North American wrap: Shelley Olds mixes it up in Giro Rosa sprints

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Shelley Olds (Ale Cipollini)(Image credit: Jean-François Quénet)

North America’s top pro men and women are well into the first week of the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile, and while its still too soon to predict outcomes, cycling fans can expect some great racing still to come. Check out a few of the highlights from the peloton last week in events overseas, and in the US and Canada, along with a peek at what’s to come on the National Racing Calendar (NRC) Cascade Cycling Classic in Bend and the National Criterium Calendar (NCC) Andersen Banducci Twilight Criterium in Boise.

Marianne Vos (Rabo-Liv Woman Cycling team) won three of the opening stages and is currently leading the overall classification as the race heads into the mountains. Defending champion Mara Abbott (UnitedHealthcare), from Boulder, Colorado, hovered the top 10 overall after a strong prologue and sits in sixth place after stage 6 in San Fior, the first of the mountain stages. Abbott is supported by American teammates Alison Powers, Katie Hall, Coryn Rivera Scotti Wilborne and Ruth Winder during the 10-day race.

There are 11 North American riders racing at the Tour de France with Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) and Tejay van Garderen (BMC) leading the way as the top overall contenders. Both rider crashed partway through the cobbled stage 5 but they made it to the finish line under brutal weather conditions with a chase group two and a half minutes behind race leader Vincenzo Nibali (Astana). Talansky sat in ninth place overall 2:05 behind and van Garderen in 12th place, 2:11 back following stage 5. Fellow countryman, Chris Horner (Lampre-Merida), who is working for his teammate and world champion Rui Costa at this year’s Tour, sits in 29th place, 4:13 back.

Talansky and van Garderen both experienced crashes during stage 7 into Nancy. Van Garderen crashed in the last part of the stage and finished the race on his teammate Peter Velits' bike 1:03 minutes down on the stage and now sits 3:14 minutes back in 18th place overall. After touching wheels with Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge), Talansky crashed in the bunch sprint on the way to the finish line, landing hard on his left side. He crashed inside the final three kilometres of the stage and did not lose any time. He now sits in eighth overall, 2:05 behind Nibali.

The American-based Professional Continental team UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling has resumed racing after a mid-season break at the UCI 2.HC Tour of Qinghai Lake held from July 6-19 in China. The team’s American rider Danny Summerhill showed good form with a sixth place in stage 1 and fifth place in stage 3, and after the first five stages he sits in seventh place overall. The team's German sprinter Robert Förster has captured a second place in stage 2 and third place in stage 4, both bunch sprints. The team also includes American riders Chris Jones and John Murphy.

Leah Kirchmann (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) is putting her top form to good use at the BC Superweek, a 10-day series held from July 4 to 13 in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The newly crowned time trial, road and criterium champion won the UCI 1.2 White Spot Delta Road Race, the final day of the Tour de Delta on Sunday. Her teammate Jesse Anthony won the men’s race, which is also a UCI 1.2 event.

UnitedHealthcare sent a team to the latest stop of the National Criterium Calendar (NCC) at the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix held last Sunday in California. Ken Hanson won the men’s 80-minute criterium ahead of his teammate Keough and Justin Williams (Astellas Pro Cycling). Erica Allar won the women’s 50-minute race ahead of veteran sprinter Tina Pic (Fearless Femme) and Sarah Fader (Pepper Palace Pro Cycling).

Criterium specialists will now head to the Andersen-Banducci Twilight Criterium held on July 12. The race his held at sundown on a four-corner circuit that includes a short chicane after the first turn. It is the 12th stop on the NCC series and the eighth stop on the USA Crits Series. Luke Keough (UnitedHealthcare) is leading the men’s series ahead of Daniel Holloway (Athlete Octane) and Isaac Howe (Champion System - Stan’s NoTubes). Erica Allar (Colavita-Fine Cooking) is leading the women’s series ahead of Tina Pic (Fearless Femme) and Laura van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom).