Fly V lands one-two punch

Ben Kersten (Fly V Australia) blasted through a crash-filled sprint to take victory ahead of his teammate Alessandro Bazzana at the Tour of Somerville on Memorial Day Monday. Clayton Barrows (AXA Equitable Cycling Team/CRCA) rounded out the podium in third.

"I was keen on doing this race because I had heard about it, it catered to my track background," said Kersten. "The team did a great job; David Tanner kicked it with about 600 metres to go and Alessandro Bazzana went with 400 metres to go and he held on for second and I got the win.

"It was a very interesting course and 800 metres from the last corner to the finish line," continued the Australian. "It was slightly uphill with a head wind and I think a lot of people got it wrong. Judging the line was hard and it was easy to go early because you get excited seeing the banners but it was a really long straight."

The Lantus Tour of Somerville celebrated its 70th anniversary with some 150 riders in the professional men's Kugler-Anderson Memorial criterium, an 80km race worth $15,000 in prizes and well known as the Kentucky Derby of cycling in America.

The event takes place annually in New Jersey and title sponsored by Sanofi Aventis and Lantus, which also sponsor the Team Type 1 squad. The event's location is also home of Jamis-Sutter Home p/b Colavita sponsors Colavita USA and Jamis Bicycles, giving the race added importance for both professional teams.

The event's four corner circuit started on West Main Street, took a left onto Grove Steet, another left onto the back stretch on West High Street, rounded a left onto Mountain Avenue before blasting through the final corner for a 800-metre dash to the finish line.

"We had a tactic that we had discussed a couple days ago with [Ed] Beamon, our directeur here, who has done this race a thousand times and knew exactly what was going to happen," Kersten said. "We only had five riders so we couldn't take full control of the race.

"We had to make sure that the two major teams, Team Type 1 and Jamis, weren't both in a move without us. If they weren't in a move, then it was up to them to chase on their own home turf. We had a lot of confidence in our sprint finish and as soon as we saw the course we thought that I would most likely win."

The race got under way with a flurry of attacks however, the natural momentum of the course coupled with the speed of a sprint-hungry peloton held the field together for most of the race. With 10 laps to go, National Racing Calendar (NRC) individual standings leader Luis Amaran and Alejandro Borrajo (Jamis-Sutter Home p/b Colavita), attacked the field and worked together to try to maintain a 30-second lead ahead of the peloton.

"Somerville is a hometown race for me so there is a little bit of pride there," said Fly V Australia's technical director Ed Beamon. "We had to come here with a small crew but one that we had a lot of confidence in. We hoped that Team Type 1 would take some control and they did, so we sat back because they had so many guys. They did most of that work to bring those two guys back."

Team Type 1 took on the responsibility to reel in the pair of threatening contenders who were reabsorbed into the field with five laps to go. The two riders stayed near the front of the field to set up a lead-out train for sprinter Ivan Dominguez, who crashed with 200 metres to go.

"We rode the last four laps on the front and the last lap was crazy, as always," said the squad's directeur sportif, Sebastian Alexandre. "Luis, Alejandro and Ivan were together and someone took Ivan's wheel from Ale so he lost the train with two corners to go and they sprinted separately. Luis and Ale were doing the lead-out on one side and Ivan was on the other side of the road.

"We know that Somerville is a hard race for breakaways but we tried to make the race hard," he added. "That is what we did so we are happy. We gave it a shot. Having Ivan sitting in today was a good card. Unfortunately he crashed."

Jamis-Sutter Home riders were the first through the last corner followed by the Fly V Australia's crew of sprinters who timed their sprint to perfection, outpacing their rival fast-men in the gallop to the line to take the top two places of the prestigious podium with Kersten and Bazzana.

Colavita-Baci makes sponsors proud in Somerville

Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita-Baci p/b Cooking Light) won the women's Kugler Open in front of a sponsor-filled audience at the finale race of the Tour of Somerville. She outpaced runner up Kristy Broun (Verducci Breakaway Racing) and former US Criterium Champion Brooke Miller (Tibco) in third.

"We were riding for a sprint today and our main goal was to keep everything together," Cliff-Ryan explained afterwards. "We weren't stressing trying to get away because we were confident we could win a sprint. The girls kept it together and did a huge lead-out, it was perfect."

