07/15/2019
Amgen Tour of California 2019
Ladies “Team Canyon/Scram” Road Trip
with Soigner Kim Freetly
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Traveling with a professional cycling team on a world tour has always been a professional goal for me. I got my wish a few weeks ago and went out with the woman’s team from Germany, Canyon/Scram (pronounced Schram.) Not all the ladies are German. The team members are from various countries, more specifically, the six riding this week were from England, Israel, Ukraine, United States, Germany and Australia. The owner and team management are German. There is a super talented bike mechanic with the team full-time dialing in the bikes all day and night. Lucky for me, English is the common language. I did miss out on a few jokes, as German, I do not speak. In the weeks leading up to the event I had been educating myself about my upcoming position. I am the Soigneur/Physio and that translates to “The caretaker/server and physical therapist.” I found out it was going to be a big job and I’d be working about 18 hours a day. No problem. I can do that. The slightly concerning thought that I had: I just hoped these women wouldn’t be a bunch of divas ordering me around. If that was true it would be a very long week. Come to find out there were no divas. Only one lady got accused of over packing for the week. They were more like, “Bas Ass Women” or “Bad Ass Warriors.” BAWs. Great acronym. I’m using it! This was one of the sickest weeks of my career for sure. I’m an adrenaline lover and I had it going on all week. I smiled so much my bottom lip actually cracked. The extreme dry wind and rain was partly to blame. The weather conditions were pretty crazy for stage 1, but these BAWs didn’t flinch or complain at all.
Now, where to begin? I thought I knew a lot about women’s professional sports. I had been an athlete and started competing in sports when I was 10 years old. I have never wandered off that path. I am by no means a professional athlete but I still show up at events and pin the number to my shirt. I chose a career that keeps me deeply connected to the field and it has allowed me to work with some really big names in professional sports. I have been up close and personal to dozens of events. I thought I knew something about women’s road cycling as I have 2 world-class professional cyclists as my clients and I would hear the details from them over the years. I knew nothing. (Emoji with smiley face and tears) I learned a great deal sitting in a support van following the BAWs at 55MPH down a very steep grade, twisting and turning roads at about 4,000 feet elevation. We were on Angeles Crest Highway- Destination: The Rose Bowl and finish line. As we were in our van descending the curves, our tires screeching, the BAWs were pulling away from us! I’m thinking to myself that we could easily roll off the road and down the canyon. My co-swannie (our nickname) whose name is Lars, has my life in his driving hands and come to think of it, one wrong move and an entire caravan of automobiles and cyclists would be in huge trouble. Maybe this can be compared to auto racing. I'm not completely sure, but the domino danger effect is going on- right here, right now. Somehow it all managed to go smoothly and no one got hurt. I was more than impressed with the California Highway Patrol as they directed this caravan up and down the mountain. They had us switching from lane to lane. They managed passing and somehow got everyone through the stage safely. There was motorcycle support, coach's vehicles and support vans. The entire stage was sprinkled with fans, thousands of fans, cheering with signage, some costumes and cameras, helicopters flying overhead. This is the real deal for sure. This event is definitely on top of my list, "most impressive events". Here I am participating. It doesn’t get much more exciting. The women are up front today. The men’s tour is close behind us.
Flashback 3 days. Stage 1. Beautiful Ventura California, which is my home-town. It was such a special day (Not.) I’ve only seen it this windy a hand full of times. There were 3-5 foot white caps all across the Pacific Ocean as far as I could see. The course takes the riders up to the Ojai Valley and along Lake Casitas, 2 significant climbs and over to the beach town of Carpinteria where they turn around and go back the same way they came. I thought it was a grueling course at the time. I had never seen a bike road race in person. I don’t know what I was expecting but the ladies are much faster than they appear on television. Maybe because they are filmed on moving vehicles so the speed isn’t noticed as much. I am waiting at a feed zone. The “feed” is an area on the course where riders are able to grab bottles of nutrition during the race. There are more than 100 riders peddling toward the station at about 25-30 MPH. 18 teams and 6 riders on each team. 2 Swannies for each team staggered up and down the road. I’m wearing a vest to match the team jerseys so I can be identified by the Canyon riders. There is a specific way that I must hold the bottle so that I don’t throw the bike and rider off balance. The smooth ex*****on of supplying my riders’ nutrition is crucial. I had some experience with this a few years ago when I went out as SAG (road cycling race support) for a friend racing the Furnace Creek 508 bike race. Yes, a 508 mile bike race over 35 hours without sleeping, working more than 48 hours without sleep. No problem. I also have height and confidence which is helpful. As the convoy nears, my heart starts pounding and then, here they come. Bam, bam, bam. The bikes are within inches of me. The riders pick off the water bottles and shoot back into the pack. You can imagine how dangerous this can be but it’s a clean ordeal and they’re out of sight in seconds.
For any lay people reading this I would like to give you a small idea of how hard these women are working during the race. At times I ride my bike that route. Not out and back, I ride around the lake and down the coast back to Ventura. Out and back is a kicker. I ride those hills slowly and painfully. My legs burn really bad and I must stand up a whole bunch to get over those summits. It hurts. It’s scary coming down the hills. Now times that by about 5000 and that’s what’s happening on this tour. Stage 2 and 3 are more difficult with more miles and more climbing. This has got to be the most painful sport that involves performance, burning muscles, speed and danger on the planet. Those 4 elements together make it extremely physically demanding. If there is another woman's team sport that is more treacherous, someone please invite me along.
