Huff, Van Gilder on top in rainy Gateway Cup opener

As the 21st running of the Tour de Lafayette kicked off the 2012 Gateway Cup, all eyes were on the impending storms blowing up from the remnants of Hurricane Isaac. Amateur races were subjected to heavy downpours and tornado warnings throughout the day. When night began to fall for the pro fields taking the course, saturated roads and rain-laden skies awaited the field as they set off on the fastest course of the annual series of Labor Day criteriums in St. Louis, Missouri.

A field of ninety-one pro and category 1, 2 men took to the streets of the historic Victorian neighborhood in St. Louis, MO and raced as if the extreme drought in Missouri was still the order of the day. Aggressive racing marked the event and multiple attacks dangled in front of the pack with little room to breathe.

As one of the elite squads in the field, Jelly Belly flexed their collective muscle early in the race pushing several feeler attacks meant to soften the field. Defending overall champions, Kenda 5 Hour Energy p/b Geargrinder, controlled the chase for their rider, Isaac Howe. Aiding in the pursuit was the local team of Gateway Harley Davidson, who set a furious pace to control breakaways and try to bring some glory to St. Louis.

With ten laps to go, a crash in the field split the group to pieces and Jelly Belly decided to take to the front and whittle the pack down to a fraction of its original size. Their collective will delivered the win to Missouri native Brad Huff who edged out Howe and forced Colton Barrett of Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefits into third. To emphasize their dominance, Jelly Belly rounded out the top five with riders Sean Mazich and Ricardo Van der Velde.

The women’s race began in a driving rainstorm and while the weather loosened up a third of the way in, the event turned into a battle between the attacking riding of Vanderkitten - Focus and the will of the pack seeking a bunch sprint. St. Louis native Maura Kinsella of Vanderkitten spent the first several laps clear and continued her aggressive riding through out the race, attacking solo multiple times.

In the end, Laura van Gilder asserted her dominance in the sprint, pushing Kat Carr of Paceline products p/b Veloforma into second with Amy McGuire of FCS/Rouse p/b Mr. Restore in third. For all their heroics, Vanderkitten could only manage fourth in the end for Vanessa Drigo.

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Brad Huff (Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team)
2Isaac Howe (Kenda 5-Hour Energy Cycling Team)
3Colton Barrett (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)
4Sean Mazich (Jelly Belly Pro Cycling)
5Ricardo Van Der Velde (Jelly Belly Pro Cycling)
6Brandon Feehery (Astella Oncology p/b ABD Cycling)
7Daniel Eaton (Mesa Cycles Racing Team)
8Zack Allison (Mercy Cycling Team)
9Devin Clark (The Cannonball-Hub Racing Team)
10Jacob White (Tulsa Tough Racing pb ICEdot)
11Matt Pence (Gateway Harley-Davidson)
12Zach Bergh (Astella Oncology p/b ABD Cycling)
13Robert White (RACC pb GG)
14Lucas Guyton (American Equity Racng Team)
15Alex Grman
16William Zellmer (Gateway Harley-Davidson)
17Chris Kriek (Jelly Belly Pro Cycling)
18Ryan Gabriel (Tulsa Wheelmen)
19Shadd Smith (Mercy Cycling Team)
20Zach Reed (Dogfish Racing Team)
21Andrew Buntz (Bikes To You / World of Bikes)
22William Rekemeyer (Racers Against Childhood Cancer)
23Colton Jarisch (Mercy Cycling Team)
24Ben Beger (Momentum Racing)
25Nicholas Chevalley (Gateway Harley-Davidson)
26Chris Arndt (Lakes Area Physical Therapy)
27Dwayne Goscinski (Dogfish Racing Team)
28Nicholas Ramirez (ENZO'S Cycling)
29Patrick Collier (Michelob Ultra - Big Shark Racing Team)
30Cody Anderson (Momentum Racing)
31Isaiah Newkirk
32Mark French (Quantum Mesa Cycles)
33Menso De Jong (Jelly Belly Pro Cycling)
34Noah Kinney
35Patrick Lemieux (Kenda 5-Hour Energy Cycling Team)
36Benjamin Silk (Bicycles of Tulsa)
37Nicholas Grigsby (Team WHAYNE)
38Eric Hill (Lakes Area Physical Therapy)
39Anthony Dust (Dogfish Racing Team)
40Dylan Jones (Mercy Cycling Team)
41Steven Robinson (Zealous Racing)
42Brian Kaker (LAPT CC)
43Thomas Price (Mercy Cycling Team)
44Jay Thomas (Midwest Cycling Community NE)
45Daniel Lam (Bissell-ABG-NUVO)
46Jos Chalmers (ZMOTION Racing Team)
47Chad Dean (5Nines Cycling)
48Ian Baker (McDonalds Cycling Team)
49Emerson Oronte (Jelly Belly Pro Cycling)
50Scott Ogilvie (Dogfish Racing Team)
51Michael Jenich (Lakes Area Physical Therapy)
52Adam Mcclurg (Lakes Area Physical Therapy)
53Christopher Curran (Sammy's Bike)
54Johnathan Freter (Cleveland Clinic Sports Health - RGF pb Felt Bicycles)
55Jerome Rewerts (Zealous Racing)
56Martin Lang
57Nicholas Coil (Mercy Cycling Team)
58Austin Vinton (Mercy Cycling Team)
59Antonio Valenti (RACC pb GG)
60Sean Metz (Sammy's Bike)
61Ross White (Racers Against Childhood Cancer)
62Cole House (Competitive Cyclist Racing Team)
63Justin Bowes (Mercy Kuat)
64Daniel Solomon (South Chicago Wheelmen)
65Eric Blankinship (Rhythm Racing)
66Levi Baker (Fayetteville Wheelmen)
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Women
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom Racing)
2Kathryne Carr (Paceline Projects pb Veloforma)
3Amy Mcguire (FCS|ROUSE: p/b Mr. Restore)
4Vanessa Drigo (Vanderkitten-Focus)
5Carrie Cash Wootten (Pedal The Cause)
6Sydney Hatten (Team Nebo Ridge)
7Christa Ghent (Natural Grocers Cycling Team)
8Britta Siegel
9Hayley Giddens
10Diana Carolina Penuela Martinez (Colombia National Team)
11Skylar Schneider (Team TIBCO II)
12Rachel Byus (FCS|ROUSE: p/b Mr. Restore)
13Maura Kinsella (Vanderkitten-Focus)
14Jennifer Yaeso (Gallatin Valley Bicycle Club)
15Leah Kleager (Midwest Cycling Community NE)
16Kristen Lasasso (Mellow Mushroom Racing)
17Sarah Rice (Spidermonkey Cycling)
18Yesica Mendoza
19Whitney Schultz (Paceline Projects pb Veloforma)
20Nicole Mertz
21Gwen Inglis (Team Kenda)
22Vera Divenyi (Naked Women's Racing p/b Tribella)
23Lindsay Fox
24Starla Teddergreen (Vanderkitten-Focus)
25Lindsey Durst (ISCorp Cycling Team)
26Kristen Meshberg (Spidermonkey Cycling)

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