Guarnier defends her U.S. road race crown

Megan Guarnier (Boels – Dolmans) won her third career national road race title Saturday on a hot day in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, sprinting to victory after the peloton caught the last few breakaway riders in the final lap.

The 31-year-old bested Coryn Rivera (UnitedHealthcare) in the sprint, with Mandy Heintz (Visit Dallas – DNA) taking third.

“To do this two years in a row is a great accomplishment,” said Guarnier. “And maybe not one I even thought I could do. But I have a great support team. Evelyn Stevens was great today as well. And so I just stayed calm and looked toward the finish. We had to be really smart about which moves we were going to follow and which ones we had to chase.”

Top 10

• 1. Megan GUARNIER, BOELS DOLMANS CYCLING TEAM, in 3:48:20
• 2. Coryn RIVERA, UNITEDHEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM, at :01
• 3. Mandy HEINTZ, VISIT DALLAS DNA PRO CYCLING, at :01
• 4. Brianna WALLE, TEAM TIBCO – SILICON VALLEY BANK, at :01
• 5. Lauren HALL, TEAM TIBCO – SILICON VALLEY BANK, at :02
• 6. Erica ALLAR, RALLY CYCLING, at :02
• 7. Carmen SMALL, CBT, at :02
• 8. Heather FISCHER, RALLY CYCLING, at :03
• 9. Alexis RYAN, CANYON SRAM RACING, at :03
• 10. Jessica Corrin PRINNER, RALLY CYCLING, at :03

An attack-filled race saw multiple breakaway moves get clear of the peloton only to be swept up within a few laps on the 15.6-kilometer (9.7-mile) circuit.

After Nina Laughlin (Visit Dallas – DNA), Kathryn Donovan (Colavita – Bianchi), and Janelle Cole (Twenty16) were reeled in inside the last of nine laps, a three-rider move consisting of Scotti Lechuga (Hagens Berman – Supermint), Alison Tetrick (Cylance), and Whitney Allison (Colavita – Bianchi) made the day’s last attempt to escape the peloton.

The bunch swept up the breakers inside the final kilometers to set up a sprint finish.

Rivera and Guarnier were both positioned near the front for the bunch kick, with Rivera launching first — but the 23-year-old California native could not hold off the defending champion, who came around 100 meters from the line.

“[Compared to last year] obviously it was a bigger bunch kick at the finish and it’s more of a gamble when it comes down to that, especially with strong sprinters like Coryn. It was a tough sprint and there was a lot going on — of course with any bunch sprint there is — but I just had to stay focused,” said Guarnier.

For Rivera, it was the second straight year of finishing the national championship road race as runner-up to Guarnier.

“It was definitely hot. And the course was really heavy, so it kind or wore over time, especially being 140km. By the last lap I think everyone was feeling it,” Rivera said. “Our goal today was to win. I’m a good finisher on this course, and the girls were amazing. So I’m a little bummed not to have finished it off, but it is how it is and that’s how the race played out.

“Going into the final straight, I knew there was a dip, so I knew we needed to be careful to make sure that nobody was able to come through and slingshot from behind. Tayler [Wiles] started her sprint early and I had to jump, so that’s where I started my sprint, but Megan came around.”

Guarnier earned another year in the national champion’s red, white, and blue jersey with the victory, one more result to add to a 2016 palmares that already includes an overall title at the Amgen Tour of California.

