June 16/11 11:38 am - Nature Valley GP: Stage 2 women
Posted by Editoress on 06/16/11
World Champion Bronzini Wins Stage; Armstrong Stays in Yellow
World road champion Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno D'Asolo presented by Cooking Light) won Wednesday night's rainy and crash-filled St. Paul Downtown Criterium in an exciting sprint finish, while Olympic time trial champion Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12) retained the Nature Valley Grand Prix overall lead.
Shelley Olds (Diadora-Pasta Zara-Manhattan) and Chloe Hoskings (HTC-Highroad) rounded out the Stage 2 podium in second and third, respectively.
As the women warmed up, the weather quickly turned from sunny and warm to windy and rainy, leaving them to make last minute adjustments to tire pressures. Tension built as knowing glances were passed between teammates while the national anthem played and the officials made their final announcements.
Fortunately the rain subsided about 15 minutes into the race, and the second half of the hour-long race unfolded under clear skies. The road started to dry, but not before several crashes happened, including one that took down about 30 riders.
There was fierce competition for the time bonuses, the first which happened with 23 laps to go. Hosking, Lauren Tamayo (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12), and Amanda Miller (HTC-Highroad) soaked up the first round of bonuses earning five seconds, three seconds and one second, respectively.
Leah Kirchmann
With 20 laps to go, a break formed that included riders Miller, Tamayo, Olds, and Leah Kirchmann and Joelle Numainville (Colavita Forno D'Asolo). Their lead ticked up to a 14-second gap and lasted 10 of the 28 total laps.
As the break started to absorb time bonuses and stretch its lead, it became clear to the Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 squad that it had to start reeling it back in.
“There was a break that got off that we weren’t excited about,” explained Armstrong. “With the conditions, it was single-file all night long. It was really difficult for our team to get together and chase down another team. That was frustrating. There was a point when I came up to help my teammates to finish and close the gap. After that, we just made sure there wasn’t another attack that went off and stayed off. The energy we expended to close that break was not something we wanted to do twice. People are out to race against us. We have three of the top five, and it makes for hard racing.”
With the peloton together for the final laps, teams began setting up their sprinters.
“There was a pretty solid lead out from TIBCO, so I made my way up to their train and just tried to hold position in the last lap,” Olds said. “In the last turn, Theresa Clif-Ryan (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) jumped, and I jumped to cover it. But Bronzini was on my wheel and she came around me. It’s difficult when you have two really fast sprinters from the same team.”
“I was in front of the first position, behind my teammate,” Bronzini said. “I was in third position at the corner, and gave my best sprint today.” Bronzini said she felt confident she could win as long as she came out of the final corner no farther than three riders back.
“Tonight was one of the hardest crits I’ve done in years,” Armstrong said. “People were on fire. I know that there’s been past years that have been tough, but I think the depth of this field is the best I’ve seen at Nature Valley.”
Olds, who has raced a full schedule this season in Europe, agreed: “The field this year is incredibly strong. I think, much stronger, with a lot of numbers for each team.”
The Nature Valley Grand Prix has seen a lot of growth in recent years, from stronger fields to increasing opportunities for growth and visibility of new and upcoming riders.
Jade Wilcoxson is one such rider, having been selected through the Nature Valley Grand Prix Pro Ride – a series of qualifying races across the country.
“Just having a team director and a team mechanic and having all those details taken care of has been incredible,” Wilcoxson said. “Then racing with this caliber of women – this was a hard crate.” The Talent, Ore., resident will wear the Nature Valley Top Amateur jersey for Thursday's road race at Cannon Falls.
Other jersey wearers include Olds in the Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider jersey, Leah Kirchmann (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) in the Wheaties FUEL Sprinter jersey, and her teammate, Rushlee Buchanon, in the Tria Orthopaedic Best Young Rider jersey. Though Armstrong leads the Sports Beans Queen of the Hills jersey competition, Evelyn Stevens (HTP-Highroad) will wear the jersey for Cannon Falls.
Giorgia Bronzini wins
Looking forward to Thursday's first road stage in rural east central Minnesota, Armstrong noted, “We’ll have to see what the weather does, because sometimes it’s really windy. Again, we ride as a team, we ride as a unit. The technicality of tonight was hard to get the team together, but tomorrow the roads are wide, but the finishing circuits are tough. They always are. They’re technical and tough. We’ll have to stay safe and use the same tactics as tonight and work as a team.”
