Local mountain bike racer secures first career UCI win
Bayli McSpadden topped the U23 women's field at the Orange Seal Pro Cup in Temecula, California.
“Things are starting to click. I didn’t feel the greatest but just found it within me to push as hard as I could. It was a bit of a surprise, but I was super stoked about it.”
Two weeks after stepping onto the podium at the Tropical Mountain Bike Challenge in Puerto Rico, the 22-year-old climbed to the top step in the U23 race at the Orange Seal Pro Cup. McSpadden topped the 15-rider cross-country field, covering the five-lap course in 1 hour, 14 minutes and 2 seconds.
The win came after a long recovery from a trimalleolar fracture that disrupted the previous season. Working with a sports psychologist and taking a year off from classes at CU to focus on cycling, McSpadden has rebuilt both fitness and confidence.
Breaking away from a disjointed peloton early on, she averaged 14:48 for each 4.8-kilometer lap, finishing over two minutes ahead of the silver medalist and nearly four minutes ahead of the bronze.