Fort Collins, CO. (August 22, 2015) – It was an exciting windy ride and finish for Tayler Wiles of DNA Cycling p/b K4, who won Stage 2 at the inaugural Women’s USA Pro Challenge Saturday in the 58-mile stage from Loveland to Fort Collins.

Wiles jumped from the group of four riders and outsprinted Lauren Komanski and Kristin Armstrong, both of Team Twenty16 presented by Sho-Air and Mara Abbott of the Amy D Foundation to win the race in front of tens of thousands packing the downtown finish.

“I knew I was going to have to play it pretty smart since there were two Twenty16 rider,” said Wiles. “Lauren Komanski had gone again with 500 meters to go, so I stuck on her wheel. Then I went with about 400 meters to go, which was pretty early. It was a long straight drag and I knew if I could get a jump and get a little on the downhill I could hold it.”

Armstrong, the two-time Olympic Gold Medalist for the individual time trial, retained the Smashburger leader’s jersey for the second day in a row. It was the first time since her return to professional cycling took that she has lead a stage race.

“The break-away happened at the top and there were four of us,” said Armstrong. “Komanski, Tayler and Abby were fearlessly trying to catch us on the decent and there were switchbacks and Abby went in a little too hot and hit the guard rail.”

Armstrong added, “Tomorrow’s circuit is technical. Anything can happen. It’s nice to have a buffer. It was a hard day, but I couldn’t have done it without my team.”

For the jerseys, Kristin Armstrong (USA) of Twenty16-Sho-Air remains in the Smashburger Race Leader Jersey. While Tayler Wiles (USA) of DNA Cycling p/b K4 got her fingers on the Lexus Sprint Points Jersey. Mara Abbott (USA) of Amy D. Foundation gets to take home the Sierra Nevada Queen of the Mountains Jersey. The Colorado.com Best Young Rider Jersey goes to Abigail Mickey (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional and the Strava Most Courageous Rider Jersey goes to Coryn Rivera (USA) of UnitedHealthcare Professional.

Stage 3, the women will find themselves in a 1.5 mile one hour technical circuit around the cycling mecca city of Golden, Colorado.

STAGE 2 PODIUM WINNERS

1. Tayler Wiles
2. Lauren Komanski
3. Kristin Armstrong
4. Mara Abbott
5. Allie Dragoo

GC Standings

1. Kristin Armstrong
2. Tayler Wiles
3. Mara Abbott
4. Lauren Komanski
5. Allie Dragoo

STAGE 3 TOMORROW:

Sunday, Aug. 23 – Golden Criterium
Start Time: 10:30 a.m. MT
Estimated Finish Time: 11:30 a.m. MT

The women have tested their time trial legs and their climbing legs, now it’s time to test their elbows in some shoulder to shoulder technical circuit racing served up Colorado style in Golden.

This final stage is no mere promenade or flat four corner coronation for the current leader. With hills, technical corners, and plenty of time bonuses up for grabs on this tight 1.5 mile circuit, the overall winner will have to prove their worthiness for one more day. If they survive this circuit they will truly be a worthy winner of the first-ever Women’s USA Pro Challenge and will have proved their skill in all disciplines of the sport.

For a complete roster listing, go to: http://prochallenge.com/the-competition/womens-teams

About the Women’s USA Pro Challenge

Referred to as “America’s Race,” the USA Pro Challenge will take place August 17-23, 2015. For seven consecutive days, the world’s top athletes race through the majestic Colorado Rockies, reaching higher altitudes than they’ve ever had to endure. The inaugural Women’s USA Pro Challenge is a three-day invitation-only event and will kick off in Breckenridge on August 21st and conclude in Golden on August 23rd. One of the largest cycling events in U.S. history and the largest spectator event in the history of the state, the USA Pro Challenge is back for 2015. Featuring a challenging course, the fifth annual race will spotlight the best of the best in professional cycling and some of America’s most beautiful scenery.

More information can be found online at www.prochallenge.com and on Twitter at @USAProChallenge.