After a lull in the schedule, the Vitamin Cottage Women’s team dominated the Western Colorado racing scene over the Labor Day Weekend, winning both races in the Grand Valley Classic. On Saturday, VC’s Sharon Allpress soloed for 40 plus miles to win the Road Race, an 88-mile race with 5000 feet of elevation gain. Sunday’s downtown Fruitta criterium saw Beth Fisk play off of some great teamwork by Renee Eastman for the win. As the final laps counted down, Eastman dangled several bike lengths off the front of the group forcing the other strong riders to burn their matches in pursuit. With four corners to go, Fisk hit the accelerator just as Eastman was reeled in by the field. Fisk went on to win by 10 bike lengths. Sharon Allpress took third in the criterium.
VC riders Jon Baker and Chuck Coyle took 4th in the road race and 5th in the men’s pro-1-2 criterium, respectively. More importantly, the men’s criterium saw Jon Tarkington’s return to action after missing most of the summer with two broken wrists injured in a bike-car accident. Tarkington, still sporting one wrist brace, sat cautiously at the back of the field for much of the day to regain a feel for the action. With 10 laps to go, he spent a couple of laps off the front in a show of defiance. With limited training under his belt, Tarkington finished a respectable 21st on a day when the pace took its toll on much of the field.