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North American Trophy # 5 - Boulder - C2
Boulder, Colorado, USA, November 1, 2008
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Race 2 - November 1: Elite Women
Gould schools in Boulder, Lloyd hangs tough
Dombrowski holds onto series lead
By Mark Zalewski, North American Editor in Boulder, Colorado
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The Luna Chix of Georgia Gould and Katerina Nash dominated last weekend's 'cross races in Louisville, Kentucky - double teaming Rachel Lloyd (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized) to trade wins and outright owning the rest of the field. Well, Gould was without her teammate's services in Saturday's Boulder Cup, leaving her to fend off Lloyd, or any other potential challengers from a depleted women's field, solo. And she did, dropping the hammer from the start and not looking back, making the rest of the field, save for Lloyd, look like they were racing for third.
"No team tactics for me today!" Gould told Cyclingnews. "I wanted to make sure I got out in the front early because there are a lot of corners where if someone messed up a gap can open. Be first in the sand pit - be first everywhere! You never know, as you know from my race in Kentucky, it's never over until you cross the finish line!"
Gould was referring to the first race in Louisville last weekend where she and Nash were alone on the front in the final lap until she had a momentary lapse in focus, causing her to crash and lose second place to Lloyd.
"She hadn't been starting as quickly as she did today!" said Lloyd. "Maybe that is because we were always second row before... I thought I was going to get the hole shot, but she started really fast and got it, obviously. So I had to follow her through the turns and before the sand pit I messed up the turn, because I didn't have a chance to check out the course. After that I got gapped in the sand pit and was chasing."
Lloyd was perpetually five seconds behind Gould for the first half of the race, but doing a valiant effort to keep her in sight. But as the race wore on, the difference in power was evident through the sand pits. "I was making up a little time on the [bottom] half of the course, but she was putting a lot of time in on the [top] half," said Lloyd. "She was going through the sand very fast, and making more time there."
One reason for the lopsided victory was the fact that top riders like Katie Compton, Wendy Simms and Sue Butler were not racing this weekend, with Compton nursing an injury and Simms racing in Europe. As well, many of the women with strong results were racing in Northampton, Massachusetts this weekend.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Dave McElwaine/www.trailwatch.net
- Shannon Gibson (Velo Bella) warming up before the race
- Kerry Barnholt (Tokyo Joe's) and Georgia Gould (Luna Women's MTB)
- Amy Dombrowski (Vello Bella) in the NACT leaders jersey
- The course took racers to the edge of the Boulder Reservoir
- Georgia Gould (Luna Women's MTB) leads the women from wire to wire
- Amy Dombroski (Vello Bella) got off to a good start
- Kathy Sherwin (Vello Bella) riding along the lake
- Kerry Barnholt (Vello Bella) riding in fourth place
- Kelli Emmett (Giant) was among the leaders
- Ali Kenzer (Richard Sachs/RGM) looked good early
- Rachael Lloyd (California Giant Berry) did her best to reel in Gould
- Georgia Gould (Luna Women's MTB) flying over the barriers
- Amy Dombroski (Vello Bella) running the barriers
- Heather Irmiger (Gary Fisher/Subaru) racing for a podium position
- The Boulder venue was spectacular with the Rocky Mountains for a background
- Georgia Gould (Luna Women's MTB) was fast running the beach
- Rachael Lloyd (California Giant Berry) re-mounting her bike on the beach
- Kelli Emmett (Giant) was able to stay on her bike through much of the sand
- Georgia Gould (Luna Women's MTB) rounding a sharp corner
- Rachael Lloyd (California Giant Berry) about 100 yards behind Gould
- Kerry Barnholt (Tokyo Joes) rounding a 180 degreee turn
- Kathy Sherwin (Velo Bella) applying power to a downhill
- Melissa Thomas (Tokyo Joes) rode a very solid race
- Georgia Gould (Luna Women's MTB) wins by a wide margin
Images by
Jonathan Devich/
- Amy Dombroski (Velo Bella-Kona) wore the NACT series leader jersey today.
- The women tackled the sand on the course under bright blue skies outside of Boulder.
- Kelli Emmett (Giant) going after the race leader.
- Kerry Barnholt (Tokyo Joes/Van Dessel) navigates through the sand trap.
- Riders rode by the Boulder reservoir on todays course.
- Georgia Gould (Luna) led the race right from the gun.
- Kelli Emmett (Giant) leads Kerry Barnholt (Tokyo Joes/Van Dessell).
- Sinking into the sand made it difficult for riders all day.
- Kelli Emmett (Giant) leads along the off-cambre reservoir section.
- Georgia Gould (Luna) rolled across the line without another rider in sight.
- Kelli Emmett (Giant) and Kerry Barnholt (Tokyo Joes/Van Dessell) sprint it out to make it into the top 3.
Results
1 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Chix Racing Team 2 Rachel Lloyd (USA) California Giant Berry Farms/S 3 Kerry Barnholt (USA) tokyo joes / van dessel 4 Kelli Emmett (USA) Giant Bicycles 5 Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru/Gary Fisher 6 Amy Dombroski (USA) Velo Bella - Kona 7 Lisa Strong (USA) Tough Girl 8 Kathy Sherwin (USA) Velo Bella - Kona 9 Meredith Miller (USA) California Giant Strawberries/ 10 Sarah Kerlin (USA) HRS/ Rock Lobster 11 Rhonda Mazza (USA) Team S&M 12 Melissa Thomas (USA) Tokyo Joes 13 Kari Studley (USA) Velo Bella 14 Kris Walker (USA) KRIEGCYCLING.COM 15 Brenda Moczygemba (USA) Tough Girl / Contessa 16 Judy Freeman (USA) Tough Girl / Contessa 17 Shannon Gibson (USA) VeloBella 18 Lauren Costantini (USA) Sycip Racing 19 Lindsey Bishop (USA) Mafia Racing 20 Maria Stewart (USA) Velo Bella 21 Sarah Maile (USA) Ventana Mountain Bikes 22 Becca Blay (USA) Mafia Racing 23 Kacey Manderfield (USA) Verducci/Breakaway 24 Lynn Bush (USA) Tough Girl / Contessa 25 Kate Scheider (USA) Mafia Racing 26 Tiffany Pezzulo (USA) PCIM 27 Catherine Johnson (USA) Organic Athlete 28 Susan Prieto (USA) Blue Sky Velo DNS Kelly Benjamin (USA) 360 Racing DNS Lora Heckman (USA) Peloton Cycles - Specialized DNS Megan Monroe (USA) DALE'S PALE ALE! DNF Anna Young (USA) Planet Bike DNF Andi Burnum (USA) tough girl DNF Alie Kenzer (USA) RGM WATCHES - RICHARD SACHS Series standings: 1 Amy Dombrowski
