Cliff-Ryan fastest in Charlotte
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) | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
4 | Catherine Cheatley (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
5 | Erica Allar (Unattached) | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
6 | Sinead Miller (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
7 | Cari Higgins (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
8 | Meredith Miller (Team TIBCO) | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Carrie Cash-Wootten (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
10 | Carmen Small (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO) | 0:00:02 |
12 | Robin Farina (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Megan Guarnier (Team TIBCO) | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
14 | Lauren Tamayo (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
15 | Rushlee Buchanan (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
16 | Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 0:00:03 |
17 | Rebecca Larson (Performance Bicycle Racing) | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Amity Elliot (Team Kenda) | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Nichole Wangsgard (Roosters p/b Edge Composite Whe) | 0:00:04 |
20 | Toni Bradshaw (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Shontell Gauthier (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Kristin Sanders (RideClean) | 0:00:05 |
23 | Amanda Miller (Team TIBCO) | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Rebecca Wellons (BMW Bianchi) | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Kacey Manderfield (Cycle Loft) | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
26 | Kathleen Billington (BMW Bianchi) | 0:00:06 |
27 | Valeria Galeano (Rosebandit) | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
28 | Tiffany Pezzulo (Threads.com/DFT) | 0:00:07 |
29 | Lauren Robertson (FCS/ Metro Volkswagen) | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
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) | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
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) | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Erin Silliman (Fruit66/Artemis) | 0:02:43 |
41 | Sheila Orem (Team Kenda) | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Christy Blakely (Team CARD) | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
43 | Kate Mahoney (Performance Bicycle Racing) | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
44 | Amy Mcguire (Wheelworks Racing) | 0:02:47 |
45 | Kate Ross (Team Card) | 0:03:14 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | Header Cell - Column 3 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Erica Allar (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | 906 | pts |
2 | Tiffany Pezzulo (Threads.com/DFT) | 796 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Kacey Manderfield (Cycle Loft) | 725 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling) | 504 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Carrie Cash-Wootten (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | 483 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Sarah Caravella (BMW-Bianchi) | 475 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Kate Veronneau (Kutztown Cutters) | 413 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) | 408 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Lauren Tamayo (Peanut Butter & Co Twenty 12) | 404 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Elizabeth Morse Hill (Zmotion) | 382 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | Lenore Pipes (Fruit66/Artemis) | 378 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Lauren Robertson (FCS/Metro Volkswagen) | 367 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | Kori Seehafer (Team Type 1) | 364 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | Rebecca Larson (Fulton Flyers) | 353 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
