Luke Keough, Allar seal USA CRITS titles with wins in Vail

The 2012 USA CRITS Championship Series calendar came to a close with the inaugural Tour of Vail criterium, where Luke Keough (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis) and Erica Allar (Rideclean/PatentIt.com) emerged victorious. Both riders began the series' final race sitting comfortably in their leading positions in the overall and defended them with first place finishes. This is the third year that Allar has been crowned the women's champion, while Keough's second consecutive overall win proves that the 21-year-old's career continues to be impressive.

"It's been a great year for not only myself, but the entire team," Keough said following his win. "Everyone rode a great season and we've had some big results, but to end it with a win out here in beautiful Vail - couldn't beat it."

In the women's race, Allar, Alison Powers (NOW and Novartis for MS) and Whitney Schultz (Paceline Projects p/b Veloforma) formed a breakaway just six minutes into the women's race which spawned a gap that gradually grew to 33 seconds by the halfway point. The trio would lap the field with 18 laps remaining as the rest of the peloton competed for the 4th position. Amity Elliot of Team Kenda attacked with 13 laps to go and the 30-second lead she was able to retain on the field guaranteed her the 4th place finish.

Lenore Pipes of Rideclean/PatentIt.com marked Schultz in the final moments of the race to deliver fellow teammate Allar to a first place finish, with Alison Powers (NOW and Novartis for MS) and Whitney Schultz (Paceline Projects p/b Veloforma) coming in second and third respectively. As soon as the top four crossed the line, a crash took down much of the remaining field who were competing for the number five spot, including Robin Farina (NOW and Novartis for MS) and Allar's Rideclean/PatentIt.com teammate Colleen Hayduk.

The men's field shot straight out of the gate not long afterwards, chasing big primes like the $250 picked up by Euris Vidal (CRCA Foundation) during the first lap. Strung out two laps in, national criterium champion Ken Hanson (Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) was in the mix throughout the event.

There was a dangerous, five-man breakaway comprised of Andy Bajadali (Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies), Robin Eckmann (California Giant), Kevin Mullervy (Team Exergy), Jake Wells (Stan's NoTubes), and Colby Pearce (Horizon Organic/Panache Development) that was established with 36 laps to go, but the peloton eventually caught them on the 1km cobbled course. Mullervy attacked and soloed off the front to pick up a generous $500 prime, but eventually the turning point was as Optum Pro Cycling moved to the front of the race to set up Hanson for victory.

A $500 prime that went to Alexei Schmidt (Team Type 1 Devo) sped up the final moments of racing, and just when it looked like Hanson would in fact be able to capitalize on the work of his teammates, Luke Keough came around him out of the final corner to take the win, narrowly missing the barriers from his final burst of speed. Hanson would have to settle for second place, while Rafael Meran (CRCA Foundation) finished in third.

"Optum rode a great race. You saw that," said Keough. "They were aggressive early. They put me in the hurt locker pretty bad. I was trying to cover some moves, maybe get in that break that we thought was gonna go. It ended up not going and then they rode those last 16 laps really, really well...They rode a great race."

