Elite Women's Race Report: Virginia's Blue Ridge GO Cross Day 1
Report, Quotes, and Photos from Day 1 in Roanoke
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‘Cross is a small community, so when providing commentary we often resort to questions. After all, who can get mad at anyone for just asking questions?
But heading into Saturday’s season opener at Virginia’s Blue Ridge GO Cross, the story of the Elite Women’s field was legitimately a question.
Maghalie Rochette has been the dominant domestic rider since midway through the 2018 domestic season, but last fall was pretty much the worst thing ever for the Canadian. Rochette was dealing with health issues that forced her to shut down her season following Rochester.
“I was in a bad spot, Rochette recalled. “Physically I had some illness. My white blood cells were off the chart and not good. I think it also affected me mentally. I kept trying to push through it, and then I lost my motivation.”
Rochette spent her offseason doing some bikepacking and other non-racing types of riding before returning to training in mid-July. With no real racing save Marathon Mountain Bike Worlds in her legs, Rochette’s fitness was a big question mark for everybody.
Rochette and everyone else in Roanoke did not have to wait long on Saturday to get an answer to the question of the weekend.
After Caroline Mani did Caroline Mani things and drove the pace for the first lap-plus, Rochette went to the front at the sand pit early in the second lap. She stayed on the move as the lap progressed, opening up a few bike lengths at the stairs and then a legitimate lead on the hill near the end of the lap.
Rochette looked back—she admitted she had her eye on Mani throughout—but she didn’t really look back the rest of the way.
If we are being honest, good bits never die, so there was really only one final question to ask Rochette on Saturday: Is Maghalie Rochette … BACK?
“I don't know.”
“The one thing I do know is I am feeling really happy and calm. I am happy to be riding and enjoying the challenge. Enjoying the work. Enjoying the training. In that sense, I think I am back. In terms of fitness, it can always be better, and I'll keep working on it and I'm excited for it.”
Questions. And Answers.
If Maghalie Rochette had been healthy in 2022, there was an expected order of the domestic cyclocross universe. Rochette has been racing at a world-class level—see her World Cup podiums in 2021—Caroline Mani is a really strong second, and Raylyn Nuss is working toward reaching Mani’s level.
Rochette’s illness last fall tilted the universe on its axis, and we saw Mani race very well throughout the USCX Series and Nuss really elevate her game to the tune of a Pan-American Championship and a really strong effort at U.S. Nationals.
The big question at the start line on Saturday was if Rochette’s fitness would cause the domestic ‘cross universe to right itself on its axis.
Rochette will be the first to admit she does not handle the heat well, but fortunately temperatures in Roanoke were hot, but not really that hot. Certainly cooler than last year and other races such as Charm City 2021 that have caused her problems.
Caroline Mani got things started by taking the holeshot.
However, the Cervelo / Orange Living duo of Sidney McGill and Kaya Musgrave pulled around her on the opening climb and took over pace-making duties early on.
Back in 2021 in an interview following her Pan-American Championships win in Texas, Nuss admitted that the scouting report on her is that she is not the best starter. Nuss made massive improvements in her starts in 2022, culminating in a blistering opening at U.S. Nationals.
Nuss’ start on Saturday was more 2021 than 2022, putting her in a tough spot a minute into the race, maybe sixth or seventh wheel.
“I didn't have a terrible start but I was kind of sitting back,” she said. “I knew I had to be third wheel going into the sand, so I kind of had to do some maneuvering before the sand.”
Mani was also maneuvering before the sand, taking over the lead spot and then accelerating out of the pit. Her efforts broke off a group of her, Rochette, Nuss, and McGill. Lauren Zoerner dangled just off in 5th.
“I don't like to be around people, you know that,” Mani said. “I like to go early to get rid of people as much as possible and not have to worry about being crashed out.”
Zoerner bridged back at the end of the lap, making it a group of five. Taylor Kuyk-White and Amelia Shea followed in 6th and 7th, about 12 seconds behind the leaders.
The start of the lap on Saturday’s course featured a climb up a portion of what they were calling the school hill. Zoerner popped off the lead group on the climb, dropping the lead group to four.
