BMW-Bianchi team continues their winning ways!

The BMW-Bianchi ladies traveled back to Greenville, South Carolina this weekend for several reasons: first, and most importantly, was to receive our indoctrination into the BMW lifestyle!  The team was presented with two spectacular BMW X3 SAV's at the BMW Performance Center.  Laura and Janet were present for the BMW "Ultimate Delivery Experience": a guided tour of the unique features of the X3 SAV provided by Delivery Specialists Frederick Valdez and Jonathan Stribble, a test drive around the off-road course in a X3, and a thrilling "hot lap" around the test track by driving instructor Donnie Isley. 


photo courtesy and copyright Bruce DeBoer
The brand new BMW-Bianchi team cars outside the Performance Center!

Second, the team was there to race Rich Hincapie's Greenville Training Series for our favorite course, the River Falls road race.  Most of the team were present: Cara, Missy, Cora, Janet, Sara, Laura and Mandy toe'd the line while Hannah cheered from the sidelines, her wrist in a splint.  Patty was absent tending to an injured Kelly, who had successful surgery on Friday to repair a broken elbow, while Nancy, an accountant, was buried under a stack of tax returns.  The race itself was fast and animated on the mile long climb at the end of each lap, but the fast descent with the wind provided ample opportunity to bring the race back together each time.  It wasn't until the very last lap that Cara was able to attack and gain time on the hesitant pack.  By the time the chase ensued at the base of the final climb, it was far too late, and Cara took the hilltop victory by a comfortable margin!  Mandy showed that a winter of 60 hour work-weeks and endless trainer rides is adequate preparation for racing by taking 3rd in the field sprint.

Later in the day, the team descended upon the BMW Performance Center for the Ultimate Driving Experience - a fun-filled two hours of driving, courtesy of BMW Performance Driving School instructor Clint Kimel.  Clint gave us the BMW royal treatment:  races against each other on a slalom across the wet, polished concrete "skid pad" in M3's (where Nancy and Sara showed that sprinters are the fastest behind the wheel as well as on the bike!), off-roading in M5's, and then the overwhelming favorite event: the BMW "Buffet".  There were perma-grins all around as we took turns running fast laps on the paved course in a Z4, an M3, a 650, an M5 and a 760.  The ladies did not disappoint our instructor, as we applied our built in need for speed behind the wheels of these fast cars! 

On Sunday, the team lined up on the very same track for the BMW Performance Center criterium against a gigantic field of women.  On the fast, flat, non-technical course every attempt to break up the field was nullified, despite a concerted effort by the BMW-Bianchi ladies.  The race came down to a messy field sprint, as the tiny climber girls were unable to adequately string out the race for sprinter Sara, who was then swamped for 8th place.  C'est la vie - we all had fun racing!

As we drove off in our new team X3's, the grins did not fade, and we were all left with an enormous sense of optimism for the season and gratitude for the generous support of our friends at BMW!


photo courtesy and copyright Bruce DeBoer
Posing on the cobbles of the off-road course with the new X3 SAV team car!