Homer’s Kristen Faulkner was the Stage 4 winner of a Grand Tour race in Spain. Photo by Sprint Cycling
A daring solo attack by Homer’s Kristen Faulkner produced a stage win on day four of the Vuelta Femenina in Spain.
The 31-year-old pro cyclist broke free with six kilometers left, pulling away from the peloton to post a 10-second victory in the fastest race ever on the women’s Grand Tour.
The 144K downhill course featured an average speed of 29 mph, with Faulkner hitting 44 mph when the course went from road to freeway.
Rocking a red EF Education-Cannondale jersey, she left the pack in her taillights after breaking free and forcing the riders to chase her.
Faulkner built a 20-second lead with 2K left as the peloton pecked away down the stretch, slicing the deficit to 17 near the 1.7K mark and then down to 13 seconds near a roundabout with 1.3K remaining in the three-hour race.
The last kilometer was a straight shot as Faulkner put the pedal to the medal and posted her fourth win of the season.
“Wow, wow, wow, what a victory by the American,” said the TV announcer.
A perfectly timed attack and no one was able to jump on with her – the American is way too strong on a finish like this – Chapeau Kristen Faulkner!
SD Worx caught sleeping for the stage and red jersey but they will enjoy the 2mins earned over most rivals today#LaVueltaFemenina pic.twitter.com/dADWjf3rDx
— Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) May 1, 2024
Faulkner finished in 3 hours, 2 minutes and 37 seconds, and now sits third overall in the general classification after moving up 19 spots with Wednesday’s win.
She played a key role in helping teammate Alison Jackson win Stage 2, but this time it was a solo effort that landed her team its second in four stages.
“We came to try and win some stages, and we’ve already won two,” Faulkner told reporters. “It’s early in the Vuelta and we’re already so excited and so proud of what we’ve accomplished so far.”
Faulkner is a Pan Am Games individual time trial champion and veteran of the women’s Tour de France.
And now she’s a Grand Tour stage winner.
Ali Jackson hugs for the stage winner Kristen Faulkner 🤩🫂
What a duo, and what a team so far this #LaVueltaFemenina pic.twitter.com/db27iyhPGw
— Katy M (@writebikerepeat) May 1, 2024
Faulkner didn’t grow up on a bike, but rather a boat. She was part of a crew team that won a silver medal at the World Rowing Junior Championships in 2010.
She left Homer for prep school on the East Coast, attending Phillips Academy in Massachusetts, where she was a varsity runner, swimmer and rower for all four years.
Faulkner graduated from Harvard in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and moved to New York City. She went to work in the world of finance and fell in love with cycling, getting her start at a women’s clinic for beginners.
By 2018, she had moved to San Francisco and by 2020 she had turned pro.