It took almost three laps of the women’s World Championship road race for a serious attack to be launched; when it did finally come it was from United States rider Katheryn Curi-Mattis. The 36-year-old Webcor Builders rider knows her way around the city of Geelong, having won what turned out to be the last ever World Cup race there in February 2008, and she quickly pulled out a gap that reached a maximum of almost 3 minutes.
Unfortunately for the American though, the cumulative effect of all those solo kilometres, the two short, sharp climbs on each lap and the eventual acceleration of the peloton saw her caught on the penultimate lap. Personal glory was not the primary motivation for Curi-Mattis though, as it was all part of the team strategy.
“It is always in your head that you may ride away, but that just doesn’t happen at Worlds,” said Curi-Mattis after the race. “The first two laps we were pretty quiet and then coming into the start of the third lap we wanted to start putting some pressure on the peloton.
“I put in an attack and I looked back and didn’t see anyone,” she continued, “and at that point you are committed and so you just kind of put your head down. It would have been great to have had two or three other people with me, but at that point…
“It gives the other girls a free ride.”
After her solo exertions Curi-Mattis pulled out before the final lap, but was given the Tissot Award by the International Cycling Union (UCI) timing sponsor after spending the longest time ahead of the peloton.
The race didn’t quite turn out as the United States team had hoped; the team’s best finisher was Amber Neben in 17th place, in the main group behind Italian race winner Giorgia Bronzini. Evelyn Stevens finished four places behind Neben in 21st, crossing the line slightly behind the group alongside Italian HTC-Columbia teammate Noemi Cantele.
Carmen Small and Theresa Cliff-Ryan finished in a group 11’54” behind.
While 17th place might not be the reward that the United States was expecting before the race, USA Cycling Vice President of Athletics Jim Miller was pleased with the team’s day’s work.
“I thought all-in-all the girls really put it out there in the end,” he said. “Both Amber and Evie were covering moves, attacking and taking chances. That’s kind of how world championships go. You have to risk a little and sometimes it pays off. When you don’t risk for sure it never pays off.
“Overall it wasn’t a bad day. I think as a nation we’ve had a lot of really solid days in the last five or six years of big races. We are definitely overdue and our time will come.“