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International Cycling Classic - Superweek - NE
USA, July 8 -24, 2005
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 5 - July 12 : Shaklee MGA Proving Grounds Road Race, Burlington, WI, 165/110km
Rain soaks second Superweek road race
Long wins another; Hartman wins another for Advantage Benefits/Endeavour
By Mark Zalewski in Burlington, WI
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As if it were a Hollywood movie set, the rains started on cue just as each heat of races rolled out, and lasted for exactly two laps of each. Hurricane Dennis it was not, but the rain still caused some crashes early in the day, and gave riders another obstacle to overcome. Not phased by the rain, nor countless attacks was Magen Long (OBRU/The Bicycle Store) who scored her third win in a row out of four races.
Though the hard racing with attack after attack being launched at her and teammate Kelly Benjamin is taking a toll. "It's starting to hurt," said Long. "It would be different if we were a T-Mobile, but it's just two of us." Benjamin had her hands full today, thanks to relentless and strong attacking from Australian Rachel O'Connell, who is in just her second year of racing. O'Connell launched two solo attacks and rode in a break, with the second solo coming with just twenty miles remaining. "With two to go I went again, and held it for about one and a half laps," said O'Connell. However when two other riders attempted to bridge, including overall threat Catherine Powers (TDS Schwalbe), Benjamin launched Long to the front of the field to initiate a bridge.
When the three finally bridged to O'Connell, the Aussie was already red-lining, and could not match the pace. Into the finishing circuit, all three tried to make a move. "The New Zealand girl attacked, then Megan Long attacked, and I had nothing," said Powers who trailed Long by thirteen in the overall. Up the short finish hill it was Long riding away from the break to continue her winning streak.
Also continuing a winning streak was the Advantage Benefits/Endeavour team, thanks to neo-pro Wes Hartman making a two-man break and playing his cards right for the sprint. For Hartman, who has only been racing for less than three years, the first victory as a professional was certainly something to cheer about. "Since Superweek started I've had the best four races of the year!" said Hartman, who spent most of the spring in Europe racing with the national team, though not with the success he had hoped for. With this win, his season has turned a corner and is now riding high.
Hartman came out of a larger break of fifteen that formed early in the race and that did not contain overall leader Jose Serpa (Colombian National Team.) That break reduced down to four with Hartman joined by his teammate Karl Menzies, Jacob Nielsen (Glud & Marstrand Horsens) and four other riders. With two in the break, it was Hartman and Menzies who could dictate terms. And when Hartman and Nielsen rode away from that break, it was Hartman who had to decide what strategy he would employ -- work with Nielsen to make it a two-man race or wait for Menzies to join up to increase the probability of a win. "I was really hesitant to work with Nielsen," said Hartman. "I sat on for most of the time."
When it was clear the two were clear of the field, Nielsen attacked, followed by Hartman countering. Then up the finish climb, Nielsen turned to check if the field was close, and could not hold his line on the curving road. Hartman capitalized on the mistake and jumped with only five hundred meters to the finish.
After finishing second, a frustrated Nielsen reflected on the previous edition of Superweek. "All the luck I had last year I don't have this year," said Nielsen. "I think they remember me from last year!" However, the tall Danish rider is looking forward to the two road races next week which offer more challenging courses than the criteriums on the menu for the weekend. "Holy Hill is coming up and it's pretty hard -- the harder the better!"
In the second race of the Junior World Championship Qualifying, it was Alex Boyd (Hot Tubes) inching closer to a second year on the worlds team by soloing to the win in the final kilometers. "I would really like to go to worlds again," said Boyd. "I need to perform well over the next two races though."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Mark Zalewski
- The downpour of rain made riding behind someone quite difficult.
- A Kiwi in the women's field puts her head into the rain on a fast descent.
- Overall leader Magen Long (OBRU/The Bicycle Store) sits comfortably in the field.
- The constantly rolling terrain caused many small splits to form in the pro men's race.
- It's lonely off the back.
- The winning break in the junior men's race powers along.
- Alex Boyd (Hot Tubes) celebrates being closer to a spot on the worlds team.
- Magen Long (OBRU/The Bicycle Store) manages a victory salute after a long day on the bike.
- Wes Hartman (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) shows a little emotion in his first pro win.
- The sprint for third - and somebody must have moved that line forward a few feet.
