Brooke O'Connor - Wed., July 7, 2004

Thankful that the weather was a bit cooler than last year's almost 100 degrees with 90% humidity, the Colavita Olive Oil women descended once again upon the O'Connor household in Massachusetts (I'll try to promise more bathrooms next year) for the 45th annual Fitchburg Longsjo Classic. Going into this stage race knowing that we are a criterium specialty team with no pure climbers, we tried for strong time trials and stage placings.

Day One was the 7.8 mile time trial. With a slight hill going out and coming back and the short steep climb to the finish line, it was a course set up for the powerful rider. Charm showed her power with an impressive 8th place of 95 starters, with a time of 18:59, just 57 seconds behind winner Sue Palmer-Komar (Genesis Scuba). Shannon and Kristy followed closely behind in 24th and 25th, with times of 19:28 and 19:32, respectively. Rebecca (34th), Tracy (42nd), Brooke (53th) and Lenore (79th) rounded out the rest of the team.

Day Two was the 3.1 mile, 13 lap circuit race. A short 2 step climb up to the start/finish line, followed by a long fast descent to form an elongated triangle (yes, my math teacher's terminology is coming out). The pace was kept very fast with continuous attacking from all teams which resulted in the field shattering midway through the race. We kept Charm and Shannon rested and out of trouble with hopes of launching them fresh at the base of the final climb to the finish. With the usual craziness to get to the last corner first, they slipped through with the front group and powered up to a 4th for Charm (just behind top sprinters Laura Van Gilder, Tina Pic (both Genesis Scuba) and Sarah Uhl (Quark)) and 7th for Shannon. Brooke (18th), Kristy (27th), and Tracy (35th) all finished in the front group with the same time as the winners. An early race effort put Rebecca just behind the main group and Lenore finished behind Rebecca's group.

Day Three would be our least favorite and included 6 laps of a hilly 11.4 mile loop, followed by the final climb up to the summit of the 2000 ft Mt Wachusett
(the same mountain many New Englanders ski down during the winter). The pace started conservatively until an early attack saw the foursome of Tina Pic, Andrea Hannos and Helen Kelly (both RONA) and our own Kristy get away. Since most of the major teams were represented, the pack settled in letting the break get up to a 3 minute gap. At the beginning of the last lap, Kristen LaSasso (CRCA-Aquafina) bridged solo up to the break and drove the pace to the finish. When the peloton reached the feed zone on that final lap, a group of about 20 attacked and immediately opened a gap on the rest of the field. This group caught Kristy's break at the base of the final climb and from that point on it was every woman for herself on the final climb to the top. Ensuring that Charm was in that group that attacked, Shannon (34th), Rebecca (39th), Tracy (40th) and Brooke (43rd) settled in the last couple of miles before the final ascent to the top. Kristy's day long effort rewarded her with 12th place stage placing and moved her into 14th on GC. Charm was right behind in 14th place and 9th in GC.

Day Four was the 28 lap, 25 mile criterium in downtown Fitchburg. Course is again an elongated triangle with a slight uphill through the start finish, tight left turn, flying fast slight downhill to two left 90 degree turns back to the start/finish stretch. Talking winners from previous races, it's whoever gets out of the last turn in 2nd place that usually takes the win. Looking at the GC, if Charm could get away in a break with a couple of other key riders and gain a few seconds they would all move up a couple of spots in GC. Unfortunately, the pace was too fast on this day with numerous attacks from all the teams in last ditch efforts to also move up in GC. Colavita marked the dangerous attacks and with the pace so high, save for about 10 women, it came down to a pack finish. After some scuffling in the last lap Genesis Scuba train, Brooke lost her prime
lead-out position behind Tina Pic, but Shannon was able to come around and nab 8th, with Brooke (13th), Charm (23rd), Kristy (33rd) and Rebecca (57th) finishing in the pack with the same time. At this point, nothing changed in GC with Charm finishing 9th and Kristy in 14th.

It was a very valiant effort by the Colavita Olive Oil women on courses not exactly suited for a criterium team, but nevertheless in which we received even more compliments from other teams are impressed with how well our team works together, and how we managed to overcome gravity to shine in Fitchburg!

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