Cyclocross Magazine asked me to write a rider diary about my weekend of racing at the three day Jingle Cross Rock in Iowa over Thanksgiving. Having notched my first two wins of the season last weekend, I was happy to oblige. Check out the excerpt below and then click HERE to read the diary in it entirety.

“We lined up knowing it was anyone’s game to win since such challenging course conditions leave the door wide open. The race started fast to get to the early off camber section first which lead right into the fly over and then up the greasy backside of Mt. Krumpit (the descent we went down Friday night). Mo and Sue lead up the first section of the climb, but as they tried to ride the slow and heavy grassy section at the top, I ran right by them and took the lead down the hairy Mt. Krumpit.”

I have been doing quite a bit of writing for websites other than my own and have neglected my own blog in the process. As my website undergoes a major transition, expect to see original posts and links to content hosted elsewhere populating the site more often. Happy reading

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The first road stage of the Tour de ‘Toona included a punishing hilltop finish. As predicted, the ascent on Blue Knob shattered the field and saw riders trickle across the line one by one.

Tara Whitten started the day in the leader’s jersey less than two seconds ahead of teammate Jennifer Wheeler. The two time trialed to the top podium spots during yesterday’s opening prologue, and Team TIBCO was ready to defend yellow.

“We had a plan, and, for the most part, we stuck to it,” said Team Captain Meredith Miller. “With a climb like this at the end of the race, team tactics often can’t play too big of role. It’s becomes a matter of who has the legs and who doesn’t — and how quickly we can each get ourselves to the top.”

“The team rode a great race,” Miller continued. “The course was a lot hillier than I expected. We managed to keep things together until the base of the climb. A few riders launched attacks to get away solo, but they were never out there for too long.”

Miller described a late race attack by Kristen Lasasso (NOW and Novartis for MS) as the only cause for concern.

“Lasasso made a move later in the stage and gained around a minute,” explained Miller. “I wouldn’t say we were worried. We just wanted to make sure that we reeled her in somewhat before the climb. I didn’t want us to full on chase. I also didn’t want us to soft pedal and watch her advantage creep up. We launched our own attacks to keep the field active and the pace high.”

The strategy proved successful as Lasasso was reabsorbed by the field before the climb would split things completely.

Whitten rode to sixth on the stage that Veronique Fortin (PX Express/HNZ Strategic.com), first atop Blue Knob, move into the yellow jersey. Whitten slipped to fourth and now sits 0:38 out of the race lead.

“Tara and Carmen [Small] both did well with the climb today,” noted Miller. “Tara especially did a really great job. Prior to the start, she wasn’t feeling that confident with how she’d go on the climb. I hope today gives her more confidence for Saturday. I know we can get the jersey back.”

While Miller, as usual, was full of praise for her teammates, she was less impressed with her own effort.

“I completely cracked,” she reported. She finished mid-pack  in 34th place. “I had nothing. It felt like my brakes were rubbing.”

The less than stellar result came solely from time lost on the final climb. Prior to Blue Knob, Miller provided direction and leadership on the road. A teammate commented that she was impressed with Miller’s ability to always be in exactly the right place over the rollers that gave way to the mountaintop finish.

“It’s disappointing to not be able to perform the way that I know I’m capable of racing,” said Miller. “It’s bad legs not bad luck. I’ll need to talk to my coach to address what kind of changes I need to make if this continues. I should be able to hang with girls who finished far in front of me on a climb like this.”

Miller will have tomorrow’s rest day to find her climbing legs before racing continues on Saturday with a 91-mile road race that includes a section with an 18% gradient.

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World Track Champion Tara Whitten rode to a decisive victory on the opening prologue of the Tour de ‘Toona. She covered the three mile Altoona Sunset Time Trial in 5:39. Jennifer Wheeler finished less than two seconds back to secure second place. Anne Samplonioius (NOW and Novartis for MS) rounded out the podium.

“Obviously, this is a pretty fantastic result for the team,” said Team Captain Meredith Miller. “We all felt that Tara was very capable of winning the prologue, but to have Wheeler, who rode early on in the stage, in the hot seat for so long and then end up in second is really awesome. It’s a great way to start the Tour.”

Carmen Small made the top ten out of a field of nearly 80 riders. Her ride of 5:49 put her in ninth place. Miller sits 0:14 behind Whitten in 13th.

“I felt good tonight, so my result is a little bit disappointing — especially because I felt like I put in a good effort,” Miller said. “I haven’t been able to nail a time trial yet this season, but it is what it is. Right now, I’m focused on keeping a good head on my shoulder for all the hard racing that lies ahead.”

Tomorrow’s hard racing takes the form of a 74-mile road race with a hilltop finish up to Blue Knob.

“It’s a long, hard climb that is going to blow the race to bits,” predicted Miller. “I expect GC to get shaken up tomorrow.”

With four riders in the top-fifteen, Miller believes the team has multiple cards to play.

“There are a lot of really strong riders here, and we’ll need to see who is on form, but I expect us to be very competitive,” said Miller. “While Tara might not be well-suited for this type of course, Carmen, Carlee and I could fare well.  Our plan to defend yellow includes the possibility that it might be on someone else’s back within the team come tomorrow night.”

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Meredith Miller wrapped up the USA Cycling National Championships as the highest placed rider for Team TIBCO on the final day of racing. Heading to the line as a part of a five-rider break that formed on the final lap of the race, Miller finished fifth. In the field, Sam Schneider sprinted to fifth in the bunch, tenth overall, to win the U23 National Criterium Championship title.

“It was tough out there today,” said Miller. “It was hot, and the course is hard. I’m really proud of Sam. She’s been riding so strong lately, and this is a well-deserved reward for her efforts.”

Team TIBCO animated the race from the start. Alison Starnes (Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12) put in the first true attack on the first climb on lap one. Jennifer Wheeler and Kasey Clark (Primal / Map My Ride) followed. Ally Stacher (HTC-Columbia) and Janel Holcomb (Colavita Forno d’Asolo) led the chase.

“The plan was that Wheeler would go at some point on the first lap anyways, so that was pretty perfect for us,” noted Miller. “Sometime during the third lap, we heard that Starnes was off the front alone, so we had free reign to start attacking.”

With Starnes away solo and Wheeler and Clark less than a minute from the bunch, Team TIBCO began its assault on the field.

“It was clear that everything was going to be chased down,” said Miller. “We weren’t the only ones attacking. HTC was being pretty aggressive at this point, too.”

The peloton caught Starnes on the first climb of the final lap of the race.

“From that point on it was attack, counter-attack, attack,” Miller said. “We wanted to make the race hard, so we were throwing bombs. We wanted to make people chase us — not the other way around.”

An attack from Amanda Miller would prove to form the winning move. Robin Farina (NOW – Novartis) and Kathleen Billington (Danbury Auto) jumped on her wheel. Eventually Miller and Andrea Dvorak (Colavita Forno d’Asolo) bridged across.

“I’m not exactly sure how the five of us came together,” explained Miller. “We were six at first but Alisha Welsh [Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12] got gapped off. I wasn’t feeling that great so I skipped a few pulls in the beginning but as we headed close to the line, I started to contribute. We worked well together.”

As the five-riders took even pulls, Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12 led the chase from behind. Their efforts were not enough to pull back the break. Heading into the final kilometer of racing, the break had thirty seconds on the group behind.

“The last K came up pretty quickly,” recalled Miller. “By the time we hit the final climb, I was feeling a little bit better, and I decided I should attack first. When I was thinking about where I wanted to make my move, Andrea went. Robin and Amanda followed her wheel, and I couldn’t close the gap.”

Two years ago, in Bend, OR, Miller was part of another five-rider move heading into the finish of the USAC National Road Championship. She was the first to attack her breakmates on the run-in towards the finish. The attack stuck, and she soloed to the line for her biggest career win to date.

“This was the exact same situation I was in two years ago, and I was able to win from the break then,” she said. “Obviously I’m extremely disappointed not to be able to repeat that here. I had the exact same feeling this year that I had then: ‘Don’t screw up. Don’t let anyone down.’ Last time things worked out perfectly. This year, not so much.”

