Dirty Dozen Women’s Race, Canton Avenue

October 26, 2019

These are select photos from hill #9 of 13 in the Dirty Dozen bike race around Pittsburgh’s steepest streets. Canton Avenue is known as the steepest in the continental United States, peaking at 37%. The cobbles make it an added challenge to ascend this wall without stopping. See the full album on Flickr.

equipment Specs

Camera: Canon EOS 70D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm, f/4 IS USM

Race summary from Danny Chew

In the women's competition, which was again run as a separate group, Stef Sydlik led the entire way and won nine hills to take her fourth DD victory, the most for women, but by her slimmest margin—just four points. It was the most competitive women's field ever. For the first four hills, the top four places were the same: 1. Sydlik; 2. Sharon Perry; 3. defending champ Shaena Ulissi; 4. Vera Wu. On the sixth hill, Rialto Street/Pig Hill, a truck was in front of the women, and Sharon stayed back at a safe distance, getting only five points for sixth place. This put Sharon and Shaena in a tie for second place. They went back and forth after this, with Shaena beating Sharon for second overall by just four points.

On Canton, Sydlik needed five attempts to make it on the wet cobblestones, so she scored no points, but kept her lead. In all four of her DD wins, she has never made Canton on her first try. In 2017, Sharon Rana—now Sharon Perry—got to Canton in second place behind Sydlik, but failed to make the hill. This year with lower gears, 47-year-old Sharon made it on her first try. Rookie Vera Wu got to Canton in fourth place with 56 points, but she failed to make the hill despite trying a record 12 times and falling back two groups. Fifty-two-year-old rookie Mary Kowalski, who had never seen any of the hills, finished in sixth place with 44 points, and became the new oldest female points scorer.

Eleven of the 15 women in the women's competition made all of the hills, as did Paige Alice, riding in the Enthusiast group. Twelve women making all of the hills is a new DD record! Coming all the way from flat Alexandria, Minnesota, Angie Johnson dedicated each hill to someone affected by multiple sclerosis, so they kept her fighting. The last hill was for her father Terry, who died from MS seven years ago at age 55. She finished in eigth place with 23 points. Jillian Beveridge scored 42 points, but failed to make two hills. Janel Nye scored 18 points, but failed to make Logan. Jen Damon, the only woman to finish last year—outside of the women's competition—rode in the competition this year and finished in 10th place with five points.