Evelyn Stevens wins Philly Cycling Classic

It was a mission completed for Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon), who successful defended her title at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic on Sunday in Pennsylvania. She climbed to victory atop Manayunk Wall ahead of a runner-up Lex Albrecht (Twenty16 Pro Cycling), who was quickly gaining ground but ran out of road before the finish line, and Lauren Hall (Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies) in third.

"My team laid it all on the line for me," Stevens said. "When I went, I knew that I had to completely empty my tank. I was not going to look back until I was over the finish line. I had an idea that I had won with 100 meters to go, but I didn't want to get cocky, so I had no victory salute because I wanted to make sure that I had it. On these kinds of courses, you can win or lose in the last 25 meters. When your team does everything for you — it's really special."

Triple national champion, Alison Powers (UnitedHealthcare), reaped the rewards of being in an all-day solo breakaway and secured both the climber and sprint competitions. Kristabel Doebel-Hickok (Tibco-To The Top) earned the event's Miji Reoch Award for being the top under-23 rider.

The more the merrier on Manayunk

Some 140 cyclists from around the world lined up at the top of Manayunk Wall for the second edition, which was upgraded to UCI 1.1 status and one of two UCI events for women in the US. Fans increasingly gathered at the top of the climb with beer in-hand and ready to celebrate the annual event.

The race started with what has been typically dubbed “the fall from the wall,” a fast and technical descent to the first intermediate sprint where Niman Song (China Chongming-Giant-Champion System) took the full points. The race went over Strawberry Mansion, descended back onto Kelly Drive and over to Lemon Hill where Alena Amialiusik (Astana) picked up the first set of QOM points. She went on to climb over Manayunk and take the second set of QOM points.

The race descended Manayunk for the start of the second lap and Anna Stricker (Astana BePink) claimed the second intermediate sprint points. Powers made an impulsive attack and ended up gaining an immediate 35-second advantage, and with little effort from the main field to close it down, her lead bloomed to 1:10 minutes heading into the second climb over Manayunk.

"It was a spur-of-the-moment move,” Powers said. “We planned to have me go later in the race. There was a gap after the sprint points and then I was by myself. I was going full gas. I wanted to stay out as long as possible and allow my teammates to save their legs. It was a super bonus to get the sprint and QOM award."

Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies made a concerted attempt to get one of their riders across to Powers, sending off attack after attack during the next two laps but their efforts were dampened without the support of other teams.

"You have to save a bullet for Manayunk but with Alison up to road, that was the race," Hall said. "You can't let somebody get up the road and just expect them to come back. We really raced our bikes today. We wanted to bridge across to her but everyone sat on and nobody wanted to let us go."

Powers continued to pick up the full points at the intermediate sprint and at the QOMs on top of Lemon Hill and Manayunk on each lap. Teams Astana, Specialized-lululemon and Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies set a quick pace at the front of the field and reduced Powers's gap until she was back in the field before the penultimate climb over Manayunk, and the start of the last lap.

"You can't give Alison too much time but four laps on this course is hard," Stevens said. "I did think maybe she could do it because she's so good right now. It made people race. This is the kind of race where you need one big bullet. The more teams used their energy the more I could save it."

The field started the fifth and final lap intact with Astana doing the bulk of the pace-setting. UnitedHealthcare set Powers up to take the full set of QOM points on Lemon Hill and secure the category win.

Several attacks along with a seven-rider breakaway were short-lived on Kelly Drive and into main street Manayunk. Specialized-lululemon secured the first lead out train heading up the initial climb and through the technical chicane followed by Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies, Twenty16 Pro Cycling and UnitedHealthcare.

"The goal was for us to stay up front and my team did a great job today," Albrecht said. "We were hungry for the win today. The last climb is like a little race in itself. It was essential to be well positioned through the chicane to have a good start to the climb."

Stevens got a jump on the climb, which was packed with cheering fans, and raced her way to her second consecutive victory. Hall, who thought she had second place sewn up, was caught and passed by Albrecht near the top. "Evie got a jump on me and I kept her the same distance up and then Lex came out of nowhere and was closing the gap to Evie. I'm happy with my results and our team did an awesome job. Optum attacked their butts off today."

