Laura van Gilder (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes) rode away with victory at the Granogue Cross Expo held in Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday. The famed road sprinter outpaced her two teammates Deidre Winfield who placed second and Arley Kemmerer in third.
“It was a good race,” Van Gilder said. “Each of us wanted to win the race so we both kept the pressure on. Once we were together we were racing each other for the win. We didn’t want to compromise the victory today but we were very much racing each other on the last lap.”
The Granogue Cross course wrapped its way around the Dupont Estate grounds that offered a relentless amount of climbing and technical-off camber descending.
Van Gilder and her teammate Winfield gained a sizable lead ahead of thefield in the opening laps of the Elite women’s 45-minute race. The pair were chased by Ann D’Ambruso (LadiesFirst Racing), Kristin Gavin (Cystic Fibrosis), Rebecca Blatt (Silverbull) and Arley Kremmerer (C3-Athletes-Serving Athletes).
“It was a very good regional field with a very Mid Atlantic mix of riders,” said Van Gilder who is currently leading the Mid Atlantic Cyclo-cross (MAC) series. “I got the hole shot and really pushed the pace from the beginning. I decided that I was just going to go for it. I got a gap. Dee Dee caught up and passed me and put the gas on and the riders that followed her up ended up falling off pace.”
A broken chain forced Van Gilder into the pits for a bike change that resulted in her teammate Winfield gaining a nearly ten-second advantage. Van Gilder clawed her way back to her teammate’s wheel with one lap to go.
“I had to close that gap with about one and half laps to go,” Van Gilder said. “That was difficult because Dee Dee was really keeping the pressure on and taking the technical sections really well. I was able to get back to her on the last lap. We came around each other a few times.”
Winfield was the first to jump in the two-up sprint finale but she was passed by Van Gilder on the way to the line. The duo’s teammate Kremmerer soloed in for third place.
| 1 | Laura Van Gilder (USA) C3 - Athletes Serving Athletes | 0:35:54 |
| 2 | Deidre Winfield (USA) C3 - Athletes Serving Athletes | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
| 3 | Arley Kemmerer (USA) C3 - Athletes Serving Athletes | 0:00:24 |
| 4 | Ann D'Ambruoso (USA) LadiesFirst Racing | 0:00:34 |
| 5 | Rebecca Blatt (USA) Silverbull - Central Wheel | 0:00:46 |
| 6 | Kristin Gavin (USA) Team CF | 0:00:55 |
| 7 | Nikki Thiemann (USA) Team CF | 0:01:52 |
| 8 | Carolyn Popovic (USA) PAValleys.com | 0:02:07 |
| 9 | Katrina Dowidchuk (USA) Team TBB-Deep Blue | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
| 10 | Jennifer Maxwell (USA) Van Dessel Factory Team p/b Sterke Meiden | 0:02:26 |
| 11 | Erin Silliman (USA) ALAN North America Cycling Team | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
| 12 | Julie Kuliecza (USA) ALAN North America Cycling Team | 0:03:35 |
| 13 | Lenore Pipes (USA) The Wistar Institute | 0:03:47 |
| 14 | Lauri Webber (USA) Secret Henry's Team | 0:03:49 |
| 15 | Kristine Church (USA) Human Zoom-Pabst Blue Ribbon | 0:04:02 |
| 16 | Stacey Barbossa (USA) Montclair Cyclists | 0:04:44 |
| 17 | Elizabeth Harlow (USA) C3 - Athletes Serving Athletes | 0:04:51 |
| 18 | Lynda Maldonado (USA) Cannondale-Cadence Women's Racing | 0:04:56 |
| 19 | Lindsey Hillesheim (USA) Squadra Coppi | 0:05:50 |
| 20 | Andrea Luebbe (USA) Human Zoom / Pabst Blue Ribbon | 0:05:59 |
| 21 | Jessica Hayes Conroy (USA) North American Velo | 0:06:13 |
| 22 | Amy Cutler (USA) Team EPS-CSS p/b Brielle Cyclery | 0:06:18 |
| 23 | Kathrin Schumacher (USA) Guy's Racing | 0:06:57 |
| 24 | Kim Dubeck (USA) C3 - Athletes Serving Athletes | 0:07:32 |
| 25 | Beth Mason (USA) Verge Test Pilot | 0:08:08 |
| 26 | Nina Santiago (USA) Watchung Wheelmen | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
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