Piece of cake

Sorella Forte members got down to business during the 2017 OBRA road race opener in Aurora, Ore., on March 19. Piece of Cake this year was, well, a piece of cake for Heather and Sarah. The skies cleared, allowing for a dry race. 

Piece of Cake was my first race, in my first racing season. I raced category 4/5, which also included masters 3/4/5. The pace on the first lap was moderate similar to most group rides. The course had a couple of short hills. I was relieved that I did not have any problem keeping with the pack up and over those hills. The pace quickened on the second lap as did the frequency and distance of the attacks. I wasn’t gaining any ground, but I didn’t lose any either. About two-thirds of the way around the second lap, the leaders made a strong effort to break away. I fell back a bit, but finally gained back the ground. Then the group slowed to a puzzlingly slow pace for the remainder of the second lap. The race was definitely back on during the third and final lap. I kept up and even rode toward the front for a bit. About one-third of the way through the final lap, one of the lead riders took off like we were all standing still. No one was able to catch her. She time-trialed the rest of the race. Those who tried to catch her grew tired, but allowed us to catch the second break in short order. The pace in the pack kept getting faster the closer we got to the finish. About 3 km from the finish, I could no longer keep up and dropped from the lead riders. Overall, I finished in the middle. Not too bad for my first race. I’m looking forward to the next race – the Gorge Roubaix. I hope to have some Sorella company. It was a bit lonely out there with no teammates to ride with.

~ Race report by Heather Simmons