A field sprint decided both winners for the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium. In the women's race Lauren Stephens (FCS Zngine p/b Mr. Restore) out sprinted the favorites to take the win. In the men's race the UnitedHealthcare squad lead out their sprinter Hilton Clarke for the victory.
The 10th annual Presbyterian Hospital Invitational was the third stop of the USA Crits series and held in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina on a 1.1 mile loop. The women would race for 18 laps and the men for 40.
The numerous primes for both cash and points kept the field active throughout the race. The teams of Optum presented by Kelly Benefit and Tibco were constantly at the front of the field keeping the pace high.
Numerous breaks were formed, but none were able to stay away for any length of time. With three laps remaining the peloton was together and a field sprint was going to decide the winner.
A five-hundred dollar prime on the penultimate lap was won by Janel Holcomb (Optum pb Kelly Benefit).
On the final stretch to the finish line the field was spread out from the curb to the fencing that divided the road. Kicking hardest on the left hand side of the road was Lauren Stephens (FCS Zngine p/b Mr. Restore) taking the win. Behind her was Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Team Colavita) in second, and in third Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom).
“This is the biggest victory I ever had,” said a jubilant Stephens, explaining how the last laps were aggressive with riders fighting for a draft.
“I was just bouncing off sprinter's wheels out of that last turn.”
Full Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauren Stephens (FCS|Zngine p/b Mr. Restore) | 0:55:09 |
| 2 | Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Fearless Femme p/b Pure Energy) | |
| 3 | Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) | |
| 4 | Jade Wilcoxson (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) | |
| 5 | Brianna Walle (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) | |
| 6 | Lauren Tamayo (Exergy TWENTY16) | |
| 7 | Christina Gokey-Smith (ROUSE/OOGIE RACING) | |
| 8 | Alison Powers (NOW and Novartis for MS) | |
| 9 | Jo Kiesanowski (Team Tibco) | |
| 10 | Jacquelyn Crowell (Exergy TWENTY16) | 0:00:01 |
| 11 | Sam Schneider (Team Tibco) | |
| 12 | Erica Allar (CARE4Cycling p/b Solomon) | |
| 13 | Rushlee Buchanan (Team Tibco) | |
| 14 | Alexis Ryan (NOW and Novartis for MS) | |
| 15 | Liza Rachetto (Vanderkitten Women's Cycling) | |
| 16 | Tina Pic (Team Colavita) | |
| 17 | Chantal Blaak (Team Tibco) | 0:00:02 |
| 18 | Tiffany Pezzulo (Primal Pro Women p/b BH) | |
| 19 | Kori Seehafer (Primal Pro Women p/b BH) | |
| 20 | Jessica Prinner (CARE4Cycling p/b Solomon) | |
| 21 | Starla Teddergreen (Vanderkitten Women's Cycling) | |
| 22 | Kimberley Wells (Fearless Femme p/b Pure Energy) | 0:00:03 |
| 23 | Scotti Wilborne (Mellow Mushroom) | |
| 24 | Jennifer Purcell (Team Colavita) | |
| 25 | Cari Higgins (Exergy TWENTY16) | |
| 26 | Robin Farina (NOW and Novartis for MS) | |
| 27 | Maura Kinsella (NOW and Novartis for MS) | 0:00:04 |
| 28 | Amy McGuire (FCS|Zngine p/b Mr. Restore) | |
| 29 | Lindsay Bayer (Team Colavita) | 0:00:06 |
| 30 | Addy Albershardt (Pasta Zara - Cogeas) | 0:00:07 |
| 31 | Laura Parsons (Rose Bandits) | 0:00:09 |
| 32 | Morgan Patton (Team Novo Nordisk) | 0:00:13 |
| 33 | Andrea Dvorak (Exergy TWENTY16) | |
| 34 | Meredith Miller (Team Tibco) | 0:00:14 |
| 35 | Joelle Numainville (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) | 0:00:19 |
| 36 | Anna Sanders (FCS|Zngine p/b Mr. Restore) | 0:00:20 |
| 37 | Christy Keely (Pepper Palace Cycling Team) | 0:00:22 |
| 38 | Melina Bernecker (Primal Pro Women p/b BH) | |
| 39 | Lauren Rauck Komanski (NOW and Novartis for MS) | 0:00:23 |
| 40 | Sara Tussey (VeloShine Cycling Team) | 0:00:26 |
| 41 | Kelly Fisher-Goodwin (Fearless Femme p/b Pure Energy) | 0:00:29 |
| 42 | Jamie Bookwalter (Team Colavita) | 0:00:36 |
| 43 | Vanessa Drigo (Rose Bandits) | 0:00:37 |
| 44 | Joanie Caron (Primal Pro Women p/b BH) | 0:00:38 |
| 45 | Elizabeth Newell (NOW and Novartis for MS) | |
| 46 | Lenore Pipes (CARE4Cycling p/b Solomon) | 0:01:09 |
| 47 | Mary Zider (Team Colavita) | 0:01:10 |
| 48 | Cinthia Lehner (Pepper Palace Pro Cycling) | 0:05:22 |
| 49 | Janel Holcomb (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strateg) | 0:07:22 |
| 50 | Nicky Wangsgard (Primal Pro Women p/b BH) | 0:07:40 |
| 51 | Debbie Milne (Cleveland Clinic - Carbon Racing) | 0:10:18 |
| 52 | Allison Arensman (Pepper Palace Pro Cycling) | |
| 53 | Liz Gerrity (Rose Bandits) | |
| 54 | Carrie Cash (Pepper Palace Cycling Team) | |
| 55 | Hannah Miller (PainPathways Cycling Team) | |
| 56 | Marianne Holt (PainPathways Cycling Team) | |
| 57 | Kathryn Clark (Pain Pathways Cycling Team) | |
| 58 | Shannon Parrish (Team Kenda p/b RACC) | |
| 59 | Amanda Schaap (Team Kenda p/b RACC) | |
| 60 | Amy Horstmeyer (Team Kenda p/b RACC) | |
| 61 | Julie Kuliecza (Pepper Palace Pro Cycling) | |
| 62 | Samantha Brode (Cleveland Clinic - Carbon Racinf) | |
| 63 | Sheila Orem (Team Kenda p/b RACC) | |
| 64 | Stacey Jensen (Team Kenda p/b RACC) |
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