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Riding as a Team at Dana Point GP
By Kendall Ryan of the NOW-MS Society Elite Women's Cycling Team

The Dana Point Grand Prix Pro womens criterium went off at 2:00pm Sunday afternoon. Our NOW-MS Society U25 squad: Julia Lafranchise, Jennifer Johansen (Jenjo), Jenna Kowalski, and I were hungry for success. All the riders gathered up to the line to start the race. The chief official said the rules of the race and asked, "Are there any juniors present?" I raised my hand along with Coryn Rivera, Alexis Ryan, Tara McCormick, and fellow teammate Ivie Crawford-- the most juniors I've raced with since Road Nationals last year. It was great to see more juniors racing up in category races. The official had us ride backwards on the course to junior roll out near the wheel pit. For junior gear roll out, before or after a race, I have to put my bike in the biggest chainring in the front and on the smallest gear on the rear cog and roll my bike backwards. Thus causing the cranks to rotate a full revolution that measures out to 100 inches. Since juniors are development riders our knees are at risk of injury when pushing too big a gear. So by having a smaller gear compared to our competitors it forces us to spin more. I consider this an advantage for the future.

Kendall Ryan takes the podium at the Dana Point Grand Prix.

The race started off with intense attacks from all the bigger teams: Helen's, La Grange, Incycle, and Vanderkitten. With every attack was one of our riders, and the rest of us would get to the front and slow it down. Then after that attempted breakaway was swallowed up by the field, another one of our riders would counter. Our goal for this race was to combine the skills we learned from all the previous stage races Team Director Kurt Stockton planned for us to do, and use them in the race. Let me tell you, I was really impressed with how well we rode as a team.

It was two laps to go when Jenjo launched a massive attack on the back stretch coming into the final turn. She was going for the gamblers prime of $100. She held off the field and won the prime, the field swallowed her up, it was THE FINAL LAP! I was sitting about mid-field. The pack sat up after the first corner out of six, and I knew I had to move up quick. I made many maneuvers to get towards the front, squeezed under on the inside of the corners, dived through holes, and then was suddenly sitting third wheel out of the second to last corner. There was still a long straightaway before the last corner. My heart was beating so fast, everything suddenly went into slow-motion. I was sitting on Incycle rider Pam Schuster who was right behind Beatriz Rodriguez who was stringing it out for the finish. A Vanderkitten rider started sprinting when we were half-way through the stretch of road on my left side. I knew I had to go. I sprinted as hard as I could past both riders in front of me, diving through that last corner in first place. I could see the finish line right in front of me, just about 200 meters. I held them off and posted up on the line for the win. A Helen's rider (Maria Lechuga) was second and Coryn Rivera of Peanut Butter & Co. was third. Julia Lafranchise placed 7th in the bunch sprint, and Jenjo was in the mix after a hard effort. Jenna unfortunately crashed in the last corner on the last lap. She has stitches in her finger now, but she rode a great race.

After the finish I gave my dad a big hug and he said, "Where did that come from?" I said "I have no idea!"

Kendall Ryan
NOW-MS Society Elite Women's Team