July 2, 2009 (Louisville, Ky.) - The USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships continued with the women's 30-59 criterium contests on Thursday. This year's races were set inside historic Churchill Downs on a flat, half mile course with only four distinct turns. Several exciting contests highlighted the day and resulted in multiple national title for several of the participants. Racing will continue tomorrow with the women’s 60+ and men’s 50-70+ criterium contests.

The “baby masters” 30-34 contest started off the morning as Sunday’s road race winner, Julie Jerue (Lakeland, Fla./Florida Velo) collected another national championship in the criterium today. After making an early race break with bronze medalist Jamie Bennion (Providence, Utah/Ice-rocky Mtn. Surgery) that lasted for more than half of the one-hour contest, the pair was brought back briefly before Cara Applegate (Black Mountain, N.C./BMW-bianchi) made the attack. Jerue was quick to respond and bridge to Applegate, but the rest of the field remained several seconds back. In the sprint to the line Jerue was able to outkick her breakaway partner and win the gold while Bennion was rewarded with the bronze.

The same pair went one-two in the 35-39 women’s criterium as in Sunday’s road race with Dotsie Bausch (Irvine, Calif./Jazz Apple) and Leslie Jennings (Washington, D.C./Team Cyclelife) winning gold and silver. The two broke away in the early going with bronze medalist Debbie Dust (Chicago, Ill./Team Kenda Tire) and never looked back.

The 40-44 women’s finish was one of the best of the week as it took the photo finish camera to decide the gold between Jane Evely (Kent, Ohio/Team Summa) and Sydney Brown (Lincoln, Neb./Mercy Cycling). After an early race crash Brown and Evely jumped and Jennifer Maxwell (Washington, D.C./Team Kenda Tire) quickly bridged up to the leaders. Brown finally took off on the last lap and Evely followed, closing the gap and taking the win in the photo finish.

“The break was a different way to win for me,” explained Evely who won the Best All-Around Rider award. “It was a good, dynamic, fast hard race.”

After a lot of tactics the 45-49 race came down to a field sprint with Annette Williams (Kenmore, Wash./Blue Rooster) edging Tracy Tolson (Louisville, Ky./Kentucky Flyers) and Terrie Clouse (Monument, Colo./Title Nine) for another national title. The 50-54 contest again came down to a field sprint with one lap remaining. Ann Marie Miller (New York, N.Y./Sanchez Houlihan Lokey), another of Sunday’s road race champs, out sprinted the field with Laura Howat (Salt Lake City, Utah/Ski Utah Cycling Team) close behind to grab the top podium spots.

Diane Ostenso (Cottage Grove, Wisc./Planet Bike) also grabbed another title in the 55-59 women’s race, out kicking Linda Schnepf (Newport Beach, Calif./Simple Green).

Tomorrow’s racing will feature the women’s 60+ and men’s 50-70+ criterium contests inside Churchill Downs beginning at 10:00 a.m.

USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships
Louisville, Kentucky
June 28-July 4, 2009
Day Five

30-34 Women’s Criterium
1. Julie Jerue (Lakeland, Fla./Florida Velo) 1:06:44.1
2. Cara Applegate (Black Mountain, N.C./BMW-bianchi) 1:06:55.1
3. Jamie Bennion (Providence, Utah/Ice-rocky Mtn. Surgery) 1:08:02.1
4. Nicole Borem (Warsaw, Ind./DRT Racing) 1:08:02.8
5. Sara Tussey (Winston Salem, N.C.) 1:08:03.0

35-39 Women’s Criterium
1. Dotsie Bausch (Irvine, Calif./Jazz Apple) 1:08:23.2
2. Leslie Jennings (Washington, D.C./Team Cyclelife) 1:08:23.5
3. Debbie Dust (Chicago, Ill./Team Kenda Tire) 1:08:23.9
4. Kara Vidica (Corona, Calif./Acqua Al 2-sdbc) 1:08:26.3
5. Alison Brooks (Madison, Wisc./Mad City Velo) 1:08.26.6

40-44 Women’s Criterium
1. Jane Evely (Kent, Ohio/Team Summa) 51:20.9
2. Sydney Brown (Lincoln, Neb./Mercy Cycling) 51:20.9
3. Jennifer Maxwell (Washington, D.C./Team Kenda Tire) 51:25.9
4. Sonja Evers (Washington, D.C./Cyclelife) 51:47.4
5. Jillian Behm (Erie, Pa./Hollyloft-kwik-fill) 51:52.0

45-49 Women’s Criterium
1. Annette Williams (Kenmore, Wash./Blue Rooster) 50:21.6
2. Tracy Tolson (Louisville, Ky./Kentucky Flyers) 50:22.2
3. Terrie Clouse (Monument, Colo./Title Nine) 50:22.2
4. Stephanie Breslin (Centerville, Ohio/Team Abundance) 50:22.4
5. Janet Gahagen (Mountain View, Calif.) 50:22.7

50-54 Women’s Criterium
1. Ann Marie Miller (New York, N.Y./Sanchez Houlihan Lokey) 51:32.4
2. Laura Howat (Salt Lake City, Utah/Ski Utah Cycling Team) 51:32.7
3. Dale Malkames (Scarsdale, N.Y./Unione Sportive Italiana) 51:33.0
4. Maryann Levenson (Menlo Park, Calif.) 51:33.5
5. Marianne Holt (Matthews, N.C./Hincapie/Gary Fisher p/b Barkle

55-59 Women’s Criterium
1. Diane Ostenso (Cottage Grove, Wisc./Planet Bike) 1:01:29.2
2. Linda Schnepf (Newport Beach, Calif./Simple Green) 1:01:29.2
3. Elizabeth Tyrell (Annadale,N.J./Team Somerset) 1:01:30.0
4. Julie Kaplan (Oxnard, Calif./Team Hammer Nutrition) 1:01:31.0
5. Carolynn Berry (Lewisville, N.C./Painpathways-pvs) 1:01:31.1