Wilcoxson, Gray earn Pro Rides

May 28, 2011 by editor

ENUMCLAW, Wash. — OBRA riders Jade Wilcoxson (Landshark/Flywheel) and Scott Gray (Team Oregon/Laurelwood Brewing) rode their way onto the Nature Valley Pro Ride composite teams last weekend at the Mutual of Enumclaw Stage Race in Washington.

The Nature Valley Pro Ride allows the top male and female finishers among amateurs in each of the six Pro Ride qualifying events to race against the pros at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in East Central Minnesota and Western Wisconsin June 15-19. Selected riders for the Nature Valley Cycling Team will receive free entry to the race, a $350 travel subsidy, ground transportation, host housing and team support. Multi-time world champion Marion Clignet will coach the men’s team, and Michael Engleman of the US Women’s Cycling Development Program will coach the women.

Wilcoxson, the 2010 OBRA Criterium Champion who won the Cherry Blossom Classic overall and the final stage of the Sea Otter Stage Race earlier this season, beat a strong field of Pro/1/2 women to take the overall win at the two-day, three-stage race in Enumclaw. Wilcoxson won the opening individual time trial by five seconds, followed that up with a win in the Saturday evening stage 2 criterium, and finished second from a breakaway group of six during the Sunday road race. Before Wilcoxson gets to ride with the pros at nature Valley, however, she and local pro Hillary Billington will be part of the “Pactimo” composite team supporting Clara Hughes against Kristin Armstrong and the Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 Team at the upcoming Mt. Hood Cycling Classic.

Gray, who recently won the Senior Men’s OBRA Road Race Championship in Silverton, finished 13th overall at Enumclaw and accepted his invitation as the top male who wasn’t already attending the race with a team. The Team Oregon rider from Bend got off to a slow start in the opening time trial, finishing nearly a minute behind winner Sam Johnson (Team Exergy). Gray finished 15th and was one of the few riders not to lose time in the criterium, where former OBRA-rider-turned-pro Quinn Keogh (Team Exergy) took over the GC lead. Gray finished 12th in the final road race, where Hagens Berman set up Ian Crane for the win and Keogh finished second to preserve his overall.

RESULTS
Mutual of Enumclaw Stage Race
May 21-22

Final General Classification

Pro/1/2 Women
1. Jade Wilcoxson (Landshark/Flywheel) 3:46:39
2. Patricia Bailey (Keller Rohrback) +:32
3. Elizabeth Newell (Freemont Bank) +:43
4. Laura Brown (Local Ride/Dr. Vie Superfoods) +1:32
5. Hillary Billington (Danbury Audi) +1:34

Pro/1/2 Men
1. Quinn Keogh (Team Exergy) 4:54:21
2. Kai Applequist (Team Exergy) +:04
3. Sebastian Salas (Team H&R Block) +:16
4. Chris Parrish (Hagens Berman) +:19
5. Colby Wait-Molyneux (Hammer/CMG Racing) +:25
13. Scott Gray (Team Oregon/Laurelwood Brewing) +:58