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Giro finale
Photo ©: Bettini

USPRO Criterium Championships - 1.1

Chicago, USA, August 20-21, 2005

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Race 4 - August 21: USPRO men, 100km

Farrar finishes domestic career on top

Americans sweep criterium nationals podium

By Mark Zalewski, North American Editor in Downers Grove, Ill

Tyler Farrar (Health Net) and Dave McCook (Jelly Belly)
Photo ©: Matthew Moses
Click for larger image

Tyler Farrar (Health Net-Maxxis) has had quite a week. Last weekend the twenty-one year old helped his team sweep the top three spots of the Manhattan Beach GP, taking second himself. A couple days later, he signed a contract to ride for the French Pro Tour team Cofidis. And Sunday in Downers Grove he became the USPRO criterium champion, edging out former champion Dave McCook (Jelly Belly-Pool Gel) by the slimmest of margins.

"It's an awesome way to finish my racing here in the U.S.!" exclaimed Farrar. "I've been calling everyone. My girlfriend left me so many messages asking how it went." When asked about the lack of opportunities to wear the criterium stars and stripes next year, Farrar laughed saying, "It's still an awesome win. I'm so excited about it."

The win came from the usual high-speed, high-drama field sprint that this course is famous for producing. But up until about five laps to go, the outcome was less certain with a strong three-rider break up the road containing Health Net-Maxxis' John Lieswyn, former winner Kirk O'Bee (Navigators Insurance) and Ben Jacques-Maynes (Kodak Gallery-Sierra Nevada.) "We really thought the break was going to work," said Farrar. "It would have been nice for John."

Lieswyn, the veteran pro, had already announced his retirement at the end of this season, and quickly became the crowd favorite. "I thought it had a chance," said Lieswyn. "But a late surge by O'Bee cracked me a little -- I knew I couldn't match the pace and still win, so I soft-pedaled a little. Then I had to think about the sprinters on my own team."

The late race break
Photo ©: Matthew Moses
Click for larger image

Once the trio stopped working at full-tilt, the twenty-five second lead they had maintained dropped faster than George Bush on a mountain bike, thanks to work by two of the teams left out -- Colavita-Sutter Home and Jelly Belly-Pool Gel. ""That's what we had to do," said Colavita-Sutter Home's Mark McCormack, who says that this race and cross nationals are the only two he gets nervous about. "At the end Kirk Albers (Jelly Belly-Pool Gel) put in a huge effort that helped bring it back."

With the trio in sight, the announcers rang the prime bell for the $624 crowd prime -- not the biggest in history, but enough to inspire some and enough to cause poor judgment for others. Thankfully, the field stayed upright through the lap and the teams lined up for the final two miles to the finish. The three teams that were represented in the break all had fresh legs and took turns setting the pace at the front.

However in the final lap it was Karl Menzies and Frank Pipp of Advantage Benefits-Endeavour taking the helm into the second right-hand turn, followed by Greg Henderson (Health Net-Maxxis), Mark McCormack (Colavita-Sutter Home) and Marty Nothstein (Navigators Insurance.) Farrar was not far behind and found Henderson's wheel with three turns to go. "I was riding the rocket train with Henderson," joked Farrar. "It was all I could do just to hang on. I almost told him to slow it, but then we went through the final turn and he opened the door for me. He gave the sprint to me on a silver platter!"

Tim Johnson (Jittery Joes)
Photo ©: Matthew Moses
Click for larger image

Farrar then had a clear line to the finish with only Dave McCook (Jelly Belly-Pool Gel) on his wheel. The former winner here gave a huge effort to pull near-even with Farrar for the bike throw which sent the officials to the photo finish to see who the winner was. "I've been on both ends of a finish like that, and it's good to be on this side now. I lost the Grand Prix de Waregem like that in March."

Farrar will not get an opportunity to wear his stars and stripes any time soon, as he heads back to Europe to compete for the national team and prepare for next season with Cofidis. Unfortunately, Farrar will not be competing in San Francisco with his team, choosing instead to compete at the Tour de l'Avenir. "It was a tough choice, but I need to do that race and to prepare for worlds."

So once again the USPRO criterium jersey will be absent from racing in 2006. When asked if he and his new team will be over to defend the title next August, Farrar laughed saying, "Probably not... I think I am going to be racing wherever they tell me to race for quite a while."

Tyler Farrar (Health Net/Maxxis)
Photo ©: Matthew Moses
Click for larger image

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Mark Zalewski/Cyclingnews.com

Images by Matthew Moses/www.moses-images.com

Results

1 Tyler Farrar (USA) Health Net pb Maxxis                       2.18.05
2 Dave McCook (USA) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel                             
3 Kyle Wamsley (USA) Snow Valley pb Seal-On                            
4 Dan Schmatz (USA) Kodak Gallery - Sierra Nevada                      
5 Mark McCormack (USA) Colavita-Sutter Home                            
6 Ivan Stevic (Scg) Aerospace Engineering - VMG                        
7 Jackson Stewart (USA) Kodak Gallery - Sierra Nevada                  
8 Greg Henderson (NZl) Health Net pb Maxxis                            
9 Chad Hartley (USA) TIAA-CREF                                         
10 Marty Nothstein (USA) Navigators Insurance                          
11 Mike Sayers (USA) Health Net pb Maxxis                              
12 Charles Dionne (Can) Webcor Builders                                
13 Garrett Peltonen (USA) Advantage Benefits Endeavour                 
14 Frank Pipp (USA) Advantage Benefits Endeavour                       
15 Evan Elken (USA) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari                           
16 Chris Frederick (USA) Aerospace Engineering - VMG                   
17 Kyle Gritters (USA) Seasilver                                       
18 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance                            
19 Jonny Sundt (USA) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari                          
20 Jascon Bausch (USA) Seasilver                                       
21 Dominique Perras (Can) Kodak Gallery - Sierra Nevada                
22 William Frischkorn (USA) TIAA-CREF                                  
23 James Mattis (USA) Webcor Builders                                  
24 Gord Fraser (Can) Health Net pb Maxxis                              
25 Christoph Herby (USA) Snow Valley pb Seal-On                        
26 Colby Pearce (USA) TIAA-CREF                                        
27 Pete Lopinto (USA) Kodak Gallery - Sierra Nevada                    
28 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance                             
29 Cameron Hughes (Aus) Subway                                         
30 Tim Johnson (USA) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari                          
31 John Delong (USA) Snow Valley pb Seal-On                            
32 Neil Shirley (USA) Seasilver                                        
33 Esad Hasanovic (Scg) Aerospace Engineering - VMG                    
34 Todd Cornelius (USA) Subway                                         
35 Scott Zwizanski (USA) Kodak Gallery - Sierra Nevada                 
36 Jake Rytlewski (USA) Advantage Benefits Endeavour                   
37 John Lieswyn (USA) Health Net pb Maxxis                             
38 David Richter (USA) Subway                                          
39 Curtins Gunn (USA) Seasilver                                        
40 Stefano Barberi (Bra) TIAA-CREF                                     
41 John Kelly (USA) Webcor Builders                                    
42 Tim Larkin (USA) Kodak Gallery - Sierra Nevada                      
43 Glen Mitchell (NZl) Kodak Gallery - Sierra Nevada                   
44 David O'Loughlin (Irl) Navigators Insurance                         
45 Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Health Net pb Maxxis                           
46 Danny Pate (USA) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel                             
47 Vassili Davidenko (Rus) Navigators Insurance                        
48 Ryan Dewald (USA) Snow Valley pb Seal-On                            
49 Joshua Taylor (USA) Snow Valley pb Seal-On                          
50 Jesse Lawler (USA) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari                         
51 Russell Hamby (USA) Kodak Gallery - Sierra Nevada                   
52 Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Webcor Builders                             
53 Daniel Ramsey (USA) Seasilver                                       
54 Kem Omer (USA) Subway                                               
55 Kevin Vanes (USA) Subway                                            
56 Dan Bowman (USA) TIAA-CREF                                          
57 Todd Herriott (USA) Colavita-Sutter Home                            
58 Hayden Godfrey (NZl) Kodak Gallery - Sierra Nevada                  
59 Siro Camponogara (Ita) Navigators Insurance                         
60 Michael Beers (USA) Snow Valley pb Seal-On                          
61 Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita-Sutter Home                          
62 Kirk Obee (USA) Navigators Insurance                                
DNF Ben Brooks (Aus) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel                            
DNF Alex Candelario (USA) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel                       
DNF Kirk Albers (USA) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel                           
DNF Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel                         
DNF Brice Jones (USA) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel                           
DNF Mike Jones (USA) Health Net pb Maxxis                              
DNF Scott Moninger (USA) Health Net pb Maxxis                          
DNF Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Health Net pb Maxxis                        
DNF Chris Wherry (USA) Health Net pb Maxxis                            
DNF Chris Baldwin (USA) Navigators Insurance                           
DNF Oleg Grishkin (Rus) Navigators Insurance                           
DNF Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance                            
DNF Jaun Jose Haedo (Arg) Colavita-Sutter Home                         
DNF Jonathan Page (USA) Colavita-Sutter Home                           
DNF Gustavo Artacho (Arg) Colavita-Sutter Home                         
DNF Aaron Olson (USA) Colavita-Sutter Home                             
DNF Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita-Sutter Home                              
DNF Marc Collard (USA) Webcor Builders                                 
DNF Owen Laine (USA) Webcor Builders                                   
DNF Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Kodak Gallery - Sierra Nevada             
DNF Jeff Hopkins (Aus) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari                        
DNF Christian Foster (USA) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari                    
DNF Adam Livingston (USA) Seasilver                                    
DNF Ryan Yee (USA) Seasilver                                           
DNF Jeremiah Wiscovitch (USA) Seasilver                                
DNF Burke Swindlehurst (USA) Seasilver                                 
DNF Remi McManus (USA) Subway                                          
DNF Josh Carter (USA) Subway                                           
DNF Peter Femal (USA) Subway                                           
DNF Robbie Yost (USA) Subway                                           
DNF Nathan Mitchell (USA) TIAA-CREF                                    
DNF Zachary Grabowski (USA) TIAA-CREF                                  
DNF Richard England (Aus) Advantage Benefits Endeavour                 
DNF Wes Hartman (USA) Advantage Benefits Endeavour                     
DNF Eddy Hilger (USA) Advantage Benefits Endeavour                     
DNF Karl Menzies (Aus) Advantage Benefits Endeavour                    
DNF Nick Reistad (USA) Advantage Benefits Endeavour                    
DNF Jonathan Wirsing (USA) Snow Valley pb Seal-On                      
DNF Ben Lindsay (Aus) Snow Valley pb Seal-On                           
DNF Cameron Holland (USA) Snow Valley pb Seal-On                       
DNF Viktor Laza (Scg) Aerospace Engineering - VMG                      
DNF Predrag Prokic (Scg) Aerospace Engineering - VMG                   
DNF Hugh Moran (USA) Aerospace Engineering - VMG           

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