15 | Rebecca Wellons (BMW Bianchi) | 346 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
16 | Samantha Schneider (TEAM Tibco) | 346 | Row 15 - Cell 3 |
17 | Laura Mccaughey | 325 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
18 | Rachel Warner (BMW-Bianchi) | 316 | Row 17 - Cell 3 |
19 | Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Type 1) | 312 | Row 18 - Cell 3 |
20 | Kate Ross (BMW-Bianchi) | 302 | Row 19 - Cell 3 |
21 | Erin Silliman (Fruit66/Artemis) | 267 | Row 20 - Cell 3 |
22 | Lauren Ellis (BikeNZ) | 266 | Row 21 - Cell 3 |
23 | Frances Schofield (Zmotion) | 255 | Row 22 - Cell 3 |
24 | Rushlee Buchanan (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling) | 230 | Row 23 - Cell 3 |
25 | Joanne Kiesanowski (Team TIBCO) | 230 | Row 24 - Cell 3 |
26 | Kaytee Boyd (BikeNZ) | 228 | Row 25 - Cell 3 |
27 | Catherine Cheatley (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 226 | Row 26 - Cell 3 |
28 | Christina Smith (Veloforma) | 226 | Row 27 - Cell 3 |
29 | Amy Mcguire (Wheelworks Racing) | 224 | Row 28 - Cell 3 |
30 | Shontell Gauthier (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling) | 217 | Row 29 - Cell 3 |
31 | Sinead Miller (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | 215 | Row 30 - Cell 3 |
32 | Kate Mahoney (Performance Bicycle Racing) | 213 | Row 31 - Cell 3 |
33 | Cari Higgins (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | 210 | Row 32 - Cell 3 |
34 | Anna Lang (Vanderkitten Racing) | 210 | Row 33 - Cell 3 |
35 | Jennifer Rasmusson (Team Kenda) | 209 | Row 34 - Cell 3 |
36 | Meredith Miller (Team TIBCO) | 206 | Row 35 - Cell 3 |
37 | Carmen Small (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 197 | Row 36 - Cell 3 |
38 | Jessie Maclean (Verducci Breakaway Racing) | 195 | Row 37 - Cell 3 |
39 | Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO) | 191 | Row 38 - Cell 3 |
40 | Mary Costelloe (Verducci Breakaway Racing) | 191 | Row 39 - Cell 3 |
41 | Robin Farina (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | 187 | Row 40 - Cell 3 |
42 | Christy Blakely (BMW-Bianchi) | 186 | Row 41 - Cell 3 |
43 | Megan Guarnier (Team TIBCO) | 184 | Row 42 - Cell 3 |
44 | Cassandra King (Amoroso's Cycling Team/Tri-State Velo) | 183 | Row 43 - Cell 3 |
45 | Bron Ryan (Verducci Breakaway Racing) | 181 | Row 44 - Cell 3 |
46 | Liza Rachetto (Threads.com/DFT) | 181 | Row 45 - Cell 3 |
47 | Rachel Byus (Metro Volkswagen Cycling Team) | 177 | Row 46 - Cell 3 |
48 | Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 173 | Row 47 - Cell 3 |
49 | Jen Mcrae (Team Type 1) | 172 | Row 48 - Cell 3 |
50 | Kristin Wentworth (Team Kenda) | 172 | Row 49 - Cell 3 |
51 | Jaime Nielson (BikeNZ) | 171 | Row 50 - Cell 3 |
52 | Patty Buerkle (Fruit66 -Artemis) | 167 | Row 51 - Cell 3 |
53 | Cinthia Lehner (Raleigh Allstars) | 167 | Row 52 - Cell 3 |
54 | Amity Elliot (Team Kenda) | 163 | Row 53 - Cell 3 |
55 | Kristine Church (Humanzoom/ Pabst Blue Ribbon) | 163 | Row 54 - Cell 3 |
56 | Jeannie Kuhajek (Team Mack Racing Association) | 163 | Row 55 - Cell 3 |
57 | Toni Bradshaw (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | 159 | Row 56 - Cell 3 |
58 | Nichole Wangsgard (Roosters p/b Edge Composite Wheels) | 159 | Row 57 - Cell 3 |