Full Results

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Elite women
1Erica Allar (RideClean/PatentIt.com)0:58:48
2Alison Powers (NOW and Novartis for MS)Row 1 - Cell 2
3Whitney Schultz (Paceline Projects p/b Veloforma)0:00:04
4Amity Elliot (Team Kenda)0:01:40
5Kat Carr (Paceline Projects p/b Veloforma)0:02:01
6Lenore Pipes (River CIty Women's Racing)0:02:02
7Liz Gerrity (Team Kenda)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Gwen Inglis (Team Kenda)0:02:03
9Kyleanne Hunter (XO Communications p/b Cisco)Row 8 - Cell 2
10Colleen Hayduk (RideClean/PatentIt.com)0:02:07
11Lauren De Crescenzo (Team Kenda presented by Geargrinder)0:02:08
12Amy Charity (Steamboat Velo)0:03:40
13Robin Farina (NOW and Novartis for MS)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Anne DonleyRow 13 - Cell 2
15Vera Divenyi (Naked Women's Racing p/b Tribella)0:06:07
16Colleen Gulick (Pure Energy Cycling-ProAirHFA)0:06:09
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Elite men
1Luke Keough (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis)1:13:00
2Ken Hanson (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)Row 1 - Cell 2
3Rafael Meran (CRCA/Foundation)0:00:01
4Mike Friedman (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)Row 3 - Cell 2
5Kevin Mullervy (Team Exergy)Row 4 - Cell 2
6Euris Vidal (CRCA/Foundation)0:00:02
7Isaac Howe (Kenda/5-hour Energy Cycling Team)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Oscar Clark (The 706 Project)Row 7 - Cell 2
9Jesse Goodrich (Juwi Solar Cycling)Row 8 - Cell 2
10Colby Pearce (Horizon Organic / Panache Elite Cycling)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Robin Eckmann (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized)0:00:03
12Jean-Michel Lechance (Rossetti Devo Cycling Team)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Alexey Shmidt (Team Type 1)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Jeff Perrin (Juwi Solar Cycling)0:00:04
15Sean Sullivan (Elbowz Racing)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Keith Harper (BOO Bicycles)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Ian Holt (Juwi Solar Cycling)Row 16 - Cell 2
18Colin Jaskiewicz (Champion System p/b Stan's NoTubes)Row 17 - Cell 2
19Taylor Shelden (Competitive Cyclist Racing Team)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Allan Rego (Champion System p/b Stan's NoTubes)0:00:05
21Jake Wells (Stan's NoTubes/AXA Equitable)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Michael Dessau (Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Gavriel Epstein (Champion System p/b Stan's NoTubes)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Zack Allison (Mercy Cycling Team)0:00:06
25Don Powell (GS Ciao)0:00:07
26David Guttenplan (Team United Healthcare Georgia/The 706 Project)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Stephan Hirsch (The 706 Project)Row 26 - Cell 2
28Mark Hyatt (National Capital Velo Club/UnitedHealthcare)0:00:08
29Ryan Mele (Stan's NoTubes/AXA Equitable)Row 28 - Cell 2
30Jorge Espinoza (GS Ciao)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Brett Peters0:00:09
32Thomas Brown (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Kit Recca (Horizon Organic / Panache Elite Cycling)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Shane Kline (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis)0:00:10
35Clay Murfet (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis)Row 34 - Cell 2
36Eric Losak (Team Clif Bar Cycling)0:00:11
37Aaron PoolRow 36 - Cell 2
38Brian Jensen (TradeWind Energy Cycling Team)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Alejandro Guzman (CRCA/Foundation)0:00:12
40Dylan Jones (Mercy Cycling Team)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Greg Daniel (Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development)0:00:13
42Matt Charity (Steamboat Velo)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Blake Anton (Team Clif Bar Cycling)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Kevin Cawley (Tokyo Joe's -Whole Foods/Primal)0:00:14
