Thanks to veteran racers Gina Kavesh and Martha Walsh, nearly all of the typical trial by fire is eliminated for Seattle-area women who want to try bicycle racing. During the autumn they host an annual Introduction to Women’s Racing Series, and to open the 2013 season they have organized a series of coaching clinics with some of the fastest women around. Seattle often gets knocked as not being a real cycling city, but where else can you get free coaching advice from professional cycling athletes?
Sunday evening was a two-hour time trial clinic with Vanderkitten pro Rhae Shaw at the Polka Dot Jersey bike shop in Leschi. Rhae’s presentation was incredibly detailed and covered everything from pre-race organization (make sure a fresh bra and barrettes are on the checklist) to post-race nutrition.
Former TIBCO pro Jennifer Wheeler will give a clinic after the upcoming Frostbite Time Trial on February 23. Jennifer’s clinic will help link Rhae’s pre-race tips with what racers actually experienced during the race, and help apply lessons learned at the Ice Breaker Time Trial the following weekend. Although Rhae’s clinic was limited to category 4 women, Jennifer’s clinic is open to all.
To further support women new to bike racing, look for early season “true beginner” races at both the Sequim Series races and at the North Bend Criterium. The field for the beginner races is self-selected, and the idea is to give true newbies a less daunting experience to boost their bike racing confidence. These events will be “mentored racing,” with elite racers riding along and giving post-race analysis. Local race promoters have had to jump through extra hoops to make these (experimental) races happen, and everyone is hopeful that they will be a success.
As the season progresses, Volkl returns as the main sponsor of the Category 4 Women’s Race Series with upwards of 10 events scheduled from February 23 through August 17. Points are awarded to the top 15 finishers at each event, and series participants accumulate points by finishing each race in the series. Consistent participation is at least as important as top finishes. Generous prizes from series sponsors are anticipated for the top 15 women in the overall standings at the end of the race season.
