USA Cycling Professional Road Championships 2014: Women's Road Race

Good morning and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the USA Cycling Professional Road Championships women's race.

69km remaining from 104km

The professional and Cat 1/2 women are currently on the first climb over Lookout Mountain, a very difficult climb that they will race over twice today.

Amber Gaffney (Twenty 16 Pro Cycling) started the climb with nearly two minutes ahead of the main field. 

She was in an earlier breakaway on the initial three short circuits with Mia Loquai (FCS|Zngine p/b Mr. Restore) but continued on her own when the climb got steeper.

Gaffney has now bee reabsorbed into the peloton led by a series of strong climbers that include Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon), Mara Abbott (UnitedHealthcare) and Andrea Dvorak (Tibco-To The Top).

64km remaining from 104km

The peloton is now on the very fast and technical descent off of Lookout Mountain.

There are several groups on the road after the climb over Lookout Mountain and the descent. 

The descent suits a rider like UnitedHealthcare's Alison Powers who won the time trial title on Saturday. She was a competitive downhill skier and can get down a tricky descent quicker than most.

There was a lead group of riders off the front of the main field that escaped over the top of the climb. The field is back together now but there are only about 20 riders left. 

59km remaining from 104km

The smaller front group is leading the race over the top of the new Kent Street climb. This 150-meter kicker will also be apart of the smaller finishing circuits and could be a decisive factor in this race.

Alison Powers has attacked the field on the descent off of Kent Street. She has a small gap and is followed by Janel Holcomb (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies).

54km remaining from 104km

Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon) has bridged across to Powers and Holcomb, making for a very dangerous three-woman breakaway

The trio are holding a 15-second gap ahead of a roughly 17-rider main field.

The breakaway is about to start the second climb over Lookout Mountain.

50km remaining from 104km

The breakaway has been caught by the small main field.

The main field of roughly 17 riders has started the second climb over Lookout Mountain.

There are Queen of the Mountain points available at the top of the climb. 

Katie Hall (UnitedHealthcare) has attacked on Lookout Mountain and has a small gap on a series of climbers just behind.

Hall has gained an additional 15 seconds and is now leading the race by 30 seconds as she heads over the top of Lookout Mountain.

39km remaining from 104km

Powers is with the main field and showed that she is capable of getting a gap off the descent from Kent Street. She'll be one to watch on the smaller finishing circuits.

Another rider who has a strong chance of winning the race today is Carmen Small (Specialized-lululemon), who is also sitting comfortably in the main field.

She won the Tour of California women's circuit race and placed second in the time trial championships.

35km remaining from 104km

Hall continues to lead the race by 20 seconds.

There are multiple attacks coming out of the group behind Hall.

32km remaining from 104km

Eleven riders are chasing that included Alison Powers and Mara Abbott (UnitedHealthcare), Lauren Hall, Janel Holcomb and Jade Wilcoxson (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies), Carmen Small, Evelyn Stevens and Tayler Wiles (Specialized-lululemon), E. Scotti Wilborne and Krista Doebel-Hickok (Tibco) and Kathryn Donovan (Twenty16 Pro Cycling)

Wiles has attacked the chase group and is in pursuit of Hall.

Wiles won the Redlands Bicycle Classic and is a very strong time trialist. She placed fourth in the time trial championships on Saturday.

Hall is holding a gap of 1:15 minutes on the main field. Wiles is gaining ground on Hall, she is now 50 seconds behind. 

Hall is passing through the finish line area with three short laps to go.

Back in the main group, Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies riders Jade Wilcoxson, Janel Holcomb and Lauren Hall led the chase to try and catch Hall and Wiles.

27km remaining from 104km

Wiles has caught Hall and the pair are leading the race ahead of a strong 11-rider chase group.

The chasers include:

Alison Powers (UnitedHealthcare)

Mara Abbott (UnitedHealthcare)

Lauren Hall (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)

Janel Holcomb (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)

Jade Wilcoxson (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)

Carmen Small (Specialized-lululemon)

Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon)

E. Scotti Wilborne (Tibco)

Krista Doebel-Hickok (Tibco)

Lauren Komanski (Twenty 16 Pro Cycling)

Kathryn Donovan (Twenty16 Pro Cycling).

19km remaining from 104km

Wiles is leading the breakaway with Hall sitting on her wheel. 

17km remaining from 104km

Wiles and Hall are holding a 55-second gap ahead of a strong chase group. The pair  just started the second of three short finishing circuits.

Wiles has put in two strong attacks but she is not able to ride Hall from her wheel.

Janel Holcomb (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) is working on the front of the chase group.

Wiles attacks again, for the third time, at the base of the Kent Street climb. Hall is working so hard to respond to these attacks but she is sticking to the Specialized-lululemon rider's wheel.

Wiles and Hall are holding a 1:05-minute gap with one short circuit to go.

There have been several attacks from the chase group and it is starting to split up behind the two leaders. 

A chase group of four have caught Wiles and Hall. They were Alison Powers (UnitedHealthcare), Lauren Hall (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies), Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon) and Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans).

Powers has attacked the lead group and is solo.

Powers is working hard to hold a 15-second lead.

Tayler Wiles is back on the front of the chase group working for her teammate Evelyn Stevens. Megan Gaurnier (Boels Dolmans) is sitting on the Stevens' wheel.

Powers is going for a history-making result today. If she wins today she will be the first rider to win the national criterium, time trial and road race in a season.

Powers is on the Kent Street climb.

She is heading over the climb and down the descent toward the finish line.

Powers has a 10-second gap ahead of chasers Stevens and Gaurnier.

Powers is heading over the bridge and her gap has dropped slightly, down to eight seconds.

Stevens is doing all the work from the chase as Gaurnier is sitting on her wheel.

Powers is in the final two kilometers of the race and is holding her gap of 10 seconds.

The two chasers are not working together. Stevens, who did much of the initial work is now attacking Gaurnier.

Powers is increasing her gap to 15 seconds and she has 500 meters to go.

And Alison Powers of UnitedHealthcare is on her way to winning the road race title.

Megan Guarnier has secured the silver medal and Stevens took third place.

Powers is the current US criterium, time trial and road race champion.

Here are the top three in the USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championships, women's race:

1. Alison Powers (UnitedHealthcare)

2. Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans)

3. Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon)

Powers not only won the race today but she also won a new Volkswagen GTI!

Thank you for following our live coverage of the women's race. Please join us shortly for the men's USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championships.