Cyclocrosser Sue Butler wins at Mt. Hood

Remember Sue from Jingle Cross?

From Velonews' great coverage:

That’s when Butler, who said she’s using the race as training for the B.C. Bike Race June 27, decided the group wasn’t riding fast enough for her taste and decided to give it a go on her own with about 12 miles to go. Butler’s gap grew to as much as two minutes before attacks in the group, mostly by Goldtsein trying to dislodge Pitel, began eating away at her lead.

With the chasers closing quickly over the last steep, kilometer, Butler dug deep to hang on for the win by 29 seconds over Pitel, Gillian Moody (Total Restoration Cycling Team) and Alisha Welsh (PCIM). Goldstein crossed the line three seconds later with Teri Sheasby (Bend Bike’n’Hike) and Veloforma’s Melissa McWhirter.

“It was windy, and I was pulling anyways in the wind,” Butler said of her opportunistic move. “We were going so slow. So I was like, ‘I might as well go off the front.’ I can’t win the race, I might as well win a stage.”

Pitel is an interesting story too, racing for the local Sorella Forte team as a guest. More in Velonews' coverage.