In a hard, fast race full of attacks but few breaks, world-class German sprinter Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Team High Road) triumphed in the final stretch of the Visalia Criterium on Sunday, pulling around Brooke Miller (Team Tibco), who took second just in front of teammate and lead-out, Lauren Franges. Rounding out the top five were Canadian Anne Samplonius (Cheerwine) and Meredith Miller (Aaron’s).

Downtown Visalia was the site of a seven-turn, 40-mile criterium that concluded the Sequoia Cycling Classic. With 57 laps, the field of 82 women vying for the $10,000 NRC purse played it fast and aggressive from the start. By the sixth lap, numerous teams went on the attack, including Team High Road, Aaron’s, Cheerwine, Team Tibco, ValueAct Capital, Proman and Colavita / Sutter Home.

“There were a lot of attacks,” Teutenberg said. “The race was really fast, so it was just hard to hold it. There was never the right group, so there were always people following.”

The Visalia podium. (left to right: Franges, Teutenberg, Miller)

Photo: Kathie Reid

Two riders, Liz Hatch (Vanderkitten) and Lara Kroepsch (ValueAct Capital), went down coming out of the third turn in just the 14th lap, taking the riders behind by surprise and sending roughly 35 riders — almost half the pack — to the pit for a free lap.

Erica Allar (Aaron’s), the 2007 U23 national criterium champion, was caught in the melee, but like all but Hatch and Kroepsch, came out unscathed. “I ended up in a bush, so that was pretty cool,” she said.

Laura Van Gilder (Cheerwine) was held up longer than the rest of the pack. “I had to run to the pit because both my wheels [weren’t moving] … I mean, you get there as soon as you can. It’s not like you’re stopping at the food court and the beer garden for a beer and then you go to the pit.”

The crash resulted in some further confusion when a group of six riders who hadn’t been caught in it ended up nearly lapped by the re-formed field. They mistakenly thought they were ahead of the pack rather than behind it, and were ordered off the course by officials in the 21st lap.

Prior to the race, Colavita / Sutter Homes’ Tiffany Cromwell said they planned to play it conservatively on the tight, windy course, and if things stayed together as they had in the men’s pro field just prior to the women’s race, they would shoot for “a lead-out train and get Shontell [Gauthier) out for the win.” Apparently, the majority of other teams went with this strategy when things failed to break up, too.

“At 20 laps to go, we decided we were just going to stop [launching attacks] pretty much,” Teutenberg said, “and try for the sprint. Aaron’s rode really aggressive, Colavita rode aggressive, so I think it was everybody pretty much who went out there, tried to [ride aggressively].”

Team Tibco’s plan was to deliver Miller to the final sprint. “With about four to go, Helen [Kelly], Amber [Rais], myself, and Brooke were at the front communicating really well with each other,” Franges said. “I think it was like three to go, and Chrissy Ruiter from ValueAct attacked and Kim Anderson went to the front from High Road, and [the pack] brought her back because obviously she was with Ina.”

Repeated attacks saw the team in the lead rotate through the remaining laps, with teams like High Road, Cheerwine, Aaron’s, Colavita, and Tibco still in serious contention heading toward the final turn before the finish.

“I basically attacked around the last corner and made sure Brooke was on me when I went,” Franges said. “We came through the last corner, and I was accelerating out of it, and Brooke took off from there, and just basically kept going.”

“Lauren, after doing a really hard effort, came up with a great sprint,” Miller said. “I got on her wheel … and jumped around her on the corner. I should have waited a little longer.”

With a leadout from teammate Anke Wichmann, Teutenberg pulled around Miller, and took it in for the win. This was the second weekend in a row that Teutenberg got the best of Miller in an exciting finish. Miller tried to best her at the Central Valley Classic’s Tower District Criterium in Fresno last Sunday, but didn’t manage to come around.

Only 42 women completed the race when Cheerwine’s Van Gilder crashed heading into the final stretch. She wasn’t hurt, and apparently simply slipped out in the turn, but a pile-up ensued that prevented much of the field from finishing.

“Everybody knows that Laura is a safe rider and doesn’t make any stupid moves,” teammate Samplonius said. “She has a lot of respect. It’s just one of those unfortunate things that happens in cycling.”