Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) swept the weekend races with her 1:48 victory over Rose Grant(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Carson CityXC is a Wild West town with plenty of character(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Amy Beisel (Ridebiker Alliance) made it up the massive climb with Grant and Nash(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Serena Bishop-Gordon (Giant-Cliff Bar) riding in 4th position with Jenny Smith on her wheel.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Veteran Jenny Smith (Stan’s NoTubes) riding to a 4th place finish(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
The riders were treated to several aspen lined fire road sections of the course.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Riders had many views of Lake Tahoe from the Rim Trail.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Jen Hanks (Pivot Cycles) riding through one of the many aspen groves(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Sian Crespo (Bike Like A Girl) seemed to be enjoying her ride and her 14th place finish.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Rose Grant (Stans NoTubes-Pivot) finishing second while winning the Epic Rides Series.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) following Rose Grant at the ten-mile point(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Riders passed by Marlette Lake at about 8,000 ft. elevation.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) would be competing in today’s race but not for the overall series.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Cyclocross specialist Courtenay McFadden (American Classic) has been competing for podium spots in the few mountain biking races she has done.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Amy Beisel (Ridebiker Alliance) is finally well after being hit by a car recently and suffering with a chest infection for a month.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Rose Grant (Stans NoTubes-Pivot) has a large lead in the overall Epic Rides series(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
The front row had plenty of talent including young Maghalie Rochette (Luna Pro Team) who was in 3rd place in the series.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
The Luna women lead the pros out onto the course.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
The Pro Women heading to the mountains and twenty miles of climbing(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Rose Grant (Stans NoTubes-Pivot) leading Katerina Nash at Spooner Lake(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
USA Marathon Champion Rose Grant (Stans NoTubes-Pivot) has moved to the top of the sport in the past two years.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signing race posters at the pro riders meeting held at his official residence.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Four-time Olympian Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) won the inaugural Carson City Off-Road in what has been her "backyard" for many years. USA Marathon Champion Rose Grant (Stans NoTubes-Pivot) finished second, less than two minutes back, and secured the overall Epic Rides Series title and bonus money.
Amy Beisel, who had been hit by a car only two weeks ago, had recovered enough to take third place. Veteran endurance racer Jenny Smith (Stans NoTubes) put in a spectacular ride to claim fourth place and edge out Serena Bishop-Gordon (Liv Giant), who finished in fifth place.
The pro women split into several groups on the initial 10-mile climb to Spooner Lake, where Grant led Nash and a feisty Beisel, who was refusing to be dropped. In the final 10 miles of ascending to the top of the course, Nash took advantage of the fact that she was wearing a Camleback under her skinsuit.
When asked about whether it helped, she remarked, "Yes, absolutely. It's a long course and there's sections where you can't reach in for the water bottle, but you can reach the little nozzle. I did it last year at Grand Junction and was really happy with it."
Beisel lost contact with the leaders once the descending began. She noted after the race that descending was "something that I need to improve on."
In the final miles Nash accumulated her gap of 1:48. It was a small enough gap that Grant could undoubtedly see Nash at times, but large enough that it was insurmountable. Nash has excelled in short-track racing, cyclo-cross, World Cup Racing and occasionally long endurance events such as the B.C. Bike Race. She explained: "I love variety. I think it's important to race anything from 'cross, to long distance, to World Cups. It's all good and I love riding all kinds of bikes"
Rose Grant secured the first-ever Epic Rides series that also included the Whiskey Off-Road, and Grand Junction Off-Road. The pro men and women split $90,000 in prize money, plus $10,000 split between the leaders of the series. Grant commented: "It's such a fun series. It's so unique in the United States to have a series that brings out so much talent, has so much prize money and so many fans. This is really amazing."
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Latest social media video of the two attempts to dispel any notion of tension, but it's hard to believe that the leadership question won't rear its head again this Tour
