Guarnier takes over in women's race

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Megan Guarnier (Tibco-To the Top) won a bunch sprint to the line at stage two of the Joe Martin Stage Race. Lex Albrecht (Juvederm-Specialized) placed second in the sprint ahead of last year’s stage winner Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Colavita Forno D’Asolo).

"Our five riders executed brilliant teamwork today and I am really proud of them," said Tibco-To the Top DS Lisa Hunt. "It was a little hectic at the finish but the girls executed their lead-out perfectly. We were patient and then drove it going into the final turn. Megan passed Modesta in the sprint."

Guarnier won a 10-second time bonus for winning the stage and surpassed the previous day’s race leader and stage one winner Janel Holcomb (Colavita Forno D’Asolo) in the overall classification. She is now leading the race by 0.05 tenths of a second ahead of Holcomb heading into stage three’s challenging circuit race. Guarnier’s stage win also garnered 25 points and she is now leading the points classification.

"Megan started the stage in third place, 9.95 seconds back," Hunt said. "She won today and got the 10 seconds time bonus. Janel had a mishap and broke her chain inside the three kilometre to go and was given same time as the field. That is why Megan has a 0.05 tenths of a second lead."

"We want to defend the leader’s jersey tomorrow and we have strong sprinters in both Megan and Jo [Kiesanowski] and we have a strong team," she added. "We are confident that we can defend. We will look for opportunities but we definitely want to keep the jersey."

A small but quality women’s field took the start line in Cedarville for the start of the stage two 102kms road race that passed over Mount Gaylor before finishing in downtown Fayetteville.

"There was a pretty significant tailwind today and nothing was really getting away," Hunt said. "It was also mostly downhill. The speed was high and it was aggressive but everything stayed together over Mount Gaylor."

The field remained intact as the riders barreled down a rural highway heading into the semi-technical Fayetteville finish. Guarnier took advantage of her teammate's lead-out during the final kilometre of the race and sat on Vzesniauskaite wheel out of the final corner. Holcomb broke her chain in the last three kilometres and rolled to the finish line behind the field where race official granted her the same-time finish as the peloton.

Borrajo too fast for Van Uden

Anibal Borrajo (Jamis-Sutter Home) won the stage two bunch sprint at the Joe Martin Stage Race on Friday. The Argentine speedster out-paced Roman Van Uden (Pure Black Racing) and overall race leader Francisco "Paco" Mancebo (RealCyclist.com).

"The sprint was complicated for us because we were torn between putting everything on Cole House for the stage sprint or protecting Paco’s overall lead," said RealCyclist.com DS Gord Fraser. "Paco’s jersey is the first priority and he sprinted pretty well. If any day’s sprint was going to suit Paco today did because it was a tough uphill drag to the line. I think it was close between him and Van Uden for second and third, but I think that Borrajo was fairly clear on his victory."

Mancebo took the overall race lead during the stage one Devil’s Den uphill time trial. He increased that lead after picking up a third place time bonus at the finish line. He is leading the race heading into stage three by three seconds ahead of Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell) and an additional two seconds ahead of his teammate Jeremy Vennell.

The men’s field lined up to the stage three 176kms point-to-point road race, ignited by aggressive attacks during the first third of the race. A breakaway of two riders emerge that included Jay Thompson (Bissell) and Guido Palma (Jamis-Sutter Home) who gained roughly three minutes on the field heading into the decisive climb over Mount Gaylor. The pair’s gap was reduced due to several attacks over the climb.

"It was a long day today," Fraser said. "The first two hours of the race was very aggressive and the course is lumpy and provides really good launch pads. Our team had to manage the numbers until a break went up the road that we could control. We could control two riders, even with the strength of Jay Thompson. With that climb on the way back it was tough and we lost three of our workers there with new aggression and bringing the gap down to those two riders."

A new breakaway of four riders formed over the top of the climb that included Andy Jacques-Maynes (Bissell), who was the highest placed rider in the overall classification, along with one rider from Pure Black Racing and two riders from Chipotle Development. The escapees time was slowly reduced on the run-in into Fayetteville, and they were reabsorbed into the field lead by teams with strong sprinters such as Bissell, V Australia and Jamis-Sutter Home.

Mancebo made one effort over the first of two small rollers inside the last kilometre, but the gap was closed before the final corner. He regrouped at the front of the field and hung on for third place in the bunch sprint behind stage winner Borrajo and second placed Van Uden. Frank Pipp (Bissell) placed fourth in the field sprint ahead of Bernie Sulzberger (V Australia) in fifth and Mike Northey (Pure Black Racing) in sixth.

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