UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Teammates, Alison Powers and Alexis Ryan took 1st and 2nd place, respectively, earlier today, Thursday, January 16, in the third stage of the 2014 Tour Femenino de San Luis. Powers broke away from the peloton and never looked back, soloing to victory in the 100-degree heat.
The stage win today enabled Powers to secure the overall leader’s jersey and stand atop the race’s general classification with just two stages remaining in the Tour.
Powers’ and Ryan’s podium results today bring the total number of podium placements for the women of Team UnitedHealthcare to four in early season racing.
Team Director, Rachel Heal, talked about the team’s ability to bounce back following some bad luck in Stage 2 (which saw Stage 1 winner and then race leader, Hannah Barnes, unfortunately crash out of the race), and Powers’ first win of the season in the 60km stage.
“I couldn’t be happier with how the team rode today,” Heal said. “After a frustrating day yesterday, they came out fighting. Everyone did a great job today.”
“Half way around the first circuit, Sharon (Laws) attacked,” Heal continued. “As soon as she was caught, Mara (Abbott) went. Once she was caught, Alison went. One rider almost closed the gap but couldn’t, and Alison was off on her own.”
At its peak, the gap Powers established reached the three-minute neighborhood and Powers showed no signs of slowing down.
“Alison kept her head down and just kept powering through the pain all the way to the line,” Heal added.
And while Powers continued her Herculean effort off the front, back in the bunch with the line almost in sight, and assured of Powers victory, Laws and Abbott restarted the attacks and ultimately set Ryan up for a perfectly timed sprint to take 2nd place on the stage and earn her first UCI podium result.
“We had a plan that they executed to perfection and the race played out exactly the way we hoped it would,” Heal concluded. “This group has come together quickly as a team and I am proud of the way they stick together as a team.”
Ron Callahan is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.