Report by Cynthia Lou, Nature Valley Grand Prix
| Stage 2 (June 15th): St Paul Downtown Criterium | |
| 1 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | 0:59:04 |
| 2 Shelley Olds (USA) Diadora Pasta Zara | |
| 3 Chole Hosking (Aus) HTC-High Road | |
| 4 Joelle Numainville (Can) Team TIBCO/To The Top | |
| 5 Christina Gokey-Smith (USA) NOW Cycling | |
| 6 Emily Collins (NZl) Vanderkitten-Focus | |
| 7 Lauren Tamayo (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | |
| 8 Theresa Cliff-Ryan (USA) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | |
| 9 Samantha Schneider (USA) Team TIBCO/To The Top | |
| 10 Amanda Miller (USA) HTC-High Road | |
| 11 Evelyn Stevens (USA) HTC-High Road | |
| 12 Robin Farina (USA) NOW Cycling | |
| 13 Carmen Small (USA) Team TIBCO/To The Top | |
| 14 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | |
| 15 Meredith Miller (USA) Team TIBCO/To The Top | |
| 16 Kaytee Boyd (NZl) BikeNZ National Team | |
| 17 Erinne Willock (Can) Team TIBCO/To The Top | |
| 18 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | |
| 19 Amber Neben (USA) HTC-High Road | |
| 20 Rachel Neylan (Ita) Diadora Pasta Zara | |
| 21 Megan Guarnier (USA) Team TIBCO/To The Top | |
| 22 Inga Cilvinaite (Ita) Diadora Pasta Zara | |
| 23 Leah Guloien (Can) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | |
| 24 Ally Stacher (USA) HTC-High Road | |
| 25 Lindsey Myers (USA) Danbury Audi | |
| 26 Rushlee Buchanan (NZl) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | |
| 27 Anne Samplonius (Can ) NOW Cycling | |
| 28 Hilary Billington (USA) Danbury Audi | |
| 29 Kelly Benjamin (USA) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | |
| 30 Devon Gorry (USA) NOW Cycling | |
| 31 Coryn Rivera (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | |
| 32 Andrea Dvorak (USA) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | |
| 33 Barbara Guarashi (USA) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | |
| 34 Amber Pierce (USA) Diadora Pasta Zara | |
| 35 Rosara Josephs (NZl) BikeNZ National Team | |
| 36 Holly Mathews (USA) Kowalski's Collegiate All-Stars | |
| 37 Alison Starnes (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | |
| 38 Kathleen Giles (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | |
| 39 Erika Graves (USA) NOW Cycling | |
| 40 Jaime Nielson (NZl) BikeNZ National Team | |
| 41 Jacqueline Kurth (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | |
| 42 Kathleen Billington (USA) Danbury Audi | |
| 43 Jessica Prinner (USA) ABD Cycling Team | |
| 44 Elle Anderson (USA) Kowalski's Collegiate All-Stars | |
| 45 Jade Wilcoxson (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | |
| 46 Anna Barensfeld (USA) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | |
| 47 Elizabeth Newell (USA) Vanderkitten-Focus | all s.t. |
| 48 Laura Ralston (USA) Kowalski's Collegiate All-Stars | 0:38 |
| 49 Catherine Cheatley (NZl) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | |
| 49 Olivia Dillon (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | |
| 49 Kristin Mcgrath (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | all s.t. |
| 52 Melanie Colavito (USA) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | 3:43 |
| 53 Tayler Wiles (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | 3:34 |
| 54 Cara Gillis (Can) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | |
| 55 Robin Bauer (USA) Kowalski's Collegiate All-Stars | |
| 56 Addy Albershardt (USA) NOW Cycling | |
| 57 Jeannie Kuhajek (NZl) ABD Cycling Team | |
| 58 Jennifer Rasmusson (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | |
| 59 Ashley James (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | |
| 60 Whitney Schultz (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | |
| 61 Maura Kinsella (USA) Vanderkitten-Focus | |
| 62 Stacy Appelwick (USA) ABD Cycling Team | |
| 63 Rebecca Wellons (USA) Danbury Audi | |