Women’s road race results

• 1. Megan GUARNIER, BOELS DOLMANS CYCLING TEAM, in 3:48:20
• 2. Coryn RIVERA, UNITEDHEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM, at :01
• 3. Mandy HEINTZ, VISIT DALLAS DNA PRO CYCLING, at :01
• 4. Brianna WALLE, TEAM TIBCO – SILICON VALLEY BANK, at :01
• 5. Lauren HALL, TEAM TIBCO – SILICON VALLEY BANK, at :02
• 6. Erica ALLAR, RALLY CYCLING, at :02
• 7. Carmen SMALL, CBT, at :02
• 8. Heather FISCHER, RALLY CYCLING, at :03
• 9. Alexis RYAN, CANYON SRAM RACING, at :03
• 10. Jessica Corrin PRINNER, RALLY CYCLING, at :03
• 11. Tayler WILES, ORICA – GreenEDGE, at :04
• 12. Emma WHITE, RALLY CYCLING, at :04
• 13. Kristabel DOEBEL-HICKOK, CYLANCE PRO CYCLING, at :05
• 14. Samantha SCHNEIDER, at :05
• 15. Evelyn STEVENS, BOELS DOLMANS CYCLING TEAM, at :07
• 16. Kristin ARMSTRONG, T16, at :07
• 17. Hannah ROSS, RALLY CYCLING, at :09
• 18. Katie HALL, UNITEDHEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM, at :10
• 19. Sara TUSSEY, VISIT DALLAS DNA PRO CYCLING, at :12
• 20. Starla TEDDERGREEN, at :13
• 21. Amber NEBEN, BEPINK, at :14
• 22. Gretchen STUMHOFER, CVB, at :18
• 23. Leah THOMAS, T16, at :19
• 24. Allie DRAGOO, T16, at :19
• 25. Janelle COLE, T16, at :19
• 26. Laura JORGENSEN, at :20
• 27. Jessica CUTLER, CVB, at :22
• 28. Megan ALDERETE, HBS, at :22
• 29. Amber PIERCE, VITALOGIC ASTROKALB RADUNION N�, at :27
• 30. Kathryn BUSS, at :27
• 31. Debbie MILNE, at :27
• 32. Arden STELLY, at :27
• 33. Beth Ann ORTON, VISIT DALLAS DNA PRO CYCLING, at :27
• 34. Elizabeth HERNANDEZ, CVB, at :28
• 35. Irena OSSOLA, at :28
• 36. Whitney ALLISON, CVB, at :30
• 37. Nicole MERTZ, at :38
• 38. Anna Grace CHRISTIANSEN, VISIT DALLAS DNA PRO CYCLING, at :38
• 39. Courtney PATTON, at :39
• 40. Jennifer TETRICK, T16, at :39
• 41. Kristen LASASSO, at :39
• 42. Kristen ARNOLD, at :40
• 43. Amanda MILLER, VISIT DALLAS DNA PRO CYCLING, at :42
• 44. Mikayla MAIER, at :55
• 45. Lindsay BAYER, HBS, at :57
• 46. Tina MAYOLO PIC, at :58
• 47. Katie DONOVAN, CVB, at :59
• 48. Skylar SCHNEIDER, at 1:08
• 49. Lauren STEPHENS, TEAM TIBCO – SILICON VALLEY BANK, at 1:08
• 50. Kate SHERWIN, at 1:08
• 51. Holly BRECK, T16, at 1:08
• 52. Scotti LECHUGA, HBS, at 1:08
• 53. Alison TETRICK, CYLANCE PRO CYCLING, at 1:09
• 54. Bethany Ann ALLEN, INPA – BIANCHI, at 1:31
• 55. Breanne NALDER, VISIT DALLAS DNA PRO CYCLING, at 2:35
• 56. Nina Marie LAUGHLIN, VISIT DALLAS DNA PRO CYCLING, at 2:49
• 57. Cynthia FRAZIER, at 4:12
• 58. Abigail MICKEY, UNITEDHEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM, at 6:01
• 59. Liza RACHETTO, HBS, at 8:20
• DNF Lauren TAMAYO, UNITEDHEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM
• DNF Cari HIGGINS, UNITEDHEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM
• DNF Amy PHILLIPS
• DNF Andrea DVORAK
• DNF Sara HEADLEY, PODIUM AMBITION PRO CYCLING p/b CLUB LA SANTA
• DNF Allison ARENSMAN, T16
• DNF Ivy Audrain, HBS
• DNF Julie KULIECZA, HBS
• DNF Allison Elizabeth LINNELL, HBS
• DNF Tarah COLE
• DNF Tess OLIVER
• DNF Elle ANDERSON, RALLY CYCLING
• DNF Madison KELLY
• DNF Cheryl CLARK, TEAM TIBCO – SILICON VALLEY BANK
• DNF Lauren KOMANSKI, TEAM TIBCO – SILICON VALLEY BANK
• DNF Kendall RYAN, TEAM TIBCO – SILICON VALLEY BANK
• DNF Katherine SHIELDS
• DNF Erica ZAVETA, CYLANCE PRO CYCLING
• DNF Brittlee BOWMAN
• DNF Tate DEVLIN
• DNF Clio DINAN
• DNF Cassandra MAXIMENKO
• DNF Payten MANESS
• DNF Masha SCHNEIDER
• DNF Jennifer RIFE
• DNF Alexandra BURTON
• DNF Christina GOKEY-SMITH
• DNF Jannalyn LUTTRELL
• DNF Ashlyn WOODS
• DNF Alexandra MILLARD