Tour De Tamarack

September 4, 2005

 Rider Team Place Field
Savage Hill Cycling Team Archive 
2nd 
Women 1-2-3-4 
Savage Hill Cycling Team Archive 
20th 
Cat 1-2-3 
  Wendy Smith: 2nd, Women 1-2-3-4
Wendy Smith
 
This race really is my home course. Grew up riding these roads and these hills. One thing I figured out fast, things are different on a real bike. I remember walking my $80 KMart Huffy up those hills, not riding them.

This is an awesome little race. It's set around Tamarack Lake. The first two laps have you climbing the hill to Petis Road, going along the upper rim, then heading down to the valley and riding the lower rim of the other side. Not bad, the hill is rather steep. Lap three has you up the hill to Petis, then instead of the lower lake road, you climb Freymouth hill. I really remember walking this hill. This hill is long and steep. The rider with me, politely asked "Where in the hell did they find this hill?" You get to the top and just get to cruise along the next road, so nice recovery time. Then, once again, you climb up the Petis hill, for one more lap on the lower rim. And just to really make sure that you can climb, the finish is half up the hill to Petis
road.

Even though I spent the race with just one other rider, it was still a blast. My sister was an awesome cheerleader halfway up the ugly hill every lap.
  Jim Matson: 20th, Cat 1-2-3
Jim Matson
 
Fun race. It's a memorial to a friend of mine who died a number of years ago of a heart erythmia while out on a training ride. This was the first year I felt like I could compete at a good level. His father still to this day drives the pace car for the elite race. I made sure to get some rear view mirror time with him. The race is also about 5 minutes from where Wendy grew up so it's also a homecoming of sorts for us.