[I-am-Specialized]

<p>Elk Grove, IL - Team Vera Bradley Foundation sent a trio of riders to the two-day Tour of Elk Grove. Toni Bradshaw, Carrie Cash and art director turned guest rider, Chris Roettger, knew they had numerical advantage against a large contingent of strong sprinters racing solo. “The game plan for Sunday’s race was to improve on the things we had learned from Saturday. The unique thing about the weekend was that it was the exact same course two days in a row,” explained Roettger. “We tried things on Saturday and learned a lot, so we got to employ that on Sunday.” Lessons learned led to mission accomplished as Cash sprinted to the win on Sunday.</p><p>
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Around 40 women lined up for both races. Team Vera Bradley Foundation played the aggressor on Saturday. “Toni was amazing,” noted Roettger. “Attack after attack. I think our efforts on the front both days really did some work wearing down the sprint legs.” Roettger took a solo flyer and a prime early on in the race before settling in to control the front. </p><p>
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The course featured a 500 meter finishing stretch. “Because it was such a long finish, we decided to postpone the ramping up until later in the lap -- given that Carrie’s sprinting strength really shines in the chaotic scrambling for position,” explained Roettger. “Saturday’s race was a long, consistent pull by Toni and all the sprinters were just lined up waiting to pounce. Carrie took fifth, but the sprinters were spread all over the road, so the difference between fifth and first was deceptively narrow.”</p><p>
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Jennifer Purcell (Hotel San Jose) took the win on Saturday ahead of Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) and Lauren Tamayo (Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12). Jackie Crowell (Team Type 1) finished fourth. </p><p>
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The dynamics of the race on Sunday were similar to that of the previous day although a few new racers toed the line. Sam Schenider (TIBCO) was a notable addition on day two. “Toni was still gunning for a breakaway which didn’t seem likely with a group of solid, strong sprinters committed to a bunch finish,” said Roettger “If that breakaway proved unsuccessful we decided to use her to quicken the pace in the last lap and leadout the sprinters.”</p><p>
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Local standout Debbie Dust (Bouledogue Tout Noir) and Julie Jerue (OutSpoken) slipped away from the field in lap one of the 50 minute race and remained off the front for nearly thirty minutes. When the chasing field caught the duo with seven laps to go, Team Vera Bradley Foundation began to animate the race and exploit their strength in numbers. Bradshaw launched constant attacks that sprinters racing solo were forced to cover. Roettger followed moves and went for primes. Cash marked the other sprinters as she patiently waited for the final lap.</p><p>
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“I love playing the chaotic finish,” said Cash. “With three turns to go, I moved ahead of Jen [Purcell] and with 1,000 meters to go, I made sure I had Laura’s [Van Gilder] wheel. I wanted to sandwich myself between Laura and Jen.” Cash found her sweet spot, and Bradshaw remained steady on the front driving a fast pace. “The speed and aggression going into those last 500 meters made my job easy,” said Cash. “Without Chris and Toni, the dynamic of that race would have been completely different. They committed to the win. Their hard work for the first 95% of the race allowed me to do what I do best at the end.” Cash charged toward the finish with Van Gilder, Schneider and Purcell. A final punch at 100 meters launched her across the line first to take the win. Van Gilder and Schneider rounded out the podium. </p><p>
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“That was a huge win for me,” noted Cash. “I used Tour of America’s Dairyland as preparation for this type of situation. Going into Sunday’s race, I needed to take what I knew I could do and just do it. And I did.”</p>

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