Loan posted a combined time of 4 hours, 8 minutes, 29 seconds to defeat upset-minded tri-athletes Lori Deschamps and Shannon Donley, by 34 and 58 seconds, respectively.

“I didn't really know what to expect,” said Loan, who had taken the majority of the summer off after being diagnosed with a blood clot in her right leg.

After taking medication for three months, Loan won the Arctic Bicycle Club's Rabbit Creek Road Race on July 30. The win proved that the longtime athlete was ready to resume her race schedule.

Loan may have had a more comfortable margin if she had not taken a spill in Saturday's Criterium Race.

“I fell,” said the Eagle River athlete. At the end of the race, Loan opted to take a quick inside turn on wet pavement, due to ongoing rain, and her wheels slide out from under her.

“I could have played it safe,” she said. Loan estimated that the accident cost her 30 seconds on both Donley and Deschamps.

Fortunately Loan had built up a minute-plus lead on the pair following the Clarks Road Hill Climb the previous day.

A total of five races combined for this year's Tour of Anchorage, including a prologue Kincaid Road time trial, the Clarks Hill Climb, a Downtown Criterium, the Moose Run time trial and a Kincaid Loop Road Race.

Alex Loan, Sheryl's youngest son, placed third overall in the junior men's division, with a combined time of 2:49:50.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, August 14, 2008.