Green Mountain Stage Race ‘24

Where: Waitsfield, Vermont
When: 8/30 – 9/2
Who: Alana O’Mara
Category: 3/4/5

Getting to Green Mountain Stage Race GMSR (or Gay Men Spiritual Retreat, careful similar acronyms may lead you to the wrong website) was a victory itself. After starting residency I figured it was not something I’d get a chance to do.  It’s a four-day stage race taking place in the Mad River Valley region in Vermont, over Labor day weekend. Luckily, coming off a week of night shifts and a fortuitously scheduled vacation, I was able to fly out to Vermont for the four days alongside my two teammates, Hannah and Ally.

I showed up to Stage 1 straight from the airport, my parents met me with an extra large cortado and lots of peanut butter. By the time I got to the start line, they had almost finished for the day. The race director had let me know prior to the event, I could still join, but would have to take a time penalty. With caffeine still buzzing through my veins, I hopped on the saddle to gruel it out for a 2.7 uphill time trial. It was WAY harder than I thought, I even managed to naively stand up on the gravel part only to realize that is not what you do in a time trial. By the end, that cortado was fighting to come back up. But my time placed me in the lead, only the penalty dropped me to sixth overall. This was perfect ammunition, I knew I was strong, and the other girls wouldn’t know to target me.

I started Stage 2 with a 36 second gap to first. The circuit race was a single, 37-mile lap. With rain falling, the race started aggressively, with elbows flying in what felt like an overly chaotic start. Ally and I both knew it was about getting through. I tried to focus on being calm. Finally, the hill hit at mile 20 and I felt at ease. I paced hard up the 10 minute climb and in the last 400m as the sprint to the Queen of the Mountain (QOM) I finished with three others.

Final push up the day 2 QOM. Moments before disaster.

It was my chance to get a time gap! I flew over the crest just behind one other girl, hurling at 40 mph when I smashed into a pothole, tearing a massive gash in my front tire. Great. Day 2. Another thing out of my control, pushing me farther back from the GC. I waited for the neutral car in agony, hoping I could with any chance grab a new wheel and maybe not loose too much time.

A lonely finish following a poorly timed flat.

In rage, I descended the next ten miles. Alone, in control, and tucked. Finish photo above featuring unhappy pothole finder. Wildly, despite waiting for the neutral car and I tire change out, I had only lost 3 minutes on the general classification (GC). Which puts Alex’s tire changing skills to shame.

Hannah hitting the deck with the finish line in sight.

Meeting Hannah and Ally at the end was good. Luckily, everyone was safe despite a crash that had occurred at the end. So maybe Day 2 wasn’t so bad.

At the finish of stage 2: Alana fighting back tears from her flat, Ally unscathed, and Hannah still in shock from her crash.

The field getting instructions at the top of Sugarbush prior to stage 3.

By Stage 3, I had slipped further from GC contention, but this was the race I had been waiting for—63 miles of hilly terrain, culminating in the notorious 2.5-mile climb up App Gap, which finishes on a brutal 20% gradient. I had time to make up, and the goal was to go all out, over and over again. Mid way through the race is the first climb. Hannah set me up with a scorching pace up the first half of the climb, I was able to surge away from the field over the final few hundred yards to take the QOM jersey and break away solo. Also, finally a chance to pee on the bike (I swear I only do this in dire situations and I knew it would be a great way to lighten the load for the last climb). We still had 33 miles left of racing, 20 of which were in the valley, so I rode an honest tempo. I was solo for nearly seven miles before being caught by a group of seven riders, plenty of time to dry off. Everyone worked well together, rotating consistent turns to keep the rest of the peloton at bay… until Baby Gap, where the final climbs of the day began.

View from App Gap

The last two climbs, Baby Gap, and App Gap are each brutal climbs. This was my last chance to gain time back on GC, so I attacked again. Only one rider tried to follow, even offering to help on the downhill after Baby Gap, but she didn’t last long. I’d scouted the Strava segment the night before to figure how to best pace the effort. Based on times from former teammates, 40 minutes from start to finish seemed like a stretch but ultimately possible. I cruised up Baby Gap in 18 minutes, still feeling okay. During the quick descent, I realized I had a monster of a climb left. I drew on my most recent cycling trip to Mallorca, where Alex and I took on the switch backs of Sa Calobra, and channeled my inner climber-gremlin. As the gradient got steeper, I started passing a few others from earlier races, but also seeing a few walk their bikes. The thought of dismounting and running crossed my mind - but I could see the finish line - I was so close. I bike-limped over the finish line and immediately collapsed. Alex came running over screaming in excitement, his stop watch already started to see what the gap would be.

Finishing with nothing left in the tank.

I finished the segment in 40:04, faster than all women on the day. That finish put me back in the race, moving me into second overall in GC, only 37 seconds behind the lead. And the best part was getting to watch my teammates battle it up the mountain as well.

Ally and I thriving in the medical tent.

The final stage was a gritty, hilly crit in downtown Burlington. The leader and I traded blows for much of the race as I tried desperately to get away. I managed to snag a few points on prime laps, but ultimately, I finished in the sprint pack, taking fifth on the day. I held on to second place overall, with first place taken by professional triathlete, Jenna Horner.

Giving it one last rip in downtown Burlington.

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend. I had so much fun enjoying a weekend sharing the sport I love with some neat people. I even got to watch the boys skip rocks, indulge in maple-flavored creemees, and observe Arsalan in his natural habitat. TIll next time, GMSR.