Meredith Miller wins CrossVegas

Pepper Palace's Meredith Miller broke in a her new team colors with an upset win over 10-time and current US champion Katie Compton (Trek Factory Racing) at CrossVegas in a three-up sprint that also included Luna's Katerina Nash.

"It's the first race of the season, so you don't know how everyone else is riding," Miller said. "I knew I was feeling pretty good, but that's all relative. I didn't know how I was going to compare with everybody else. I was just hoping to feel good about my ride regardless of my result. So I'm incredibly excited to have pulled off the win."

Newly-crowned cross country mountain bike world champion Catharine Pendrel (Luna) had been in the lead group of four, which got away early in the race, but she crashed on a corner on the final lap and lost contact.

Miller, Compton and Nash surged away from the field on the first of six laps around the sports park on the north side of Las Vegas, and the race briefly looked like it might be a contest between those three, but Pendrel bridged to the leaders on lap two.

The quartet continued to power away from the field, taking turns attacking each other without success. The race appeared headed for a showdown between the four before Pendrel slid out in a paved corner and had to settle for the fourth spot.

"On that pavement I knew it was slick, but every lap I had been fine," Pendrel said. "But I think as the race went long we were laying some rubber down and it was just slick that time. So I slid down and didn't have enough to get back on."

Miller lost contact briefly on the final lap but regained the leaders in time to set up her final dash for the line. She initially believed she had blown her chance for the win, however.

"Coming into the finish with all the twists and turns, during pre-ride I kept saying if you're not first you're last, and then I was third coming into it," Miller said. "I tried to make a few passes on Katie but it didn't work, and then coming through the last turn I just had to give it everything I had."

Compton said the difficulty of the course and her early season fitness combined to make it a really hard race, but she was happy with how her season started despite not getting the win.

"I don't have that road or mountain bike fitness right now, so I was struggling a bit, and the course rides really heavy," the US champion said. "I was trying to do the least amount of work possible, but once it came down to a sprint I tried to position myself as well as possible. I just didn't quite have the legs at the end. But I'm happy to be on the podium. It's a good start to the season for me."

 

 

Results

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Women's results
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Meredith Miller (USA) Pepper Palace Pro Cycling0:40:01
2Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Pro TeamRow 1 - Cell 2
3Katherine Compton (USA) Trek Factory RacingRow 2 - Cell 2
4Catharine Pendrel (CAN) Luna Pro Team0:00:22
5Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Pro Team0:00:36
6Rachel Lloyd (USA) California Giant Cycling0:00:49
7Caroline Mani (Fra) Raleigh Clement0:00:56
8Amanda Nauman (USA) Sdg-Bellwether Pb Krema Peanut0:01:02
9Erica Zaveta (USA) Amy D Racing0:01:07
10Cassandra Maximenko (USA) Rare Vos / Vandessel / Power Ba0:01:13
11Gabriella Durrin (GBr) Neon Velo Cycling Team0:01:14
12Maghalie Rochette (CAN) Luna Pro Team0:01:24
13Courtenay McFadden (USA) Gecapital/American Classic0:01:36
14Kelli Emmett (USA) Giant Factory Off Road Team0:01:47
15Elle Anderson (USA) California Giant Cycling0:01:53
16Teal Stetson-Lee (USA) Luna Pro Team0:01:55
17Lisa Jacobs (Aus) Rapha-Focus0:02:08
18Crystal Anthony (USA) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit0:02:16
19Jessica Cutler (USA) Fcs|Cycling: P/B Zngine + Mr.0:02:24
20Arley Kemmerer (USA) Pb2 Pro Cycling0:02:34
21Mical Dyck (CAN) Stans No Tubes0:03:01
22Nina Baum (USA) Stan's No Tubes0:03:05
23Emily Kachorek (USA) Squid0:03:07
24Carolina Gimez (Arg) Vanderkitten Cx0:03:49
25Andi Zolton (USA) Nemesis Racing0:04:15
26Kristin Weber (USA) Boulder Cycle Sport0:04:25
27Diane Lee (GBr)0:04:29
28Sofia Gomez Villafane (USA) Ft Lewis Cycling0:04:44
29Beth Ann Orton (USA) Team S&M/Sellwood Cycle Repair0:04:59
30Rebecca Gross (USA) Vanderkitten Cx0:05:15
31Nicole Brandt (USA) Michelob Ultra - La Grange +210:05:21
32Katie Arnold (USA) First Internet Bank Cycling Tea0:05:42
33Vicki Barclay (GBr) Stan's No Tubes0:05:51
34Suzie Godart (Lux) Team Differdange-Losch0:06:03
35Rachel Dobrozsi (USA) Red Zone Elite0:06:07
36Heidi Wood (USA) 333Fab Cx Factory Team0:06:13
37Lisa Hudson (USA) Feedback0:06:19
38Karen Hogan (USA) Team Kappius0:07:07
39Liz Barcheck (USA) Team Small BatchRow 38 - Cell 2
40Katherine Santos (USA) Red Zone Elite0:07:17
41Michelle Khare (USA) Dartmouth0:07:18
42Mackenzie Green (USA) Red Zone Elite0:07:31
43Julie Hunter (USA) Seavs/Haymarket Pb Van Dessel0:07:54
44Natalie Koncz (USA) Nemesis Racing0:08:06
- 1 LapMeghan Korol (USA) Don Walker Cycles Racing0:08:28
- 1 LapJennifer Nordhem (USA) Hudson Furniture/Cycling CrossRow 45 - Cell 2
- 1 LapShane Ferro (USA) Rockstar Games/Signature CyclesRow 46 - Cell 2
- 2 LapsKelly Chang (USA) Voler/Hrs/Stevens Creek Bmw/RocRow 47 - Cell 2
- 2 LapsGemma Kernich (Aus) Focus Bikes Australia/Port AdelRow 48 - Cell 2
- 4 LapsStace Cooper (USA)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Sarah Lukas (USA) Quantum Mesa CyclesRow 50 - Cell 2
DNFHelen Wyman (GBr) KonaRow 51 - Cell 2
DNFAlly Stacher (USA) Ally'S BarRow 52 - Cell 2
DNFJenna Blandford (USA) Vo2Row 53 - Cell 2
DNSAmy Bradley (Aus)Row 54 - Cell 2

 

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Growing up in Missoula, Montana, Pat competed in his first bike race in 1985 at Flathead Lake. He studied English and journalism at the University of Oregon and has covered North American cycling extensively since 2009, as well as racing and teams in Europe and South America. Pat currently lives in the US outside of Portland, Oregon, with his imaginary dog Rusty.

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