BOULDER, Colorado (VN) — Georgia Gould (Luna) destroyed the women’s field on Sunday at the Boulder Cup.
Carmen Small (Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies) led for much of the first lap on the hilly Valmont Park course until Nicole Duke (Raleigh-Clement) took over with Gould lurking in third.
Coming through the start-finish and onto the first climb Small drilled it, leading an eight-rider group. Gould was right there with her, sitting second wheel.
And then the Luna rider gave it the gas on the bigger of two staircases, opening an advantage of several bike lengths and then extending it dramatically.
Amanda Carey (Volkswagen Boise Cycling) led the chase some 10 seconds back. But the pursuit was making no headway. Going into lap three Gould already had a 20-second lead over a chase group containing Small and teammate Amanda Miller; Carey; Elle Anderson (LadiesFirst); and Pepper Harlton (Juventus).
With another lap in the bag Gould had 32 seconds over Small, Carey and Anderson, and she was showing no signs of slowing down.
Heading into bell lap Gould had an insurmountable lead — 53 seconds — and barring catastrophe there was no doubt that she would win. The only question remaining was who in the chasing trio would be shut out of a podium spot — they seemed evenly matched.
Small won the lottery for second, and Anderson pipped Carey for third.
But Gould had long since hit the finishing straight with a grin, high-fiving spectators all the way to the line.
Editor’s note: Stay tuned for more from Boulder.
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