Foldable Bikes Party: Amgen Women's Race: 5 riders to watch

Thursday, 17 May 2018

Amgen Women's Race: 5 riders to watch

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The Amgen Women's Race marks the 11th round of the 2018 Women's WorldTour (May 17-19) that is set to kick off on Thursday in Elk Grove. Defending champion Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans) is currently leading the series but will not be competing in the three-day race, instead opting to race at the Emakumeen Bira in Spain.

Cyclingnews has picked five riders to watch during the Amgen Women's Race, which includes a flat, fast stage in and out of Elk Grove on May 17, the 'queen stage' in South Lake Tahoe on May 18, and a circuit around the State Capitol in Sacramento on May 19.

Katie Hall (UnitedHealthcare)

California native Katie Hall seems almost destined to win the Amgen Women's Race, but it just hasn't happened yet. A build-up that includes overall title victories at the Joe Martin Stage Race, Tour of the Gila and Redlands Bicycle Classic means that there is no question that Hall is on a seemingly unstoppable winning streak.

The Amgen Women's Race, however, is in a league of its own when it comes to women's stage racing in the US as the only Women's WorldTour event held in North America. As such, it brings in the best teams and riders in the world.

Hall has shown her class at the marquee event, winning the mountain stage into South Lake Tahoe twice. Last year, she won the stage and wore the leader's jersey for two days. She was up against the likes of Van der Breggen, who captured an intermediate time bonus on the final stage in Sacramento and won the overall title by a mere one second, leaving Hall to have to settle for second place.

Van der Breggen is currently leading the Women's WorldTour after winning Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Her Boels Dolmans team told Cyclingnews in April that they would not return to defend her title because they have chosen to instead compete at the conflicting Emakumeen Bira in Spain.