Rochette finally went to the front shortly before the sand, and she started to up the pace after that section. McGill started to dangle off following the sand, making it a lead group of three.
Rochette continued to apply pressure through the sweeping off-camber and out and back from the stairs. At the stairs, she had a few bike lengths on Mani and Nuss. Even though Rochette didn’t 100% know where her fitness was at, the old bike racing adage still applied: When you get a gap, you gotta go.
The result was an 8-second advantage at the end of Lap 2.
“It was my plan to start in control and see where everyone was,” she said. “The first race of the season you never really know, so I can of wanted to follow wheels and see what it was like. At some point, I got a gap. I was focusing on execution. When you don't know where you're fitness is at, you can't just say, 'I'm just going to go hard.' For me, it was like little cues every section.”
Rochette kept applying pressure in the third of six laps, extending her lead out to 16 seconds midway through the race.
“At some point I got a gap and then I just kept going. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but I went with it.”
“Maghalie is tough, and when she's on form she's scary in a good way,” Nuss admitted.
With Rochette flying off the front, Mani decided she was going to go and Nuss had to go with her if the Pan-American Champ wanted to capture her Mani-shaped white whale. Nuss did not have the juice on Saturday as Mani got a gap on the opening climb of Lap 3.
“She knows I'm not going to let her be around if I can do anything about it,” Mani said.
“I think Maghalie dictated that pace a little bit,” Nuss said. “I watched [Mani] race a crit in Littleton, and I saw Mani win a prime. I was like, "Okay, Mani is coming in on form. Let's go. This is going to be fun.' I'm happy she's also racing well.”
Midway through the race, Rochette led by 16 seconds. Nuss was 13 seconds behind Mani. McGill was in 4th, another 11 seconds in arrears, and a group of Kuyk-White, Shea, Zoerner, and Emily Shields trailed by about 40 seconds.
The top three did not change the rest of the way, with Rochette taking her first domestic win since 2021.
“I think it was a really cool opportunity to have a course that's taped,” Rochette said about the afternoon. “At my house, how long would that take to do that? Coming in here, our thing was 'Laps, laps, laps.' Yesterday I did like 10 laps. I was trying to get back into a cyclocross groove and work on my technique. Work on every little aspect. Where my weight is at, where I am looking. How I am turning. Trying different lines. Trying to get as smooth as possible.”
Mani took her foot off the gas in the final lap after riding a strong race. She tipped her cap to her nemesis Nuss after the race.
“She's doing an amazing job of running her team. She's the boss. She has to take care of everybody else, so I admire what she does and know how much sacrifice it takes. Her and I being on the podium is good. We have the same goal: We want 'cross to survive. We want to share our experience and provide support, so I really appreciate that we're doing the same thing and still competing at a high level.”
Nuss’ spot in 3rd was in serious jeopardy in the bell lap, with McGill charging hard from inside two to go. McGill came up just short in her big effort, with Nuss hanging onto that final podium spot.
“Mani is in the same position as I am from doing Lifetime and doing some of these longer, draggy 10-hour races. Transitioning over, I think we are in a similar situation,” she said. “I'm being patient. Of course I want to do well in the USCX. It's really important to me and the program, but I have my sights set on Pan-Ams, Nationals, and Worlds this year. It's been a long year starting gravel in April, so I'm just being patient and trusting the process.”
The race to watch on Saturday was the battle for 5th.
At the end of Lap 4, Zoerner, Shields, Kuyk-White and Shea were all locked together. Shea fell off a smidge in Lap 5, and then Kuyk-White won the final battle to grab the final spot on the wide-angle podium.
Racing returns at Fallon Park on Sunday. Word is rain is coming, so it could be an interesting afternoon. Results are below.
Hi Zac, great race report (and nice to meet you at the venue. What a compelling pair of C1 races to start the season! To me what is also great about Maghalie being back on form is what a great ambassador she is for CX. Staying to do commentary last year despite the disappointment and she also organized a post race meet and greet this week with other top riders. Not much attendance though (suspect I was the only person not on staff there) maybe due to late Saturday time? She said they may change to a Friday evening slot as they want to make this a USCX regular feature. Everyone was super engaged and open so worth making time for.