Miller was unable to close the gap Dvorak’s acceleration created, and the three ahead came to the finish together with Farina beating Dvorak in a photo-finish. A. Miller rounded out the podium. Miller conceded fourth to Billington and nabbed the final medal up for offer with her fifth place finish. Twenty seconds later, Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita Forno d’Asolo) won the bunch sprint for sixth.

“The team rode a great race,” said Miller. “I wish I could have pulled off a better result for them. Sam winning U23 today was definitely a much-needed silver lining. I’m really proud of her.”

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The elite women took the line in Augusta, GA tonight for the USA Cycling Elite National Criterium Championships. The evening race had been scheduled for 50 kilometers but was shortened dramatically during the first third of the race due to thunderstorms.

“We went from 28 laps to go to five to go,” said Sports Director Lisa Hunt. “There was lightening and thunder in the distance. The wind picked up. It got super dark. It was clearly going to rain.”

Many predicted the race would come down to a bunch sprint, and the shortening of the race didn’t allow for many alternatives.

“Our plan had been to work to get into a break and then to start throwing bombs with five laps to go,” said Hunt. “When the call was made to reduce the race, Carman [Small] made a move, but she was pretty quickly brought back.”

A last lap crash contributed to the chaos and confusion.

“It happened right next to me,” said Team Captain Meredith Miller. “Girls were going down left and right.”

In the end, Shelley Olds (Diadora Pasta Zara) successfully defended her title to take the win ahead of Theresa Clif-Ryan (Colavita Forno d’Asolo) and Coryn Rivera (Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12). Rivera’s finish earned her the U23 National Criterium Championship Title. Sam Schneider was Team TIBCO’s top finisher in fifth.

“It’s really unfortunate the race ended the way it did,” said Miller. “I can’t say I’m too sad the race was shortened. The course was pretty boring, and it was wide open — making crashes inevitable — but for them to actually give out a jersey for less than thirty minutes of racing seems pretty unfair.”

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Meredith Miller narrowly missed out on a top-ten finish at the USA Cycling National Time Trial Championships in Augusta, GA today. Having spent little time on her time trial bike this year, she headed to Georgia with minimal personal aspirations for the discipline.

“I didn’t come here thinking I would do well in the time trial, but I felt so good the last two days, my expectations went up,” Miller explained. “When I didn’t have a good ride today, I was bummed. I had to remind myself that, given my goals, there’s really no difference between fifth and 11th.”

Miller had not expected the weather to play such a large factor in her ride given the relatively short effort the race required. She was surprised to find that the humidity, more so than the temperatures, impacted her day.

“It was in the mid-80s, and it was literally 100% humidity,” Miller said. “I felt like I was suffocating. It was pretty miserable. Our skinsuits are tight and long-sleeved, and all I could think the entire race was how I needed to sit up and unzip it so I could breathe a little.”

Defending champion Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Highroad) clinched the 2011 National Time Trial Championship .2 seconds ahead of teammate Amber Neben. 2008 Olympic Champion Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12) rounded out the podium. Stevens’ victory earns her an automatic nomination to the World Championships in Denmark in September.

“I knew that several riders had placed a huge emphasis on this race,” said Miller. “My disappointment comes from how good I felt pre-riding the course. In the end, I realize my result doesn’t meant anything. I’m ready to move on and focus on the crit and road race.”

Team TIBCO will field six riders for the National Criterium Championships tomorrow. Megan Guarnier, Kendall Ryan, Sam Schneider, Carmen Small and Jennifer Wheeler will join Miller on the start line for the late night criterium. The women race 50 kilometers beginning at 8PM (EDT).

“The course looks pretty similar to the course in Bend [Oregon -- where Criterium Nationals where held in 2010],” noted Miller. “It’s rectangular with four corners. According to the profile, there’s a short, little hill, and we’ll have to see if that can make things a bit more interesting.”

“Our best chance to win would be to get into a breakaway,” Miller continued. “This will be pretty hard, though, given the course. There are some good sprinters here — Theresa [Cliff-Ryan] (Colavita Forna d’Asolo) and Shelley [Olds] (Diadora Pasta Zara) — and if we come to the line with them, we’re in a tough spot.”

