Wiles wins Women's USA Pro Challenge stage 2

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Tayler Wiles (DNA Cycling) escaped off the front of a four-rider group to claim the rugged and windy stage 2 by two seconds. Kristin Armstrong finished third to retain her race lead Saturday in the three-day Women's USA Pro Challenge.

Wiles, who is racing for DNA Cycling in Colorado, completed the hilly and windy 93.4 km Loveland to Ft. Collins road race in 2 hours, 29 minutes and 38 seconds. Lauren Komanski (Twenty16 Sho-Air) was second. Armstrong, Komanski's teammate who assumed the race lead with a split-second time trial win on the opening stage, finished third, four seconds behind.

Mara Abbott, racing once again for the Amy D. Foundation, powered to the front approaching the day’s major climb, and made the final move nearing the 1km to go banner, but was fourth at the line in the same time as Armstrong.

"I went with about 400 metres, which is pretty early," said Wiles, who arrived in Colorado from Spain hours before the event began Thursday. "But it was a long, wide finish and I thought I would give it a go because I thought I had a good chance."

Armstrong, the two-time Olympic time trial gold medallist, now holds a 31-second lead over Wiles with Sunday's stage 3 Golden criterium remaining. Abbott is third, trailing by 51 seconds with Komanski in fourth, 1:01 behind.

"The race was only 58 miles, but with windy it was more difficult," said Armstrong. "When we finished and it was only 2 1/2 hours, I was surprised. I thought we were out there 3 1/2 or 4 hours."

How it unfolded

The starting field of 64 faced a route not particularly difficult via mileage, but crosswinds and a constantly undulating terrain dominated the day. Numerous short, steep “stair step” climbs and one sharp ascent to Rist Canyon (2,439 metres) began to shatter the field early in the stage after a late-morning start. The crosswinds periodically swayed the riders to the left of the road.

The women's stage began 10 minutes prior to the men's stage 6. Within the first few miles, the terrain began to take its toll. The first sustained break occurred nearing the first sprint line after about 12km. Coryn Rivera (UnitedHealthcare) and Robin Farina (BMW/Happy Tooth) managed a 30-second advantage after 16km. The duo rotated pulls well and built their advantage to a maximum of 1:50 after 32km.

A crash in the feed zone brought down Hanna Barnes (UnitedHealthcare), Anna Sanders (Visit Dallas/Noise4Good) and Amy Phillips (Pepper Palace). Barnes and Sanders abandoned. As a series of small climbs commenced and the riders approached the stage effort to Rist Canyon, the field was spread across the route for nearly four miles. Phillips endured the crash but finished nearly 19 minutes behind.

By the end of the day, nine riders had left the race. Three riders finished outside the 18 percent finishing time cut and six women abandoned.

Allie Dragoo (Twenty16 Sho-Air), the former BMX rider, went to the front as the split field has less than 20 riders chasing down the two leaders. The field caught Rivera and Farina after 48 km. Breanne Nalder (DNA Cycling) rode solo at the front for a few miles but she never built more than a 15 second margin.

Approaching the climb, Abbott went to the front and crested first with about a 25-second cushion. Armstrong and Komanski began the chase with Abigail Mickey, but crashed in barbed wire finishing 16th with a broken finger.

But with a nearly 32 km, primarily downhill left, Abbott's efforts were futile. 

The top-finishing foursome formed with about 25 km left and the group pedalled to the finish together, until the waning minute. Abbott moved to the front first, but Wiles powered past her and maneuvered to her two-second finishing margin.

"Tomorrow is a technical course and anything can happen," said Armstrong, who is riding in only her second stage race since beginning her second comeback in April. "So it's nice to have a buffer. We have a strong team, so we will try to ride for Lauren Hall, our sprinter. But the goal is to not to take any risks."

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