June 13/10 10:06 am - Air Force Cycling Classic Clarendon Cup: Women

Posted by Editoress on 06/13/10
 

Miller back to her winning ways at Clarendon

Brooke Miller of Team TIBCO/To the Top took a strong sprint victory at the Clarendon Cup Saturday. Miller out-sprinted veteran Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) and Erica Allar (Team Vera Bradley) for the win at the end of the 50-lap, 50 km race.

But Miller said, “today was the Emma Mackie show. Emma raced phenomenally. We came into today trying to be patient and not attack a lot, but cover moves. Emma must have covered at least half the moves that went, and she attacked a few times herself.”

“Once we started, I knew I had good legs,” Mackie said. “I have good form coming off of Tour de l’Aude, and I was excited to race today.”

But Mackie may have proved most valuable at the end of the race. With five laps to go, the five riders from Team TIBCO had control of the front of the race. “The last five laps the team rode flawlessly,” Miller said.

Devon Haskell and Kristen LaSasso had been on the front keeping the pace high to discourage attacks. In the closing laps, Mackie, Samantha Schneider and Miller were fighting to stay on the front. “There was a lot of swarming,” Miller noted.

Coming into the last lap, Colavita-Baci began to set up a lead-out for their sprinter, Theresa Cliff-Ryan. But with half a lap to go, Mackie hit out with Schneider and Miller on her wheel. Coming into the second to last corner, Van Gilder moved Schneider off Mackie’s wheel, putting Miller behind van Gilder, with Cliff-Ryan on Miller’s wheel. Mackie peeled off and Miller jumped around van Gilder. Then with 150 meters to go, Cliff-Ryan went and she and Miller were side by side.

“I thought it would be a drag race between us to the line,” Miller said. “But the pavement was pretty bad and it looked like Theresa hit a rough spot and I think she got bounced toward me. We bumped and Theresa went down.”

Miller avoided the Colavita sprinter and kept driving for the line, taking a clear victory from van Gilder. Race officials reviewed the sprint immediately after the finish and quickly ruled that there were no violations and the result stood.

Team TIBCO/To the Top press release

Pro 1/2 Women, 50 km
1 Brooke Miller (USA) Team TIBCO/to the Top
2 Laura VanGuilder (USA)
3 Erica Allar (USA) Vera Bradley Foundation
4 Sinead Miller (USA) Peanut Butter & CO
5 Melissa Sanborn (USA) CyclePath Racing
6 Amy McGuuire (USA) Wheel Works
7 Cath Cheatley (NZl) Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling
8 Kate Veronneau (USA) Kutztown Cutters
9 Robin Farina (USA) Vera Bradley Foundation
10 Sam Schnieder (USA) Team TIBCO/to the Top
11 Erin Silman (USA) Fruit 66
12 Jennifer Rasmusson (USA) Team Kenda
13 Carla Swart (RSA) Vera Bradley Foundation
14 Emma Mackie (Aus) Team TIBCO/to the Top
15 Mary Costelloe (USA) Verducci Racing
16 Leslie Jenning (USA) Unattached
17 Devon Haskell (USA) Team TIBCO/to the Top
18 Jenette Williams (USA) Team CARD
19 Sarah Caravella (USA) Team CARD
20 Nichole Wangsgard (USA) Roosters p/b Edge
21 Shontell Gauthier (USA) Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling
22 Lenore Pipes (USA) Fruit 66
23 Andrea Dvorak (USA) Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling
24 Kristen LaSasso (USA) Team TIBCO/to the Top