Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Miller opens Merced weekend with win

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Parent Category: Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Category: News Cycling Pro Road & Mtb 2011

Published on Friday, 04 March 2011 10:48

Written by Luca Salvatelli

HTC-Highroad started with a win in the four-day Merced Cycling Classic on Thursday. Amanda Miller, coming off a win in the final stage of the Tour of New Zealand last week, timed her uphill sprint to perfection in Stage One of Merced and wears the leader's jersey going into the Time Trial on day two.

This year's race has been extended to a four-day race and started with the challenging Merced Immigration District Road Race. The circuit of 20km included one tough climb and a tough uphill finish.

HTC-Highroad's small team included Miller, and her teammates Ally Stacher and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg who started aggressively playing against numbers. Teutenberg went on an early attack, staying off the front mostly solo for 50km until the final time up the KOM, allowing Miller and Stacher to save their energy.

After Teutenberg was caught, Miller countered to try to make a final decision the last time up the hill but everything rolled back together.

"I attacked on the first hill after catching Ina, but I didn't get anywhere so I pulled back and waited for the finish," says Miller. "Then Ally and Ina kept the pace high until the final climb at about 4km to go."

"It was a climb to the finish, and a Peanut Butter girl attacked and got ahead. I stayed on her wheel but had to be careful since I was the only HTC-Highroad rider up front, and Peanut Butter had nine riders out there to our three."

Miller was able to counter an attacked by Allison Starnes and bring home the victory for HTC-Highroad, taking her second win this week.

HTC-Highroad for Merced Classic: Ally Stacher (USA); Amanda Miller (USA); Ina-yoko Teutenberg (GER)