Image 1 of 16 Lauren Tamayo wins the 2016 USA Cycling Pro Criterium Championship in Greenville, South Carolina (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 2 of 16 Erica Allar (Rally) was another of todays favourites (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 3 of 16 Rally puts pressure on the front of the field (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 4 of 16 Cari Higgins (UnitedHealthcare) comes to the front to chase (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 5 of 16 Visit Dallas-DNA launches an attack (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 6 of 16 Elle Anderson (Rally) rides in the bunch (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 7 of 16 The women bunch up on the backside of the course (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 8 of 16 Rally sends another rider up the road (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 9 of 16 Tina Pic (Happy Tooth) rides her last crit championships (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 10 of 16 Elle Anderson (Rally) before making the break (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 11 of 16 Todays top three for the women (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 12 of 16 Lauren Tamayo (UnitedHealthcare) celebrates on the podium (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 13 of 16 Coryn Rivera (UnitedHealthcare) came into todays crit as the favourite (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 14 of 16 Lauren Tamayo (UnitedHealthcare) rides with teammates before taking the win (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 15 of 16 The women ready on the start line (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us) Image 16 of 16 The women’s field passes through the finish area (Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Lauren Tamayo (UnitedHealthcare) took the USA Cycling Pro Criterium Championship Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina, by jumping away from a break group of three with two corners to go and then holding off Rally Cycling’s Elle Anderson and Visit Dallas-DNA Pro Cycling's Sara Tussey for the win.

"It's kind of surreal," Tamayo said in the finishing straight after the race. "Our plan coming into the race obviously wasn't for me to win. Coming into the last few laps I was off the front, and I saw that we had such a big gap, I thought, 'OK, this might come down to me and I better start thinking about how to win.' It's been such a long time since I've won a race for myself, so I had to change my thinking quite a bit."

A late-race breakaway of six riders put the pressure on the bunch, with Visit Dallas-DNA Pro Cycling's riders Anna Sanders, Beth Ann Orton and Tussey going off the front with Jessica Prinner (Rally Cycling), Coryn Rivera (UnitedHealthcare) and Christina Gokey-Smith (Happy Tooth Dental).

The peloton pulled the group back with 10 laps to go, and the race reshuffled for what looked to be a bunch sprint, but with three laps to go, Tamayo, Anderson and Tussey slipped away. Tamayo jumped away with two corners to go and opened the winning gap.

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