Doebel-Hickok reigns supreme in Sea Otter road race

Krista Doebel-Hickok made it two-for-two for Rally Cycling at the Sea Otter Classic, taking victory in Fridayโ€™s road race. The American used the uphill finish to her advantage and launched a powerful uphill sprint to beat Emma Langley (Team TIBCO โ€“ SVB) to the line. Sara Poidevin rounded out the podium in third place. 

โ€œIโ€™m really delighted,โ€ said Doebel-Hickok. โ€œI donโ€™t often give myself the chance at the win but I raced smart and strong. This race is special to me because it was one of the first big races that I did before turning pro in 2013.โ€

The women competed on a challenging 54-mile route that included laps around Fort Old National Monument before finishing on the climb of Barloy Canyon Road, a stoneโ€™s throw from Thursdayโ€™s circuit which was won by Emma White. The route proved to be the perfect parcours for Rally Cyclingโ€™s strong team.

โ€œWe wanted a really hard race, so we attacked a lot,โ€ added Doebel-Hickok. โ€œIn the end, it was a group of four heading into the final climb. Sara rode hard into the headwind and then I attacked off Langleyโ€™s wheel. I could feel her trying to pass, but I was able to hold it.โ€

The Sea Otter Classic was Doebel-Hickokโ€™s first race back since fracturing her radius bone during stage 5 of the Giro Donne in July.

โ€œIt felt like I never left,โ€ said Doebel-Hickok. โ€œInjuries are just part of the sport, and Iโ€™ve shown that I can come off them with good form.โ€

The teamโ€™s final race of the season will be the Into the Lionโ€™s Den criterium in Sacramento on October 30. The event has a total prize purse of $100,000 and will be an exciting way to close out 2021.

Sea Otter road race results
1 DOEBEL-HICKOK Kristabel โ€“ Rally Cycling 2:41:31
2 LANGLEY Emma โ€“ Team TIBCO โ€“ SVB โ€
3 POIDEVIN Sara โ€“ Rally Cycling 0:20
4 WARD Maddy โ€“ Team TIBCO โ€“ SVB 1:23
5 FRANZ Heidi โ€“ Rally Cycling 1:36
6 WHITE Emma โ€“ Rally Cycling 2:22
7 WHEELER Jennifer โ€“ Seattle 5:36
8 POTTER Rebekah โ€“ Sisterhood of Cycling 6:10
9 RAYNOLDS Matilda โ€“ Port Melbourne 7:39
10 Oโ€™MARA Alana โ€“ Palo Alto 17:03

Source

Mathew Mitchell
Mathew Mitchellhttp://procyclinguk.com
My name is Mathew Mitchell, 30-something from Staffordshire, UK. Over the last few years, I've got more and more into cycling, from the first innocent Sportive events to Audaxes, Go-Races, British Cycling racing, Time Trials and now Cyclocross.

Read more

Local News