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Caution wins on the day

By Chris Baldwin, Cyclingnews correspondent

Is it possible to win a criterium by slowing down? That's what Mercury's Derek Bouchard-Hall did Saturday in Downers Grove after he braked to avoid a crash on the final corner; a crash that Saturn's Ivan Dominguez and NetZero's Graeme Miller are probably still arguing about.

The field of 166 riders was together at the end of 32 laps when they came barreling into a left turn with less than perfect clearance. Dominguez clipped a pedal and went down, taking Miller with him. Bouchard-Hall held back to execute the turn and hold on for the win. "We were four-abreast duking it out into the last corner on the far left side," said Bouchard-Hall. "And that was just not the right line to be taking. About 20 meters from the turn I looked up and saw that we weren't going to make it. They didn't want to give an inch and I put on the brakes."

Rain had preceded the day's racing, with cold showers coming in the morning throughout Chicagoland. Not enough rain to delay the races, or flood the roads, but enough to have an effect on the eight-turn course. "It was a bit dicey in the last corner," said second place finisher, Australian Hilton Clarke. "Nothing too bad, but still a bit slippery. I was there to help my teammate Graeme Miller in the last lap but he fell off and I ended up second wheel." Alex Candelario of THF Racing was third on the podium and the race's top amateur finisher.

Saturn's Trent Klasna and Mercury's John Peters got away early in the race and stayed out for 10 laps. A stall by some riders on the course's only climb, dubbed 'suicide-hill' by the announcers, split the peloton apart, putting some favored riders off the back, including Prime Alliance's Jonas Carney. Once the field regrouped at lap 22, Carney's teammates Danny Pate and Colby Pearce took turns pulling at the front, all the while casting wide glances around to see which of the other teams would make a move.

Finally, after prime laps gave hundreds of dollars, Timex watches, and a set of Mavic wheels to Chad Gerlach, Mark McCormack, and Soren Petersen, Saturn made a four-man train, with Dominguez as the anchor. At the bell lap Saturn's train was overcome by inertia and a hard NetZero effort and the race reopened.

Bouchard-Hall made his move on suicide hill and stayed in front with the rest of the sprinters. "The hill was a good opportunity to jump in and move up in one fell swoop," said Bouchard-Hall, last year's US Pro Criterium Champion. "It was really, really aggressive out there, and it looked like nobody would back down. Today a good defense turned out to be the best offense."

Results

1 Derek Bouchard-Hall (USA) Mercury
2 Hilton Clarke (Aus) NetZero
3 Alex Candelario (USA) THF Racing
4 Oleg Grichkine (Rus) Navigators
5 Juan Pienda (Gua) 7UP
6 Vassili Davidenko (Rus) Navigators
7 Jason Waddell (USA) Jelly Belly
8 Chris Fisher (USA) Saturn
9 Franky Van Haesobroucke (Bel) Navigators
10 Steve Tilford (USA) 
11 Jesse Lawler (USA) Zaxby' Cycling
12 Kirk Albers (USA) Jelly Belly
13 John Peters (USA) Mercury
14 Todd Littlehales (USA) Navigators
15 Gustavv Carrillo (Gua) 
16 Siro Camponogara (Ita) Navigators
17 Alex Lavallee (Can) Kissena
18 Chris Pic (USA) Mercury
19 Jeff Hopkins (Aus) Grange Insurance
20 Damon Kluck (USA) Jelly Belly
21 Kevin Monohan (USA) 7UP
22 John Lieswyn (USA) 7UP
23 Dirk Friel (USA) Zaxby' Cycling
24 Kirk Willett (USA) Prime Alliance
25 Ryan Barrett (USA) NetZero
26 George Newman (Can) 
27 Shawn Willard (USA) 
28 Robbie Ventura (USA) Postal
29 David McCook (USA) 7UP
30 Chris Wherry (USA) Mercury
31 Jon Stierwalt (USA) Red Rocks Velo
32 Max Finkbiner (USA) Zaxby' Cycling
33 Ryan Guay (USA) 7UP
34 Chris Baldwin (USA) Navigators
35 Rahsaan Bahati (USA) Mercury
36 Ernesto Lechunga (USA) Defeet
37 Kevin Kremke (USA) Sun&Ski Sports
38 Brice Jones (USA) 
39 Michael Kehrberg (USA) Tortuga
40 Eric Murphy (USA) Apopka
41 Chuck Coyle (USA) THF Racing
42 Mike Ley (USA) Zaxby' Cycling
43 Mike Zingaro (USA) FT. Smith
44 Travis Hutchinson (USA) Reality Bikes
45 Nat Faulkner (Can) Kissena
46 Sandy Perrins (USA) Logan Race Club
47 Soren Petersen (Den) Saturn
48 Matthew Svatek (USA) Wheelworks
49 Phil Zajicek (USA) Mercury
50 Shaun Bonavita (USA) Team FDM/Sun&Ski

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