Nash wins back-to-back at Jingle Cross Rock

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Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Cycling) brought back early race leader Elle Anderson (California Giant – Specialized) to win her second consecutive race of the weekend at the Carousel Volkswagen Jingle Cross Rock.

The revised route on the second day of racing took the riders up an undulating climb to the top of Mt. Krumpit. The switchback descent down Krumpit drew large crowds, and was littered with ruts and loose terrain which caused several riders to tumble into the course gates.

“It was a lot different today and I enjoyed it,” said Nash. “There were more hills; we were sliding around a little bit. It felt like a true 'cross race.”

Minutes before the start of the women’s race rain started to fall, creating slick conditions on the hilly course. Iowa native Amanda Miller (TIBCO) got to the front first, but Beth Ann Orton (Team S&M) from Portland, Oregon took the early lead until the pack hit the climb up Mt. Krumpit.

Elle Anderson emerged from the first trip over Krumpit with a seven-second lead. A crash in the lead group on the descent enabled Anderson to go on the attack.

“I followed Elle down, she just had a clean run down the hill, and I wiped out,” said Nash. “That’s where we got gapped. I actually separated from her and the rest of the group.”

Anderson extended her lead to 10 seconds, but a chase group that included Nash, Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Cycling), Courtenay McFadden (Bicycle BlueBook-Rock Lobster), Meredith Miller (California Giant-Specialized), and Amanda Miller came together to reel her back in. Few could match Nash and Pendrel’s speed up the hill and through the corners, and the Luna teammates soon shed the chase group and made contact with Anderson. Nash caught Anderson on the hill, with Pendrel a few seconds behind.

Pendrel, a world champion mountain biker, has had a limited, but successful, number of UCI cyclo-cross starts this season. She finished third at CrossVegas, and has mostly competed in a local Canadian series she helps promote, the BC Interior Cross Series.

“Having a more mountain bike style, power to weight, climb helped me get into position,” said Pendrel.

“Katerina was definitely the strongest girl out there on the climb, and I was probably second, so it worked out well.”

Nash and Anderson went head-to-head for the next lap, trading the lead multiple times on the twists and turns throughout the flat section of the course. With two laps to go Nash dropped Anderson on the climb, and put eight seconds on her rival. Anderson tried to chase, but was harried by Pendrel, who had closed the gap to her on the climb.

On the final ascent Nash flew up Mt. Krumpit and extended her lead even further. After trying to bring back Nash, and drop Pendrel, Anderson did not have enough gas in the tank to stay with Pendrel the final turn up the hill. Nash crossed the line in first, and Pendrel held Anderson at bay to finish second.

“I did the best I could today with the legs I had,” said Anderson who flew in Friday after work. “It was definitely some great competition out there with those other girls.”

Elle Anderson crossed the line in third, followed by Amanda Miller in fourth and Meredith Miller in fifth.

Day three of professional cyclo-cross racing concludes at the Carousel Volkswagen Jingle Cross Rock starts with the elite women’s UCI C1 race on Sunday, November 17th at 1:45 CST.