Cliff-Ryan fastest in Charlotte
By Laura Weislo published
Van Gilder, Kiesanowski outpaced in bunch sprint
USA Cycling's National Racing Calendar series resumed racing in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Presbyterian Hospital Criterium - the mid-summer cash cow of the criterium circuit that does double duty as part of the USA Crits series.
With two teams comprising more than a quarter of the women's peloton in Charlotte, it would have been a disaster if anyone but Colavita-Baci or TIBCO/To the Top won the race. One woman, Laura Van Gilder, riding solo for Mellow Mushroom, nearly pulled off the coup of the night but instead it was Colavita's Theresa Cliff-Ryan who claimed the top prize of $7,500.
It was the first time Cliff-Ryan has won the race in Charlotte, and she credited her new squad with helping her get the edge she needed to finally add the event to her palmares.
"This is my first year on a big team, so definitely having a team out there to help is a big step in winning. It's also just timing the sprint perfectly - it all worked out for me today."
Van Gilder nearly upset the big teams, and said she feels comfortable in the role of a free-lancer in the sprints. "It was tough - there was a lot of traffic to get through so I'm thrilled with second. I'd love to have teammates, but it just hasn't been meant to be. I'm just going to go out there and race my bike - I can go up against seven-rider teams and against every other individual rider who is racing without a team. There are so many strong women who aren't intimidated to race their bikes."
TIBCO's Jo Kiesanowski hit the front too early in the final turn and fought hard to win the final podium spot, just edging NRC individual leader Cath Cheatley at the line.
"The last lap was really messy - my teammate Sam [Schneider] did a great job getting me to the last corner, but unfortunately we didn't have anyone else between her and myself and I found myself on the front way too early. Theresa had a great sprint, she was really strong at the finish."
USA Crits series leader Erica Allar claimed the fifth spot, further extending her lead in that series over Tiffany Pezzulo with one race left to go. "I followed Shontell Gauthier for the mid-race points prime and ended up second and got more points. It was definitely a goal for the evening, so goal accomplished," said Allar.
"It's definitely something that is fun, it's exciting - I didn't really plan for it this season so that makes it even more fun."
The race was the third to last event in the NRC and the penultimate race in the USA Crits series for women. With the majority of the top women in the NRC earning their points through stage races and not present in Charlotte, the focus was on the teams classification where Colavita came into the race just 27 points ahead of the Vera Bradley Foundation squad.
The Colavita-Baci squad took control of the race from the gun, looking both to win the race with their prime sprinter Cliff-Ryan but also to extend their lead in the classification by placing their top riders in high positions in the race.
Australian Kate Bates was the sacrificial lamb, launching an attack from the gun and remaining active throughout the race taking the race's last prime, while TIBCO's Emma Mackie added to her team's prize purse by nabbing several prizes mid-race.
"We were trying to protect the overall so we couldn't do a proper lead-out because we had to have our top 4 riders finish up there for the team classification," said Cliff-Ryan. "Kate [Bates] did an awesome job, went for the prime and won it, then kept it going so I didn't get boxed, and then Cath went for it out of the last corner - she held on for fourth and it was perfect for her and perfect for me because it gave me a nice fast lead-out."
While Cheatley added to her lead in the NRC standings, Bates was happy to sacrifice her personal result, and after rolling through the last race of the lap completely exhausted, she was still trying to catch her breath well after the race had ended.
"The team was in a unique position - not only can we win the race with Theresa, but we're leading the NRC individually with Cath Cheatley and as a team," said Bates. "So today we had two jobs - one to win the race and the second to get as many girls as we could up in the points.
"There were a couple of us who weren't up there in the points, so it was our job to do what we could. It was fun, actually - it's a great course and at the end of the season we've really come together as a unit."
With seven TIBCO riders and eight from Colavita-Baci, the greatly outnumbered Peanut Butter & Co/Twenty 12 and Vera Bradley teams could not force a breakaway, while regional teams like Team Kenda and BMW-Bianchi had little hope of getting even momentary glory in the face of such domination.
Constant primes kept the pace of the race high, splitting the peloton under the consistent pressure of Colavita-Baci and TIBCO riders at the front, but always reforming by the end of the lengthy 1.25 mile lap.
Coming into the penultimate lap, the Peanut Butter & Co/Twenty 12 squad placed former solo Charlotte winner Kat Carroll in a five-rider split, but by the end of the lap the race was all back together for the bunch sprint.
