Kate Courtney clinches 2017 Pro-XCT Title

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Newly crowned USA Champion Kate Courtney (Specialized) rode away from Canadian Champion Emily Batty to put a lock on the Pro-XCT Series for this season. Batty finished second, while USA Marathon Champion Rose Grant took third place. Canadian Maghalie Rochette (Clif Pro Team) claimed fourth place, while Boston native Crystal Anthony (Riverside Racing) rounded out the podium in fifth place.

Racing in unseasonably cool temperatures on a cloudy day, racers were treated to miles of twisty singletrack and rock gardens on the Adams Farm in Walpole, Massachusetts. What the course lacked in climbing it made up for in terms of rocks, roots, and the level of concentration required to conquer the ever-changing course.

Kate Courtney took the hole-shot and basically never looked back. Only Emily Batty was able to match her pace, but then lost Courtney's wheel during the fourth lap.

Courtney explained her race to Cyclingnews, "I've been on the East Coast racing for three weeks now so I've had a lot of experience on rocky, rooty courses with lots of turns that require a lot of focus. They are more about riding smoothly than putting down a lot of power. I have practiced that a lot during the last few weeks…those tiny seconds added up, along with trying not to make mistakes, and recovering where I could.

Courtney added, "I was able to get away with it today."

Emily Batty also weighed in on her race, "This is my first time to Boston and it was actually a really fun course to ride. I arrived just a day and a half a go, so coming from the West Coast Canadian National Championships, then home, then down here I definitely feel a bit sluggish from travel."

Batty continued, "Kate and I had a good high pace the first three and a half laps and then she got a gap on what little climb there is out there. Then it was really "an out of sight out of mind track".

Behind Courtney and Batty the other top five finishers settled in to their own pace and rode alone for much of the race. Lea Davison (Clif Pro Team), who was expected to compete for the win, broke a chain during the first lap and had to run most of the lap to the tech zone. Despite losing a great deal of ground she still finished in eighth place. 

Full Results