"Of course this race is very important to us," she added. "Colavita and Jamis groups are really good and supportive and they understand bike racing. We always want to win this one for them so we are happy to pull that off."

The women's Kugler Open, a 32km criterium, offered $7,000 in cash prizes and was contested by some 50 Pro and Elite racers. Verducci Breakaway Racing were arguably the most aggressive riders in the bunch; however, the fast course design has traditionally left little opportunity for a breakaway to succeed to the line.

"It was roasting hot today," said Rachel Heal, Colavita-Baci directeur sportif. "But it is a hard course to get away on and a break never seems to stick. There was a lot of attacking but no break got any distance. We wanted it to come down to a bunch sprint because that suited us well. This is also an important race for us because it is in both our sponsors, Colavita and Jamis' backyard in New Jersey."

Colavita-Baci's seven-woman team proved to have the strongest lead-out train with two laps to go. They ramped up the speed on the final lap and Cliff-Ryan sat protected behind two of her teammates Modesta Vzesniauskaite and Kelly Benjamin. As the trio exited the last corner, they were followed closely by Miller and Broun. Cliff-Ryan jumped early and held her sprint the line for the victory.

"Brooke, Kristy and Laura Van Gilder were behind me," Cliff-Ryan said. "Kelly was the last lead-out for me and I left a gap on her because I didn't want to get boxed in. I wanted to wait as long as possible because it was a head wind. As soon as I heard Brooke coming at me I got a run at Kelly and was able to hold on to the line. I started it with 200 metres to go."

