. This time around we were flying in the day of the race and landing 2.5 hrs before the race start. Of course we had a delay during our connection, and landed about 1.5 hrs before the race started. Isaac and Gavi flew in earlier that morning and were waiting for us at the airport. We finally loaded up the truck and were hustling to make the start in 1 hr and15 min. Google maps said it was going to take an hour in traffic, and that was about right. During the drive we decided that Conor and Fabio were going to build my bike as I ran to registration to get our numbers. We arrived to the race venue 12 min before the start. Issac, Gavi, and I got our warm up by sprinting to get our numbers, while Conor and Fabio got our bikes ready. TEAM WORK behind the scenes. We rolled up to the start during the National Anthem… plenty of time! The race course was not technical at all so that helped me be able to sit in and try to warm up. I didn’t feel normal until 1 hr in and still didn't feel like I had my normal snap. In the end, Isaac grabbed 3rd which is very impressive considering our stressful situation before the start.

The next night was a twilight race that was more technical and had a bigger field. When I say Twilight, I mean pitch DARK! It was very very dark on the straight-aways and then blinding in the corners…totally safe. It was an aggressive race with attacks going all day but nothing stuck. In the final 20 min or so I found myself in a 3 man breakaway. We worked really well together until 5 laps to go when one guy attacked us. The Arapahoe guys and I just looked at each other and said lets just work together and bring him back, and that’s what we did. We pulled him back with 1 lap to go but unfortunately I had nothing left for the sprint and had to settle for 2nd. I was super happy to get back on the podium, and the boys did a great lead out for Issac to take 5th.

The 3rd night was the NCC race and it was a hot one. There were long straight-aways and tight narrow corners. I rode aggressive just like I have been all week, and in the end somehow found myself solo off the front with less then 10 laps to go. Eventually I got reeled back and was gassed. Conor and Isaac finished 11th and 12th, but the result didn't do justice for how well we rode.

Sunday was the last day on another non-technical course with long open roads. There were many attacks but nothing was going to stick. In the end, it was Astellas and us on the front keeping it fast. I did some hard pulls and pulled off with 1 to go and the boys finished it off with another top 10. Would of been nice to get another podium, but we are getting better at every race.

Now its time to rest up and get ready for the Littleton NCC race this weekend. I was born and raised in Littleton, so I am so excited that a national level crit is going to be in my hometown. I will finally get to show my family, friends, and neighbors what I actually do.

Thanks for reading,

Ginger 1