Millar undefeated in Missouri

Brooke Miller (TIBCO) capped off her 2009 season with four straight victories at the Tour of Missouri Women's Series held in conjunction with the Gateway Cup that took place over the Labor Day long weekend. The fourth and final race saw Miller take a convincing bunch sprint win a head of six-time US national criterium champion Tina Pic (Colavita-Sutter Home) and U23 criterium champion Samantha Schneider (Team Type 1).

"We had a different team here today with Rushlee Buchanan, Katharine Carroll and Alison Starnes - only four of us," said Miller. "But I think that shows that everyone plays on each other great. The girls did so well in all four races, we communicate so well with each other and sometimes I think we use ESP to communicate."

Miller's four victories brought her overall omnium title. "I didn't especially expect that I was going to win four races," said Miller who admitted the third round was the toughest victory. "But we really wanted to put a stamp on the season and really show what our team can do."

Thousands of fans lined the streets of St Louis to watch the women's peloton battle out the final race of the four round omnium, an appetizer of the professional men's racing to come. The women raced for 50 minutes plus five laps and sprinted through the same start-finish line as the men during a shorter two-kilometre circuit.

Chrissy Ruiter (Value Act Capital) initiated the first move of the day with three riders in tow. The breakaway was short-lived as teams like TIBCO, Team Type 1, Webcor and LipSmackers played aggressively behind them.

Kristin Sanders (Value Act Capital) and Jackie Crowell (Team Type 1) were the next to set sail. However, they too were reeled in after a ten minute effort out front. The attacks continued until former world time trial champion Karen Brems (Webcor Builders) snapped away from the field on her own.

Brems gained nearly 15 seconds on the field. TIBCO, on the hunt for a fourth win, used powerful rides Katharine Carroll, Alison Starnes and Rushlee Buchanan to bring all breakaway attempts back to the bunch.

"It was a very animated race," said Miller. "We only had four riders here this weekend and today, after being a little tired, there was really only three and a half. I was saving a little for the last half of the race because I had to think about the finish."

Teams Kenda TIre, Value Act Capital and Webcor continued to launch attacks. However, teams like TIBCO, Colavita-Sutter Home and Team Type 1 worked their magic to bring the field back together in time to set up for a field sprint.

Laura van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) sprinted for the final prime with five laps to go and a mix of teams swarmed the front of the peloton behind her. TIBCO was the first team to show signs of an organized lead-out followed by Alison Powers (Team Type 1) and Tina Pic. Rounding the final corner, Miller used her famed long sprint to capture her fourth victory and the overall Tour of Missouri Women's Series and Gateway Cup omnium title.