Foothills Road Race

This is the first time I had been to Foothills race because mostly it's so early, and after Merco, it's hard to do it two days in a row, so you can imagine how riders manage to do stage races! Never enough sleep probably, and I sure didn't want to get up at 4am again, but I did! This was one of those days I should of stayed in bed, since I got a flat on the way to the race. When I went to change it, the lug wrench broke, and that was about par for the day. After finally getting some help, I was late and missed the start of the pro 1-2 women.

Then, the media car was late taking me into the field, so I missed the first lap, which is a big deal since there are only 3 laps in the women's race. The laps are really long, over 20 miles I think. I found a good spot with sun to my back, and the composition was good in the rich wine country of the foothills. It was sunny finally, and no wind as well! I managed to see the riders do two laps, but the media car was late picking me up, so I missed the finish. Also there was a major crash in one of the men's group, and we couldn't pass the crash scene for 30 minutes.

When I got back finally to the staging area, I was famished, and went for the burritos. They didn't announce the podium zealously like they did at the Merco criterium, at least I never heard anything. Next thing I knew, they were doing the podium and it was over before I could finish my burrito. Also the podium was not front and center, aligned with the tables. It was basically hidden behind the staffing area, so you couldn't even see anything unless you were right inside that area. I barely got a glimpse of a Proman rider from the tables.

This was a hard race to get to for me. The parking was very bad and too strung out over many miles single file with cars stretched along both sides of the road. I had to walk two miles from my car to the staging area and two miles back, bit of a pain, and it’s a completely closed course. You have no access to the course, unless you know a farmer! All things considered, it wasn't worth the trouble at all for me, because it's always based partly on if I enjoy the experience.

However, I really enjoyed the tranquility of those quiet grape orchards, peaceful and serene, not a sound, not a care in the world, at least for a few hours, with the occasional rider out in no mans land, between the main groups. I really do like those gently rolling foothills with those green pastures and especially the almonds in bloom! That was really cool to see thousands of those white trees!

I didn't take many photos at all, as there was only two times that the riders past by, so I got lucky with a round of bursts which I posted the best ones in progression. Here, in the progression is a lot of the top riders. I got lucky, because most of the big guns were all in single file pretty much on the same side of the road I was on! Actually, that's the one good thing that went right all day, got lucky on that account!

Podium

1 Emilia Fahlin (Sweden) High Road
2 Rushlee Buchanan (USA) Tibco
3 Virginia Perkins (USA) Proman

Some of the registered riders.

Trish Bell Morgan Stanley - 24 Hr Fitness-Specialized - 186
Laurel Green Dolce Vita Cycling - 184
Mara Abbott Team High Road - 154
Kim Anderson Team High Road - 155
Emilia Fahlin Team High Road - 156
Anke Wichmann Team High Road - 157
Elis Bradshaw Metromint Cycling on Marin Bikes - 177
Lana Atchley Team Rock - 163
Priscilla Calderon Team Rock - 164
Ashley Dymond Team Rock - 165
Courtney Hammond Team Rock - 166
Rachel Herring Team Rock - 167
Ginger Hsieh Team Rock - 168
Yukie Nakamura Team Kenda Tire - 169
Virginia Perkins Proman Racing - 159
Megan Elliott Unattached - 191
Amanda Seigle code 3 racing - 183
Giana Roberge Proman Racing - 158
Claire House NorCal Velo Women's Cycling Team - 187
Sarah Lightfoot Metromint Cycling on Marin Bikes - 176
Rushlee Buchanan Team Tibco - 151
Olivia Dillon Touchstone Climbing - 190
Jerika Hutchinson Team Tibco - 153
Coryn Rivera Kahala-La Grange - 185
Kristina Seley Proman Racing - 160
Erin Dunn Easton-Sugar CRM-Specialized - 171
Jennifer Van Muckey Easton-Sugar CRM-Specialized - 172
Amy McGuire Team Kenda Tire - 170
Victoria Bastide Team Tibco - 150
Holly Roberts Easton-Sugar CRM-Specialized - 173
Liza Rachetto Team Tibco 152
Karla Kingsley Easton-Sugar CRM-Specialized - 174
Liz Hatch Vanderkitten 178
Kate Ligler Proman Racing 161
Abby Lyn Cooper Proman Racing 162
Rae Brownsberger Stanford Cycling 189
Jane Despas Vanderkitten 179
Anna Drakulich Bicycle Johns Serious Cycling 182
Rebecca Much Webcor Builders 192
Taitt Sato ValueAct Capital 180
Hannah Banks ValueAct Capital 181
Morgan Kapp South Bay Wheelman 188
Brianne Burgess Easton-Sugar CRM-Specialized 175