The first national race of the year is done! It feels so good to have a race under my belt and a big one at that! I placed 8th which is an improvement over last year. I finally accrued some UCI points as well! Race day had perfect temperatures and a fun Texas crowd cheering. It was a small but extremely strong field of women. My new full suspension Jamis Dakar 29er bike was perfect for the course. The first time I rode it was the day before the race during the pre-ride! By time I was on my last lap of the race I started to really feel what that bike is capable of and I'm stoked I get to race on that machine this year! As I rolled across the line I was informed I'd been randomly selected from the top 10 for doping control. It was a new experience for me. A chaperone escorted me to my car and allowed me to get a recovery drink and take off my helmet and shoes. Then we went to doping control where I was asked lots of questions and given plenty of water so that I could eventually give them a urine sample. Team Jamis hired a person to help me before and during the race since Jason was racing right after me and wouldn't be able to feed me the whole race. A nice local racer took care of all my racing needs (shedding layers at the start, handing up bottles, calling out splits, and taking pictures). Having that kind of support has made it a great experience to be on a pro team this year. Just getting to park in the pro parking has been super helpful! It's an honor to race for Team Jamis and I'm looking forward to a banner year with them!

Start line, I'm on the second row on the right hand side (14th place call up)

Photo Credit: James P.

Photo Credit: Denise S.

Race Results

Doping Control Chaperone

Name on my jersey this year!