Bissell Pro Cycling team’s newest recruit Patrick Bevin proved to be a worthy signing after capturing a solo victory at the National Racing Calender’s Grand Cycling Classic held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Bernie Sulzberger (Fly V Australia) won the bunch sprint for second place ahead of Hilton Clarke (UnitedHealthcare-Maxxis) in third.
“I was picked up by Bissell in June,” Bevin said. “I had a strong season as a junior last year and Bissell was at a couple of races this year down where I live. I came up here and had a really rough month with getting sick and missed some racing.
“When you have a team like Bissell you want to do well,” he added. “They don’t put pressure on me but I put pressure on myself. To win a race for them is positive and a great way to show the team that I mean business.”
The professional men’s field was stacked full of criterium talents with Sulzberger and Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia), Clarke and Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare-Maxxis), Rob Bush (Kenda-Geargrinder) and Alejandro Borrajo and NRC individual leader Luis Amaran (Jamis Sutter Home). However, it was Bissell that fielded a team of 10 riders on the hunt for a victory on home turf.
Bevin countered a series of attacks and landed in the most significant breakaway of the race. He was off the front and on his own fighting to hold a slim lead ahead of the peloton for nearly 30 minutes.
“We had a solid team and they were all over the front of the bike race all day,” Bevin said. “It got to the point where guys were sick of chasing and I went. I got a gap quite quickly and managed to keep it out front.”
With one rider up the road, Bissell was absolved from having to chase. Strong teams Fly V Australia and UnitedHealthcare harboured proven winning sprinters back in the bunch and each team organised themselves in anticipation of a bunch sprint. Bevin crossed the finish line with a victory salute a mere two or three bike lengths ahead of the peloton.
“There were a couple of groups that got established at the front of the field but nothing really go established,” Bevin said. “My time yo-yoed a lot because of that and the time always drops fast when the sprinter teams start getting organised. I was almost caught at the line.”
Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Bevin (Bissell) |
| 2 | Bernard Sulzberger (Fly V Australia) |
| 3 | Hilton Clarke (Unitedhealthcare P/B Maxxis) |
| 4 | Johnathon Cantwell (Fly V Australia) |
| 5 | Jake Keough (Unitedhealthcare P/B Maxxis) |
| 6 | Chad Burdzilauskas (Kenda P/B Geargrinder) |
| 7 | Karl Menzies (Unitedhealthcare P/B Maxxis) |
| 8 | Ben Kersten (Fly V Australia) |
| 9 | Jeremy Grim (Rgf Sports Marketing) |
| 10 | Luis Amaran (Jamis/Sutter Home) |
| 11 | Robert Bush (Kenda P/B Geargrinder) |
| 12 | Andy Jacques-Maynes (Bissell) |
| 13 | Kyle Wamsley (Bissell) |
| 14 | Andrew Gonzalez (Mero Volkswagon) |
| 15 | Chad Hartley (Kenda P/B Geargrinder) |
| 16 | Chris Uberti (Panther/Competitive Cyclist) |
| 17 | Jim Stemper (Kenda P/B Geargrinder) |
| 18 | Jonathon Card (Team Card) |
| 19 | Jeff Schroetun (Texas Roadhouse) |
| 20 | Hayden Brooks (Fly V Australia) |
| 21 | Joseph Kukolla (Is Corp) |
| 22 | Gregory Christian (Panther/Competitive Cyclist) |
| 23 | Zach Allison (Echelon Energ) |
| 24 | Rob Daksiewicz (Lathrup Industries/Giant Bicycles) |
| 25 | Bradley White (Unitedhealthcare P/B Maxxis) |
| 26 | Christopher Aten (Bicycle Haus Racing) |
| 27 | Andy Jacques-Maynes (Bissell) |
| 28 | Robert Foshag (Lathrup Industries/Giant Bicycles) |
| 29 | Derek Graham (Bissell/Abg) |
| 30 | Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell) |
| 31 | Shane Kline (Bissell) |
| 32 | Frank Pipp (Bissell) |
| 33 | Daniel Lam (Priority Health Cycling Team) |
| 34 | Luis Amaran (Jamis/Sutter Home) |
| 35 | Alan Antonuk (Cleveland Clinic Sports Health Rgf Pb Felt Bicycles) |
| 36 | Brian Rach (Is Corp) |
| 37 | Jake Rytlewski (Kenda P/B Geargrinder) |
| 38 | Rob White (Kenda P/B Geargrinder) |
| 39 | Bryan Mcvey (Recycling) |
| 40 | Nathaniel Williams (Bissell/ Abg Cycling) |
| 41 | Unidentified |
| 42 | Adam Leibovitz (Cleavland Clinic/Rgf) |
| 43 | Peter Latham (Bissell) |
| 44 | Mac Brennan (Priority Health Cycling Team) |
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