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   June 13, 2009 Nature Valley Grand Prix - sad but true On day three of the Nature Valley Grand Prix, we lined up in Uptown Minneapolis for a 25-lap criterium. The course was described in the technical guide as “pancake flat” and that was no exaggeration! Pancake flat and L-shaped with six turns. With our team out of GC contention for the time being, the criterium was a day to have our roughed-up riders relax in the bunch and our strong sprinters go for sprints and a stage win. A breakaway would have also played in our favor. From the start, Rebecca Much found herself in a great position to attack, so she got things going, and reminded the peloton that, despite a bit of bad luck the previous day, Webcor was still there to race. I was hanging back in the bunch and gaining back my criterium-riding confidence. The team was under the impression that our bad luck had taken its full toll on Thursday, however, we were sadly mistaken. Somewhere around 5 or 7 laps into the race, I came around a right-hand turn and crashed, coming down on my right side, the same side I’ve been crashing on all season! Things did not feel right, but our team mechanic, Dave, and soigneur, Jeremy were there to help and I decided I needed to get back on the bike. Dave set me up on a spare bike and I jumped back into the race. Perhaps it wasn’t the wisest decision, but I finished the race, somewhere in the back, and made it through the rest of the turns without any problem. It was a relief to finish and immediately after crossing the line I had teammates and good friends coming to see how I was feeling. After a visit to the medical tent and a talk with my coach and team director, it was time to make the call to go home. My collarbone is most likely rebroken, so I’ll be back in San Diego on Saturday, training on the back of the tandem, and getting an x-ray to see how things look. With each of these crashes, I keep reminding myself that I’m lucky the racing season is long and that careers are even longer. The team is down from eight to six for the remaining stages, but they are strong and are sure to make a mark on the final two stages. Janel |