Nash dominates in the dark at the Jingle Cross Rock race

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Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) duelled with hometown favorite Amanda Miller (TIBCO) on the first day of racing at the Carousel Volkswagen Jingle Cross Rock, in Iowa City, with Nash getting a gap on Miller with one lap to go to cruise in for her sixth UCI cyclo-cross victory of the season.

“It was a good opener, it was hard,” said Nash about the popular night race. “Those guys definitely were super strong, Meredith and Amanda. I had to push it really hard on the last two laps to get a little bit of a gap, and get away from Amanda.”

The steep, noisy slope of Mt. Krumpit, and the sandy bullpens mid-course proved to be the decisive sections of Friday’s race.

Nash made the first move at the start, taking the hole-shot but Meredith Miller (California Giant-Specialized) quickly jumped to the front and challenged Nash for the lead. As the field ascended Mt. Krumpit for the first time, Nash gapped the field, forcing a select group that included Meredith Miller, Amanda Miller, Courtenay McFadden (Bicycle Bluebook-Rock Lobster), and Nicole Duke (Marin-Spy), to chase back onto her wheel.

With two laps to go Amanda Miller and Nash had shed the remainder of the lead pack and flew up Mt. Krumpit, Nash on foot, while Miller rode a short distance behind her.

“I hate to run, especially uphill,” joked Amanda Miller. “I have some bulging discs in my back, and I figured running uphill would aggravate them, so I used that as motivation to ride it.”

Nash pulled ahead of Miller as they drove through bullpens at the close of the penultimate lap.

“I was having some trouble in the barn with the sand,” said Miller. “I couldn’t ride it. I should have just run it, and it would have been faster for me. I would have been able to stay with her [Nash] maybe.”

Nash drilled it, and kept Miller pegged at seven seconds behind her for the remainder of the last lap. Nash cruised in for the victory, and Amanda Miller finished second. Behind the leaders Meredith Miller dropped the chase group to finish third, followed by Courtenay McFadden in fourth, and Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team), who had overtaken Nicole Duke, to finish fifth.

After the race Meredith Miller marvelled at how the event had grown over the years.

“When I first started coming out here, there were a few tents here and there, and most people were getting changed in their cars,” said the Cal Giant rider. “Now all the big teams are here with the big tents and stuff. It’s pretty cool.”

Day two of professional cyclo-cross racing at the Carousel Volkswagen Jingle Cross Rock starts with the elite women’s race on Saturday, November 16th at 1:45 CST.