45Justin Brunner0:00:15
46Neil Bezdek (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis)0:00:16
47Matt Brooks (Team Type 1- Development)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Chris Monteleone (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Russell Harding (Natural Grocers Cycling Team)0:00:17
50Greg Krause (Juwi Solar Cycling)0:00:18
51Brian Nix (Groove Subaru-Alpha Bicycle Co)0:00:19
52Charles MacCassin (Juwi Solar Cycling)Row 51 - Cell 2
53Jacob Hill (Firefighters Racing p/b Advocare)0:00:20
54John Bergmann (Team Clif Bar Cycling)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Brian Hill (Stan's NoTubes/AXA Equitable)0:00:21
56Kevin Selker (Tokyo Joe's -Whole Foods/Primal)Row 55 - Cell 2
57Nate Wilson (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized)0:00:23
58Phil Gronniger (Groove Subaru-Alpha Bicycle Co)0:00:29
59Ariel Mendez-Penate (Champion System p/b Stan's NoTubes)0:00:35
60Mike Creed (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)0:00:44
61Tim Srenaski (GS Boulder/Trek Store)Row 60 - Cell 2
DNFTaylor Jung (Ronin Racing)Row 61 - Cell 2
DNFMitchell Jacaruso (Champion System p/b Stan's NoTubes)Row 62 - Cell 2
DNFAdam AlexanderRow 63 - Cell 2
DNFClayton FeldmanRow 64 - Cell 2
DNFTony Hall (Champion System p/b Stan's NoTubes)Row 65 - Cell 2
DNFAndrew Bajadali (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)Row 66 - Cell 2
DNFLogan Vonbokel (Mercy Cycling Team)Row 67 - Cell 2
DNFAlan ZalewaRow 68 - Cell 2
DNFScott Wall (Bicycle Ranch)Row 69 - Cell 2
DNFAustin Vinton (Mercy Cycling Team)Row 70 - Cell 2
DNFMatthew Segur (Mix1)Row 71 - Cell 2
DNFMark Shimahara (Team Clif Bar Cycling)Row 72 - Cell 2
DNFScott Soden (Great Divide Brewing Company)Row 73 - Cell 2
DNFLance Sulzen (Groove Subaru-Alpha Bicycle Co)Row 74 - Cell 2
DNFJay Salazar (Salt Lake City Cycling (SLCC))Row 75 - Cell 2
DNFColby Ricker (Sonic Boom Racing)Row 76 - Cell 2
DNFConor Mullervy (Team Exergy)Row 77 - Cell 2
DNFEric Juzysta (Team Rocky Mountain Health Plans)Row 78 - Cell 2
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Women's final overall standings
1Erica Allar (RideClean/PatentIt.com)2180pts
2Colleen Gulick (Pure Energy Cycling)1543Row 1 - Cell 3
3Colleen Hayduk (RideClean/PatentIt.com)1448Row 2 - Cell 3
4Debbie Milne (Absolute Racing)1351Row 3 - Cell 3
5Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom-Rose Bandit Racing)1313Row 4 - Cell 3
6Lenore Pipes (RideClean/PatentIt.com)809Row 5 - Cell 3
7Sarah Fader (Pepper Palace/Spin-Tech Training p/b ABRC)801Row 6 - Cell 3
8Robin Farina (NOW and Novartis for MS)696Row 7 - Cell 3
9Kathryne Carr (Paceline Projects p/b Veloforma)657Row 8 - Cell 3
10Christina Gokey-Smith (NOW and Novartis for MS)633Row 9 - Cell 3
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Women's team final overall standings
1RideClean/PatentIt.com5874pts
2Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder4247Row 1 - Cell 3
3Mellow Mushroom/Rose Bandit Racing3226Row 2 - Cell 3
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Men's final overall standings
1Luke Keough (Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis)2283pts
2Oscar Clark (UnitedHealthcare of Georgia p/b The 706 Project)2122Row 1 - Cell 3
3Euris R. Vidal (CRCA/Foundation)1893Row 2 - Cell 3
4Rafael Meran (CRCA/Foundation)1773Row 3 - Cell 3
5Colin Jaskiewicz (Champion System p/b Stan's NoTubes/CRCA)1770Row 4 - Cell 3
6Emile Abraham (Rossetti Devo Cycling Team)1753Row 5 - Cell 3
7Gavriel Epstein (Champion System p/b Stan's NoTubes/CRCA)1739Row 6 - Cell 3
8Jean-Michel Lechance (Rossetti Devo Cycling Team)1448Row 7 - Cell 3
9Isaac Howe (Kenda/5-Hour Evergy Pro Cycling p/b Geargrinder)1248Row 8 - Cell 3
10Ryan Mele (Stan's NoTubes/AXA Equitable)1058Row 9 - Cell 3
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Men's team final overall standings
1Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis6787pts
2CRCA/Foundation6561Row 1 - Cell 3
3Champion System p/b Stan's NoTubes/CRCA6080Row 2 - Cell 3

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