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Mata takes big win at Whiskey 50.

Oct 20, 2009
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<p>Monique “Pua” Mata served noticed that she is back to her old form, after taking a brief hiatus away from the sport at the end of 2010. It is Pua’s first big win since rejoining the Sho-Air/Specialized squad for the 2011 season.</p><p>
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The 2011 women’s Whiskey 50 main event was stacked with top female competition, including Catherine Pendral who is currently ranked as the number #1 female cross country racer in the world at the moment. The race also featured Kelli Emmett and endurance icon Rebecca Rusch among others in the field.</p><p>
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In a race that would come down between Pendral, Emmett and Mata, Pua used her endurance racing savvy to overtake the two racers within the last few miles of the race. Mata later said her new 29 S-Works Epic proved to be a great choice, as it saved her much needed energy over the demanding course profile.</p><p>
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With just over a few miles to go in the race, Mata caught Pendral and Emmett on the day’s final decent leading into town. Seeing that her competitors were spent after over three solid hours in the saddle, Mata laid down the final attack and decisive attack. From there Mata rode both girls off her wheel to take a well-earned victory!</p><p>
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“My 29 Epic was so good in these conditions today.” detailed Pua. “Catherine and Kelli were really riding well today. The epic just allows me to descend with so much more confidence, plus it left me a little bit fresher for when I needed it to take the win,” continued Mata</p><p>
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Team president R. Scott Tedro was equally excited about Mata’s win. “Pua’s win makes the whole team so proud. She’s been working hard these last few months and we hope to give her the environment we give all our athletes, and that is a place where they can thrive and focus on winning and being happy. We are excited to have her back onboard with us and focusing solely on endurance events again.” elaborated Tedro.</p><p>
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Mata seconds Tedro’s comments. “Coming back to the Sho-Air squad has been a perfect fit. The team offers its athlete’s such a good environment to ride in…the equipment, the set routine and focus is something I was really lacking doing it on my own all those years.” </p><p>
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Mata also currently leads USA Cycling’s Pro UET (Ultra Endurance Tour) after one round. Her next race will be the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge on July 4th, which is also round two of the Pro UET series.</p>

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