TWENTY20 Pro Cycling closed out an active May of racing in the US with Jennifer Valente showing her sprinting form at the Amgen Tour of California Powered by SRAM, grabbing a 6th at the opening stage and 7th in the closing stage in Sacramento. Valente followed up her strong performance in California with 10th at a very challenging edition of Winston- Salem Cycling Classic while teammate Jasmin Glaesser finished 9th.
The only USA stop on the UCI Women’s World Tour circuit, Amgen Tour of California Powered by SRAM (ATOC) opened with an unfortunate crash for World Champion Chloe Dygert Owen, who came into the race fresh off a dominating stage wins at Joe Martin Stage Race and Tour of the Gila. Dygert crashed in the furious stage one final while leading out teammate Valente, who stayed in position to roll across the line in 6th. Valente, who dons World Champion stripes for the Team Pursuit on the track, showcased her keen sense of race dynamics and strength during the final sprint stage of the event. With Dygert Owen missing from the lead-out train, the team worked well to position Valente in the drag race finale in downtown Sacramento.
“I think I gained a lot from ATOC and I’m happy with two top tens. Setting up for a road sprint and track sprint have a few differences and I was pleased I was able to experience that and learn from it first hand. Losing Chloé was a big hit, both for the rest of ATOC and Winston-Salem. We had to adjust tactics and roles but we have some strong and experienced riders on the team that really pull through. The important part is that Chloé is healing and the team will have her back soon,” said Valente.
“Chloé’s crash was unexpected but that is racing sometimes. The team did a tremendous job to keep their focus in the remaining stages and maximize the power and fitness of each rider,” said Mari Holden, Sports Director. “As a team, the riders worked very well together.”
Dygert Owen is recovering and team management along with her coach and team doctor will assess her race program in the week ahead.
With a few riders out with injury, the rosters adjusted and the team headed to Winston-Salem. Allie Dragoo carried the teamwork with Margot Clyne. Steph Rooda started the race but stopped due to illness. The team stayed in the front end of the field with Glaesser crossed in 9th with Valente in 10th.
“The uncooperative weather in addition to an already challenging course made for a truly epic day of racing at Winston Salem. We came into the race with some of the teams’ key riders sidelined due to injury and lost Steph. Despite being outnumbered we placed two riders in the top-ten. Though the course and conditions suited me I was content with a ninth place as I had been sick all week coming off of Tour of California. The form is there and I now have a few weeks to train hard for the National Championships and second half of the season,” said Duehring.
The team put a focus on utilizing its strength to create movement in the race and position
“Winston-Salem is a team favorite. It’s a very well organized event and over the years the team has cultivated strong community ties in the area. The city is really behind women’s cycling and the weekend has gained a lot of momentum. I am really pleased with the live stream coverage of the races, as it creates such great fan engagement and partner exposure,” said Nicola Cranmer, General Manager, TWENTY20 Cycling.
Up next UCI Chrono Gatineau 1.1 with Allie Dragoo and then the U.S. and Canadian National Championships.
