August 8, 2009 - Renee Eastman (Natural Grocers pb XP Companies) won the women’s pro-1-2 Vic’s Espresso Criterium in Prospect, Colorado. Eastman won the race out of a two-rider break that formed out of a larger group about halfway through the race. Eastman attacked the original break on a prime lap and got away alone. Soon after, Meggan Hottman (DFT p/b TREADS) bridged up and between the two of them, they had enough teammates behind to control the chase. The finish was tight with a solo rider bridging up from the field in the closing laps, but the two stayed away until the end with Eastman winning the sprint.
Natural Grocers riders Beth Fisk and Jonathon Baker won their respective titles in the Salida Omnium held over the July 31- August 2, 2009 weekend. The race was held in Salida, CO - elevation 7,100 ft. It consisted of an 8-mile out-and-back individual time trial, a demanding road race held on a 12-mile circuit that included 1,300 ft of climbing per lap, and finished with a technical figure-eight criterium in downtown Salida.
Fisk won the opening time trial 10 seconds ahead of second place finisher Ambre Levy (DFT p/b TREADS). Fisk’s teammate Maegan Daigler slotted in fifth 25 seconds back. Jonathon Baker took second in the men’s time trial aboard a new Blue Triad carbon time trial bike.
Fisk and Baker both finished third in the demanding road race stage. Baker benefitted from teammate Jon Tarkington getting in an early break with Seth Rubin (Subaru – Vista Auto). Tarkington and time trial extraordinaire Rubin took out a quick two minute lead on the field putting pressure on most of the other teams. The break eventually came back under the pressure of the race and Baker and a few other select riders moved forward to contest the win. In the end Darren Lill (Team Type 1) took the win ahead of Brad White (Ouch Maxxis) and Baker.
In the women’s criterium, Beth Fisk finished in eleventh with enough points for the overall Omnium title. Fisk’s high placing going into the stage provided an opportunity for her teammates to go for the breakaways and take points away from the other overall contenders. Maegan Daigler and Renee Eastman did a nice job of doing just that by taking 2nd and 5th respectively.
Similar tactics played out in the men’s race with Natural Grocers hoping to put numerous riders in the breaks to minimize the points available for Baker’s closest threats. The team came through putting three riders in two different breakaway groups ahead of a shattered main field. Despite a last corner crash, Baker retained enough points for the overall Omium title for a well deserved victory.
With the victory, Baker has virtually locked up the Tour of Colorado (see related velonews.com article). With an overall omnium victory, Natural Grocers rider Jason Anderson clinched the the men's category 3 Tour of Colorado.
The Bannock Criterium, one of Colorado’s longest running criteriums, was held on July 26, 2009. Beth Fisk took the victory in the women’s pro-1-2 race; her third time winning the event in the last four years. Fisk and her Natural Grocers teammate Jenna Allen were in a break of 7 for much of the race. With one lap to go it looked like it would all come back together as the field closed in on the break. But a few of the breakaway riders had other ideas and gave it one last surge. Fisk latched on eventually jumping ahead and handily outsprinting her breakaway partners by a sizeable margin.