Women’s Prestige Cycling Series Finale Shakes Up Standings

Team classification takes unexpected twist and the Sprints tie is broken

Minneapolis, MN - The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series began in 2004 with the goal of highlighting women’s racing by giving them a spotlight that they don’t have to share with the men. Organized by the Nature Valley Grand Prix, the Series grew out of meetings that began in Minnesota in 2003 at the first Women’s Cycling Summit Conference hosted by that event.

The 2009 Women’s Prestige Cycling Series began at the Redlands Bicycle Classic (March 26 – 29), followed by the Joe Martin Stage race (May 7 – 10) and then the Nature Valley Grand Prix (June 10 – 14) before concluding at the Cascade Cycling Classic (July 21 – 26).

Team Classification - The season long see saw battle between Team TIBCO and Webcor Builders ended in TIBCO’s favor at the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series grand finale at the Cascade Cycling Classic. Although Webcor’s guest rider Evelyn Stevens won the stage race, she wasn’t eligible for the Series. TIBCO finished with a wide margin and Webcor dropped to third, behind Team Type 1.

1. Team TIBCO - 1319
2. Team Type 1 - 819
3. Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 786
4. ValueAct Capital Cycling Team - 677
5. Colavita Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light - 437


Sprint Classification – The most dramatic fight for the jerseys was in the Sprint classification, where Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter Home) had been tied on points with Alison Powers (Team Type 1), with the edge going to Powers because of the tie breakers. By the end of the Cascade Classic, Pic had it all sown up the Series Sprint competition and Powers had slipped to fourth.

1. Tina Pic, Colavita Sutter Home - 429
2. Joanne Kiesanowski, Team TIBCO - 286
3. Gina Grain, Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 275
4. Alison Powers, Team Type 1 - 250
5. Kirsty Broun, Lip Smackers- 165


Individual Classification – In contrast, there were no surprises in the individual classification. Alison Powers seeming insurmountable lead going into Cascade just got wider and the top three positions were unchanged.

1. Alison Powers, Team Type 1 - 616
2. Katharine Carroll, Team TIBCO - 388
3. Katheryn Mattis, Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 285
4. Joanne Kiesanowski, Team TIBCO - 246
5. Christina Ruiter, Value Act Capital - 231


Young Rider – Webcor’s Rebecca Much maintained her lead in the Series Best Young Rider classification, despite losing ground to TIBCO’s Julie Beveridge. Alexis Rhodes (Webcor Builders) fell from second to third because she didn’t attend Cascade.

1. Rebecca Much, Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 649
2. Julie Beveridge, Team TIBCO - 528
3. Alexis Rhodes, Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 429
4. Amanda Miller, Lip Smackers – 352
5. Tiffany Cromwell, Colavita Sutter Home - 264