| 64 Jenna Rinehart (USA) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | all s.t. |
| 65 Lauren Ellis (NZl) BikeNZ National Team | 3:59 |
| 66 Amity Elliot (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | 5:24 |
| 67 Colleen Paine (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | |
| 68 Laurel Larsen (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | |
| 69 Jane Weakley (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | |
| 70 Jennifer Purcell (USA) Danbury Audi | |
| 71 Genevieve Whitson (NZl) MVP Health Care Cycling Team | |
| 72 Jazzy Hurikino (Aus) Vanderkitten-Focus | |
| 73 Emma Mackie (USA) Team TIBCO/To The Top | |
| 74 Joanne Kiesanowski (USA) Team TIBCO/To The Top | all s.t. |
| 75 Kristen Meshberg (USA) ABD Cycling Team | 5:53 |
| 76 Kaitlin Antonneau (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | |
| 77 Kimberley Turner (USA) Kowalski's Collegiate All-Stars | |
| 78 Louise Smyth (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | |
| 79 Lenore Pipes (Gum) MVP Health Care Cycling Team | all s.t. |
| 80 Missy Erickson (USA) Kowalski's Collegiate All-Stars | 5:59 |
| 81 Judy Jenkins (USA) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | s.t. |
| 82 Laura Meadley (Aus) MVP Health Care Cycling Team | 6:13 |
| 83 Rachel Warner (USA) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | 6:18 |
| 84 Amy Miner (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 6:55 |
| DNF AnnaJean Dallaire (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | |
| DNF Melissa Ross (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | |
| DNF Sarah Demerly (USA) ABD Cycling Team | |
| DNF Natalie Stoll (USA) MVP Health Care Cycling Team | |
| DNF Anna Young (USA) MVP Health Care Cycling Team | |
| GC | |
| 1 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | 1:13:34 |
| 2 Evelyn Stevens (USA) HTC-High Road | at 0:23 |
| 3 Alison Starnes (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | 0:27 |
| 4 Amber Neben (USA) HTC-High Road | 0:29 |
| 5 Kristin Mcgrath (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | 0:33 |
| 6 Anne Samplonius (Can ) NOW Cycling | 0:35 |
| 7 Kelly Benjamin (USA) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | 0:41 |
| 8 Amber Pierce (USA) Diadora Pasta Zara | 0:45 |
| 9 Rushlee Buchanan (NZl) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | 0:47 |
| 10 Erinne Willock (Can) Team TIBCO/To The Top | 0:48 |
| 11 Jaime Nielson (NZl) BikeNZ National Team | 0:52 |
| 12 Jade Wilcoxson (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 0:55 |
| 13 Rachel Neylan (Ita) Diadora Pasta Zara | 0:56 |
| 14 Meredith Miller (USA) Team TIBCO/To The Top | 1:00 |
| 15 Inga Cilvinaite (Ita) Diadora Pasta Zara | 1:02 |
| 16 Carmen Small (USA) Team TIBCO/To The Top | 1:03 |
| 17 Amanda Miller (USA) HTC-High Road | 1:03 |
| 18 Lauren Tamayo (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | 1:04 |
| 19 Kathleen Giles (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 1:05 |
| 20 Robin Farina (USA) NOW Cycling | 1:06 |
| 21 Elizabeth Newell (USA) Vanderkitten-Focus | 1:09 |
| 22 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | 1:11 |
| 23 Andrea Dvorak (USA) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | 1:12 |
| 24 Kaytee Boyd (NZl) BikeNZ National Team | 1:13 |
| 25 Anna Barensfeld (USA) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | 1:20 |
| 26 Ally Stacher (USA) HTC-High Road | 1:21 |
| 27 Theresa Cliff-Ryan (USA) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | 1:21 |
| 28 Joelle Numainville (Can) Team TIBCO/To The Top | 1:21 |
| 29 Catherine Cheatley (NZl) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | 1:24 |
| 30 Devon Gorry (USA) NOW Cycling | 1:29 |
| 31 Coryn Rivera (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | 1:31 |
| 32 Megan Guarnier (USA) Team TIBCO/To The Top | 1:34 |
| 33 Leah Guloien (Can) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | 1:35 |
