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Time for a change: The Kimberly Bruckner Journal 2003
Last year the 2001 US Road Champion Kimberly Bruckner left the number one ranked women's team in the US after two years with Saturn and joined the growing force that is Team T-Mobile. With her sights firmly set on the Worlds in Hamilton and the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, Kimberly's diary is sure to provide compelling reading.
Sea Otter Classic
Stage 2 - April 10: Laguna Seca Time trial, 12 miles
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Yesterday afternoon our team directors tried as best they could to preview today's time trial course. But Fort Ord is a military base just outside of Monterey and is not easily accessible by car. I should have taken my bike and snuck through the hole in the gate so I could see the course... but hindsight is always 20/20. In hopes of riding the course before we actually raced it, T-Mobile left our hotel super early this morning before our 9am start. We ended up riding the wrong way and never saw the first half of the course. Some things just aren't meant to be.
The 12 mile time trial was a tough, hilly course that ended on the Laguna Seca Raceway. We started in reverse GC order determined from yesterday's stage finish, in 30 second increments. I was the ninth from last to go off and was chasing Sue Palmer-Komar of the Genesis team. Sue's a really strong rider so I was motivated to be chasing her in my attempt at a best time. I like having women in front of me that I can use as rabbits. It always gives me something to focus on during the race other than my burning legs and lungs. Today was only the second time I had ridden my time trial bike, and although I think it's a great fit, I was thinking I really need to lower the seat a little bit. These are the kinds of things that ran through my mind in the 35+ minutes I was out on the course.
I caught Sue about half-way through the course, and as I rounded the next corner and started climbing the 2km hill near the finish, I could see three more women in front of me. THAT was motivating! I managed to pass all three of them before the top of the climb and was ready to bomb down the hill, come out on the Laguna Seca raceway, and rocket on home. As I came around the second to last corner on the race track, I could hear my mom and dad yelling for me which motivated me even further. When I came across the line, I had the best time so far, but I know not to put too much faith in that since eight fast girls were still to finish. As expected, Genevieve came flying in with the fastest time. But this time I was only a minute behind her and finished second. A minute may seem like a lot to most people, but considering my competition, I figured this was an improvement over Redlands!
Once again, T-Mobile and Saturn were stacked behind Jeanson. Manon finished third, 1:30 back. Lyne and Amber actually came in with the same time and it came down to the tenth of a second to separate them, 1:34 back. Dede had a great ride despite some mechanical problems to finish eighth. Kim Anderson and Kristin Armstrong finished with the same exact time as well, in 11th and 12th, and Dotsie Cowden had a great finish for our team in 17th. I think T-Mobile had a super solid day overall.
Tomorrow's stage was supposed to be a criterium in the cool seaside town of Santa Cruz. But by the end of the time trial, we were hearing rumors that the crit had been cancelled and we were going to race a circuit race on the Laguna Seca raceway instead. I'm not positive about the reasons, though I've heard a couple floating around. I'll find out the real reason tomorrow before I start spreading untrue rumors. Regardless, tomorrow's circuit race should be fast and furious and interesting. I can't wait to see what happens.
Talk to you soon,
Kimberly
