Kristine Oesterling Race Interview - White Haven Challenge '01

Not in our field since there aren't that many women. I had more of a problem telling where the singletrack was since the trails seemed kind of new, but that was neat.

How did you like the long climbs?

They didn't seem that bad. I wouldn't really call them climbs.

Were you strong from start to finish?

For me, yes.

Were you happy with the way the race was run?

Yes. The free stuff that was raffled was great, but it really held up awards. Overall they did a great job though.

When did you put the hammer down?

After I fixed my flat I rode really hard to try and catch some people. The flat was kind of early, so I rode most of the race as hard as I possibly could and didn't worry about pacing myself.

Did you have any unusual problems?

Just a flat tire, but I'm pretty out of practice at fixing them (I hardly ever flat) so it took me forever. I was having problems getting my CO2 cartridge to work.

Did you have any interesting experiences during your race (exchanges with competitors/spectators)?

I rode most of the race in with the men's sport field which was somewhat nice because usually my field gets pretty split up and there aren't any people around you when you're racing.

Do you enjoy point to point races more than lap races?

Yes, because it's similar to being 'out for a ride' except you're going really hard, and it's more exciting since you don't know what's coming up next. Although in lap races you're usually able to get faster each lap and really push the speed.