US Criterium Champion flies her colours in North Carolina
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Brooke Miller is the current US National Champion(Image credit: John Pierce)
Team Type 1's Kori Seehafer drills it into one to go.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Start position was important - riders were staging 10 minutes before the call ups even started.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Vanderkitten's Laura Bowles was all smiles on the start line.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
BMW Bianchi's Erica Allar looked calm and collected.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Glasses? Argyle? Helmet? Yes all here! Perfect.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Joelle Numaninville (Kenda) is ready to get the show on the road.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Tibco's Meredith Miller was smiling, though...(Image credit: Emory Ball)
As the clock counts down everyone has their game face on.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Time to get serious.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
The early break included Brooke Miller.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Back in the pack there was some hesitation on when to start chasing.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Finally a reaction from BMW Bianchi gets things rolling.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Former multi-time junior national champion Lauren Shirock (BMW Binachi) makes the big step up to the NRC races.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Last year's winner, TIBCO's Kat Carroll, launched a dangerous attack marked by Colavita's Rachael Heal.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Riders flew though the course's eight turns.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
TIBCO's Kat Carroll kept the pressure on the field for a number of laps.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Back in the field the sprinters started to smell a bunch sprint.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Heal helps to keep the break going to force ther others sprinters' teams to chase.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Team Type 1 Takes up the pace making.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
BMW Bianchi's Erica Allar and Mellow Mushroom's Laura Van Gilder jockey for position in the final laps.(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Brooke Miller (TIBCO) won the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational after a mad dash to the line. The US National Criterium Champion outpaced sprint legend Tina Pic (Colavita-Sutter Home) who placed second and Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Verducci) in third.
"The reason I felt so confident today was because my team is an incredible team and everyone is selfless and does their job," said Miller. "There’s a certain feeling you get when your team is behind you so much. Like the feeling that you can close your eyes and fall backward and everyone’s there to catch you and it’s the best feeling in the world. I was confident today because I knew my team would race like that."
The rowdy crowds were treated to a star-studded call up before the start of the women’s 40-kilometre criterium. Riders like Meredith Miller (TIBCO), recent winner of the US national road championships, USA Crit Series leader Laura van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom), Rachel Heal (Colavita-Sutter Home), Women’s Prestige Cycling Series winner Alison Powers (Team Type 1), Pan-American champion Joelle Numainville (Kenda) along with local riders Robin Farina (Value Act Capital), Laura Bowles (Vanderkitten) and Erica Allar (BMW-Bianchi). Lastly, defending champion Katharine Carroll (TIBCO).
Carroll initiated the first move of the day that ignited a series of counter attacks from her aggressive TIBCO teammates. Teams Colavita-Sutter Home and Value Act Capital were quick to respond and the field came back together in time for the first of many primes to be had.
"We missed the move at the national championships last week so we wanted to make up for it tonight," said Pic. "We were so mad at ourselves for that. It was good for us to have a break. We were fine with all of them."
Van Gilder jumped on the first prime valued at $250 followed by Farina and Kelly Benjamin (Colavita-Sutter Home). The peloton entered into a series of counter moves that saw riders like Jen McRae (Team Type 1), Chrissy Ruiter and Kristin Sanders (Value Act Capital), Andrea Dvorak and Nicky Wangsgard (Colavita-Sutter Home) and Christina Smith (Veloforma) reshuffle into several short-lasting breakaways.
Mid-race, Carroll jumped for a second time and she was quickly followed by Rachel Heal. The pair gained 15 seconds, testing each other through several lucrative primes. Alison Powers (Team Type 1) took responsibility to try to drag the breakaway back. She received help from teammate Kori Seehafer to seal the deal with five laps to go.
"Our goal was to save me for the finish to lead-out Jen, so Alison was doing a lot of work to bring back the breaks," said Seehafer. "There was a lot of attacking in the last three laps and we were covering those. By the end, Jen was left out to dry because she didn’t have any teammates left."
The three fully loaded teams, TIBCO, Colavita-Sutter Home and Value Act Capital continued to put pressure on the short-handed Team Type 1. Catherine Cheatley made her move with Joanne Kiesanowski, followed by Powers and Wangsgard. With things back together again, Seehafer reacted to several more attacks throughout the final lap.
"We usually don’t like anything to go up the road without one of us on it right away," said Miller. "It’s easier to cover somebody when they attack with a short effort than to try and bring it back. Almost no one gets more than 50-metres in front on the peloton before one of my teammates brings them back. All my teammates are strong enough that they can win if they are up the road. So I’m a good plan-B. It doesn’t have to be me standing on the podium. We have five other women who are incredibly phenomenal athletes."
With half a lap to go, TIBCO and Colavita-Sutter Home organized a lead-out for their designated sprinters Miller and Pic. Notable sprinters Van Gilder and McRae sat protected amongst the front group. The long straight away to the finish line made it hard to anticipate when to start the sprint. Cliff-Ryan was the first to go but both Miller and Pic passed her at the line. "This is such a long sprint and I waited too long," said Pic. "Brooke and I have a similar sprint and she just caught me off guard."
