Nichole Wangsgard hopped off a plane on Sunday morning and sprinted to her second consecutive Scotts Valley Grand Prix title.
Wangsgard, a professional cyclist from Cedar City Utah, and her Primal / MapMyRide team, put on an impressive push that kept a very fast pace that kept other teams from breaking away from the pack. At the final corner the team had a good lead as they delivered Wangsgard into the turn and let her sprint to the finish. Megan Gaurnier took second and Emily Collins of New Zealand, finished third after just returning from a broken wrist she suffered in the Sea Otter Classic.
The announcer may have cleared up any questions when he stated “These ladies aren’t here for the money, they are here for the pain and suffering.”
The rain stopped just long enough to let the course dry out and give both the local and professional bicycle racers young and old, a perfect day for racing.
“We had no big accidents last year,” Event worker Jordan Ruderman said. “Not having any again this year is really a great thing.”
Scott Valley’s Jennifer Reither of Easton Bell, and her team, Vanderkitten Racing, helped push the pace of the pack, but couldn’t find an opening to propel a rider into the final sprint to the finish with Wangsgard. Reither finished 28th overall.
San Rafael’s Steve Reaney of Cal-Giant racing won the mens event.
The one-mile circuit over El Pueblo Road, Carbonero Way and Scotts Valley Drive offered gradual grades and with little to no tail wind there were few opportunities to pull away from the pack.
The Scotts Valley Grand Prix is one of the only events in the nation where the bigger purse prize goes to the top female finishers. This offers a completely unique opportunity in womens cycling, and presents a race where pro women receive the top billing along with being the highlight of the event.
