Keough, Menzies top Iron Hill criterium

At the Iron Hill Criterium, the seventh stop on the USA Crits series, the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team continued their criterium dominance with Luke Keough winning the field sprint after being part of a group that lapped the field.

Held in downtown West Chester, Pennsylvania, the field was racing for 75 kilometers on a one-kilometer rectangular course with the start/finish line on a slight uphill gradient.

The constant primes for cash and USA Crit series points kept the race animated with riders getting dropped off the back of the peloton.

With about 10 laps completed a three man break went up the road containing Frank Travieso (Team SmartStop – Mountain Khakis), Michael Woods (Garneau Quebecor), and Carlos Alzate (UnitedHealthcare).

Alzate was just sitting on forcing Travieso and Woods to do the work to keep the break alive. With 58 laps remaining the trio carved out a 23-second lead on the chasing peloton.

A hundred dollar prime motivated the chasing field to catch the break.

The next attack was a solo move by Andreas Graf (Rudy Project Racing Team). He scooped up several primes, but with 42 laps remaining the Austrian was caught.

A little past the halfway point of the race ten riders got away: Brad White (UnitedHealthcare), Issac Howe (SmartStop – Mountain Khakis), Micheal Chauner (Garneau Quebecor), Bruno Langlois (Garneau Quebecor), Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare), Luke Keough (SmartStop – Mountain Khakis), Bobby Lea (SmartStop – Mountain Khakis), Andreas Graf, Hannes Baumgarten (Rudy Project Racing Team), and Rafael Meran (CRCA/Foundation).

Quickly the gap started to grow and with 30 laps remaining the escapees were about to lap the field.

White, Howe and Meran made the junction to catch the field. Soon their six breakaway partners joined them and the field was lapped.

"There was a bit of confusion because it was a big group and everyone was looking at each other," said Keough. "We had three guys up there so it was up to us to drive it. I didn't have to do much. Brad (White) and Karl (Menzies) are machines and lapped the field for me."

White, one of the riders who had lapped the field, punctured with 23 laps remaining. There was no panic as his UnitedHealthcare mechanic easily swapped out his wheel in the neutral pit and pushed him back in the race.

With less than 20 laps remaining the blue kits of UnitedHealthcare took over the front of the field keeping the field strung out. Tucked in behind was the blue and yellow of SmartStop – Mountain Khakis.

With 17 laps to the finish a huge crash halved the field. The wheel pit was flooded with victims of the crash looking to take advantage of the free lap rule. Caught in the pile up was one of the original ten that lapped the field, Michael Chauner.

With the lap cards in the single digits the entire UnitedHealthcare squad continued to lead the race looking to lead out their sprinter Keough.

Coming off his team's sprint train, Keough easily out-kicked what remained of the peloton to take the win. Teammate Menzies finished in second and Langlois rounded out the podium in third.

As usual Keough gave thanks to his hard working UnitedHealthcare teammates.

"It wasn't easy and I couldn't have done it without them."

The 22-year old described the Iron Hill criterium as "the hardest race in the country."

The next race on the USA Crits series is the Andersen Banducci Twilight Criterium in Boise, Idaho. 

Full Results

Swipe to scroll horizontally
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Luke Keough (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team)1:40:19
2Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team)0:00:01
3Bruno Langlois (GARNEAU QUEBECOR)0:00:03
4Rafael A. Meran (CRCA/Foundation)0:00:04
5Bobby Lea (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis)0:00:05
6Isaac Howe (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis)0:00:26
7Bradley White (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team)0:00:43
8Michael Chauner (GARNEAU QUEBECOR)0:00:47
9Andreas Graf (Rudy Project Racing Team)0:01:09
10Carlos Alzate (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team)0:03:01
11Hilton Clarke (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team)0:03:04
12Michael Woods (GARNEAU QUEBECOR)0:03:05
13Allan Rego (Champion System p/b Stan's NoTubes)0:03:06
14Hannes Baumgarten (Rudy Project Racing Team)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Jake Sitler (SEAVS/Haymarket pb Soigneur)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Clay Murfet (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis)0:03:07
17Euris R. Vidal (CRCA/Foundation)0:03:12
18Shane Kline (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis)0:03:21
19Frank Travieso (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis)0:03:29
20Evan Murphy (CRCA/Foundation)0:03:41
21Gavriel Epstein (Champion System p/b Stan's NoTubes)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Geron Williams (CRCA/Foundation)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Jeremy Shirock (Peanut Butter Human Zoom)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Barry Miller (Firefighters Cycling Team)Row 23 - Cell 2
25Wyatt Stoup (Mt Borah / Minerva Design p/b B)0:03:42
26Anthony Clark (J.A.M. Fund / NCC)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Kerry Werner Jr. (USA BMC U23 Development Team)0:03:43
28Neil Bezdek (CRCA/Foundation)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Zachary Hughes (GARNEAU QUEBECOR)Row 28 - Cell 2
30Brandon Spencer (Mt Borah / Minerva Design p/b B)0:03:44
31Edwin Bull (Van Dessel Factory Team)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Adrian Hegyvary (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Te)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Guillaume Nelessen (Van Dessel Factory Team)0:03:47
34Eric Workowski (Team Alliance Environmental)0:03:48
35Keith Kelly (MetLife - NorEast Cycling)0:04:07
36Adam Farabaugh (GARNEAU QUEBECOR)0:04:09
37Wes Kline (D3Devo p/b Airgas Cycling Team)0:04:10
38Ryan Mele (Stan's NoTubes p/b Proferrin)0:04:11
39Dylan Pudiak (Mt Borah / Minerva Design p/b B)0:04:15
40Brendan Housler (Mt Borah / Minerva Design p/b B)0:04:18
41Daniel Chabanov (CRCA/Foundation)0:04:31
42Lucas Wardein (D3Devo p/b Airgas Cycling Team)0:12:26
43Luke Ockerby (Team BudgetForklifts)Row 42 - Cell 2
44John Hunter (Mt Borah / Minerva Design p/b B)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Peter Bell (MetLife - NorEast Cycling)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Ryan Shebelsky (Team Alliance Environmental)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Bill Elliston (Van Dessel Factory Team)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Brandon Zavala (Ciclistas del Este)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Chris Wolhuter (Stan's NoTubes p/b Proferrin)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Matt Spohn (The Performance Lab p/b The Caf)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Matt Inconiglios (Stage 1 / fusionTHINK)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Cesar Marte (Champion System p/b Stan's NoTu)0:12:27
53Patrick Jones (Calder Stewart)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Michael Astell (Mersey Valley Devonport)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Ted Horwitz (Heart House CADV)Row 54 - Cell 2
56David Dawson (The Performance Lab p/b The Caf)Row 55 - Cell 2
57Matthew Furlow (Breakawaybikes.com p.b. Vie 13)Row 56 - Cell 2
58Juan Carmona (BikeReg.com / Cannondale)Row 57 - Cell 2

 

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Latest on Cyclingnews