June 10, 2009 (Minneapolis, Minnesota) – Opening the last U.S. stage race of her career with a victory, Kristin Armstrong (Cervélo Test Team) blazed up the finishing hill of the St. Paul Riverfront Time Trial to take the yellow jersey in the first stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Close behind Armstrong’s finish of 13:48.55 on the rainy six-mile time trial course is current U.S. Time Trial champion Allison Powers (Team Type 1), 12.59 seconds behind at 14:01.14. Erinne Willcock (Webcor Builders) finished third 48.4 seconds behind at 14:36.95.

“This is one of my favorite races,” a beaming Armstrong said. “Minneapolis is very welcoming,” she added, noting that the community and fan support at the Nature Valley Grand Prix helps her prioritize this race over others when deciding her racing schedule.

That she gets to start off the race with her strongest discipline is an added bonus.

“We’re looking forward to tonight’s crit, where there are 30 seconds worth of time bonuses,” said Allison Powers (Team Type 1). “We have a full team of eight, and we’re a strong crit team.”

Although Kristin Armstrong lacks teammates, she is not alone, “There are others who might also be riding alone, who are looking towards the top 10 spots. Hopefully we can work together.”

“If it’s still raining tonight,” she added, “we will definitely try to stay in front!”

Rounding out the leaders jerseys are Alexis Rhodes (Webcor Builders) with the Best Young Rider Jersey, and Kate Veronneau (Altarum Women’s Cycling Team) with the Best Amateur Rider Jersey.

With the teams fighting for the time bonuses, tonight’s Downtown St. Paul Criterium is sure to be exciting. Will Kristin Armstrong maintain her lead? Will Allison Powers and Team Type 1 take the yellow jersey? How might the podium shuffle around?

Canada’s Erinne Willock (Webcor Builders) placed 3rd while fellow Canuck Anne Samplonius (Lip Smacker) was 4th and Julie Beveridge (Can) Team TIBCO placed 9th.

