Nicole Duke Powers to Masters 35-39 National Championship UPDATED: Photos

Nicole Duke takes charge. © Janet Hill

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Nicole Duke (Hudz-Subaru) got the hole shot in the women’s 35-39 race, and she held the lead from wire to wire. Kerry Barnholt (Scott-Ritchey) was the early chaser and hung tough for the first couple of laps, but Duke was able to stretch out the gap to as much as 25 seconds.

“I got a good start, I was up there with Nicole, I just couldn’t hold her pace,” Barnholt said. “She powered away from me and I was just in survival mode.”

“It’s cold and sloppy – the air’s not that cold, but the water’s really cold. It’s slow, so it was a lot of power, which was killing me today,” said Barnholt. “It was super-fun conditions though.”

Barb Howe (Ibis-Danger Twins) told Cyclocross Magazine that she’s typically a slow starter, and today was no exception. But the former US national cyclocross team member picked up the pace as the laps unfolded, and she caught and passed Barholt in pursuit of Duke.

With three laps to go, Howe closed to within 15 seconds. A lap later she was within eight seconds of Duke and the front of the race, but she’d get no closer and the Hudz-Subaru rider would have plenty of time to celebrate the win and post up for the photographers as she crossed the line.

Duke’s win capped off a stellar season, including two second places and a third at Jingle Cross. She was third in last year’s 35-39 Nationals. “I feel relieved,” said Duke. “I just tried to stay with Sally Annis, and then she bobbled and I was able to take the lead. I got caught up in the tape once and got really nervous, I lost like ten seconds but I just tried to hammer it back down and had a clean race after that.”

“It feels really good having a second go around,” she said about coming back after a professional downhill career. “I feel a lot more relaxed about it. I was really young when I raced downhill, and this feels really good.”

“I expected Nicole to win,” said Barnholt. “She’s been riding super strong all season, and there are a lot of New England girls here who have been riding really fast, so I knew it was going to be fast.”

Sunday will be Howe’s last Elite race, and she plans to focus on local races during the season while finishing up school and preparing for a career as a clothing designer. Howe was the 2009 Masters 30-34 champ while riding for Vanderkitten, and this year put together her own race program.

Expect Duke to battle for a top-five result in the Elite women’s race on Sunday, and both Barnholt and Howe could very well prove to be factors in the marquee women’s event.

Photos by Janet Hill:

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