Cheatley attacked into the last series of turns, but coming out of the final bend it was her teammate Cliff-Ryan who overpowered Van Gilder on the long run to the line to claim her first ever victory in Charlotte.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 0:55:40 |
2 | Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) | 0:00:01 |
3 | Joanne Kiesanowski (Team TIBCO) | |
4 | Catherine Cheatley (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | |
5 | Erica Allar (Unattached) | |
6 | Sinead Miller (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | |
7 | Cari Higgins (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | |
8 | Meredith Miller (Team TIBCO) | |
9 | Carrie Cash-Wootten (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | |
10 | Carmen Small (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | |
11 | Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO) | 0:00:02 |
12 | Robin Farina (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | |
13 | Megan Guarnier (Team TIBCO) | |
14 | Lauren Tamayo (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | |
15 | Rushlee Buchanan (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | |
16 | Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 0:00:03 |
17 | Rebecca Larson (Performance Bicycle Racing) | |
18 | Amity Elliot (Team Kenda) | |
19 | Nichole Wangsgard (Roosters p/b Edge Composite Whe) | 0:00:04 |
20 | Toni Bradshaw (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | |
21 | Shontell Gauthier (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | |
22 | Kristin Sanders (RideClean) | 0:00:05 |
23 | Amanda Miller (Team TIBCO) | |
24 | Rebecca Wellons (BMW Bianchi) | |
25 | Kacey Manderfield (Cycle Loft) | |
26 | Kathleen Billington (BMW Bianchi) | 0:00:06 |
27 | Valeria Galeano (Rosebandit) | |
28 | Tiffany Pezzulo (Threads.com/DFT) | 0:00:07 |
29 | Lauren Robertson (FCS/ Metro Volkswagen) | |
30 | Andrea Dvorak (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 0:00:08 |
31 | Katharine Carroll (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | 0:00:11 |
32 | Rachel Warner (BMW-Bianchi) | 0:00:13 |
33 | Alison Powers (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | 0:00:14 |
34 | Emma Mackie (Team TIBCO) | 0:00:17 |
35 | Laura Mccaughey (BMW Bianchi) | |
36 | Samantha Schneider (Team TIBCO) | 0:00:24 |
37 | Kate Bates (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 0:01:35 |
38 | Cheryl Fuller Muller (Pedal Right Cycling Team) | 0:02:42 |
39 | Colleen Paine (Pedal Right Cycling Team) | |
40 | Erin Silliman (Fruit66/Artemis) | 0:02:43 |
41 | Sheila Orem (Team Kenda) | |
42 | Christy Blakely (Team CARD) | |
43 | Kate Mahoney (Performance Bicycle Racing) | |
44 | Amy Mcguire (Wheelworks Racing) | 0:02:47 |
45 | Kate Ross (Team Card) | 0:03:14 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Erica Allar (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | 906 | pts |
2 | Tiffany Pezzulo (Threads.com/DFT) | 796 | |
3 | Kacey Manderfield (Cycle Loft) | 725 | |
4 | Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling) | 504 | |
5 | Carrie Cash-Wootten (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | 483 | |
6 | Sarah Caravella (BMW-Bianchi) | 475 | |
7 | Kate Veronneau (Kutztown Cutters) | 413 | |
8 | Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) | 408 | |
9 | Lauren Tamayo (Peanut Butter & Co Twenty 12) | 404 | |
10 | Elizabeth Morse Hill (Zmotion) | 382 | |
11 | Lenore Pipes (Fruit66/Artemis) | 378 | |
12 | Lauren Robertson (FCS/Metro Volkswagen) | 367 | |
13 | Kori Seehafer (Team Type 1) | 364 | |
14 | Rebecca Larson (Fulton Flyers) | 353 | |
15 | Rebecca Wellons (BMW Bianchi) | 346 | |
16 | Samantha Schneider (TEAM Tibco) | 346 | |
17 | Laura Mccaughey | 325 | |
18 | Rachel Warner (BMW-Bianchi) | 316 | |
19 | Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Type 1) | 312 | |
20 | Kate Ross (BMW-Bianchi) | 302 | |
21 | Erin Silliman (Fruit66/Artemis) | 267 | |
22 | Lauren Ellis (BikeNZ) | 266 | |
23 | Frances Schofield (Zmotion) | 255 | |
24 | Rushlee Buchanan (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling) | 230 | |
25 | Joanne Kiesanowski (Team TIBCO) | 230 | |
26 | Kaytee Boyd (BikeNZ) | 228 | |
27 | Catherine Cheatley (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 226 | |
28 | Christina Smith (Veloforma) | 226 | |
29 | Amy Mcguire (Wheelworks Racing) | 224 | |
30 | Shontell Gauthier (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling) | 217 | |
31 | Sinead Miller (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | 215 | |
