Kristen Faulkner took the biggest result of her burgeoning career at the conclusion of Ladies Tour of Norway today, finishing in third place overall after four days of demanding efforts against world-class competition.
Faulkner adds this result to her growing list of impressive accomplishments for Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank, which began in spring with a couple of top 10 results in the early season classics.
“We rode better as a team than we have all season, communicating throughout the race, riding as a pack, and frequently checking in with each other,” said Faulkner about her performance in Norway. “It was special and powerful to see that effort translated into a stage win and GC podium.” Fa
After winning the first stage and spending stage 2 in yellow, the team’s focus turned to the defence of the green jersey after the summit finish saw Faulkner out of yellow.
“We gave our best to hold on to the green jersey, but it was hard to defend against another team whose sole focus was the sprints. Nonetheless, my teammates gave phenomenal lead outs, and it was great practice for us to ride together and work towards a shared goal every day,” Faulkner said.
“We put in a good show, but it wasn’t meant to be on the final stage,” team director Rachel Hedderman said. “Then the focus was keeping Kristen in the front group and in GC contention during three laps of a really hard, technical circuit. Overall, we had a great week in Norway. It’s been fantastic to see how well the team has ridden together. We’ve spent a day in yellow and two days in green and ended up on the GC podium. I think it’s a testament to the strength of the team overall and how well they’ve come together.”
For Faulkner, the race was the best result of her career.
“It was really the result of learning to trust my teammates and work with them,” she went on to say. “I feel incredibly blessed to have teammates I trust and learn from every race.”
Lauren Stephens finishes second at SBT GRVL
Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank wasn’t just crushing it on the road this weekend. Several of our riders took to the gravel roads of Steamboat Springs, Colorado to take part in the highly anticipated second edition of SBT GRVL. The popular new event, which offers equal prize money for pro men’s and women’s categories, featured more than 100 miles and 9,400 feet of climbing, making it one of the most brutal gravel races in the country.
Wearing her stars and stripes jersey as current US road champion, Lauren Stephens completed the 144 mile event in just under seven hours to take second place – just as she did in 2019.
“It felt awesome to race in Steamboat Springs again,” Stephens said. “The legs felt good and I’m pleased with my result. It was extra special to be able to wear my US national champion jersey during the event.”
Emily Joy Newson also had a fantastic ride to finish in sixth place.