Its been a while since we last caught up with our favorite Vanderkitten, Liz Hatch. But then again, catching a kitten by the tail isn't that easy unless of course she's eating pavement.At the Suisun Harbor Criterium, Liz. by her own admission, "ate shit" as she went down hard. From her blog, "It was all my fault, I am a bonehead. If you know me you know that I'm pretty clumsy, always tripping over myself. I'm sorry to whoever was behind me that I took down with me. I know it's racing and it happens, but I feel terrible."
(Photo: Kurt Harvey Photography)She fared much better in her next race, the Metromint Il Giro di San Francisco over Labor Day weekend.
This race isn't to be confused with the now defunct San Francisco Grand Prix [that ran into economic and political issues] that was once part of the Pro Cycling Tour (PCT). But strangely enough Il Giro di SF started out as the "San Francisco Gran Prix" in 1975, and since it used many of the same roads, the confusion is understandable.
In any event, Liz [as is her nature] was off the front for several laps. "With 2 laps to go a girl hooked my bars and almost caused a mass pileup, but somehow I kept it upright and kept going." The incident was a detriment to Liz's positioning [which we all know is as crucial to having good form in cycling] and therefore her placing. She finished in 23rd.
At the Benicia Town Race Criterium on September 9th, Liz fought back and finished second to Martina Patella (Value Act Cycling). Over the rectangular 4 turn course which featured a "little climb followed by a sharp dip and then another hill," Martina and her VAC teammates looked to control the pack. Despite numerous attacks by Vanderkitten Liz [no guts no glory, right?], she fell victim to the numbers game [wasn't it Dirk Demol who said of Hincapie's chances to win in the finale of the 2001 Paris - Roubaix against more than one rider from Domo-Farm Frites, "you lose."] as Martina was led out in organized perfection for the victory.
Liz, disappointed but accepting, knew she had given it her all while losing out to the extremely fast Patella. Liz had this to say of her second place, "being beaten by Martina was an honor."
And although Liz told me recently that she's really "feeling the end of the season in my legs," she jumped on the karma train and rode full circle to end on a great note, claiming the victory at the September 11th Infineon Raceway Twilight Race.
Liz "attacked on the first lap and stayed away the whole race," besting the field by around 45 seconds.
For the one woman wrecking crew we've gotten to know this racing season as Team Vanderkitten, our friend Liz Hatch has represented her sponsors in a sterling fashion. In 2008, a fully loaded Team Vanderkitten will be on the prowl and promises to raise the elite level racing circuit to a "nice respectable level."
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