Participants in the 2008 Chicken Dinner Road Race enjoyed cloudless skies and warmer temperatures than Boise and vicinity had received so far this year. However, winds gusting up to 35 mph put quite a damper on the otherwise pleasant spring weather. The entire experience was made all the more special by the fact that the most selective climb on the race course was directly downwind from a controlled burn at a nearby sanitary landfill!  As usual, the ladies of Team Bobs-Bicycles.com rose to meet the challenges offered by the hill course and vicious winds, taking two of the top three places, and demonstrating staying power in a race that saw half the field drop out.

The race began with a smallest-gear-ratio-possible climb that was made even more difficult due to a forceful headwind. Sarah Barber, eventual winner of the women's race, suffered an early setback when members of the aggressive mixed-gender pack swung sharply sideways on the climb, pushing her into the gravel at the roadside and forcing her to put a foot down before recovering and trying to regain momentum. As teammates Sarah Brown, Jeanne Rumps, and Allison Beall swept by with the pack, words of encouragement got Barber back on her wheels and moving toward the front of the group. At that point, the tempo kicked up and the field was shattered, splintering into small groups and even solo riders who had to contend with the wind on their own.

From that point on, "attrition" was the word of the day. After valiant battles with headwinds, crosswinds, and dust storms, both Rumps and Beall opted to save their strength for the next weekend of racing. Meanwhile, Barber and Brown, long since separated, were tempted to pull up each time they rolled through the start-finish, but some favorite words from the likes of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin echoed in their minds: "soldier on." At the end of the day, Barber straggled across the finish line with her chase group over three hours after the race began. Brown hung in with the remaining female finisher, offering her junior riding partner the second place spot and settling for third herself. Barber and Brown (a.k.a. Sarah Squared) now lead the GC for the George's Spring Series.

Next up is the Tour of Walla Walla Stage Race! Expect the ladies of Team Bobs-Bicycles.com to come out on top again!