Kersten king at Sunny King

Ben Kersten (Fly V Australia) stole another victory for his team from a large group that lapped the field at the National Racing Calendar (NRC) Sunny King Criterium held in Anniston, Alabama on Saturday.

Hundreds of competitors lined up under dusk hours for the start of the twilight 60-lap criterium. The one kilometre, four-corner course is notorious for being fast with an uphill drag to the finish line followed by a long descent on the backside of the circuit.

Call ups included defending champion Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare), former US Pro Criterium Champion Rahsaan Bahati and teammate Nathan O'Neill (Bahati Foundation), Chad Hartley (Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Geargrinder), Isaac Howe (Mountain Khakis fb Jittery Joes) and the rest of the field.

Andrew Crater was the first to make a move off the front of a very fast start to the men's race. The soloist picked up several lucrative cash primes in his three-lap breakaway. Bahati Foundation was largely responsible for reeling him back into the field.

Daniel Holt (Team Type 1) attacked in the early laps but was quickly brought back with in half lap. Nathan O'Neill (Bahati Foundation) was the next to make a move but he too was unsuccessful in staying away. Chad Hartley (Kenda Pro Cycling) counter attacked and soloed for several laps.

The sky darkened as the sun set and the riders depended on street lights for vision. Hilton Clarke (Bahati Foundation) tried to speed things up with an attack. However, after several early season victories, all eyes were on the Australian sprinter as one of the race favorites and the peloton gave him no leeway.

Small groups formed and the field splintered as one attack after another lead to the formation of five breakaway riders that included Clarke and Luis Amaran (Jamis-Sutter Home). Three riders bridged across to form a nine-man move however a lack of organization and motivation neutralized the break and they were reeled back in.

The large group reshuffled and riders from the field tried to bridge across. Amaran and Cesar Grajales (Bahati Foundation) pushed the pace at the front of the breakaway by attacking it several times to form a smaller and more efficient group. Chasers from the original breakaway pulled themselves back across to the two riders.

The front group ballooned to approximately 15 riders with a 30-second gap ahead of the field and every team represented by at least one rider.

The break included defending champion Karl Menzies and Matt Crane (UnitedHealthcare), Ben Kersten and Alessandro Bazzana (Fly V Australia), Hilton Clarke and Cesar Grajales (Bahati Foundation), Frank Travieso and Luis Amaran (Jamis-Sutter Home p/b Colavita), Tim Henry (Team Type 1), Rich Harper (Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Geargrinder), Will Hoffarth (Mountain Khakis), Chad Burdzilauskas (Kenda Pro Cycling), Alder Martz (Globalbikes) and Ty Magner (Loccos Grill and Pub).

A game of cat and mouse caused the breakaway to lose some of its advantage over the field but continued attacks from individual riders in the move kept them safely out front with a 35-second advantage.

With 27 laps to go, Grajales made a decisive move. It forced his breakaway companions to chase and allow his teammate Clarke to save his legs for the finale sprint. Amaran jumped next, followed by Bazzana and the pair gained an instant 10-second gap.

The leading duo became more dangerous as they moved closer to the back of the peloton. They successfully lapped the main field inside 20 laps to go. The large chase group lapped the field shortly after making the race win between the original 15-rider breakaway.

The odds-on favorite sprinters Menzies and Clarke who were both former winners of the race. Clarke was prepared to use his experience from winning the race in 2008, which was also from a breakaway that lapped the field. The peloton blasted around the last corner in a gallop to the line won by Kersten, with help from his teammate Bazzana. Clarke placed second and Bazzana held on for third.

