Krista Doebel-Hickok made it two-for-two for Rally Cycling at the Sea Otter Classic, taking victory in Fridayโs 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.
โIโm really delighted,โ said Doebel-Hickok. โI donโt 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
Well, thatโs a new finish line expression ๐ฌ๐๐ฆฆ๐ฒโค๏ธ pic.twitter.com/X8RgOw2DSp
โ Krista Doebel-Hickok (@KristabelDH) October 9, 2021
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 stoneโs throw from Thursdayโs circuit which was won by Emma White. The route proved to be the perfect parcours for Rally Cyclingโs strong team.
โWe wanted a really hard race, so we attacked a lot,โ added Doebel-Hickok. โIn the end, it was a group of four heading into the final climb. Sara rode hard into the headwind and then I attacked off Langleyโs wheel. I could feel her trying to pass, but I was able to hold it.โ
The Sea Otter Classic was Doebel-Hickokโs first race back since fracturing her radius bone during stage 5 of the Giro Donne in July.
โIt felt like I never left,โ said Doebel-Hickok. โInjuries are just part of the sport, and Iโve shown that I can come off them with good form.โ
The teamโs final race of the season will be the Into the Lionโs 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 OโMARA Alana โ Palo Alto 17:03