amy alison dombroski

2009 Blogs

Videoooo from Colt at www.CyclingDirt.com: http://www.cyclingdirt.org/videos/coverage/view_video/235695-nact-3-4-grand-prix-of-gloucester/203131-amy-dombroski-post-race-gp-gloucester-1

When waiting for my clothes to wash at the laundromat on Saturday afternoon, my dad and I found a rockin' little coffee shop in downtown Glahsta, called Pleasant Street Tea Co. Their chai spiced butternut squash soup was tops, and we enjoyed some rooibos tea. We visited the coffee shop again on Sunday morning where we fueled up on porridge and rocket fuel coffee.

I felt like I had put in a solid warm-up on Saturday, but with cold and rain it can be hard to get it right. So today I made sure to really get the legs going, especially because immediately after finishing yesterday I went home to get in the hot shower without a cool down of any sort. The weather turned around and the sun actually peaked out for the end of our race and into the men's race. Because we tore apart the course so lividly yesterday and the race promoters need to pay a landscaper to repair any damage, the course was widely revised. The rain finally came to a halt on Saturday night, and the ocean breeze dried the course out a bunch. So we were left with a very different Gloucester course with tacky conditions.

My start was better and some snap returned to my legs. After a fast start, a group at the front of the race formed with Natasha Elliot, Mo, LVG, Sue, Rebecca W, and myself. With road racing-like tactics, Natasha, Mo and LVG attacked and countered, eventually creating a gap to Sue, Rebecca and me. Though I was feeling more spry at the beginning of the race, I faded for the second half. Sue got a flat, chased back on, and came passed me, telling me to get on her wheel, but my energy seemed to be tapped and my matches burned. Finally Sue and Rebecca were in front of me and my attempts to reel my way back onto their wheel were never fulfilled ...the final lap and a half was all damage control; my last strides to hold onto 6th place.

It was my first weekend with the new team. Richard conquered with a 5th and 6th. Da boyz all rode strongly, with Dan busting a 7th on Sunday. As a team we didn't entirely "save the world" as Richard was suggesting in his cheers from the pit, but there will be other weekends for that. We saved little bits and pieces of the world this weekend, and we can only build on that!
Photo credit to Dave McElwaine at trailwatch.net

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