Van Gilder takes women's NRC, Webcor crowned team champions

The women's National Race Calendar series (NRC) wrapped up at the Tour de Leelanau on Saturday where Cheerwine's pocket-rocket sprinter Laura Van Gilder placed second to defending champion Tina Pic (Colavita-Sutter Home-Cooking Light), enough to give the Pennsylvania native back the NRC title she last won in 2002. Mara Abbot (Webcor Builders) claimed second overall while World TT Champion Kristen Armstrong was third.

Van Gilder has maintained a steady flow of victories throughout the 37-race series, taking her first at the Garret Lemire Memorial Grand Prix in April and most recent on stage 7 of the International Tour de 'Toona. Other victories included stages 6 and 7 of the USA Crits SE Series, stage 2 of the Joe Martin Stage Race, the Raleigh Criterium, the Kelly Cup, the CSC Invitational, the Crystal City Classic and stage 4 of the Tour de 'Toona.

In the team standings, Webcor Builders came out victorious thanks to NRC wins from Mara Abbot, Amber Rais, Katheryn Curi and Rachel Heal. Abbot claimed national titles in the elite women's road race and the U23 time trial at the USAC National Festival at Seven Springs, won a stage of the Redlands Classic and a stage and the overall classification at the Tour of the Gila. Rais, meanwhile, took the Tri-Peaks Challenge with three stage wins and the overall title, plus the Cougar Mountain Classic Circuit Race.

Second in the team standings were Cheerwine, followed by Aaron's, Team Lipton and Colavita-Sutter Home-Cooking Light.