Thiemann outsprints Van Gilder at Beacon 'Cross

Nicole Thiemann (Team CF) won her first UCI race on Saturday with a hard-fought sprint victory over Laura Van Gilder (C3 p/b Mellow Mushroom). Thiemann played cat and mouse with Van Gilder for the entire Beacon race, besting her by millimeters in a photo-finish sprint.

Thiemann's Team CF teammate Kristin Gavin fought to bridge a close gap, but couldn't match the punishing pace set by Thiemann and Van Gilder and finished third, 29 seconds back.

Beacon's unmarked finish line, however, created confusion for sprinters. "Laura Van Gilder and I traded places on and off throughout the race and she took a spill at the top of the amphitheatre on the last lap," said Thiemann. "When we hit the pavement, she went and then I went. I realized I was gaining on her but couldn't find the finish line, so sprinted until I was well past where the line had to be. I didn't know if I'd pulled it off until she told me I'd won - I won by an inch or so!"