Results
Pro & Cat 1/2 Men 1 Wes Hartman (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 2 Juan Jose Haedo (Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home) 3 Karl Menzies (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 4 Jacob Nielsen (Glud & Marstrand Horsens) 5 Glen Mitchell (Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada) 6 Armando Cardenas (Colombian National Team) 7 Brian Jensen (HRRC / Saddlewood/ Specialized/ Bikesour) 8 Jens Mouris (AXA Cycling Team) 9 Karl Bordine (Helen's Cycles) 10 Richard England (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 11 Joshua Carter (Subway) 12 Caleb Manion (Jelly Belly/PoolGel) 13 Jason Snow (Cycle Science) 14 William Innes (GS Lombardi Sports) 15 Jose Serpa (Colombian National Team) 16 Jackson Stewart (Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada) 17 David Sachs (Advantage Benefits Endeavour Cycling Club) 18 Nicholas Reistad (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 19 Garrett Peltonen (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 20 Carlos Vargas (Team Monex) 21 Andrew Crater (Wheel and Sprocket) 22 Alexander Gonzalez (Colombian National Team) 23 John Murphy (Team Krystal) 24 Michael Lanyon (Mesa Cycles Racing Team) 25 Ryan Nenninger (ABD Cycling Team) 26 Hoyt Halvorson (Team Krystal) 27 Aram Dellalian (Amgen Cycling Club) 28 Eddy Hilger (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 29 Mark Southard (Excel Sports Boulder) 30 Ryan Fleming (Park City Cycling Academy) 31 Todd Herriott (Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home) 32 Carlos Uran (Colombian National Team) 33 King Wai Cheung (Hong Kong National Team) 34 Jered Gruber (Locos Cycling) 35 Peter Andersen (Vegas Velo Racing Team) 36 Todd Henriksen (Team Krystal) 37 Stefan Rothe (outdoorlights.com) 38 Tyler Wren (Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home) 39 John Acker (Wheel & Sprocket) Pro & Cat 1/2/3 Women 1 Magen Long (OBRU/The Bicycle Store) 2 Catherine Powers (TDS Schwalbe) 3 Brei Gudesell (BikeNZ Women's Development Squad) 4 Laura Charameda (Dewar's Racing Team) 5 Dotsie Cowden (Colavita/ Cooking Light) 6 Sarah Caravella (T.E.A.M. Fuji) 7 Brooke O'Connor (Hub Racing) 8 Nichole Wangsgard (Subway) 9 Kelly Benjamin (The Bicycle Store) 10 Lisa Vetterlein (Team Kenda Tire) 11 Elizabeth Morse (T.E.A.M. Fuji) 12 Jo Ryder (BikeNZ Women's Development Squad) 13 Valeria Sanders (J C Investors) 14 Lea Adams (Amgen Cycling Club) 15 Sheba Farrin (Hub Racing) 16 Patricia Kaufmann (Team Wisconsin) 17 Gina Voci (Defeet) 18 Courtenay Brown (McGuire Cycling) 19 Trudy Van Der Straaten (Team Kenda Tire) 20 Rebecca Wellons (Gear Works Cyclery) 21 Renee Eastman (Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team) 22 Lauren Gaffney (Ford-Basis) 23 Rachel O'Connell 24 Kacey Manderfield (Wolverine Sports Club) 25 Leeanne Manderson (Hub Racing) 26 Carrieann Kopernik (Nova/ISCorp) 27 Rosy McCall (Team FUJI) 28 Anne Meyer (Mercy-Specialized) 29 Kate Gracheck (Team Kenda Tire) 30 Suzanne Peters (Velo Bella) Junior Men 16-18 1 Alex Boyd (Hot Tubes) 2 Caleb Fairly (Hot Tubes) 3 Andy Cornelison (Iowa State) 4 Guy East (U Build It / Mob) 5 Adam Switters (Lombardi Sports) 6 Winston David (Orlando Road Club) 7 Aaron Brandt (Nova/ISCorp) 8 Brandon McKeever (Rio Grande Cycling Team/Monsoon Racing) 9 Eric Riggs (GS Lombardi Sports) 10 Spencer Beamer (Hot Tubes) 11 Daniel Holloway (Lombardi Sports) 12 Joseph Iannarelli (Team Swift) 13 Wendell Montgomery (Orlando Road Club) 14 Christopher Monteleone (Team Rio Grande) 15 Blake Anton (Davis Bike Club) 16 Kip Spaude (Nova/ISCorp) 17 Tejay Van Garderen (Team 5280 Magazine) 18 Beck Frydenborg (Atomic Race Team) 19 Frederik Jacobsen (Nova/ISCorp) 20 Daniel Estevez (Hot Tubes) 21 John Doyle (Advantage Benefits Group Cycling Team) 22 Zach McBride (Advantage Benefits Endeavour Cycling Club) 23 Gregory Field (Blacksheep) 24 Shane Braley (Orlando Road Club) 25 Erik Loberg (Team Beans & Barley) 26 (unknown rider) 27 Jens Brabbit (Minnesota Junior Cycling Inc.) 28 Ulric de Young (Minnesota Junior Cycling) 29 Teddy Hockenberry (Ford/Orlando Velo) 30 Jared Downing (Major Motion Cycling Club) 31 Cole House (Advantage Benefits Endeavour Cycling Club) 32 Ryan Williams (Spin Bike Shop) 33 Peter Stetina (Team 5280 Magazine) 34 Tucker Olander (Team Rio Grande) 35 Bjorn Selander (Minnesota Junior Cycling Team) 36 (unknown rider) 37 Benjamin Zawacki (Colavita Racing) 38 David Talbott (Outdoors Chattanooga)
