Valente wins Colorado Classic opener

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Track specialist Jennifer Valente (Sho-Air Twenty20) was the fastest finisher Thursday in the finale of the opening stage at the Colorado Classic Women's Race in Colorado Springs, winning bunch kick ahead of Skylar Schneider (Iscorp Powered By Progress) and Emma White (Rally Cycling) and seizing the first leader's jersey of the race.

The Olympic silver medalist in the team pursuit, fresh off a trio of national championship victories in the points race, scratch race and international omnium in Los Angeles, burst out of the sprinting peloton, heading up the left-hand side near the barriers to win by a clean set of wheels.

"The track definitely gives you speed," Valente said. "I've added a bit more road to my season this year, so that has lengthened my speed, to be able to do a road race and still have that track power. I think racing track nationals last week, that translated really well coming back home."

The "bit more road" included victories in the Andersen Banducci criterium in Boise, Idaho, and a fifth place overall in the Cascade Cycling Classic, showing that Valente is as versatile a rider as her fellow team pursuiter Ruth Winder, who made a complete transition to the road and leads the Pro Road Tour.

At just 61km in length, the Colorado Springs circuit favoured the sprinters, as the high altitude and quick pace made it so no attack was able to stick. The most action was at the back, where riders were constantly being shelled due to the high speeds. No team was able to get control leading into the final kilometer.

"That last circuit, it was pretty fast and people were attacking a bit," Valente said. "We came around the last corner and trains were leading out for the sprint and I was kind of hopping between people. It worked out."

U23 national champion White also found her way through the chaos, sprinting on the right mid-road but coming up just shy in third.

"The finish, the last kilometer was pretty crazy, there were teams coming from all sides of the road," White said. "I lost my train for a little bit so I had to make a plan B and fend for myself. I ended up with third."

The altitude came into play on the stage by suppressing the attacks, but tomorrow's stage in Breckenridge, which starts at over 9,600 ft (2,900m) in altitude and ascends even higher over the five laps, will certainly be a different type of stage.

"I think tomorrow is going to be a challenge for everyone - the people who've been at altitude, but certainly those who haven't. Starting at 9,000ft is going to be a game changer for everyone," Valente said.

"I have only been here two days, but I do live here. I've been gone traveling and racing for a month, between Boise and Cascade and nationals. I think that even without being acclimated, I know what the altitude feels like, and that's an advantage.”

Valente added the sprint jersey along with the leader's jersey to her wardrobe, while her teammate Winder claimed the lead in the Best Colorado Rider competition. Rally's Sara Poidevan claimed the QOM jersey, with ISCorp's Schneider leading the Best Young Rider competition. 

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