Team TIBCO last won the National Criterium Championships in 2008 when now-retired Brooke Miller sprinted to victory ahead of now-retired Tina Pic of Colavita. Schneider has won the U-23 National Criterium Championships, a race held within the elite race, the last two years.

“I don’t know what our plan is with Kendall and Sam [both of whom are eligible for the U23 title],” said Miller. “We haven’t discussed that yet. It’s possible that they’ll race with us and we hope that it works out for them — or it’s possible that they’ll do their own thing to go for the title.”

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In preparation for the USA Cycling National Time Trial Championships, Meredith Miller pre-rode the ITT course in Augusta, GA on Tuesday.

“It’s frickin’ fast,” she reports. “On the way out, you gain a little elevation and on the back you lose a little. It’s rolling both ways, so you don’t really notice the gains or losses although heading back in definitely feels a little faster. The course is straightforward. It lacks any place where you’d need to save power. There’s no significant climbs or anything like that. It’s going to suit a hard, steady power rider.”

Miller considers herself a hard, steady power rider, and as she described her pre-ride, her excitement about the course was undeniable.

“Last night, when I was on my bike, I felt really good — and I was excited to be back on my time trial bike,” Miller says. “I know there a lot of people here at Nationals who this race matters a lot to since they’re fighting for a place at Worlds and on the Olympic team. For me, I want to have a good day, but the time trial isn’t a huge goal for me or anything.”

Still, she has some expectations.

“I have only done two time trials this year, and I haven’t gotten to spend much time on my time trial bike. I would like to have a good ride for me, and it’s hard to know exactly what that would look like,” explains Miller. “It’s a good course for me, so if I could be somewhere in the top-ten, that would be great. I can’t see top-five with the number of people who are burying themselves for that automatic spot for Worlds. I would need to have the best ride of my life to land in the top-five.”

Miller believes wind and heat will play a minor role.

“We rode the course at night, and obviously there was no wind — but we’re not racing at night,” she says. “Today, we motorpaced on the course during the times we’ll be racing. It’s breezier, so I’d expect some wind. I also think heat might be a small factor. It shouldn’t be too significant because it should be a 40-45 minute time trial. It isn’t long enough for heat to play a major role.”

Miller is joined by Team TIBCO teammates Megan Guarnier, Carmen Small and Jennifer Wheeler in the Time Trial Championships. Kendall Ryan and Sam Schneider will add firepower in Friday’s criterium and Sunday’s road race.

Sandwiched between 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12) and Kristin Sanders (Colavita Forno d’Asolo), Miller is the sixth to last rider to take to the start house at Lake Storm Thurmond on Thursday. Her 30 kilometer effort will begin at 11:40PM (EDT).

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Erinne Willock finished fourth on the final stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Part of an elite group of twelve riders that made the selection forced by a fast, hard tempo set by HTC-Highroad, Willock’s finish on Stillwater clinched her second-place position on the general classification. Team Captain Meredith Miller watched the action unfold from the sidelines.

“My race was pretty much over before it began,” said a disappointed Miller. “A rider dropped a chain on the run-up to Chilkoot Hill on the first lap, and the reaction behind forced about 30  riders to unclip. Megan [Guarnier] and I, unfortunately, were among those caught behind. Without having any momentum leading up to the climb, it was nearly impossible to chase back on to the riders in front of us. I had to run up the hill.”

“After I pulled from the race, [Sports Director] Lisa Hunt asked why we hadn’t taken a free lap,” continued Miller. “This race is so different than any other criterium — it didn’t even occur to me to go to the pit! It was such a bone-headed move. Luckily, I can take some solace from knowing, in hindsight, that it wasn’t a game-changer for the team.”

Two laps into the thirteen lap race, the front group had dwindled to a group of around 30 riders. Along with Willock, Joëlle Numainville, Carmen Small and Sam Schneider represented Team TIBCO on the front. Two laps later the group would split into two. Willock and Numainville made the front group along with race leader Amber Neben and three of her HTC teammates, Giorgia Bronzini, Kristin Armstrong and Kristin McGrath (Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12), Anne Samplonious (NOW & Novartis), Katyee Boyd (Bike NZ), and Jade Wilcoxson (Nature Valley Pro Team).

