May 8/15 17:38 pm - Amgen Tour of California Women stage 1 results

Posted by Editoress on 05/8/15
 

It was a chilly day in South Lake Tahoe as 82 elite women road cyclists racing for 14 teams began the first UCI-sanctioned Amgen Tour of California Women's Race, but the peloton blazed around the lake at speeds averaging 23+ mph (37 kph) on the undulating 74.5-mile (119.5 km) course.

As the cyclists took off from the start line, they were cheered on by large crowds, including groups of schoolchildren and local cyclists in their racing kits, for what was to be a historic first of four day of women's racing at the Tour of California. Stage 1 of the three-day road race featured three Queen of the Mountains (QOMs) and 5,885 total feet of climbing, ending with a brutal climb up to 15 percent grades to the finish line at Heavenly Mountain Resort.

The field stayed together until the first QOM climb at Emerald Bay, about 15 miles (24 km) into the race, when Canadian National Team's Kirsti Lay (CAN) and Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey (GBR), riding for Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, made a move out front. Lay took the QOM points, but was soon reabsorbed into the peloton, while Storey held onto a gap of 30 seconds for the first hour into the race. Canadian National Team's Allison Beveridge (CAN) bridged to her, and the two increased their gap from the field to 1:25 at the race's halfway point.

In another first for the women's race, the riders took a 28-mile (45km) foray into Nevada, the first time the Amgen Tour of California has left state boundaries. The final hour of racing saw Velocio-SRAM working hard at the front of the field to bring back the two leaders. The peloton closed the gap to 30 seconds approaching the second QOM at Spooner Lake, ultimately catching them at mile 61 (98km) after Storey rode first over the crest and solidified her claim on the QOM jersey.

Another break of eight riders in the last few miles lasted only until the final 2.5-mile (4 km) climb to Heavenly Mountain Resort. UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team's Katie Hall (USA) took the stage win, followed by Velocio-SRAM's Alena Amialiusik (BLR) and Lauren Komanski (USA) of Twenty16 p/b Sho-Air in third after three hours and eleven minutes of racing. Hall, who resides in Oakland, Calif., is an up and coming all-arounder who placed fifth in last year's National Road Race Championships and is among the favorites for overall contention.

"It feels really good to wear this yellow jersey," said Hall. "I think there will be some good hard racing and it will be hard to defend this jersey. But we brought a really strong team, so hopefully we'll go away with it."

"I'm excited for the future of women's cycling," said Sarah Story. "We [women] get to race a single day here or a day there. But to come here to the Amgen Tour of California and have the chance to compete for a jersey in a stage race like this, it tops that."

Jersey Winners

· Amgen Leader Jersey – Katie Hall (USA), UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
· Lexus Queen of the Mountain (QOM) Jersey – Sarah Storey (GBR), Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International
· Visit California Sprint Jersey – Allison Beveridge (CAN), Canadian National Team
· SRAM Best Young Rider Jersey – Hannah Barnes (GBR), UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team

Results from the first stage in California