CYCLING

Cheatley grabs USA National Series cycling title

New Zealand cyclist Cath Cheatley has sealed the USA National Series Champion title after a second placing in the final race of the season in New York.

Cheatley finished second in the Thater Memorial Criterium in Binghamton to claim the overall National Racing Championship.

The season-ending race proved a great day for BikeNZ riders with Cheatley second behind Canadian Samantha Schneider with fellow kiwi Joanne Kiesanowski third and fellow Commonwealth Games-bound Kaytee Boyd seventh.

Earlier New Zealand crit champion Rushlee Buchanan, Kiesanowski’s team-mate at TIBCO, had gone clear before being reeled in to finish 33rd just ahead of another kiwi Commonwealth Games prospect, Lauren Ellis.

It proved an outstanding day for Cheatley who was crowned US NRC Champion.

“It feels bloody good actually.” said Cheatley. “We came to the race with two goals really. Number one was to nail the classification for the teams, and to obviously win the race.

 “When I was in the break with Sam, I knew she as a pretty good sprinter but I knew that even if I was outsprinted at the finish, the number goal would be met. It worked out pretty well.”

Cheatley gained the series lead after winning the Nature Valley Grand Prix and maintained her lead in the final five races of the season while her team, Colavita-Baci managed to edge TIBCO for the team title.

"I think winning the NRC individual and team shows that we were very consistent this year," Cheatley said. "Personally, I think I've improved in a lot of areas and have turned into a pretty good all rounder.”

Cheatley is likely to lead the New Zealand team for next month’s UCI World Championship in Geelong before heading to the Commonwealth Games while Kiesanowski, Buchanan, Boyd and Ellis head to France next week for the track camp ahead of Delhi.