Chance the ‘Crosser: Kimberly Chance Takes 55-59 Title

One of the stories emerging at Riverside Park on Thursday could be summarized as “Don’t mess with Texas.” With a lot of strong Texan riders in the Women’s Master’s fields, it looked to be a good day for the the Lonestar State, but the women first had to take care of business on the course. Kimberly Chance (RBM/Matrix Racing) kicked off the #LoneStarsandStripes afternoon by putting in a strong effort during the second lap to get away from Lisa Coyne (Team Group Health) and Karen Tripp (Finkraft Cycling Team) to take home the Women’s Master’s 55-59 LoneStars-and-Stripes jersey.

Kimberly Chance holds on tight to keep her lead to win the 2017 Cyclocross National Championships, Masters Women 55-59. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

The 55-59 race started off with an impressive running performance from a Boulder woman. Deidre Garvey (Boulder Cycle-Sport / Yogaglo) went charging up the embankment with an impressive dash that staked her to a 13 second lead heading off the feature. She held the lead until the woods when Chance and Coyne briefly joined her to form a group of three.

Deirdre Garvey grabbed the holeshot. 2017 Cyclocross National Championships, Masters Women 55-59. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

Chance wasted little time riding with the group and put in an attack past the Boathouse to open up a small gap. She extended the gap to five seconds when the field passed through the start/finish for the first time.

2017 Cyclocross National Championships, Masters Women 55-59. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

The second lap would belong to Chance. She was able to continue her furious pedaling and running to open up a 20 second lead by the end of the second lap.

After the race, Chance said the woods were her time to shine, “My background is mountain biking, so my bike handling skills are probably my best feature. When we get back in the technical sections, that’s when I do my best I think. Mud doesn’t scare me, ruts don’t scare me, so I tried to pick good lines and ride through them. And just pedal hard to make my way through the sections that are tough.”

Ruth Sherman speeds down the embankment. 2017 Cyclocross National Championships, Masters Women 55-59. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

After a slow start, Tripp worked her way back up to join Coyne in the chase during the second lap. The two traded spots during the second lap, with Coyne opening up a lead and then Tripp coming back to head into the bell lap with the lead.

The race for second. 2017 Cyclocross National Championships, Masters Men 65-69. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

The 55-59 affair got interesting during the last lap. Chance attempted to ride at the top of the embankment, but had trouble keeping the bike upright on the frozen, bumpy foot-wide ledge. Tripp sensed the opportunity to close the gap to the leader and was able to apply the afterburners to run away from Coyne on the hill. When the riders came screaming down the levee descent the gap between Chance in first and Tripp in second was just 10 seconds.

Karen Tripp ran her way to second, and almost closed in on first. 2017 Cyclocross National Championships, Masters Women 55-59. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

Tripp knew she was close and wished the embankment was maybe longer than it already is, “I was getting so close! I found that you’re better off running because things like that happen and take time off your lead. Maybe we needed one more lap.”

Chance tripods her way to the title. 2017 Cyclocross National Championships, Masters Women 55-59. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

Chance was able to regain her composure and used her mountain bike skills to turn in a solid performance through the rutted woods and technical gazebo portion of the course to clinch the win and take home her first ever Stars-and-Stripes jersey.

Kimberly Chance took a commanding win. 2017 Cyclocross National Championships, Masters Women 55-59. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

“You’re never too old to start, and there’s always a way to get better. Just keep training and trying,” Chance said about working to achieve her National Championship goal. “One of the things is in here, right in here [points to helmet]. How you feel, how you think, and how you perceive yourself.”

2017 CX National Championships Hartford Day 3 Results Masters Women 55-59