Women in the Bike Race
Philadelphia's Wachovia Liberty Classic bike race is June 6. We asked racer Liz Begosh to tell us about this exciting race. Here's what she had to say:
It's the reason why I fell for bicycle racing.
It's an international race, meaning that placing in the top 20 is very
hard. The top 10 finishers receive UCI points (world ranking pts. from Union
Cyclisme Internationale the governing body in elite/professional bicycle
racing.)
While the finish is a flat sprint, the race winner must be a great
climber. Last year, the winner, Lyne Bessette, broke away from the field on
The Wall on the last lap.
The women's race is shorter than the men's race, but don't let anyone say
it's easier. The difference in distance is more a result of time constraints
and course length.
Besides the winner at the end of the race, there are several other
competitions going on in the race. The most obvious is the QOM (Queen Of the
Mountain) competition where the top 3 women up The Wall and Lemon Hill each
lap receive points. The woman with the most points wins. The best young US
rider is given in memory of M. Reoch, a late, legendary American woman racer
that then became a great coach. The best team is determined by the top 3
finishers on each team. There are also 2 sprints at the finish line.
The Olympic Qualification race, US Road Nationals in Redlands,
California, will be held on June 19th. This means that the women that have
the best shot at Nationals will be trying out their fitness in Philly.
Pennsylvania is a great place to train as a professional cyclist. There
are a number of us racing in the Wachovia Classic. On the women's side there
is: me(Elizabeth Begosh), Charm Breon, Sarah Uhl, Laura Van Gilder, and
Lauren Franges. In the men's race Scott Zwizanski and Marty Nothstein are
the notables.
The week leading up to the race there will be many teams riding around
the city. Don't hesitate to ask any of us questions, of course only if it
looks like we aren't racing. Most of us will be happy to answer you.
If you're doing this race too, let us know!