59 | Tricia Carnila (Verducci Breakaway Racing) | 159 | Row 58 - Cell 3 |
60 | Deb Sweeney Whitmore (BMW-Bianchi) | 159 | Row 59 - Cell 3 |
61 | Christine Riker (Dolce Vita Cycling) | 155 | Row 60 - Cell 3 |
62 | Colleen Gulick (Team Kenda) | 151 | Row 61 - Cell 3 |
63 | Kristin Sanders (RideClean) | 147 | Row 62 - Cell 3 |
64 | Deborah Leedale-Brown (TBB / Deep Blue) | 147 | Row 63 - Cell 3 |
65 | Amanda Miller (Team TIBCO) | 144 | Row 64 - Cell 3 |
66 | Lisa Jellett (Verducci Breakaway Racing) | 144 | Row 65 - Cell 3 |
67 | Dana Walton (Chester County Velo) | 141 | Row 66 - Cell 3 |
68 | Lauren Shirock (BMW Bianchi) | 138 | Row 67 - Cell 3 |
69 | Kathleen Billington (BMW Bianchi) | 134 | Row 68 - Cell 3 |
70 | Andrea Luebbe (Human Zoom / Pabst Blue Ribbon) | 134 | Row 69 - Cell 3 |
71 | Patricia Black (Morgan Stanley Smith Barney/Sp) | 134 | Row 70 - Cell 3 |
72 | Valeria Galeano (Rosebandit) | 131 | Row 71 - Cell 3 |
73 | Emily Joyner (VA Asset Group/Twr) | 131 | Row 72 - Cell 3 |
74 | Sydney Brown (Treads.com/DFT) | 131 | Row 73 - Cell 3 |
75 | Anne Meyer (Mercy-Specialized) | 128 | Row 74 - Cell 3 |
76 | Andrea Dvorak (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 122 | Row 75 - Cell 3 |
77 | Katharine Carroll (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12) | 120 | Row 76 - Cell 3 |
78 | Pam Loebig (Alderfer Bergen) | 119 | Row 77 - Cell 3 |
79 | Emma Mackie (Team TIBCO) | 118 | Row 78 - Cell 3 |
80 | Aimee Allen | 116 | Row 79 - Cell 3 |
81 | Alison Powers (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) | 114 | Row 80 - Cell 3 |
82 | Cathryn Merla-Watson (FCS/Metro Volkswagen) | 113 | Row 81 - Cell 3 |
83 | Genevieve Whitson (MVP Healt Care Cycling) | 110 | Row 82 - Cell 3 |
84 | Janelle Kellman (Dolce Vita) | 104 | Row 83 - Cell 3 |
85 | Kate Bates (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team) | 103 | Row 84 - Cell 3 |
86 | Mandy Marquardt (Team Type 1) | 100 | Row 85 - Cell 3 |
87 | Morgan Patton (Team Type 1) | 100 | Row 86 - Cell 3 |
88 | Cheryl Fuller Muller (Pedal Right Cycling Team) | 98 | Row 87 - Cell 3 |
89 | Colleen Paine (Pedal Right Cycling Team) | 95 | Row 88 - Cell 3 |
90 | Kim Ciolli (FCS/Metro Volkswagen) | 95 | Row 89 - Cell 3 |
91 | Lindsey Durst (Team Kenda) | 92 | Row 90 - Cell 3 |
92 | Stacy Appelwick (Bouledogue Tout Noir) | 90 | Row 91 - Cell 3 |
93 | Sheila Orem (Team Kenda) | 89 | Row 92 - Cell 3 |
94 | Gwen Inglis (TREADS.COM/DFT) | 86 | Row 93 - Cell 3 |
95 | Mary Magnani (Dolce Vita) | 68 | Row 94 - Cell 3 |
96 | Louise Smyth (FCS/Metro Volkswagen) | 62 | Row 95 - Cell 3 |
97 | Julie Kuliecza (Fruit 66/ Artemis) | 60 | Row 96 - Cell 3 |
98 | Jennifer Reither (Vanderkitten Racing) | 55 | Row 97 - Cell 3 |
99 | Jennie May (Pedal Right Cycling Team) | 50 | Row 98 - Cell 3 |
100 | Jacqueline Kurth (Team Kenda) | 50 | Row 99 - Cell 3 |
101 | Christy Keely (Team Kenda) | 50 | Row 100 - Cell 3 |
102 | Missy Erickson (Threads.com/DFT) | 50 | Row 101 - Cell 3 |
103 | Nicole Freedman (Wheelworks Racing) | 50 | Row 102 - Cell 3 |
104 | Gemma Dudley (BikeNZ) | 50 | Row 103 - Cell 3 |
105 | Michelle Bishop (Cadence Cannondale Women's Racing) | 50 | Row 104 - Cell 3 |
106 | Julia Lonchar (Chester County Velo -Smedley/Iron Hill Ra) | 50 | Row 105 - Cell 3 |
107 | Thea Parent (Human Zoom / Pabst Blue Ribbon) | 50 | Row 106 - Cell 3 |
108 | Arley Kemmerer (Team CARD Women's Cycling) | 50 | Row 107 - Cell 3 |
109 | Jennifer Maxwell (Team Kenda) | 50 | Row 108 - Cell 3 |
110 | Mags Crilley (Team TBB/Deep Blue) | 50 | Row 109 - Cell 3 |
111 | Tracy Hogan (Third Pillar) | 50 | Row 110 - Cell 3 |
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