Results

Pro 1/2 Women

1. Kristin Armstrong (Cervelo Test Team) 13:48
2. Alison Powers (Team Type 1) 0:13
3. Erinne Willock (Webcor Builders) 0:48
4. Anne Samplonius (Lip Smacker) 0:48
5. Katharine Carroll (Team TIBCO) 0:51
6. Alexis Rhodes (Webcor Builders) 0:52
7. Katheryn Curi Mattis (Webcor Builders) 0:55
8. Lauren Tamayo (Team TIBCO) 0:58
9. Julie Beveridge (Team TIBCO) 0:58
10. Rebecca Much (Webcor Builders) 1:01
11. Shelley Olds (PROMAN Hit Squad) 1:01
12. Amber Rais (Team TIBCO) 1:01
13. Jessica Phillips (Lip Smacker) 1:04
14. Evelyn Stevens (Velo Classic Tours/Radical Media p/b Schick/Playtex) 1:05
15. Kate Veronneau (Altarum Women’s Cycling Team) 1:10
16. Andrea Dvorak (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light) 1:13
17. Joanne Kiesanowski (Team TIBCO) 1:14
18. Carmen Mcnellis (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light) 1:15
19. Sydney Brown (Nature Valley Cycling Team) 1:16
20. Meredith Miller (Team TIBCO) 1:17
21. Dotsie Bausch (Jazz Apple Women’s Cycling Team) 1:18
22. Kristin Mcgrath (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team) 1:18
23. Edwige Pitel (Lip Smacker) 1:19
24. Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Type 1) 1:19
25. Amanda Miller (Lip Smacker) 1:20
26. Kristin Sanders (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team) 1:20
27. Janel Holcomb (Webcor Builders) 1:22
28. Cath Cheatley (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light) 1:22
29. Tiffany Cromwell (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light) 1:27
30. Rachel Neylan (PROMAN Hit Squad) 1:29
31. Robin Farina (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team) 1:30
32. Veronica Leal (Team Type 1) 1:32
33. Laura Van Gilder (Altarum Women’s Cycling Team) 1:33
34. Anna Mcloon (Altarum Women’s Cycling Team) 1:33
35. Emily Zell (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team) 1:33
36. Patricia Bailey (Nature Valley Cycling Team) 1:34
37. Kori Seehafer (Team Type 1) 1:35
38. Nikki Butterfield (Webcor Builders) 1:37
39. Ruth Corset (Jazz Apple Women’s Cycling Team) 1:38
40. Olivia Dillon (Nature Valley Cycling Team) 1:39
41. Cheryl Thonney (Riverstone CDA) 1:39
42. Alison Littlefield (MBRC/Flanders) 1:40
43. Amy Dombroski (Webcor Builders) 1:42
44. Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light) 1:42
45. Nicole Evans (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team) 1:43
46. Kristin Wentworth (Team Kenda) 1:44
47. Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO) 1:47
48. Christen King (PROMAN Hit Squad) 1:48
49. Rachel Heal (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light) 1:51
50. Gina Grain (Webcor Builders) 1:55
51. Toni Bradshaw (Lip Smacker) 1:55
52. Silke Wunderwald (Team Kenda) 1:56
53. Devon Haskell (Team BH USA) 1:58
54. Jennifer Purcell (Riverstone CDA) 1:59
55. Kirsty Broun (Riverstone CDA) 2:01
56. Coryn Rivera (PROMAN Hit Squad) 2:04
57. Audrey Friedrichsen Scott (Nature Valley Cycling Team) 2:04
58. Jennifer Gaertner (Riverstone CDA) 2:06
59. Kelly Benjamin (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light) 2:06
60. Emma Rickards (Team TIBCO) 2:07
61. Linsey Bradshaw-Sandoval (Riverstone CDA) 2:08
62. Liz Young (Riverstone CDA) 2:09
63. Karla Kingsley (MBRC/Flanders) 2:09
64. Ally Stacher (Team Kenda) 2:09
65. Rebecca Larson (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team) 2:11
66. Sara Morse (MBRC/Flanders) 2:16
67. Jadine Riley (Riverstone CDA) 2:17
68. Morgan Kapp (Nature Valley Cycling Team) 2:17
69. Christina Smith (Veloforma) 2:17
70. Christy Keely (Team Kenda) 2:18
71. Linda Sone (MBRC/Flanders) 2:18
72. Lauren Hecht (Riverstone CDA) 2:18
73. Amity Elliot (Nature Valley Cycling Team) 2:19
74. Steph Roorda (Jazz Apple Women’s Cycling Team) 2:19
75. Erica Allar (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team) 2:20
76. Kacey Manderfield (Lip Smacker) 2:22
77. Kendi Thomas (Ryan Collegiate Women All-Stars) 2:22
78. Kathryn Donovan (G Kahala-LaGrange) 2:26
79. Jacqueline Kurth (Team Kenda) 2:27
80. Lauren Ellis (Jazz Apple Women’s Cycling Team) 2:29
81. Camilla Schmitz (MBRC/Flanders) 2:29
82. Rebecca Domange (Specialized D4W/Bicycle Haus) 2:30
83. Erica Zaveta (Ryan Collegiate Women All-Stars) 2:31
84. Sally Annis (Hub Racing) 2:32
85. Casey Gale (Specialized D4W/Bicycle Haus) 2:34
86. Sharon Allpress (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team) 2:35
87. Sinead Miller (Ryan Collegiate Women All-Stars) 2:36
88. Marina Duvnajk (Jazz Apple Women’s Cycling Team) 2:38
89. Ashley James (Team Kenda) 2:39
90. Kathleen Billington (Velo Classic Tours/Radical Media p/b Schick/Playtex) 2:40
91. Rachel Lloyd (PROMAN Hit Squad) 2:40
92. Samantha Schneider (Team Type 1) 2:40
93. Melissa Dahlmann (MBRC/Flanders) 2:42
94. Josephine Giddens (Hub Racing) 2:45
95. Shana Sturla (MBRC/Flanders) 2:46
96. Melissa Sanborn (Vanderkitten Racing) 2:46
97. Lindsey Myers (Velo Classic Tours/Radical Media p/b Schick/Playtex) 2:48
98. Tammy Wildgoose (Ryan Collegiate Women All-Stars) 2:50
99. Emma Bast (Ryan Collegiate Women All-Stars) 2:51
100. Dale Tye (Altarum Women’s Cycling Team) 2:51
101. Starla Teddergreen (MBRC/Flanders) 2:57
102. Sheba Farrin (Hub Racing) 2:58
103. Arielle Filiberti (Ryan Collegiate Women All-Stars) 2:59
104. Kristen Meshberg (Team BH USA) 3:00
105. Lisa Turnbull (Velo Classic Tours/Radical Media p/b Schick/Playtex) 3:00
106. Kathryn Bertine (Specialized D4W/Bicycle Haus) 3:01
107. Malindi Maclean (Jazz Apple Women’s Cycling Team) 3:02
108. Liza Rachetto (Velo Classic Tours/Radical Media p/b Schick/Playtex) 3:06
109. Kathryn Clark (Team Kenda) 3:09
110. Anne Meyer (Team BH USA) 3:10
111. Rita Klofta (Ryan Collegiate Women All-Stars) 3:10
112. Amy Mcguire (Hub Racing) 3:17
113. Madeleine Puissant (Team BH USA) 3:22
114. Morgan Patton (Team Type 1) 3:30
115. Arley Kemmerer (Hub Racing) 3:32
116. Liz Leyden (Hub Racing) 3:33
117. Kristin Jo Markham (Team Kenda) 3:38
118. Nicole Brandt (PROMAN Hit Squad) 3:41