| 34 Jacqueline Kurth (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | 1:36 |
| 35 Olivia Dillon (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | 1:38 |
| 36 Chole Hosking (Aus) HTC-High Road | 1:39 |
| 37 Shelley Olds (USA) Diadora Pasta Zara | 1:39 |
| 38 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | 1:41 |
| 39 Rosara Josephs (NZl) BikeNZ National Team | 1:43 |
| 40 Erika Graves (USA) NOW Cycling | 1:45 |
| 41 Emily Collins (NZl) Vanderkitten-Focus | 1:47 |
| 42 Elle Anderson (USA) Kowalski's Collegiate All-Stars | 1:47 |
| 43 Samantha Schneider (USA) Team TIBCO/To The Top | 1:48 |
| 44 Barbara Guarashi (USA) Colavita/Forno d'Asolo p/b Cooking Light | 1:50 |
| 45 Jessica Prinner (USA) ABD Cycling Team | 1:50 |
| 46 Kathleen Billington (USA) Danbury Audi | 1:55 |
| 47 Lindsey Myers (USA) Danbury Audi | 2:03 |
| 48 Christina Gokey-Smith (USA) NOW Cycling | 2:19 |
| 49 Holly Mathews (USA) Kowalski's Collegiate All-Stars | 2:20 |
| 50 Hilary Billington (USA) Danbury Audi | 2:46 |
| 51 Laura Ralston (USA) Kowalski's Collegiate All-Stars | 2:57 |
| 52 Tayler Wiles (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | 4:39 |
| 53 Jennifer Rasmusson (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | 4:58 |
| 54 Ashley James (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | 5:01 |
| 55 Cara Gillis (Can) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | 5:09 |
| 56 Stacy Appelwick (USA) ABD Cycling Team | 5:18 |
| 57 Melanie Colavito (USA) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | 5:31 |
| 58 Whitney Schultz (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | 5:32 |
| 59 Lauren Ellis (NZl) BikeNZ National Team | 5:33 |
| 60 Maura Kinsella (USA) Vanderkitten-Focus | 5:35 |
| 61 Robin Bauer (USA) Kowalski's Collegiate All-Stars | 5:42 |
| 62 Addy Albershardt (USA) NOW Cycling | 6:04 |
| 63 Jenna Rinehart (USA) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | 6:06 |
| 64 Jeannie Kuhajek (NZl) ABD Cycling Team | 6:08 |
| 65 Rebecca Wellons (USA) Danbury Audi | 6:22 |
| 66 Amity Elliot (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | 6:59 |
| 67 Joanne Kiesanowski (USA) Team TIBCO/To The Top | 7:01 |
| 68 Kaitlin Antonneau (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 | 7:05 |
| 69 Jazzy Hurikino (Aus) Vanderkitten-Focus | 7:19 |
| 70 Jane Weakley (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 7:26 |
| 71 Laurel Larsen (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 7:30 |
| 72 Genevieve Whitson (NZl) MVP Health Care Cycling Team | 7:33 |
| 73 Emma Mackie (USA) Team TIBCO/To The Top | 7:35 |
| 74 Rachel Warner (USA) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | 7:47 |
| 75 Jennifer Purcell (USA) Danbury Audi | 7:55 |
| 76 Louise Smyth (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 7:56 |
| 77 Colleen Paine (USA) Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder | 8:00 |
| 78 Judy Jenkins (USA) Missing Link Coaching Systems / Specialized | 8:01 |
| 79 Missy Erickson (USA) Kowalski's Collegiate All-Stars | 8:27 |
| 80 Laura Meadley (Aus) MVP Health Care Cycling Team | 8:27 |
| 81 Lenore Pipes (Gum) MVP Health Care Cycling Team | 8:40 |
| 82 Kristen Meshberg (USA) ABD Cycling Team | 8:57 |
| 83 Kimberley Turner (USA) Kowalski's Collegiate All-Stars | 9:41 |
| 84 Amy Miner (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 9:42 |
Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Object of class PDO could not be converted to string in /home/canadiancyclistcom/canadiancyclist.com/public/modules/news.php:544 Stack trace: #0 /home/canadiancyclistcom/canadiancyclist.com/public/modules/news.php(533): getrelatedgallery() #1 /home/canadiancyclistcom/canadiancyclist.com/public/dailynews.php(58): getDailyNewsArticle() #2 {main} thrown in /home/canadiancyclistcom/canadiancyclist.com/public/modules/news.php on line 544