The Aaron’s Pro Women’s Cycling Team traveled to Atlanta on Friday April 28 to gather for the first of two back to back NRC race weekends in the Atlanta region. The team had been racing at many top notch regional races or individually at select NRC races but these races would be the first time the team would be all together for an NRC race. The first was in Athens, GA and has become an institution with regards to criterium racing in the U.S. and especially in the Southeast. It was clear that this year every major team in the country had brought their A-game to Athens.
The racing started off real fast at Athens and seemed to never let up as within just the first 5 laps of the race nearly half of the field had lost contact with the field. Aaron’s Candice Blickem patrolled the front for the first portion of the race protecting Shannon Hutchison-Krupat while Mackenzie Dickey and Catherine Powers were making their way up through the field trying to make up for the fact that they had a last row starting position.
Inside of 5 laps to go the field was still all together. With 2 laps left Team Lipton went to the front to set up for their sprinter Laura VanGilder. Candice came around bringing Shannon Hutchison-Krupat along with her to make sure she was properly placed. As the women came down the front stretch with 1 to go it was Candice on the front keeping the pace high. As the race crested the rise on the back side heading into turn 3 the field hesitated and Jen McRae (Conex Train) used the element of surprise and attacked to get gap on the field. Shannon knew Jen’s attack was dangerous and was the next to jump with Tina Pic (Colavita) on her wheel. Shannon took the race through turn 3 and 4 and down the finish stretch but was nipped by Tina at the line to take the 3rd spot on the podium. A great result for the team in its first outing as a team at an NRC for 2006.
Roswell Criterium
Following a late night return to Atlanta from Athens the team headed over to nearby Roswell, GA for a much quieter atmosphere from the college scene of Athens, GA the night before. The race however, was definitely not going to be quiet. The Aaron’s women rode a perfect race for the first half with the right riders placed in each move. About mid-way through the race a break formed with Tina Pic, Laura Van Gilder (Lipton), Kelly Benjamin (Cheerwine), Laura Yoisten (Victory Brewing) and our two Aaron’s riders, Catherine Powers and Candice Blickem. In this situation we made several mistakes in our communication as a team which we would later cost us at the finish. In the end it was Van Gilder taking the win ahead of Pic and Benjamin as Candice and Catherine came in for sixth and seventh.
Sunny King Criterium, Anniston, AL
The following Friday the Aaron’s Women made the now familiar trip back to Atlanta to race at the Sunny King Criterium in Anniston, AL. The team clearly had taken all discussions from the prior week to heart as they would later prove.
Saturday morning the team took off from the team headquarters in Atlanta for another smooth ride in the Hank Aaron Jaguar over to the race venue. The Aaron’s Women showed their presence early in the race with attacks from Candice Blickem and Catherine Powers fast and often. Following a combination of attacks from Shannon Hutchison-Krupat and Mackenzie Dickey, Katherine Carroll of Victory Brewing put in a hard attack up the inside of the finishing straight that would prove to be the beginning of the deciding break. Aaron’s sent Candice Blickem off in pursuit of Katherine which created a significant separation in the field that resulted in a group of 9 riders that contained Catherine and Candice of Aaron’s as well as great representation from Victory Brewing, Cheerwine and Colavita.
The Aaron’s Women had clearly taken notes from the prior weekend in Roswell and tactically rode the break perfectly all the way. In the final lap Candice made sure the pace was high and that Catherine was in good position as they approached the final turn. As the crowds waited in anticipation, it was Tina Pic putting her wheel into the final turn just ahead of Catherine’s and as they stood up and gave it their all up the finishing stretch Tina held on to the slight advantage over Catherine to take the win with Catherine in second with Laura Yoisten rounding out the podium. As the field came in Aaron’s sprinters Shannon and Mackenzie wanted to make sure that they put the final Aaron’s stamp on the race with a 1-2 in the field sprint.
Overall, it was a very successful way to open up the NRC schedule with two podium finishes. The Aaron’s team will next be in raing the NRC events over the Memorial Day weekend.
Saturday morning the team took off from the team headquarters in Atlanta for another smooth ride in the Hank Aaron Jaguar over to the race venue. The Aaron’s Women showed their presence early in the race with attacks from Candice Blickem and Catherine Powers fast and often. Following a combination of attacks from Shannon Hutchison-Krupat and Mackenzie Dickey, Katherine Carroll of Victory Brewing put in a hard attack up the inside of the finishing straight that would prove to be the beginning of the deciding break. Aaron’s sent Candice Blickem off in pursuit of Katherine which created a significant separation in the field that resulted in a group of 9 riders that contained Catherine and Candice of Aaron’s as well as great representation from Victory Brewing, Cheerwine and Colavita. 