The 30th edition of Valley of the Sun took place on the weekend of February 18-20. The time-based, 3-day, stage race features a time trial, a road race, and a criterium in and around Phoenix, Arizona.
This early season opener traditionally attracts a stacked peloton, the racers eager to test their legs and get an indication of how they and their teams stack up. This year was no different, with approximately 50 women registered to race. Cinch Rise, Fount Cycling Guild, LUX-CTS p/b Specialized, Roxo Racing, and Virginia’s Blue Ridge Twenty24 were among the most well-represented national teams who toed the line. Canadian UCI teams - Instafund Racing and Emotional.fr Tornatech GSC Blagnac VS31 - and Canadian elite teams - Red Truck Racing and Cyclery - also had strong showings.
Day 1: The Time Trial
The TT was a simple 14-mile out and back, featuring a subtle false-flat “up” on the way out, a 180-degree turn across 4 lanes, and a straight shot back down to the finish. With mild temperatures and only a gentle breeze, the course speeds were blistering - those with time trial bikes reaped the rewards of significant aerodynamic advantages. Julie Emmerman, of RallySport Cycling, flew to the top step, with a time of 31:52.46. Caitlin Conyers of LUX finished within 10 seconds, and Emily Ehrlich of Twenty24 within 20 seconds, of Emmerman. Going into the road race, anything was possible.
Day 2: The Road Race
On Saturday, it became apparent why this race is named “Valley of the Sun”. The road race course was a completely exposed, 16.5-mile triangular loop, which the women’s pro peloton completed 3.8 times. The course’s elevation profile trended downwards through the first right-hander, through the entirety of the following straight, all the way to the second corner. There, the course flattened out and started to average upwards ever so slightly going into the third and final right-hand corner. The finishing straight featured a 3-mile climb. With a noon start-time, the temperature crept upward - averaging 84*F but reaching 91*F. The wind also made its presence known, providing a crosswind, headwind, and tailwind on each of the three straightaways, respectively.
The race featured attacks early and often. On lap two, Florence Chardon of Fount Cycling Guild put in an attack and established a gap. The peloton stayed relaxed as she remained in sight and the gap did not grow. About twenty minutes later, confusion arose when the pro men’s field passed the women’s field and Chardon was not seen again by the women’s peloton until after the finish of the race. She ultimately built up a lead of over 6 minutes on her competitors.
For the remainder of the race, the rest of the peloton stayed together. The field got strung out and gaps opened up on the climb, but the gapped groups were generally able to make their way back to the lead group within a few minutes of the start of the descent.
Going into the finish, Lauren De Crescenzo of Cinch pinned the pace and ripped the peloton to shreds. De Crescenzo and Emily Ehrlich of Twenty24 were neck and neck once Ehrlich opened up her sprint. De Crescenzo was able to hold her off and crossed the line ahead, for what was initially scored as second place.
Controversy ensued when the race officials relegated Chardon to fifth place after protests and evidence of her drafting off of passing fields were presented post-race. This meant Lauren De Crescenzo won the road race, Emily Ehrlich fought her way into second, and Caitlin Conyers of LUX rounded out the podium in third.
When asked about her experience, Lauren De Crescenzo stated: “It was a spicy race, strong competition, and an amazing way to open up the season.”
The Criterium
The third and final day featured an 8-corner criterium in downtown Phoenix. The wide-open, flat course is suited for speed and sprinters. Notable absences on the start-line included race-day favorite, Maggie Coles-Lyster - who opted for a training ride after communicating with her team - and the entirety of the Fount Cycling Guild team - who chose to leave the race after Chardon’s relegation the day before. Caitlin Conyers of LUX started the criterium in the GC leader’s jersey.
The race featured attacks from the gun and stayed fast for the entire 40-minute duration. Perhaps the multitude of crashes from the previous day made a lasting impression on the peloton - the criterium was mercifully uneventful, in the sense that everybody stayed rubber side down. In spite of some spirited efforts, the race came down to a sprint. Emily Ehrlich of Twenty24, known for her expert positioning and ability to time her sprint just right, took the top step and enough of a time bonus to nab the GC leader’s jersey by a mere second. Sarah Van Dam of Red Truck Racing sprinted to second, with Joséphine Péloquin of Emotional.fr Tornatech GSC Blagnac VS31 adding a third place to her collection of primes.
The Overall
After a dramatic and exciting weekend of racing, the general classification resulted in:
Emily Erlich, Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24: 4:02:01.171
Caitlin Conyers, LUX-CTS p/b Specialized: 4:02.02.760
Julie Emmerman, RallySport Cycling: 4:02.09.160
When asked for a comment about the officials’ decision to relegate Chardon, Fount responded: “We have moved past it and we are looking forward to providing a good showing in future races.”
This sentiment appears to be shared by the rest of the peloton, with Caitlin Conyers of LUX stating: “I hope that the rest of the season will be a little less drama-filled and that we can have fun doing what we love and racing our bikes!”
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