The name doesn't lie... Tulsa Tough was a weekend of tough racing under the hot hot sun! But it was also a weekend of fun races. The series starts out with an evening race -- the Blue Dome Criterium in downtown Tulsa. The figure eight style course is lined with enthusiastic fans, big screen TVs, and lots of cowbells. The race organization really knows how to create a fun race atmosphere for fans and racers alike. Amanda attacked with 4 laps to go in the race to give Team Tibco a win to start of the series! And when we went home that night, we saw the replay of the win on local TV -- pretty sweet that women's cycling gets airtime in Oklahoma!
(A good post race cool down)
The next day was another top notch race only blocks away from the previous night's venue. It had a small hill and lots of sunshine (hot hot hot!) and another fun atmosphere for racing.
(another good post race cool down)
But the best race was saved for last. Sunday's race featured a steep climb followed by a false flat, a steep downhill, and a long finishing stretch... back to the steep climb. Now a steep climb in hot weather is not ideal, but the climb is lined with rowdy fans dressed up in costumes and spraying cold water (ahhhh!). Tulsa fans really know how to motivate the racers -- I had so much fun reaching the top of the climb every lap. And the race was a great day for Team Tibco. We had two riders in a break with 10 laps to go and the rest of us were controlling the pack hoping for the break to stick. With 2 laps to go, the break was clearly a success so my teammates helped me get off the front and finish ahead of the pack... then our sprinter, Sam, finished strong out of the field sprint. I think we ended the day with 4 in the top 11 and a 2nd place finish for Amanda. It was a great all around team effort!
Thanks to the promoters, the fans, and our wonderful host house for giving us a fun weekend in Tulsa!
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