American Criterium Cup: Sofia Arreola and Luke Fetzer use late solo attacks to win Boise Twilight elite races

Sofia Arreola (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28) and Luke Fetzer (Team Cadence Cyclery p/b Encore Wire) rode away from their respective elite fields in the closing corners and held on for solo victories at the Bailey & Glasser LLP Boise Twilight Criterium.

The high-speed circuits were held around Idaho's state capital in the Pacific northwest as the fourth round of the American Criterium Cup race series, with just two rounds to go.

Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 dominated the 70-minute women's race with sprinter Marlies Mejías securing second place behind the late attack of her teammate, with Makayla MacPherson (CCB p/b Levine Law Group) taking third. Andrea Cyr (Fount Cycling Guild) edged the third VBR rider Rylee McMullen into fourth position.

Team Cadence Cyclery's winning move began with Lucas Bourgoyne leading Fetzer to a decisive break from the peloton to chase down a multi-lap solo move by Andrew Frank (Empyr). US U23 criterium champion Fetzer sailed past Frank with three laps to go for the win. Ama Nsek (Pinarello Maap) and Maurice Ballerstedt (Rose Bikes) blasted past Frank with 25 metres remaining to take away podium spots, and left the Montana rider in fourth.

Aline Seitz (Butcherbox Cycling), who won the Wisconsin stop of ACC at Downer Classic at the end of June, finished sixth in Boise and retained her lead in the standings over second-placed Andrea Cyr (Fount Cycling Guild). Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 moved two riders into the top 10, Arreola slotting into 9th in her first ACC race of the season and her teammate Mejías moving from 15th to 7th, and their teammate McMullen in the sprint classification lead.

With third place in the men's nightcap, Ballerstedt gained enough points to take the red leader's jersey from Brody McDonald (Golden State Blazers), who was seventh in Boise. While Danny Summerhill (L39ION of Los Angeles) maintained his third place overall, he is now tied with Owen Gillott ((Chaney Windows and Doors Pasteria).

The next round of the American Criterium Cup will be July 27 at Chicago Grit Fulton Market Grand Prix in Chicago, Illinois.

Winning moves

The first big move of the women's race came from VBR's New Zealander McMullen, who attacked midway in the race and grabbed all the intermediate points, and prize money, with her 20-second gap.

When the race came back together late in the race, Arreola and Mejias worked together at the front, with eyes on top sprinter Mejías. With just over three laps to go, Arreola pounced.

“We knew we were a strong team and we knew we could win from different scenarios so when I found myself off the front I knew I could just keep going," the Mexican rider told organisers after the finish.

“It's really fun racing with Marlies. We have been racing against each other, and together, since we were juniors. It's just really fun to be teammates because she can win out of a sprint or a breakaway and I can too."

In the men's race, Frank looked to have made a winning move 50 minutes into the 70-minute contest. Fetzer jumped from the peloton when prompted by his team leader Bourgonye, and quickly closed the gap then passed Frank with three laps to go.

“At nine to go Lucas was like, ‘there is a guy off the front, you got to go,’” Fetzer told organisers about his winning move.

“He set me up coming into the first turn and I made it across in three laps, and it was wrapped from there. It's the first time I have won a race like that solo, so all the time leading out Lucas has paid off.”

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