USA National Championships

21st June - for 12 days

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Stage Review - Under 23 Road Race

Park City, Utah (June 22, 2005)-Katheryn Curi (Danville, Calif.) captured the biggest win of her cycling career Wednesday when the 30-year-old rode to a national championship in the 78-mile elite women's road race at the Park City Cycling Festival. A longtime support rider for several teams, Curi bested a field of 56 other finishers with an impressive solo effort that saw her breakaway from all of the pre-race favorites on the first of two significant climbs in the final 14 miles.

Throughout most of the day, a six-rider breakaway that consisted of Sarah Uhl (Philadelphia, Pa.), Lara Kroepsch (Boulder, Colo.), J Kele Hulser (Kenmore, Wash.) Anna Milkowski (East Chatham, N.Y.), Mara Abbott (Boulder, Colo.), and Cat Malone (Berkeley, Calif.) kept its distance from the main field for 28 miles and opened up a minute and a half gap. With two major climbs ahead of them, the peloton casually brought the gap down to under minute at the base of the first ascent. The lead of group of six were quickly absorbed as the road turned upward and the climbing specialists soon moved to the front of the race and pushed the pace.

With the difficult terrain taking its toll on the riders, Curi launched an attack up the left side of the road and rapidly began to gain time on the nearest group of competitors that included Amber Neben (Irvine, Calif.) Lynn Gaggioli (Santa Rosa, Calif.) Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho), Kate Sherwin (Heber City, Utah) Grace Fleury (Winston Salem, N.C.) and Christine Thorburn (Menlo Park, Calif.).

"There was just this lull and I knew people were tired and I said 'this is my time,' said Curi. "I just gave it the risk and went. I attacked hard on the left and just put my head down."

Despite the talent behind her, Curi increased her lead to just under a minute at the top of the first climb. By the top of the second climb, her advantage was a minute and a half and Curi's move began to look like a legitimate threat.

Curi left everything on the road, saving nothing, as she powered her way towards the finish knowing that even if she was caught by the group behind, she had the comfort of knowing that one of her teammates was behind her in the chase group. "Even if I got caught, she (Thorburn) could counter attack, because she would have just been sitting on, so I just gave it my best. I knew that it's tough at nationals. You don't want to sacrifice yourself. But you've got to take that risk."

Curi eventually crossed the finish line 39 seconds ahead of Gaggioli to claim the national title.

Curi's win also earns her an automatic nomination to represent the United States at the world championships later this summer in Spain.

Defending champion and Tuesday's winner of the time trial, Kristin Armstrong was 17th.

Tina Pic (Dahlonega, Ga.), Thorburn and Neben rounded out the top five respectively.

Run concurrently with the elite women's category, the women's U23 classification was won by Lauren Franges (Barto, Pa.) as the first woman under the age of 23 to cross the line. Franges placed eighth overall of the 57 finishers.

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Results - Under 23 Road Race  

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