“Carmen and Sam were in the group behind, and Leah Kirchmann [Colavita Forno d’Asolo], who was in third place overall, was in that second group as well,” said Hunt. “It was good for us that she was gapped off. Carmen and Sam didn’t do any work — they didn’t have to do any work — to chase back to the first group.”

Chase efforts from the second group proved futile as HTC set a brutal tempo up front. Kristin Armstrong attacked from the group a few times, but her efforts did nothing to force a further selection or allow her to get away.

“We had talked about attacking today, but we knew it would be a bit risky,” said Willock. “Evie [Stevens] (HTC-Highroad) got to sit in a little yesterday, and I was worried she would counter any move we would make. She was close enough on the overall that we couldn’t afford to allow her to get away.”

Instead, Willock followed wheels keeping a close eye on both Neben and Armstrong. Following the penultimate climb, Armstrong accelerated, and Stevens jumped to cover the move. Brozini charged from behind to close the gap to the duo. Willock and Neben followed. The five riders descended together and came across the start line with a gap on the now shattered front group.

Stevens attacked first, but the stage belonged to Bronzini who came around Stevens for the her third stage win of the race. Armstrong finished third on the stage with Willock on her wheel.

“By the last lap, my goal had become to hold onto to second in GC,” explained Willock. “I did — so it was good. We had a really good day with fourth on the stage and maintaining our position on the overall. I’m happy with it.”

The Nature Valley squad will now part ways as the American contingent heads to Augusta, GA for USA Cycling Elite Nationals and the Canadians make their way to Ontario for Canadian Cycling Nationals. Emma Mackie, Jo Kiesanowski and Carlee Taylor will represent Team TIBCO at the Glencoe Grand Prix.

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After patiently waiting for good luck and good legs to align, Team TIBCO reaped the benefit of aggressive racing on stage five of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Erinne Willock finished third in Menomonie from a group of eight that had gained a gap of 1:13 on the field. Her efforts earned her the most aggressive jersey and catapulted her from eighth to second overall.

Race Leader Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12) missed out on the move and suffered the consequences. Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad), the highest-placed GC rider in the break, will start the final stage oin yellow. Willock is 21 seconds back on Neben. Stage five winner Leah Kirchmann is in third.

“Everybody rode strong today,” said Jo Kiesanowski. “It was awesome teamwork. We looked like the strongest team out there. We had two of the seven riders in the initial move, and then, when Erinne bridged up, we had three riders. It was great that we really got it together today to produce such fantastic results.”

Megan Guarnier found herself off the front with Robin Farina (NOW and Novartis) on the first QOM. Shortly after their catch, counter-attacks started to fly.

“Things reshuffled a bit,” said Sports Director Lisa Hunt. “I don’t know who initiated the move, but I know the girls made sure they were in it.”

Seven riders slipped away from the field. Guarnier and Sam Schneider represented TIBCO in a move that included Leah Kirchmann (Colavita Forno d’Asolo), Anna Barensfield (Missing Link), Ally Stacher (HTC-Highroad), Taylor Wiles (Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12) and Inga Cilvinaite (Diadora Pasta Zara).

“Megan and Sam worked the break and saw the gap grow to over two minutes,” said Hunt. “As the gap grew, the break became less cohesive. Ally, Taylor and Leah stopped working, and the gap was reduced to 30 seconds by the second QOM.”

Neben bridged across the break shortly after the second QOM. Her added firepower, plus the cooperation of her teammate, Stacher, allowed the break’s advantage to climb once again.

“On the third QOM, Amber and Leah got a gap,” said Hunt. “At most, their advantage was around 20 seconds, and they only stayed away for about five kilometers.”

Behind, Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12 put their entire team on the front in an effort to bring back the break.

“Peanut Butter was chasing all day,” said Team Captain Meredith Miller. “Their riders would come to the front. Take hard pulls. Go backwards. Come to the front again. Take another pull. Go backwards. All day. Even Kristin spent a lot of time on the front. The rest of the peloton never had to touch the wind because Peanut Butter took complete control of the chase.”

