Our cross country event went off on Friday.  After a good warm up and some of Dara's special oatmeal concoction, I was ready to go.  We lined up and it was a beautiful day to ride.  The course seemed fun, not too much steep climbing and some awesome twisty singletrack.  The gun went off, but I didnt get started very fast.  Maybe I had left my lungs back in Boston, but I found myself towards the back of the bunch.  After settling in, I got into a rhythm and actually began enjoying myself (as much as one can during a race).  I was picking people off and finished in 21st.  Not as well as I had hoped, but I did the best I could.

Saturday was the Super D.  A new event that is a cross between Downhill and Cross Country.  I decided to forgo the Super D and be Dara's support person, as she was trying it out.  I did need to go for a spin, however, so David and I set off for a nice easy hour ride around town.  We were having a good time chatting it up a bit and were screaming downhill when I heard a hideous noise.  I hit a nail and my tubless tire was done holding air.  I pulled over as David kept flying down the hill.  No problem.  I had all my flat gear and started to fix it when.....I realized the CO2 cartrige that had barely been hanging on to my seatpost all season via duct tape was EMPTY!.

BY this point David had riden back up the hill and we were thinking how we could get home and get Dara up the mountain in time for her Super D.  I could tell David was thinking really hard.  He was looking around and smoke was billowing out of his ears and finally he exclaimed, "I have an idea" followed by, "Dont worry I have done this before".  Next thing I know, I am sitting on the saddle of David's road bike with my mountian bike slung over my right shoulder, my foot wedged in his chainstay and my free hand clinging to his shoulder.  Off we went down hill.  I was yelling, "if I fall off the back of this bike you are dead, i am getting married in a week!" He yelled back, "I hope these handlebars dont snap". Needless to say we made it back home.  We even had enough time to get Dara up to the Super D where she kicked butt and came in 3rd. I had some serious race envy and decided I may have to try that out next year.

Before I knew it, it was Sunday and time for the Short Track.  I was aiming for a top ten and even thought a podium was possible.  The gun went off and I went hard.  The course was fun, some burms, loose turns, and fast drafty pavement. As I neared the end of the race I found myself in a group of 4.  We were vying for places 7-10 and as we came into the last lap, I was ready to win the battle.  I was in great position and super intense going into the last half of the last lap when it happened.  I crashed hard.  I don't know why or how, but I landed on my face, forearm, and leg.  I was dazed and slowly got up to take inventory.  I got back on my bike and finished 10th.  Not quite what I was hoping for when jockeying for position, but I had a good race and rode well.

So, here I sit with a partial black eye, a cut up forearm and leg, and extremely sore shoulder.  Of course I crashed the weekend before the wedding after having a mostly crash free season.  I have to chuckle to myself.  It is only fitting that I have a few scrapes to show off on Saturday!

So I have many people to thank as I reflect back on the 2004 Season.  It is impossible to become a professional Mountain Bike Racer without help from many generous people.  I have been so lucky that so many have supported me and believed in me along the way, it is because of you all that I have made it this far.

I want to start by thanking Ford and Ford Cycling for believing in me this year and asking me to be on the team.  David has put in so much time to make sure the team was running smoothly and will continue to run smoothly.  I want to truly thank Lisa and Dara.  They have been wonderful and generous teammates.
They have let me stay at their homes, loaned me equipment, and were totally welcoming when I showed up in West Virginia for my first race with the team.  

I want to thank all of my friends back home that have shown support in many ways.  Andy and Jason who show up at races around the country and deal with me bossing them around, at least until I am done racing.  My friends Craig and Laura who let us crash at their house and lend all sorts of emotional help.  Neilie my massage therapist who squeezes me in during vacations and tolerates my yapping on the table for 90 minutes.

I want to thank my family.  Especially the family that I havent seen in 10 years but take me in as I travel around the country.

I want to thank my parents who show up in white pants and sandles to run around the muddy Mount Snow course.  I think my poor father is wondering why he paid for my Physical Therapy Degree when all I want to do is ride a bike.  He is coming around though.

I want to thank all of my sponsors.  I especially want to thank Landrys Bicycle Shop in Massachusetts.  These guys have supported me for many years and have asked for very little in return.  Thanks guys for building my bike and helping to keep all of my equipment running.  It is so important to have a shop that I feel comfortable going to!  I also want to thank The Ford Motor Company, K2, Shimano, Maxxis Tires, RockShox, Thomson, and many others I am sure I have forgoten.

Thanks to Dean my coach who has to deal with me 360 days a year, or at least when he returns my calls.  He taught me this year that the two most important words in the English Dictonary are "RE...LAX".  I think that may be one word but Dean is from Colorado, so we have to give him some slack.

I want to thank my boss Mike at Boston Sports Medicine who not only dealt with my crazy "vacation" schedule, but also financially helped to sponsor me this year.

I want to thank Minuteman Road Club who I began racing with this year.  It was because of their financial support that I was able to race out west and have the results and exposure I needed to get picked up by Ford Cycling.

Lastly, I want to thank Michael, my Fiancee and soon to be husband (holy cow that sounds weird!).  Without his support whether emotional, mechanical (he is the best mechanic around), or financial (keep working honey), I would never have gotten as far as I have with cycling.

So thank you to everyone.  What a great season it had been.  I look forward to bigger and better in 2005!
Keep riding
SARA BRESNICK

Durango

Snowmass

Sandpoint

Mt. Saint Anne

Mt. Snow

West Virginia

Team Welcome