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Results
1
Brooke Miller (Team Tibco)
0:54:47
2
Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter Home P/b Cookin)
0:00:01
3
Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Verducci/breakaway Racing)
Row 2 - Cell 2
4
Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom)
Row 3 - Cell 2
5
Christina Smith (Veloforma)
Row 4 - Cell 2
6
Joanne Kiesanowski (Team Tibco)
Row 5 - Cell 2
7
Erica Allar (BMW-Bianchi)
0:00:02
8
Jennifer Mcrae (Team Type 1)
Row 7 - Cell 2
9
Joelle Numainville (Team Kenda)
Row 8 - Cell 2
10
Cath Cheatley (Colavita Sutter Home P/b Cookin)
Row 9 - Cell 2
11
Kori Seehafer (Team Type 1)
0:00:03
12
Lauren Tamayo (Team Tibco)
Row 11 - Cell 2
13
Meredith Miller (Team Tibco)
0:00:04
14
Katharine Carroll (Team Tibco)
Row 13 - Cell 2
15
Shontell Gauthier (Colavita Sutter Home P/b Cookin)
0:00:05
16
Kelly Benjamin (Colavita Sutter Home P/b Cookin)
Row 15 - Cell 2
17
Melissa Sanborn (Vanderkitten Racing)
Row 16 - Cell 2
18
Kristen Lasasso (Mellow Mushroom)
0:00:06
19
Samantha Schneider (Team Type 1)
Row 18 - Cell 2
20
Toni Bradshaw (Team Lip Smacker)
0:00:07
21
Kristin Sanders (Valueact Capital)
0:00:08
22
Rebecca Larson (Valueact Capital)
0:00:13
23
Tonya Lail (BMW-Bianchi)
0:00:14
24
Leigh Hopkins (Vanderkitten Racing)
0:00:16
25
Kacey Manderfield (Team Lip Smacker)
0:00:18
26
Silke Wunderwald (Team Kenda)
0:00:23
27
Robin Farina (Valueact Capital)
Row 26 - Cell 2
28
Kirsten Davis (BMW-Bianchi)
0:00:26
29
Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Type 1)
Row 28 - Cell 2
30
Sheba Farrin (Hub Racing)
Row 29 - Cell 2
31
Kate Veronneau (Altarum Women's Cycling Team)
0:00:27
32
Andrea Dvorak (Colavita Sutter Home P/b Cookin)
Row 31 - Cell 2
33
Jessie Maclean (Verducci/breakaway Racing)
0:00:28
34
Kathryn Clark (Team Kenda)
0:00:29
35
Hilary Billington (Team Lip Smacker)
0:01:03
36
Alison Powers (Team Type 1)
0:01:06
37
Christina Ruiter (Valueact Capital)
0:01:20
38
Jennifer Wilson (Vanderkitten Rcing)
Row 37 - Cell 2
39
Sinead Miller (Unattached)
0:01:56
40
Rachel Heal (Colavita Sutter Home P/b Cookin)
0:03:24
41
Nicky Wangsgard (Colavita Sutter Home P/b Cookin)
Row 40 - Cell 2
42
Jennifer Reither (Vanderkitten Racing)
Row 41 - Cell 2
43
Elizabeth Morse Hill (Hub Racing)
0:03:25
44
Veronica Martinez (Hub Racing)
Row 43 - Cell 2
45
Jenette Williams (Altarum Women's Cycling Team)
Row 44 - Cell 2
46
Dale Tye (Altarum Women's Cycling Team)
Row 45 - Cell 2
47
Rebecca Blatt (Team Kenda)
Row 46 - Cell 2
48
Emma Petersen (Team Ultralink)
Row 47 - Cell 2
49
Arley Kemmerer (Hub Racing)
Row 48 - Cell 2
50
Allison Lampi (Team Ultralink)
Row 49 - Cell 2
51
Amy Mcguire (Hub Racing)
Row 50 - Cell 2
52
Emily Helmboldt (Team Marshall Mechanical/rcwr)
Row 51 - Cell 2
53
Julie Kuliecza (Team Marshall Mechanical/rcwr)
Row 52 - Cell 2
54
Emily Joyner (Team Marshall Mechanical/rcwr)
Row 53 - Cell 2
55
Lenore Pipes (Team Marshall Mechanical/rcwr)
Row 54 - Cell 2
56
Lauren Shirock (BMW-Bianchi)
Row 55 - Cell 2
57
Liz Leyden (Hub Racing)
Row 56 - Cell 2
58
Ashley Anderson (Proman Hit Squad)
Row 57 - Cell 2
59
Nicole Johnson (Team Kenda)
Row 58 - Cell 2
60
Christi-An Hansley (Team Medplan)
0:03:26
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Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