Wiles sat up in the break and dropped back to contribute to the chase. Even with her help, the seven-riders remained seemingly untouchable out front. When Willock realized the move had a chance to be the winning break, she launched an attack at the top of the QOM.

“When Erinne made it up to the break, Amber and Leah were still off the front,” said Hunt. “The break came back together before the finishing circuits. Their gap yo-yo’d between 35 seconds and a minute as they headed back into town.”

The break hit the final circuits with a 35 second advantage on the Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12-led field.

“We wanted to keep the pace as high as possible on those circuit laps,” said Schneider. “With one lap to go, our gap had grown to over a minute. Ally, Amber, Erinne and I kept rotating, and I took the last pull. I dug deep on the last straightaway and kept it as fast I could. Once I was done, Erinne attacked shortly before the last corner.”

Kirchmann and Neben would pass Willock in the sprint.

“We weren’t really too concerned with the place,” said Schneider. “We just wanted to increase the gap on that last lap to earn as much time back on the overall as possible.”

“With the time bonuses available at the finish, Erinne essentially lost two seconds to Amber,” explained Miller. “Still, she clearly gained more than she lost. It was really the best possible scenario today. The fact that Sam and Megan were both there in the break when it formed. We already had the numbers up there. When Erinne jumped across and gave us three in a break of eight, it was incredible. We’re really happy with our day.”

Still, she knows much work lies ahead, and Stillwater, the sixth and final stage of the NVGP, is often a game-changer.

“Tomorrow is going to be a hard race,” noted Miller. “Kristin is not going to simply give up. We’re going to have to think tactically and consider all our options. HTC has Amber, Evie [Stevens] and Ally in the top-ten  overall, so we’re in a tough position given the number of cards they have to play. There’s still a lot of racing left. Anything can happen tomorrow. We’re prepared to do everything we can to be there for Erinne.”

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For the third consecutive year, unforeseen events cause race officials to cancel a stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. When one-third of the field, including race leader Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12) and defending champion Shelley Olds (Diadora-Pasta Zara), crashed on the final corner of the penultimate lap, officials neutralized and then canceled the Uptown Minneapolis Criterium. Points and time gained from the stage will not count toward the overall.

Megan Guarnier, Jo Kiesanowski, Emma Mackie and Joëlle Numainville were among four of the 30+ riders who found themselves on the ground in a pile of bikes and bodies. They escaped the crash relatively lucky. Four riders, including Olds, were evacuated from the scene on backboards by ambulance.

“I’m sure they’ll be a bit stiff tomorrow,” said Team Captain Meredith Miller. “Given the extent of the injuries other suffered, we’re relieved to report that we’re all okay. We’re still waiting on news about Shelley. Crashes can often look worse than they actually are, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a pile-up that involved such a large portion of the field.”

Conflicting reports are circulating regarding the cause of the crash. Miller considers such speculation pointless.

“Who really cares?” she asked. “It happened, and it’s done.

“I absolutely support the decision race officials made to cancel the stage,” Miller added. “When we [the riders who made it through prior to the crash] were stopped on the back stretch of the field and told what happened, we said we didn’t want to continue racing — or that if we did continue racing, we wanted the sprint to be contested only among those who had made it through. It would have been way too chaotic otherwise.”

Given the feedback from the field and the time it took to remove the crashed riders from the road, officials cancelled the stage.

Although the stage officially did not happen, an hour of racing took place prior to its cancellation. During that time, Team TIBCO once again factored into the aggressive, fast nature of the race.

“Joelle was once again part of an early break,” said Miller. “Lauren Tamayo (Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12), Amanda Miller (HTC-Highroad) and Leah Kirchmann (Colavita Forno d’Asolo) were also part of the move. Lauren sat on the break, but the other three fought hard to make the move stick. When Peanut Butter wasn’t able to bring the move back, Lauren dropped from the break, came to the front of the field and pretty much single-handedly closed the gap. It was impressive.”

