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Snerf's slant: The 2004 Nicole Freedman Diary
Sprinter, 2000 Olympian and a founder of the Basis women's team, Nicole Freedman - known as Snerf to her friends - is one of the US circuit's great characters. Her goal for 2004 is to make the Olympic team for Israel and failing that "to see one of my developmental teammates win their first NRC race and subsequently take all their prize money."
September 13, 2004
Why can't we race the kids?
Basis Wins the Atlanta 10K
The US 10k went off without a hitch this weekend, despite threats that Hurricane Ivan, which devastated over 95% of the houses on some nearby irrelevant non-US island, would hit the region.
The US 10k is part of a city-wide fundraising festival which includes live music, cycling races, kids events, in-line skating races and running races. After being denied entry into the kid's events, Team Basis registered for the pro cycling event.
Basis' Nicole Freedman won the event with teammates Nicki Wangsgard, Kele Hulser, Lisa Matlock, Lauren Gaffney and Chrissy Ruiter all placing. Tina Mayolo of Genesis finished second followed by Katrina Berger of Rona.
"I just went as hard as I could the last 500 meters," relates Nicole, "The running race started 5 minutes after our race. I thought it would be less than ideal if [eventual winner of running race] Thomas Kiplitan of Kenya zipped past us."
"I think this 10k format is our strength," says one Basis rider, commenting on the event's unique shortness, only 10 kilometres. Cycling road races are never less than 50 - 80 miles. For those of you confused by my dazzling, yet effortless transition from the metric system (10k) to the English system (80 miles), the point is that 10k is significantly shorter than 80 miles.
"We are so excited to have found our strength in an event that takes place 12 minutes per century," relates another Basis rider who just traded her carbon/ aluminium/gold Javelin bicycle for a Post-It note, "It is sort of like training for seventeen years to be an Olympic Synchronized swimmer."
Upcoming events include:
9/12 San Francisco Grand Prix
9/23-9/26 Tour of Bermuda
9/25-9/26 Mercy Celebrity Criterium
10/2-3 Cyclefest
1/3/05 ICE CREAM TOUR OF BOSTON - postponed for temporary weight loss
