Helen Wyman (Kona) sweeps the Providence weekend(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
The beer and liquor garden was a busy place today(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Helen Wyman (Kona) running the barriers with nobody in sight behind her(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katie Antonneau (Cannondale) riding the course at Roger Williams Park(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Crystal Anthony (Cyclocrossworld.com) has dramatically improved her skills this season(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Brittlee Bowman (Pedalpowertraining.com) running the barriers(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Caroline Mani (Raleigh Clement) running the uphill barriers(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Gabby Day (Rapha Focus) leading early in the race(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Mary McConneloug (Kenda-Seven-NoTubes) putting her mountain biking skills to use(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Gabby Day (Rapha Focus) leading Helen Wyman (Kona) on lap one(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Helen Wyman (Kona) unclipping for safety in the turns(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Helen Wyman (Kona) chasing Gabby Day on lap one(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Gabby Day (Rapha Focus) takes the hole shot today(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Proper attire for today’'s races in Providence(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Mary McConneloug (Kenda-Seven-NoTubes) riding to a podium finish(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Elle Anderson (Ladies First Racing) racing just behind the leaders(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Caroline Mani (Raleigh Clement)(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Andrea Smith (LadiesFirst Racing)(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
The course was in beautiful shape prior to the rain that started just before the women raced(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
A caped crusader at the ice cream truck(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Gabby Day (Rapha Focus) had yet another good outing in New England(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Nicole Thiemann (Team CF) on her last lap(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katie Antonneau (Cannondale) with one lap to go(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Crystal Anthony (Cyclocrossworld.com) riding to the pits in the rain(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Helen Wyman (Kona) rode flawlessly again today(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Natasha Elliot (The Cyclerly) descending off the flyover(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Caroline Mani (Raleigh Clement) having one of her best outings this season(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katie Antonneau (Cannondale) warming up before the race(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
The UCI Elite Women's event started with a bit of uncertainty as the day's rains came just minutes before the start whistle. Gabby Day (Rapha-Focus) was the first rider off the pavement ahead of fellow Brit Helen Wyman (Kona Factory Racing) and Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld).
Heading into the first off-camber section running opposite the finish stretch it became obvious which riders made the right changes to their bikes for the weather conditions as many riders found themselves on the ground.
Day, Wyman, and Antonneau extended an early lead over the rest of the field within the first half lap of the race, but heading into the hairpin corner at the bottom of the Stan's NoTubes run-up, Antonneau was the only rider of the lead three to find herself on the ground. When she picked herself up and attempted to remount, Antonneau realized she had broken her rear derailleur and was forced to run the rest of the lap to the pits for a fresh bike.
Ahead of the carnage, Wyman opened up a small lead of less than ten seconds over Day and while Day would go on to ride a race free of mistakes; she would never get any closer to Wyman.
Behind the leaders, 42 year old Mary McConneloug (Team Kenda/Seven/NoTubes) used her experience and technical skills to ride sections of the course where most riders behind struggled and by the end of the first lap found herself alone in 3rd place ahead of a chasing Andrea Smith (LadiesFirst) and Caroline Mani (Raleigh/Clement).
When asked about her technical prowess on the course today McConneloug offered, "I was sitting back in 10th at the beginning of the first lap and riders just kept sliding down the hill crashing and I was keeping it upright. My tires were really hooking up; I ran really low pressure."
By two laps to go, Wyman's lead was comfortable enough over Day that it looked like the only positions that might change place were between 3rd place McConneloug and 4th place Smith but McConneloug was able to ride the run-up each lap and this was enough to keep Smith at bay.
Helen Wyman held on for the win, finishing ahead of Day by 18 seconds. McConneloug was a distant 3rd, finishing another 1:22 back. Smith and Mani rounded out the top five. As Wyman and Day crossed the line for the last time, it was obvious that neither made many mistakes as the skinsuits of both riders were still clean while nearly every other rider in the race showed some evidence of hitting the ground at least once.
Wyman said after the race, "It was a really technical course, but if you didn't go full gas, you didn't crash. It wasn't as hard as yesterday because a lot of the corners were really slippery and you couldn't really get the power down quick enough."
