Moises Aldape Chavez (Team Type 1) finishes (Image credit: Kurt Jambretz)
After placing four riders in the top 20 overall and finishing third in the team classification at the Tour de Georgia, Team Type 1 was pleased with its performance. The first-year pro squad finished behind ProTour teams Astana and CSC and ahead of all of the seven domestic teams.
"We focused a lot of attention on this race and it paid off," said Team Type 1 Sport Director Ed Beamon. "I couldn't have asked of any more from these guys. It was absolutely amazing how well they rode, especially on Brasstown Bald."
Team Type 1's success was led by Moises Aldape who finished eighth, Valeriy Kobzarenko in 15th, Chris Jones in 17th and Glen Chadwick in 20th. Ian MacGregor finished 51st and Fabio Calabria, a Type 1 athlete and the youngest rider in the race, placed ninth in the Best Young Rider (Under 25) competition and 59th overall, out of 98 finishers (and 119 starters).
En route, Team Type 1 also registered three top 10 finishes, including two by Aldape. On the race's most decisive stage, the climb up Brasstown Bald Mountain on Saturday, four riders from Team Type 1 were among the first 17 finishers – led by Aldape's sixth place.
"I didn't expect to be so high on the general classification," Aldape said. "I'm really happy, especially with the high-caliber talent here. This is a big step for the team to earn respect. I wanted to give something back to the team for signing me and having faith in me and this was my first opportunity."
In Sunday's final stage, a 62.6-mile (100.9 km) circuit race encompassing 10 laps of a course through Downtown Atlanta, the 29 year-old Jones made a valiant attempt jump up the GC as part of an early breakaway. Unfortunately, a flat rear tire and an extraordinarily lengthy wheel change prevented him from regaining his place in the break.
"It was a 45-second gap (between the break and the field) and I had a 55-second wheel change," Jones said. "By the time I got going after my rear wheel puncture, the lead commissaire's car was already on me."
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