32 | Kate Mahoney (Performance Bicycle Racing) | 213 | |
33 | Cari Higgins (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | 210 | |
34 | Anna Lang (Vanderkitten Racing) | 210 | |
35 | Jennifer Rasmusson (Team Kenda) | 209 | |
36 | Meredith Miller (Team TIBCO) | 206 | |
37 | Carmen Small (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 197 | |
38 | Jessie Maclean (Verducci Breakaway Racing) | 195 | |
39 | Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO) | 191 | |
40 | Mary Costelloe (Verducci Breakaway Racing) | 191 | |
41 | Robin Farina (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | 187 | |
42 | Christy Blakely (BMW-Bianchi) | 186 | |
43 | Megan Guarnier (Team TIBCO) | 184 | |
44 | Cassandra King (Amoroso's Cycling Team/Tri-State Velo) | 183 | |
45 | Bron Ryan (Verducci Breakaway Racing) | 181 | |
46 | Liza Rachetto (Threads.com/DFT) | 181 | |
47 | Rachel Byus (Metro Volkswagen Cycling Team) | 177 | |
48 | Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 173 | |
49 | Jen Mcrae (Team Type 1) | 172 | |
50 | Kristin Wentworth (Team Kenda) | 172 | |
51 | Jaime Nielson (BikeNZ) | 171 | |
52 | Patty Buerkle (Fruit66 -Artemis) | 167 | |
53 | Cinthia Lehner (Raleigh Allstars) | 167 | |
54 | Amity Elliot (Team Kenda) | 163 | |
55 | Kristine Church (Humanzoom/ Pabst Blue Ribbon) | 163 | |
56 | Jeannie Kuhajek (Team Mack Racing Association) | 163 | |
57 | Toni Bradshaw (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | 159 | |
58 | Nichole Wangsgard (Roosters p/b Edge Composite Wheels) | 159 | |
59 | Tricia Carnila (Verducci Breakaway Racing) | 159 | |
60 | Deb Sweeney Whitmore (BMW-Bianchi) | 159 | |
61 | Christine Riker (Dolce Vita Cycling) | 155 | |
62 | Colleen Gulick (Team Kenda) | 151 | |
63 | Kristin Sanders (RideClean) | 147 | |
64 | Deborah Leedale-Brown (TBB / Deep Blue) | 147 | |
65 | Amanda Miller (Team TIBCO) | 144 | |
66 | Lisa Jellett (Verducci Breakaway Racing) | 144 | |
67 | Dana Walton (Chester County Velo) | 141 | |
68 | Lauren Shirock (BMW Bianchi) | 138 | |
69 | Kathleen Billington (BMW Bianchi) | 134 | |
70 | Andrea Luebbe (Human Zoom / Pabst Blue Ribbon) | 134 | |
71 | Patricia Black (Morgan Stanley Smith Barney/Sp) | 134 | |
72 | Valeria Galeano (Rosebandit) | 131 | |
73 | Emily Joyner (VA Asset Group/Twr) | 131 | |
74 | Sydney Brown (Treads.com/DFT) | 131 | |
75 | Anne Meyer (Mercy-Specialized) | 128 | |
76 | Andrea Dvorak (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 122 | |
77 | Katharine Carroll (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | 120 | |
78 | Pam Loebig (Alderfer Bergen) | 119 | |
79 | Emma Mackie (Team TIBCO) | 118 | |
80 | Aimee Allen | 116 | |
81 | Alison Powers (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | 114 | |
82 | Cathryn Merla-Watson (FCS/Metro Volkswagen) | 113 | |
83 | Genevieve Whitson (MVP Healt Care Cycling) | 110 | |
84 | Janelle Kellman (Dolce Vita) | 104 | |
85 | Kate Bates (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 103 | |
86 | Mandy Marquardt (Team Type 1) | 100 | |
87 | Morgan Patton (Team Type 1) | 100 | |
88 | Cheryl Fuller Muller (Pedal Right Cycling Team) | 98 | |
89 | Colleen Paine (Pedal Right Cycling Team) | 95 | |
90 | Kim Ciolli (FCS/Metro Volkswagen) | 95 | |
91 | Lindsey Durst (Team Kenda) | 92 | |
92 | Stacy Appelwick (Bouledogue Tout Noir) | 90 | |
93 | Sheila Orem (Team Kenda) | 89 | |
94 | Gwen Inglis (TREADS.COM/DFT) | 86 | |
95 | Mary Magnani (Dolce Vita) | 68 | |
96 | Louise Smyth (FCS/Metro Volkswagen) | 62 | |
97 | Julie Kuliecza (Fruit 66/ Artemis) | 60 | |
98 | Jennifer Reither (Vanderkitten Racing) | 55 | |
99 | Jennie May (Pedal Right Cycling Team) | 50 | |
100 | Jacqueline Kurth (Team Kenda) | 50 | |
101 | Christy Keely (Team Kenda) | 50 | |
102 | Missy Erickson (Threads.com/DFT) | 50 | |
103 | Nicole Freedman (Wheelworks Racing) | 50 | |
104 | Gemma Dudley (BikeNZ) | 50 | |
105 | Michelle Bishop (Cadence Cannondale Women's Racing) | 50 | |
106 | Julia Lonchar (Chester County Velo -Smedley/Iron Hill Ra) | 50 | |
107 | Thea Parent (Human Zoom / Pabst Blue Ribbon) | 50 | |
108 | Arley Kemmerer (Team CARD Women's Cycling) | 50 | |
109 | Jennifer Maxwell (Team Kenda) | 50 | |
110 | Mags Crilley (Team TBB/Deep Blue) | 50 | |
111 | Tracy Hogan (Third Pillar) | 50 |

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Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Deputy Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. A former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks.
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