Abbott tops women's championship

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Mara Abbott (Peanut Butter & Co TWENTY12) soloed into the US National Road Championships victory at the Awbrey Butte Circuit Race in Bend, Oregon on Sunday. The victory marked her second national road race title during her career, her first stars and stripes jersey was won in the 2007 road race.

"This is very exciting," Abbott said. "Wearing the US National Championship jersey, especially over in Europe, is such a special thing. I had so much fun wearing it the first time and I am so excited to get to wear it again."

Abbott's teammate Sinead Miller won the US Womens Under 23 Road National Championships held in conjunction with the Elite Womens race.

"The victory is special because I got to do it with such an amazing team," she added. "This victory is something we really wanted and worked hard for. The fact that I get to be the national champion again, Shelley Evans won the crit, Sinead Miller got the Under 23 jersey and Coryn Rivera won all her junior titles, means it is pretty cool that we all got one."

Abbott attacked a small front group along the predominantly downhill run in to the finish line to take the win by three seconds ahead of her teammate and recent winner of the US Criterium National Championships Shelley Evans with Carmen Small (Colavita-Baci p/b Cooking Light) in third.

"The entire team wanted to make the race hard and we were able to work so well today," Abbott said. "Every one of us had the opportunity to win and it just depended on the roll of the dice. To be a part of such a strong team all day long, to win felt so good."

Following the podium placers, the riders trickled in after a long road race with recent winner of the US Time Trial National Championships Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Columbia) placed fourth, eight seconds back, ahead of Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita-Baci p/b Cooking Light) in fifth 34 seconds behind Abbott.

Some 100 Elite Women lined up to contest the US National Road Championships. The course was regarded as one of the toughest held on a 27 km loop that included two decisive back-to-back ascents. The most gruelling climb over Archie Briggs Rd. was positioned inside the last few kilometres of the circuit and was followed by a fast descent to the finish line. They completed four laps for a total of 113 km.

Several breakaways managed to gain time ahead of the field through out the race and one included Robin Farina (Vera Bradley Foundation), Rachel Warner (BMW-Bianchi) and Rebecca Much (Tibco-To the Top). However, all attempts were reeled back in before the base of the final climb over Archie Briggs Rd.

"Over the last climb there were a lot of people who were really motivated and a lot of attacks going," Abbott said. "Evelyn [Stevens] attacked and she and Shelley [Evans] got a small gap. Shelley was obviously fine and was going to make the lead group. That gave me a lot of freedom to make it hard because if I was attacking and the other girls were working, it gave Shelley the opportunity to just sit on."

A lead group formed over the top of the climb that included teammates Abbott and Evans along with Evelyn Stevens, Janel Holcomb (Alto Velo Racing) and Carmen Small (Colavita-Baci p/b Cooking Light).

Abbott countered an attack from Stevens on the last roller before the finish line, approximately two kilometres to go. "I was able to hold that attack to the line," Abbott said. "I looked over my shoulder and I knew it was going to be close. It didn't have to be a massive gap. I could lay it all out there and if I couldn't hold it, Shelley was there and ready to back me up."

Full Results

Junior Men