I had never understood until now that this is actually a team sport. The whole team functions together in a strategic way. They are all wearing head sets getting instruction from the coach who is in a vehicle alongside the race. The coach will decide who leads and who fends off other riders.They all protect the group’s interest. The coach decides these details based on how riders perform in weeks leading up to races. The training bikes are equipped with computers that report back to the coach how well the riders are training. There is no slacking off. Big brother, I mean Canyon Coach Ronny, knows what’s going on at all times. Now back to the race. In the final few miles the leaders of the pack are headed to the finish line and I’m back there watching a big screen, NBC is covering the race. It looks like 6 women are out in front. Canyon rider Katia is among them. Then, with just a few miles to the finish. SNAP! Her’s chain breaks The commentators announce it to us all. My heart sinks to my feet. She’s left behind, after all those hours of hard work. I’m cursing and holding my face in my hands. Coach has extra bikes on top of the vehicle and they get her a new bike, by then the pack has gotten away. Later I see Katia and she’s in the van and tears are streaming and her face is pink and she’s clearly taking this hard. Then my eyes start to widen and I want to go over and give her a hug but she doesn’t know me quite yet. This is when I first understand that although this is a job for these women, they’re whole heart's are in it. I think this is one reason that I love watching women’s sports. Emotions are wide out there to been seen. The highs and the lows too. Women tend to be emotional during competition. I love that.
Back at the hotel we begin a lot of chores including shopping for food, preparing snacks for the race, lunches for the crew, laundering the kits (the racing uniforms) and my specialty, recovery massages. As a sports massage therapist, this is my area of expertise and where I can do my best work and make a difference for these athletes. I’m going to give you just a little bit of the science, because it’s my love and contribution. Post-event massage is key to cell recovery after exhausting work-outs. The mitochondria of the cell, (the energy power plant within each cell) recovers much more quickly with long sustained massage strokes- and ATP, which is like power energy itself, produced in the mitochondria is produced again much sooner after massage is applied to muscle tissues.*See the 2012 study by Mark Tarnopolsky, a professor of medicine at McMaster University in Ontario Canada and published in the Journal, Science Translational Medicine. Specific applied bodywork gets the athlete back to training and competing much quicker than without it's application. I get 3 ladies on my table after stage 1. Now I am seeing up close the truth behind the Lycra. The following thoughts were going on in my head, though not expressed verbally. 1. OMG! That scar is HUGE. There is no vellus hair on your knee what so ever, but rather a scar the size of a small pancake. 2. OMG! Your Humorous bone snapped and is barely straight from your shoulder to your elbow! I see the 5 inch scar from your surgery. How did you manage to get back on your bike and keep competing? 99.9% of people would never get back on the bike and compete. 3. This one was verbal. OMG! “Your hips are super rotated. Do you mind if I get deep into your psoas muscle and try to straighten you out?” Answer- “I broke my hip a couple years ago. Sure, go for it.”
After massages, the ladies go off to a buffet dinner at the motel and carb load.
After many hours of bodywork I got a clear understanding of their common psyche regarding the body damage. “This is my job. Pain is not really an issue.” I’m so honored to be here with these women. I get to know Katia and am able to help her with some chronic hamstring pain. Stage 2 and 3 Katia shines and proves herself despite stage 1 fall out.
After several days I get to know the BAWs a bunch closer and they’re feeling comfortable near me. There’s a little sailor swearing and even some howling but still they are all very charming and girlie and they’re actually a bunch of really beautiful ladies. Any one of them could check into a beauty pageant next week and win a crown. Seriously.
When the race was over and we gathered at the Rose Bowl, I listened as a race official approached our support van. I heard her say to Coach Ronny, “Canyon won the Team Award. Canyon collected the most points each day. You won 1st place”. Now damn, I land on top with the leaders again! (We also won our division at the Furnace Creek 508 I mentioned earlier) That feels so good.
The podium was a champagne-shaking sticky bath. I’m such a baby. My eyes are wet again. Coach Ronny walked up to me and handed me his winning bottle of bubbly. “Kim Freetly, this is for you.” (German accent) I wanted to do backflips but I gracefully said, “Thank you Coach.”
This certainly has been an amazing opportunity for me. Canyon Rider and my client of 5 years, Alexis Ryan got my foot in the door. Thank you Alexis!
I want to take a moment to discuss the gender inequity in men’s and women’s cycling as far as pay for the athletes and attracting sponsors go. This blog was not meant to be political in any way, but I would like to encourage you to look for women’s races and watch. Cyclingfans.com is a good place to start. Make it known when you can, that you support the ladies and want to see more of them.
Now, I am super excited again! I am invited to work with Team Canyon in Colorado coming up in August. The Colorado Classic Woman's Road Race. It's going to be beautiful! . All in my days work. Cheers!
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Copyright Kim Freetly- this story may not be printed or any part published without the authors expressed consent. Kim@norheartbooks.com 805-612-0968 Kim@bodysmartvc.com www.bodysmartvc.com
Massage Therapy in Ventura CA | Sports Massage, Pain Management, Stress Relief