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Full Results
1Ben Kersten (Aus) Fly V Australia1:22:05
2Hilton Clarke (Aus) Bahati Foundation Pro CyclingRow 1 - Cell 2
3Alessandro Bazzana (Ita) Fly V AustraliaRow 2 - Cell 2
4Chad Burdzilauskas (USA) KENDA Pro Cycling p/b GEARGRINDERRow 3 - Cell 2
5Karl Menzies (Aus) UnitedHealthcare ProfessionalRow 4 - Cell 2
6Luis Romero Amaran (USA) Jamis Sutter Home p/b ColavitaRow 5 - Cell 2
7Frank Travieso (USA) Champion Porsche P/b HerbalifeRow 6 - Cell 2
8Ty Magner (USA) Locos Grill & PubRow 7 - Cell 2
9Will Hoffarth (USA) Team Mountain Khakis f/b Jittery JoesRow 8 - Cell 2
10Cesar Grajales (USA) Bahati Foundation Pro CyclingRow 9 - Cell 2
11Tim Henry (USA) Team Type 1 DevelopmentRow 10 - Cell 2
12Alder Martz (USA) Team GlobalbikeRow 11 - Cell 2
13Rich Harper (USA) KENDA Pro Cycling p/b GEARGRINDERRow 12 - Cell 2
14Matthew Crane (USA) UnitedHealthcare ProfessionalRow 13 - Cell 2
15Isaac Howe (USA) Team Mountain Khakis f/b Jittery JoesRow 14 - Cell 2
16Jacob Keough (USA) UnitedHealthcare ProfessionalRow 15 - Cell 2
17Schmidt Alexey (Rus) Team Type 1Row 16 - Cell 2
18Eric Barlevav (USA) UnitedHealthcare ProfessionalRow 17 - Cell 2
19Thomas Brown (USA) Team Mountain Khakis f/b Jittery JoesRow 18 - Cell 2
20Sebastian Flaskamp (Ger) DroessigerRow 19 - Cell 2
21Rahsaan Bahati (USA) Bahati Foundation Pro CyclingRow 20 - Cell 2
22Olaf Kerkhof (Ned) Team Type 1 DevelopmentRow 21 - Cell 2
23Allison Pat (USA) Team Ion-United HealtcareRow 22 - Cell 2
24Adrian Hegyvary (USA) UnitedHealthcare ProfessionalRow 23 - Cell 2
25Meyer A.J. (USA)Row 24 - Cell 2
26Jonathan Atkins (USA) OutspokinRow 25 - Cell 2
27Brian Toone (USA) Tria Market p/b DonohooAuto.coRow 26 - Cell 2
28Chad Hartley (USA) KENDA Pro Cycling p/b GEARGRINDERRow 27 - Cell 2
29Terry Duran (USA) Tria/Donohoo AutoRow 28 - Cell 2
30Murphy Eric (USA) Team Ion-United HealtcareRow 29 - Cell 2
31Juan Pablo Dotti (Arg) Aerocat Cycling TeamRow 30 - Cell 2
32Holt Daniel (USA) Team Type 1Row 31 - Cell 2
33Tiago Depaula (USA) DEPAULA RACINGRow 32 - Cell 2
34Casey Magner (USA) Locos Grill & PubRow 33 - Cell 2
35Michael Stone (USA) Hincapie DevelopmentRow 34 - Cell 2
37Winston David (USA) Team Ion-United HealtcareRow 35 - Cell 2
38Tyler Karnes (USA)Row 36 - Cell 2
39Jonathan Clarke (USA) UnitedHealthcare ProfessionalRow 37 - Cell 2
40Jim Stemper (USA) KENDA Pro Cycling p/b GEARGRINDERRow 38 - Cell 2
41Chris Monteleone (USA) Team KendaRow 39 - Cell 2
42Travis Sherman (USA) warp9bikes.com - TriStarRow 40 - Cell 2
43Rob White (USA) Team KendaRow 41 - Cell 2
44Jon Hamblen (USA) Mtn KhakisRow 42 - Cell 2
46Robert Giannini (USA) Locos Grill & PubRow 43 - Cell 2
47Oscar Clark (USA) Team Mountain Khakis f/b JitteRow 44 - Cell 2
48Yosvany Falcon (USA) Bahati Foundation Elite TeamRow 45 - Cell 2
49Matthew Howe (USA) the happy tooth p/b Inside-OutRow 46 - Cell 2
50Collins Joseph (USA) Locos Grill & PubRow 47 - Cell 2
51Emilio Asconeguy (USA) Aerocat Cycling TeamRow 48 - Cell 2
52Ivan Dominguez (USA) Jamis Sutter Home p/b ColavitaRow 49 - Cell 2

 

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