May 28, 2012 (Boise, Idaho) – Huge crowds filled the streets of the Hyde Park community in Boise, Idaho to witness American Evelyn Stevens of Team Specialized – lululemon win the overall title of the inaugural Exergy Tour ladies professional cycling stage race today.  Team Specialized – lululemon, the No. 2-ranked UCI team in the world, won the overall team classification with riders Amber Neben (USA) and Clara Hughes (Canada) finishing alongside Stevens on the podium. Neben finished 50 seconds back in second and Hughes was 1:02 back for third overall.

Two women charged to the line for today’s showdown finish in the 46.7-mile (75.1-kilometer) road race. Stage 4 presented by Exergy Development Group was won by German Claudia Hausler of GreenEDGE – AIS, the No. 3-ranked UCI team. She outsprinted Stevens for the stage win, both awarded the same time of 2 hours, 4 minutes, 8 seconds. Third place on the stage today went to Jasmin Glaesser of the Canadian National Team, who finished 55 seconds back.

“To win this? It’s huge; quite an honor. The crowds lined everywhere we went (all week).  We wanted to give everyone here (in Idaho) a show. This exceeded all my expectations,” said Stevens, a native of Acton, Mass. who is a two-time U.S. National Time Trial champion (2010-11).  With the second-place finish today in Stage 4, Stevens overtook teammate Amber Neben and vaulted from third to first on the G.C.

The Memorial Day grand finale began with a flyover of four A-10 Thunderbolts from the 124th Fighter Wing,  Idaho Air National Guard from Gowen Field. The 46.7-mile road race began at Hyde Park historic community, located in the Boise foothills.  This is a favorite area in the Treasure Valley for local cyclists, where mountain and touring bike routes end and post-ride socializing begins. Today it was the epicenter of the professional cycling world.

In addition to the Exergy Race Leader jersey, Stevens claimed the Colavita Queen of the Mountains jersey for the week.  Her teammate, Ina Yoko Teutenberg, who won Stage 3 on Sunday, takes home the PowerBar Sprint jersey as the fastest woman for the five-day event. Hughes was also awarded the Exergy Most Aggressive Rider jersey.  The St. Luke’s Sports Medicine Best Young Rider jersey went to Glaesser, who finished third on today’s stage.

Of the 103 riders on 16 professional cycling teams which started the Exergy Tour on Thursday, May 24, 69 started Stage 4 presented by Exergy Development Group. The pre-race favorite, American Kristin Armstrong of the Exergy Twenty12 team, who is a Boise resident, crashed out of the race in the opening Prologue. After surgery on Friday to repair a broken clavicle, Armstrong rejoined the team to support them on the sidelines. Two other riders in the race with Idaho connections, Kristin McGrath of Exergy Twenty12, now living in Boise, finished 8th overall, 2 minutes 1 second behind the Exergy Race Leader. Liza Racchetto of Forno D’Asolo Colavita, who attended Boise High School, started Stage 4 but finished after the time limit.

“

If this is only the start of the Exergy Tour, I can’t wait for next year. It doesn’t get any better than that.  Idaho and Exergy can show the world how to celebrate women and their sports.  On behalf of the racers we can say thank you to everyone, thank you to Idaho,” Hughes, a resident of Glen Sutton, Quebec, added at the post-race press conference held at TRICA, Treasure Valley Institutue for Children’s Arts. She is the only athlete in history to win multiple medals in both Summer and Winter Olympic Games (cycling and speedskating for Canada).

