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2015 USA Pro Challenge Stage 6: Wiles outfoxes Twenty16, Kreuziger takes win

August 22, 2015
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Tayler Wiles (USA/DNA) overcame the odds of facing two Twenty16 riders to win the sprint finish in the women’s race. Kristin Armstrong (USA/Twenty16-Sho-Air), winner of Friday’s stage and third Saturday, stayed in the lead. On the men’s side Czech rider Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff-Saxo) won out of a successful breakaway, but didn’t disturb Rohan Dennis (Australia/BMC) in yellow.

All the riders faced smoky air at the beginning of the race near the start town of Loveland and crosswinds throughout the day.

In the women’s race, a condensed, 93-km version of the men’s route, Robin Farina (USA/BMW p/b Happy Tooth) and sprinting ace Coryn Rivera (USA/UnitedHealthcare) were in the day’s early breakaway with Armstrong’s Twenty16-Sho-Air controlling the pace of the peloton. Once the intrepid duo was brought back, Armstrong got away with her teammate Lauren Komanski, Mara Abbott (Amy D. Foundation) and Wiles.

The odds were in the Twenty16 riders’ favour, but it was this year’s Women’s Tour of Zealand champion Wiles playing the upsetter in Fort Collins.

On the men’s side, it took a long time for an escape to be allowed, with an intact peloton contesting the two intermediate sprints of the day, Kiel Reijnen (USA/UnitedHealthcare) first over each. About 53-km into the 165-km course, Kreuziger, stymied in an earlier attempt to get away, formed a breakaway with six other savvy riders.

The septet started the opening slopes of the Cat. 2 Rist Canyon climb with a 4:00 lead on the BMC and Team SmartStop-led peloton, one a little lighter after several riders climbed off their bikes at the feed zone.

The gap fell on the Rist Canyon climb and riders tumbled off the back of the break. From the peloton Lachlan Morton (USA/Jelly Belly) tried to bridge over when the lead dropped to 2:00. Kreuziger crested first and Morton was clawed back.

Cat. 4 Horsetooth Pass came with 21-km to go, but there were tough little kickers after. Again, the Czech was first over and with 12-km remaining the sextet of fugitives held a 1:40 gap. UnitedHealthcare and Axeon attempted to bring the yellow jersey group closer.

At 4.5-km to go, Kreuziger attacked from the back of the escape group, bringing American Nate Brown (Cannondale-Garmin) with him. Javier Mejias (Spain/Team Novo Nordisk) bridged and the other three edged closer but Kreuziger had their measure and took a well-deserved victory by grabbing the Spaniard’s slipstream and powering over the line.

Sunday is the conclusion of both races. The men face 110-km from Golden to Denver with Lookout Mountain coming at the 25-km mark. Armstrong will defend her yellow jersey on a 2.5-km circuit race–one hour plus three laps–in Golden.

2015 Women’s USA Pro Challenge Stage 2
1) Tayler Wiles (USA/DNA Cycling) 2:29:38
2) Lauren Komanski (USA/Twenty16-Sho-Air) +0:02
3) Kristin Armstrong (USA/Twenty16-Sho-Air) +0:04

2015 Women’s USA Pro Challenge GC
1) Kristin Armstrong (USA/Twenty16-Sho-Air) 2:51:02
2) Tayler Wiles (USA/DNA Cycling) +0:31
3) Mara Abbott (USA/Amy D. Foundation) +0:51

2015 USA Pro Challenge Stage 6
1) Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic/Tinkoff-Saxo) 3:50:35
2) Javier Mejias (Spain/Team Novo Nordisk) s.t.
3) Leonardo Basso (Italy/Trek) s.t
12) Ryan Anderson (Canada/Optum) +0:41

2015 USA Pro Challenge GC
1) Rohan Dennis (Australia/BMC)
2) Brent Bookwalter (USA/BMC) +0:44
3) Rob Britton (Canada/Team SmartStop) +1:31

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