With the peloton back together eight laps from the finish, several riders launched attacks. Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12 kept the pace high but was unable to thin the field much before the finish.

“After spending time in the sprint, Joëlle let us know she wasn’t sure how she would go in the sprint,” Miller said. “We decided we would line things up for Carmen [Small]. The team had been riding great. We felt good, and we thought we had a chance of finally getting a good result.”

As Evie Stevens (HTC-Highroad) and Armstrong faded slightly on the front, Erinne Willock took over.

“Erinne made this huge acceleration on the front,” said Miller. “I thought it might have been a bit early to take the pace that high, so I sat up a bit. It allowed a gap to open in front of me. This could have played out perfectly for us.”

While Willock and Miller controlled the front, the pileup behind began to choke the road. Only 20 riders snuck through unaffected.

“I didn’t hear a thing,” said Miller. “When a moto pulled up besides us, I knew something must have happened, and when they started yelling at us to stop, we pulled to the side of the road. That’s when they told us about the crash.”

Armstrong, a bit worse for the wear, will start stage five in Menomonie to defend the leader’s jersey. Injuries have forced Olds, and the other three riders taken to the hospital, to withdraw from the race.

“Erinne won from a two-rider break in Menomonie last year,” said Miller. “We’re itching to convert our aggressive racing into a good result. Hopefully, tomorrow will be the day.”

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Team TIBCO suffered some tough luck on the third stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. After animating the stage with aggressive attacks in the hopes of putting race leader Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12) on the defensive, sprinter Joëlle Numainville punctured on the gravel section that connects the large circuit of the race to the finishing circuit in downtown Cannon Falls.

“When Joëlle flatted, Carmen [Small] stopped to give her a wheel,” said Miller. “Unfortunately, we ended up losing both of them as a result. Neither of them were able to make it back up to the front group, and Carmen lost valuable time on the overall. Given Carmen’s current condition and where she had been sitting on the general classification, this was a tough break. The finish suited Jöelle, so it was a bummer to lose her for the sprint.”

Up until that point, the 66.5 mile race unfolded as Miller had predicted. “It was hard and fast from the gun,” Miller said. “Attacks were constant. If the crit last night was any indication of how the road race would go, we knew it would be hard race — and it was. It was hard and animated.”

HTC-Highroad shared Team TIBCO’s intent to make Peanut Butter & Company Twenty12 work to hold onto the race lead. “Our goal had been to get into a move with HTC and work the break,” explained Miller. “They raced super aggressively, and it was clear that if they had gotten into a move with us, they would have worked it. Lots of different combinations of riders got off the front. Although Peanut Butter never let any move get too far, they definitely expended a lot of energy defending the jersey. If we can keep wearing them down like that, hopefully that will give us the opportunity to make something happen for Erinne [Willock] in Stillwater.”

Without a sprinter to contest the stage that would eventually end in a bunch sprint, Miller’s main concern became keeping Willock safe.

“Megan [Guarnier], Sam [Schneider], Erinne and I ended up in the front group on the final circuits,” Miller said. “Those last six laps were fast. Erinne got into a good position right away, and she was able to hold it until the end. Basically, as the laps ticked down, all the teams started to set up for their sprinters.”

World Champion Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno d’Asolo) took her second win of the race ahead of Chloe Hosking (HTC-Highroad) and Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita Forno d’Asolo). Armstrong finished with the bunch to hold onto the leader’s jersey.

“Erinne finished the stage in eighth,” noted Miller. “She had to do a lot of work today. She covered attacks on the circuit. She really did a great job up there. The stage moved her up two spots, to eighth, on the overall.”

Miller also saw herself make a small leap in the general classification. Although she remains a minute behind Armstrong, she now sit just outside the top-ten in 11th place.

“My legs definitely felt better today than they did yesterday,” Miller said. “I wish I could have done more in the finishing circuits, but at the time, it was just so hard. It’s similar to how I felt after the time trial. Hindsight. I could have gone harder. I should have done this or that. At the time, though, harder didn’t feel possible.”

