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Aspen’s Abby Mickey rallies to finish after crash

Dale Strode
The Aspen Times
Aspen’s Abby Mickey is the winner of the Best Young Rider jersey the inaugural Women’s USA Pro Challenge.
Bill Golembieski / Special to The Aspen Times |

Aspen pro cyclist Abby Mickey, riding up among the race leaders, crashed on a speedy descent Saturday in Stage 2 of the Women’s USA Pro Challenge.

Mickey, who tumbled over a guardrail in Rist Canyon at high speed, managed to get back on her bike and pedal across the finish line in Fort Collins, completing the 58-mile stage that started in Loveland.

“I went over the top of the climb with (overall leader Kristin) Armstrong, and then on the descent I went over a guardrail,” Mickey told The Aspen Times. “I got really lucky; I only sprained some fingers.”



The Aspen High School/University of Colorado graduate and UnitedHealthcare rider finished 16th on the second stage after a dazzling fourth-place finish in the opening time trial in Breckenridge.

In spite of finishing in 16th place (2:13 behind the winner), Mickey remains in sixth place overall in the inaugural Women’s USA Pro Challenge.




After a trip to the hospital, Mickey said she will race today in the Golden Criterium, the final stage of the women’s pro race.

She’ll also be wearing the blue jersey of the best young rider, a jersey she won after the first stage and retained after Saturday’s road race.

“My teammates were amazing all day protecting me from the brutal crosswinds,” Mickey said. “It was really hard from the gun, and they did an incredible job.”

She said her teammate Hannah Barnes crashed just outside the feed zone and suffered a broken ankle.

“But we will come out swinging (today),” Mickey said. “We’ve got the best sprinter in the country in Coryn Rivera. I’m excited for another day.”

Tayler Wiles of DNA Cycling pulled away from a breakaway group of four riders to win the stage.

The former University of Utah cyclist broke free late with Lauren Komanski of Twenty16, Mara Abbott of the Amy D Foundation and Armstrong, also of Twenty16.

Wiles won the final sprint. Komanski finished second, :02 back.

Armstrong was third, :04 back.

Abbott, who lives in Boulder, was fourth.

In the overall standings, Armstrong leads by 31 seconds over Wiles.

Abbott is third :51 back.

dstrode@aspentimes.com

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