Results

Swipe to scroll horizontally
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Ben Kersten (Fly V Australia)1:46:22
2Alessandro Bazzana (Fly V Australia)0:00:00
3Clayton Barrows (AXA Equitable Cycling Team / C)Row 2 - Cell 2
4Neil Bezdek (Mountain Khakis f/b Jittery Joe's)Row 3 - Cell 2
5Jacob Keough (UnitedHealthcare p/b Maxxis)0:00:00
6Adam Carr (Adageo Energy Pro Cycling)Row 5 - Cell 2
7Edwin Bull (Van Dessel Factory Team)0:00:01
8Luca Damiani (Kenda p/b Gear Grinder)Row 7 - Cell 2
9Alexey Shmidt (Team Type 1)0:00:01
10Iggy Silva (Trek-Livestrong)0:00:01
11Aldo Ilesic (Team Type 1)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Alejandro Borrajo (Jamis Sutter Home p/b Colavita)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Jermaine Burrowes (Dave Jordan/Zephyr)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Isaac Howe (Mountain Khakis f/b Jittery Joe's)0:00:01
15Martijn Verschoor (Team Type 1)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Adam Myerson (Mountain Kakis)0:00:01
17Olaf Kerkhof (Team Type 1 Development)0:00:01
18John Durso (Liberty)0:00:01
19Jerome Townsend (BikeReg.com / Joe's Garage / I)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Lisban Quintero (CRCA/ Foundation)0:00:01
21Michael Friedman (Jelly Belly)0:00:01
22Eric Schildge (Mountain Khakis f/b Jittery Joe's)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Bobby Lea (OUCH/Bahati Foundation)0:00:02
24Anthony Taylor (CRCA / Dave Jordan Coaching-Ze)0:00:02
25Ward Solar (Spooky/NCC/Kenda Cycling Team)0:00:02
26Stalin Quiterio Cuello (jamen vincents racing team)0:00:02
27Cheyne Hoag (Kelly Benefit Strategies)0:00:02
28Mark Hekman (Mountain Khakis f/b Jittery Joe's)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Patrick Bevin (BISSELL Pro Cycling)0:00:02
30Robert Bush (Kenda p/b Gear Grinder)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Shawn Milne (Team Type 1)0:00:02
32David Tanner (Fly V Australia)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Rodney Santiago (Champion System Racing)0:00:02
34David Guttenplan (Mountain Khakis f/b Jittery Joe's)0:00:03
35Brian Cornelius (Trisports/Eclipse Racing)0:00:04
36Luis Alberto Romero Amaran (Jamis Sutter Home p/b Colavita)0:00:05
37Hayden Brooks (Fly V Australia)0:00:05
38Rafal Urzedowski (Northeastern Hardware)0:00:06
39Luke Keough (BikeReg.com/Cannondale)0:00:06
40Daniel Holt (Team Type 1)0:00:06
41Stephan Dioslaki (Team Metra / Cycles 54 p/b Wen)0:00:08
42Igor Volshteyn (Champion System Racing)0:00:09
43Nathaniel Ward (Wheelhouse / NCC)0:00:10
44J Gabriel Lloyd (MetLife p/b groSolar)0:00:10
45Sean Melcher (Champion System Racing)0:00:10
46Daniel Holloway (BISSELL Pro Cycling)0:00:10
47Colin Sandberg (Hershey Cancer Institute-GPOA-)0:00:13
48Kenneth Hanson (Team Type 1)0:00:13
49Michael Chauner (Pelotonia Cycling Team p/b rol)0:00:15
50Randy Smargiassi (Team LionofFlanders.com)0:00:18
51Chad Hartley (Kenda p/b Gear Grinder)0:00:19
52Gregory Leach (Team Metra / Cycles 54 p/b Wen)0:00:20
53Sean Coleman (US Military Cycling Team)0:00:20
54Zach Garrett (US Armed Forces)0:00:21
55Daniel Zmolik (AXA Equitable Cycling Team / C)0:00:21
56Joseph Whitman (AXA Equitable Cycling Team / C)Row 55 - Cell 2
57Alex Bowden (Team Type 1)0:00:23
58Matt Inconiglios (Stage 1 / fusionTHINK)0:00:26
59Joey Rosskopf (Mountain Khakis f/b Jittery Joe's)0:00:26
60Elvi Rodriguez Garcia (Team Somerset/Somerville Bicyc)0:00:32
61Ryan Fleming (MetLife p/b groSolar)0:00:34
62Charles Hutcheson (US Military Cycling Team)0:00:40
63Gilberth Gomez Valverde (Team Somerset/Somerville Bicyc)0:00:43
64Jared Bunde (G.S. Mengoni USA)0:00:46
65Aaron Fillion (Ride With Rendall)0:00:48
66Franklin Burgos (james vincent bicycles/jv raci)0:00:50
67Horace Burrowes (CRCA / Dave Jordan Coaching /Z)0:00:53
68John Loehner (AXA/EquiTable-CRCA)0:00:54
69Elliot Gaunt (Pelotonia Cycling Team p/b rol)0:00:55
70Steven Ward (Libery Cycles)0:00:57
71Jacob Brewer (US Military Cycling Team/Herri)0:00:57