Results

Swipe to scroll horizontally
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Evelyn Stevens (USA) Specialized-lululemon2:28:57
2Lex Albrecht (CAN)Row 1 - Cell 2
3Lauren Hall (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit StrategiesRow 2 - Cell 2
4Alena Amialiusik (BLR) Astana BePinkRow 3 - Cell 2
5Flavia Oliveira (BRA)Row 4 - Cell 2
6Lizzie Williams (AUS)Row 5 - Cell 2
7Mara Abbott (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Women’s TeamRow 6 - Cell 2
8Sharon Laws (GBR) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Women’s TeamRow 7 - Cell 2
9Joanne Kiesanowski (NZL) Team TIBCORow 8 - Cell 2
10Mandy Heintz (USA)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Kristabel Doebel-Hickok (USA) Team TIBCORow 10 - Cell 2
12Janel Holcomb (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit StrategiesRow 11 - Cell 2
13Dalia Muccioli (ITA) Astana BePinkRow 12 - Cell 2
14Jessica Cutler (USA)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Amanda Miller (USA) Team TIBCORow 14 - Cell 2
16Mary Zider (USA)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Laura Brown (CAN)Row 16 - Cell 2
18Amy Charity (USA)Row 17 - Cell 2
19Lauren Komanski (USA)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Khristi Lay (CAN)Row 19 - Cell 2
21Tina Pic (USA)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Olivia Dillon (IRL)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Stephanie Roorda (CAN)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Ingrid Drexel (MEX) Forno d'Asolo-AstuteRow 23 - Cell 2
25Miranda Griffiths (AUS)Row 24 - Cell 2
26Anna Sanders (USA)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Hannah Barnes (GBR) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Women’s TeamRow 26 - Cell 2
28Patricia Schwager (SUI) Team TIBCORow 27 - Cell 2
29Leah Kirchmann (CAN) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit StrategiesRow 28 - Cell 2
30Jasmin Glaesser (CAN) Team TIBCORow 29 - Cell 2
31Sara Headley (USA) Team TIBCORow 30 - Cell 2
32Rushlee Buchanan (NZL) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Women’s TeamRow 31 - Cell 2
33Laura Jorgensen (USA)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Cecillia Davis-Hayes (USA)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Niman Song (CHN)Row 34 - Cell 2
36Daiva Tuslaite (LTU) Forno d'Asolo-AstuteRow 35 - Cell 2
37Kate Chilcott (NZL)Row 36 - Cell 2
38Alison Tetrick (USA)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Jade Wilcoxson (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit StrategiesRow 38 - Cell 2
40Maura Kinsella (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit StrategiesRow 39 - Cell 2
41Kathleen Lysakowski (USA)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Simona Frapporti (ITA) Astana BePinkRow 41 - Cell 2
43Edita Janeliunaite (LTU) Forno d'Asolo-AstuteRow 42 - Cell 2
44Carmen Small (USA) Specialized-lululemon0:01:30
45Tayler Wiles (USA) Specialized-lululemon0:01:52
46Lauren Tamayo (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Women’s TeamRow 45 - Cell 2
47Alison Powers (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Women’s Team0:01:59