Once again, Miller lavished praise on her teammates. “All day long, we were all over everything,” she said. “We rode great as a team. We had a plan, and we executed it. I think that’s what stings the most about our bad luck. I’m confident we would have a good finish for Joëlle.”

Team TIBCO will have another chance to convert good legs into good luck on stage five in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis. Pro women will race 30 laps of the evening criterium that follows a similar format to the one used during the St. Paul Downtown Criterium on Wednesday. With intermediate time bonuses and sprint points once again up for grabs, the stage promises to be another fast, exciting affair. Catch the LIVE action Friday night at 6:15PM (CDT) here.

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The Downtown St. Paul criterium promised to be a fast, furious affair as teams who had lost time in the morning time trial clamored to move up in the overall via seconds offered up on two intermediate time bonus laps and at the line. While the sun had shone between the two stages, riders took to the start of the 28-lap race under black clouds that gave way to rain.
“It was raining at the start, and the roads remained wet the entire race,” said Team Captain Meredith Miller. “The race would have been hard regardless. The weather made it brutal.”

Although the rain eased up and eventually stopped, the roads remained wet. Add potholes and well-worn roads to the mix, and the crashfest becomes understandable.

“Crashes were happening everywhere,” Miller said. “It seemed like riders were getting pushed in on every lap. We constantly had to keep our heads up. There was one lap where I finally gotten myself where I wanted to be and they pushed in riders on the back side and the front side — on the same lap! I got pushed back and didn’t have it in me to jump up the side to work my way back up to the front.”

While Miller is unwilling to disguise her disappointment with her personal performance, she was quick to praise the effort of her teammates.

“I wasn’t riding well enough to be able to keep myself where I wanted to be. I don’t know that I ever saw the top-15,” said Miller. “I found myself constantly behind people who weren’t taking the corners as quickly as I wanted to take them, so I would have to accelerate out of the corners. It was exhausting. That was pretty much my race.”

“My teammates, on the other hand, rode really well tonight,” she continued. “Joëlle [Numainville] was in the longest-lasting break of the night with five other riders.”

Numainville, along with defending champion Shelley Olds [Diadora Pasta Zara], Lauren Tamayo [Peanut Butter & Company Twenty12], Amanda Miller [HTC-Highroad], and Colavita Forno d’Asolo’s Teresa Cliff-Ryan and Leah Kirchmann, escaped from the bunch ten laps into the race. Although the six would never gain more than 15 seconds on the Peanut Butter & Company led chasing field, they stayed away for ten laps and contested the second of three time bonus laps among themselves.

With the six back in the field, the pace remained high as teams clamoring for control fought for position at the front. Small attacks were quickly reeled in, and teams in contention for the sprinter’s jersey went for points with eight laps remaining. With five laps to go, the field was a single-file train blasting around the course.  Team TIBCO came to the front with three laps remaining.

“Carmen [Small], Megan [Guarnier], and Sam [Schneider] did a great job leading Joëlle out for the final sprint,” said Miller. “They may have started a bit too early for how few people they had because they run out of gas there at the end. Still, when they eased off the pace, Joëlle was able to jump onto another train. Her position was good coming into the sprint.”

World Champion Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno d’Asolo) took the stage win ahead of Olds (Diadora Pasta Zara) and Chole Hosking (HTC-Highroad). Numainville, in fourth, narrowly missed out on the podium.

“Joëlle spent so much time in that break, and she really driving it,” Miller said. “She didn’t have the legs at the end to take the win. It was great to see the other girls do exactly what they needed to do for her, though. We’ll hope they can repeat that, with a bit more support from the rest of us, for the crit on Friday.”

Race leader Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Company Twenty12) finished with the field and remains in the leader’s jersey. Erinne Willock remains TIBCO’s highest-placed general classification rider in tenth with Miller a few spots back in 14th.

The Nature Valley Grand Prix continues in Cannon Falls with an evening road race. Stage three covers 65.5 miles through scenic country roads before finishing with four laps on a 1.9 mile circuit in downtown Cannon Falls. Teams have often used the gravel road section on the run up into town as a place to launch late race attacks. Calm weather will likely produce a bunch sprint. Fierce winds could lead to alternate scenarios at the finish.

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