Results

1. Claudia Häusler (Ger) GreenEdge-AIS 2:04:08
2. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Team Specialized-lululemon
3. Jasmin Glaesser (Can) Canadian National Team 00:55
4. Carmen Small (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
5. Megan Guarnier (USA) Team Tibco – To the Top
6. Alison Powers (USA) NOW and Novartis for MS
7. Flavia Oliveira (Bra) Forno D’Asolo Colavita
8. Amber Neben (USA) Team Specialized-lululemon
9. Rachel Neylan (Aus) ABUS Nutrixxion
10. Kristin Mcgrath (USA) Exergy Twenty12
11. Clara Hughes (Can) Team Specialized-lululemon
12. Shara Gillow (Aus) GreenEdge-AIS
13. Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Faren Honda Team
14. Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Canadian National Team
15. Jacquelyn Crowell (USA) Exergy Twenty12 03:44
16. Andrea Dvorak (USA) Exergy Twenty12
17. Tayler Wiles (USA) Exergy Twenty12 04:58
18. Ina Yoko Teutenberg (Ger) Team Specialized-lululemon 05:34
19. Maaike Polspoel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012
20. Julie Beveridge (Can) Canadian National Team
21. Tara Whitten (Can) Team Tibco – To the Top
22. Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu) Diadora-Pasta Zara
23. Jade Wilcoxson (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
24. Lindsay Myers (USA) Team Tibco – To the Top
25. Elizabeth Newell (USA) NOW and Novartis for MS
26. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) GreenEdge-AIS
27. Leah Kirchmann (Can) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
28. Emily Kachorek (USA) Primal/MapMyRide p/b BH Bikes Pro Women’s racing
29. Leah Guloien (Can) EspnW Pro Cycling
30. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Team Specialized-lululemon
31. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Diadora-Pasta Zara
32. Gillian Carleton (Can) Canadian National Team 07:06
33. Lex Albrecht (Can) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 09:40
34. Amanda Miller (USA) Team Tibco – To the Top
DNF Polona Batagelj (Slo) Diadora-Pasta Zara
DNF Alessandra d’Ettorre (Ita) Diadora-Pasta Zara
DNF Amber Pierce (USA) Diadora-Pasta Zara
DNF Theresa Cliff-Ryan (USA) Exergy Twenty12
DNF Alison Tetrick (USA) Exergy Twenty12
DNF Rhae-Christie Shaw (Can) Exergy Twenty12
DNF Nicole Cooke (Gbr) Faren Honda Team
DNF Jennifer Hohl (Sui) Faren Honda Team
DNF Alexis Rhodes (Aus) GreenEdge-AIS
DNF Els Belmans (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012
DNF Ine Beyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012
DNF Jolien D’hoore (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012
DNF Sari Saarelainen (Fin) Forno D’Asolo Colavita
DNF Liza Racchetto (USA) Forno D’Asolo Colavita
DNF Marlen Jöhrend (Ger) ABUS Nutrixxion
DNF Ana Bianca Schnitzmeier (Ger) ABUS Nutrixxion
DNF Gerrike Schreurs (Ned) Sengers Ladies Cycling Team
DNF Ho Hsun Huang (Tpe) Axman Team Taiwan
DNF Lauren Hall (USA) Team Tibco – To the Top
DNF Janel Holcomb (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
DNF Joelle Numainville (Can) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
DNF Denise Ramsden (Can) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
DNF Courteney Lowe (Nzl) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
DNF Olivia Dillon (Irl) NOW and Novartis for MS
DNF Robin Farina (USA) NOW and Novartis for MS
DNF Devon Gorry (USA) NOW and Novartis for MS
DNF Addyson Albershardt (USA) NOW and Novartis for MS
DNF Anne Samplonius (Can) NOW and Novartis for MS
DNF Maria-Luisa Calle (Col) EspnW Pro Cycling
DNF Mary Zider (USA) EspnW Pro Cycling
DNF Kristen Lasasso (USA) Primal/MapMyRide p/b BH Bikes Pro Women’s racing
DNF Alisha Welsh (USA) Primal/MapMyRide p/b BH Bikes Pro Women’s racing
DNF Jen Weinbrecht (USA) Primal/MapMyRide p/b BH Bikes Pro Women’s racing
DNF Anna Sanders (USA) Primal/MapMyRide p/b BH Bikes Pro Women’s racing
DNS Laura Brown (Can) Canadian National Team

Final GC

1. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Team Specialized-lululemon 8:15:37
2. Amber Neben (USA) Team Specialized-lululemon 00:50
3. Clara Hughes (Can) Team Specialized-lululemon 01:02
4. Shara Gillow (Aus) GreenEdge-AIS 01:16
5. Alison Powers (USA) NOW and Novartis for MS 01:23
6. Claudia Häusler (Ger) GreenEdge-AIS 01:40
7. Jasmin Glaesser (Can) Canadian National Team 01:50
8. Kristin Mcgrath (USA) Exergy Twenty12 02:01
9. Carmen Small (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 02:12
10. Megan Guarnier (USA) Team Tibco – To the Top 02:32
11. Rachel Neylan (Aus) ABUS Nutrixxion 02:53
12. Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Canadian National Team 04:23
13. Jacquelyn Crowell (USA) Exergy Twenty12 04:52
14. Ina Yoko Teutenberg (Ger) Team Specialized-lululemon 05:38
15. Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Faren Honda Team 05:43
16. Tara Whitten (Can) Team Tibco – To the Top 06:07
17. Flavia Oliveira (Bra) Forno D’Asolo Colavita 06:08
18. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Team Specialized-lululemon 06:10
19. Tayler Wiles (USA) Exergy Twenty12 06:20
20. Andrea Dvorak (USA) Exergy Twenty12 06:25
21. Jade Wilcoxson (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 06:38
22. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) GreenEdge-AIS 06:46
23. Leah Kirchmann (Can) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 07:04
24. Julie Beveridge (Can) Canadian National Team 07:11
25. Elizabeth Newell (USA) NOW and Novartis for MS 08:16
26. Gillian Carleton (Can) Canadian National Team 08:37
27. Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu) Diadora-Pasta Zara 09:25
28. Emily Kachorek (USA) Primal/MapMyRide p/b BH Bikes Pro Women’s racing 09:36
29. Maaike Polspoel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012 09:50
30. Lindsay Myers (USA) Team Tibco – To the Top 10:29
31. Amanda Miller (USA) Team Tibco – To the Top 11:37
32. Lex Albrecht (Can) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 18:15
33. Leah Guloien (Can) EspnW Pro Cycling 18:16
34. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Diadora-Pasta Zara 22:58