48Anna Zita Maria Stricker (ITA) Astana BePinkRow 47 - Cell 2
49Annie Foreman-Mackey (CAN)0:04:30
50Jessenia Meneses (COL) Forno d'Asolo-Astute0:03:16
51Ally Stacher (USA) Specialized-lululemon0:04:57
52Stephanie Wetzel (USA)0:03:51
53Abigail Mickey (USA)0:04:19
54Lauren Dagostino (USA)0:07:39
55Ivy Audrain (USA)0:04:30
56Michelle Miller (USA)Row 55 - Cell 2
57Jessica Chong (USA)Row 56 - Cell 2
58Emily Spence (CAN)Row 57 - Cell 2
59Xi Sha Zhao (CHN)Row 58 - Cell 2
60Alice Algisi (ITA) Astana BePink0:04:57
61Silvia Valsecchi (ITA) Astana BePink0:08:22
62Lenore Pipes (GUM)0:05:35
63Beth Ruiz (USA)Row 62 - Cell 2
64Carrie Cartmill (CAN)Row 63 - Cell 2
65Ellen Watters (CAN)Row 64 - Cell 2
66Georgina Beech (AUS)0:07:39
67Colleen Gulick (USA)Row 66 - Cell 2
68Kerrin Strevell (USA)Row 67 - Cell 2
69Hongyu Liang (CHN)Row 68 - Cell 2
70Arley Kemmerer (USA)Row 69 - Cell 2
71Nancy Labbe-Giguere (CAN)Row 70 - Cell 2
72Kathleen Wolfkuhle (USA)Row 71 - Cell 2
73Joanie Caron (CAN)Row 72 - Cell 2
74Christina Birch (USA)Row 73 - Cell 2
75Adrianne Provost (CAN)Row 74 - Cell 2
76Whitney Schultz (USA)0:08:01
77Lindsay Bayer (USA)Row 76 - Cell 2
78Elizabeth Bonilla (USA)Row 77 - Cell 2
79Amy Bradley (AUS)Row 78 - Cell 2
80Amber Gaffney (USA)0:08:22
81Gillian Carleton (CAN)Row 80 - Cell 2
82Patricia Buerkle (USA)1 lap
83Elle Anderson (USA)Row 82 - Cell 2
84Karlee Gendron (CAN)Row 83 - Cell 2
85Brittlee Bowman (USA)Row 84 - Cell 2
86Emily Underwood (USA)Row 85 - Cell 2
87Morgan Patton Brown (USA)Row 86 - Cell 2
88Brianna Walle (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit StrategiesRow 87 - Cell 2
89Laura Van Gilder (USA)Row 88 - Cell 2
90Leslie Lupien (USA)Row 89 - Cell 2
91Amy Cutler (USA)Row 90 - Cell 2
92Jenny Rios (MEX)Row 91 - Cell 2
93Jessica Allen (AUS)Row 92 - Cell 2
94Andrea Brennan (USA)Row 93 - Cell 2
95Vanessa Drigo (SUI)Row 94 - Cell 2
96Raquel Miller (USA)Row 95 - Cell 2
97Erica Zaveta (USA)2 laps
98Erin Silliman (USA)Row 97 - Cell 2
99Rose Long (USA)Row 98 - Cell 2
100Amy Miner (USA)Row 99 - Cell 2
101Helen Hatch (USA)Row 100 - Cell 2
102Cheryl Fuller-Muller (USA)Row 101 - Cell 2
103Madeleine Mcconnell (CAN)Row 102 - Cell 2
104Fabienne Gérard (USA)Row 103 - Cell 2
105Deborah Leedale-Brown (USA)3 laps
106Lisa Vandivort (USA)Row 105 - Cell 2
107Kristie James (USA)Row 106 - Cell 2
108Kristin Lotito (USA)Row 107 - Cell 2
109Amélie Bruneau (CAN)Row 108 - Cell 2
110Emily Flynn (CAN)Row 109 - Cell 2
111Xiu Jie Jiang (CHN)Row 110 - Cell 2
112Karol-Ann Canuel (CAN) Specialized-lululemon4 laps
113Mia Loquai (USA)Row 112 - Cell 2
114Laura Darlington (AUS)Row 113 - Cell 2
115Aimee Layton (USA)Row 114 - Cell 2
116Kaitlyn Steeves (CAN)Row 115 - Cell 2
117Frances Morrison (USA)Row 116 - Cell 2
118Allyson Gillard (CAN)Row 117 - Cell 2
119Nikki Thiemann (USA)Row 118 - Cell 2
DNFRachel Hallum-Montes (USA)Row 119 - Cell 2
DNFTracey Cameron (CAN)Row 120 - Cell 2
DNSAllie Dragoo (USA)Row 121 - Cell 2
DNSCelia Riechel (USARow 122 - Cell 2

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Kirsten Frattini
Deputy Editor

Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.

Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.

She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.