McConneloug sweeps Cycle-Smart International weekend

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Mary McConneloug has swept all before her in Northampton following the mountain biker’s second victory of the weekend in the Cycle Smart International. The elite women’s race featured a tough battle between McConneloug (Kenda/Seven/NoTubes), Laura Van Gilder (C3/Athletes Serving Athletes), Natasha Elliott (Garneau/Club Chaussure/Ogilvy) and Andrea Smith (Minuteman Road Club).

On the first lap, McConneloug used the mountain biking prowess that took her to the Olympics to begin pulling away on the ride-up; once she went clear, she never looked back and soloed to another victory in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.

Behind her, Van Gilder and Elliott were neck-and-neck the whole race, each using their different strengths to good advantage, with Van Gilder taking the lead on the power sections and Elliott leading through the sinuous roots on the upper level of the course.

Elliott’s tactic of keeping the pressure up in hopes of forcing her competition to make a mistake didn’t work, as Van Gilder was able to hold tight until the last lap. The final pass through the sand pit with a quarter lap remaining saw Van Gilder launch an attack, pulling clear and crossing the line second. Elliott was close behind in third while Andrea Smith came through alone for fourth.

Series leader Maureen Bruno-Roy (MM Racing) came onto the finishing straight with Rebecca Wellons (Team Plan C) and Sara Bresnick-Zocchi (pedalpowercoaching.com/Landry’s Bicycles) but wasn’t able to match their acceleration, finishing seventh and holding onto the series lead.