Olivia Dillon: 2009 and Beyond
April 29, 2010Olivia Dillon qualified for the 2009 edition of the Nature Valley Grand Prix with her win at the Wente Vineyards Omnium, which consisted of a road race and a criterium. Finishing first in the road race and second in the criterium earned Dillon enough points to finish atop the weekend’s standings, thus earning her a place on the Nature Valley Pro Ride team. She used the 2009 Nature Valley Grand Prix to springboard her career to bigger and better things, which she writes about below:
As the 2010 Wente Vineyards Road Race approaches, I recall being determined to win the Wente Vineyards Omnium in 2009 to qualify for the Nature Valley Pro Ride Team. One year later, I am in a very different situation as I prepare to race Wente with some teammates from Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12. I did win that race in 2009 and went on to have an amazing experience at the Nature Valley Grand Prix with teammates from around the country who also qualified. Everything was well organized from the start with Matt Anderson (from Nature Valley Pro Ride team) taking care of all the logistics, Michael Engleman (from the US Women’s Cycling Development Program) volunteered to direct us and Tyson Meyer (from Penn Cycle) was our expert mechanic.
photo courtesy of Byron Servies
For a new team assembled for one stage race with varying levels of experience, we worked really well together and had a lot of fun in the process. As each team member won the right to race the Nature Valley Grand Prix, our goals were solidified by a shared enthusiasm. Michael Engleman gave us expert advice and was such a calming influence on the whole team. We had many highs and very few lows including Sydney Brown winning the Best Amateur Jersey and my fourth-place finish in Mankato after bridging to the break. The lows just included a few crashes that we all survived, but ultimately we came back stronger. Tricia, Audrey, Amity, Morgan and Sydney were all tremendous teammates and at every race race since I look for them and we catch up. The Nature Valley Pro Ride is a great opportunity for riders to experience a race in a fully professional manner.
After the Nature Valley Grand Prix, I continued to race a heavy schedule and enjoyed good success including a fifth place in the general classification (GC) at Fitchburg, a victory at University Road Race and third at San Rafael Criterium. I successfully defended my National Irish Time Trial Title and narrowly missed the Road Race title. I spent six weeks in Europe at the end of the season racing Nationals and then the Tour de L’Ardeche with the Irish team. Ardeche was my first real European racing experience and, as with most people who go for the first time, I was left in awe of the caliber of the peloton and the intensity of the racing. The terrain was brutally hard and the speed was incredible so I set myself realistic goals of improving my positioning each day.
My results throughout the season earned me a spot on the Irish team for the World Road and Time Trial Championships and, after spending a week recuperating in Ireland, I left for Switzerland. My second year at Worlds was a great experience and the Irish Federation were incredibly supportive but I was left with a desire to continue to improve and get stronger. My season was still not over as I was invited to the UCI Track in Aigle Switzerland for a training camp with the Irish team. The Irish federation are putting a lot of effort into bring a team to an international level. This was my first real experience on the track and I learned so much.
Fast-forward to 2010 and the season has started out really well. In February, Nicola Cranmer, manager of Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12 approached me about guest riding for the Spring races. The opportunity to work with Kristin Armstrong and such a strong and talented team was a dream come true. We raced the Merco Classic, San Dimas and Redlands and came in second to Columbia HTC in all three races. I gelled really well with the team, and have since become a full-time member. So far this season, I have had a number of podiums in Northern California starting with third at Cherry Pie, second at Snelling and a win at the Santa Cruz Criterium. I have learned and experienced so much in the past few months being part of Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12 and we have not yet raced at full strength. Nicola and Kristin have put together an extremely special and talented team, which should enjoy tremendous success and I could not be happier to be part of it.
