Women's USA Pro Challenge: Armstrong wins time trial in Breckenridge

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Kristin Armstrong (Twenty16 Sho-Air) continued to quest toward her third Summer Olympics with a split-second time trial victory Friday over teammate Allie Dragoo, as the three-day Women’s USA Pro Challenge began on the fifth day of the week-long event. 

Armstrong, the last starter in the field of 64, powered the 13.5km course that featured a 148 metre climb in mid-course in 21 minutes and 24.59 seconds. Dragoo finished .12 seconds behind.

Amanda Miller (Visit Dallas/Noise4Good) was third in 21:48.55, with Abigail Mickey (UnitedHealthcare) fourth in 21:52.80, on a course that featured alternating crosswinds and headwinds that fluctuated throughout the 90-minute event.

Dragoo posted a 17:01 intermediate split, the day’s best and two seconds faster than Armstrong, who claimed her third time trial win toward her goal of competing in the Summer Olympics, where she has won the past two individual time trials.

“It was crushed packed with crowds; I really couldn’t hear myself breathe,” said Armstrong, who also claimed time trial titles this year at the Cascade Cycling Classic and USA Professional Road Race Championships. “My coach at the top of the hill kept saying, ‘Give it a little more.’ And I was like ‘I can’t. I can’t. I am going to fall over.’”

How it unfolded

Unlike the Tour of Utah earlier this month that included two women's races in an omnium format at the start of the weeklong event, the Women’s USA Pro Challenge opted to have its three-day women's stage race correspond with the final three men's stages of the fifth-year race.

The large field began 13.5km route with one-minute intervals and 2 hours and 10 minutes before the men began on the same course. The pre-event buzz was two-fold: the 9,603-foot (2,927 metres) starting altitude at Breckenridge and the mid-race climb that took the field to 10,008 feet (3,048 metres).

Lauren Komanski, a third Twenty16 Sho-Air teammate, set the early-sustained best time posting a 22:29 effort as the 14th starter. Her effort stood for 25 riders before Mickey posted a 21:52 clocking. Mickey’s time held for 16 riders before Miller’s third-place effort.

Two riders, including Alison Tetrick (Optum), a pre-race favourite and the fourth-to-last rider to start, fell off the starting ramp.

Armstrong’s ride wasn’t particularly smooth. She opted not to take risks and had to brake on the steep downhill. She wasn’t aware of her trailing split to Dragoo and looked back quickly at the time board as she crossed the line.

“One of the hardest parts mentally was when you got to the top of the hill, you think it’s downhill,” Armstrong said. “It is, but how many seconds do you take before you starting spinning your legs again.”

Despite the steep downhill, Mickey embraced it and proved successful for her fourth-place. “Oh my gosh, the downhill was so much fun,” said Mickey. “With the wide roads, it was just a lot of fun.”

Armstrong’s win gave her the overall race lead in the same time as Dragoo and with Miller 24 seconds behind. Stage 2, a 93.4km road race is set Saturday from Loveland to Ft. Collins.

“The closest thing I’ve done to this, and I would even compare it course-wise, just with altitude, was at Maroon Bells in Aspen,” Armstrong said. “I asked a friend for advice and she said when you feel ‘pins and needles’ you’re done. I went out too fast and I felt like one of those voodoo dolls. I was getting poked everywhere. But today I didn’t feel pins and needles, so I think I learned my lesson.”

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