72Jorge Romero (Champion System Racing)0:01:00
73Justin Morris (Team Type 1 Development)0:01:00
74Paul Burrowes (CRCA/Dave Jordan)0:01:01
75Brian Cooblall (Flying Stars CC)0:01:01
76Nikolai Masluk (Team Metra/ Cycles 54 p/b Wend)0:01:01
77Jon Gallagher (Cole Sport)0:01:02
78Alejandro Guzman (CRCA-FOUNDATION)0:01:02
79Scott Jackson (Global Bike Racing)0:01:03
80Geoff Smith (Watchung Wheelmen)Row 79 - Cell 2
81James Megias-Leal (Team Type 1)0:01:04
82Ronald Larose (CCNS / Pedalpower)0:01:04
83Barry Miller (Mike Fraysse Sports)0:01:05
84Wilson Vasquez0:01:09
85John Hunter (PBR / Talksoft)0:01:09
86Joe Eldridge (Team Type 1)0:01:11
87David Martin (team metra/cycles 54 p/b wendy)0:01:19
88David Kemp (Fly V Australia)0:01:22
89Glen Rendall (Ride with Rendall)0:01:23
90Todd Scheske (Preferred Care Elite Cycling)0:01:25
91Ryan Nye (MVP Health Care)0:01:26
92Luis Aquino (Innovation Bike)0:01:27
93Anthony Lowe (Die Hard - Think Racing)0:01:28
94Diego Guzman (swim bike and run)0:01:28
95David Wiswell (CRCA/ David Jordan Coaching -)0:01:34
96Austin Carroll (Adageo Enery Pro Cycling)0:01:34
97Nicholas Keough (Kenda p/b Gear Grinder)0:01:35
98Andres Ignacio Pereyra (Jamis Sutter Home p/b Colavita)0:01:46
99Rod Myers0:01:46
100James Carney (RideClean p/b PatentIt.com)0:02:05
101Cody O'reilly (BISSELL Pro Cycling)0:02:10
102Lanell Rockmore (Ouch-Bahati Foundation)0:02:11
103Andrew Chocha (US Military Cycling Team)0:02:12
104Frank Travieso (Jamis Sutter Homes p/b Colavit)0:02:29
DNSAndrew Baker (Ion-United Healthcare)Row 104 - Cell 2
DNSAlexander Bremer (MetLife p/b groSolar)Row 105 - Cell 2
DNSDaniel Cassidy (US Military Cycling Team)Row 106 - Cell 2
DNSOscar Clark (Mountain Khakis f/b Jittery Joe's)Row 107 - Cell 2
DNSJoao Correia (CTT)Row 108 - Cell 2
DNSJake Hollenbach (AXA Equitable Cycling Team / C)Row 109 - Cell 2
DNSRyan Mcfeely (US Military Cycling Team)Row 110 - Cell 2
DNSJared Nieters (Haymarket Bicycles/HomeVisit)Row 111 - Cell 2
DNSSom Raj Seepersaud (Flying Ace Cycling)Row 112 - Cell 2
DNSNeal Stansbury (tri state velo)Row 113 - Cell 2
DNSJim Tsilemos (Ride With Rendall)Row 114 - Cell 2
DNSKyle Wamsley (BISSELL Pro Cycling)Row 115 - Cell 2
DNPMichael Jenks (Heart House/CADV/CC EVESHAM)Row 116 - Cell 2
DNFJosh Alexander (Foundation/ CRCA)Row 117 - Cell 2
DNFJames Baldesare (Kenda pro cycling p/b geargrin)Row 118 - Cell 2
DNFSimon Bennett (Team Type 1 Development)Row 119 - Cell 2
DNFDemis Aleman (Jamis Sutter Home p/b Colavita)Row 120 - Cell 2
DNFFabio Calabria (Team Type 1)Row 121 - Cell 2
DNFIvan Dominguez (Jamis Sutter Home p/b Colavita)Row 122 - Cell 2
DNFWilliam Elliston (Van Dessel Factory Team)Row 123 - Cell 2
DNFEvan Fader (Kelly Benefit Strategies/LSV)Row 124 - Cell 2
DNFTimothy Farnham (Adageo Energy Pro Cycling)Row 125 - Cell 2
DNFDave Jordan (CRCA / Dave Jordan Coaching -)Row 126 - Cell 2
DNFShane Kline (BISSELL Pro Cycling)Row 127 - Cell 2
DNFMark Light (Liberty Cycle)Row 128 - Cell 2
DNFRoselvert Marte Quezada (GS Mengoni)Row 129 - Cell 2
DNFJohn Minturn (AXA Equitable Cycling Team / C)Row 130 - Cell 2
DNFClay Murfet (RideClean p/b PatentIt.com)Row 131 - Cell 2
DNFLynn Murray (CRCA / Dave Jordan Coaching- Z)Row 132 - Cell 2
DNFGuillaume Nelessen (Van Dessel Factory Team)Row 133 - Cell 2
DNFLuis Amaury Perez (GS Mengoni USA)Row 134 - Cell 2
DNFChris Reid (Ride with Rendall)Row 135 - Cell 2
DNFAustin Roach (MetLife p/b groSolar)Row 136 - Cell 2
DNFCasey Roth (Ride With Rendall)Row 137 - Cell 2
DNFJackie Simes (Jamis Sutter Homes p/b Colavit)Row 138 - Cell 2
DNFMatthew Spohn (Dynaflo)Row 139 - Cell 2
DNFKen Walsh (Pabst Blue Ribbon/Talksoft Rac)Row 140 - Cell 2
DNFTyler Wren (Jamis Sutter Home p/b Colavita)Row 141 - Cell 2
DNFJeff Zygo (MVP Health Care Cycling)Row 142 - Cell 2
DNFKirk Albers (Panther pb Competitive Cyclist)Row 143 - Cell 2
DNFJason Cheney (Ride With Rendall)Row 144 - Cell 2
DNFPaul ChooweenamRow 145 - Cell 2
DNFColin Jaskiewicz (AXA Equitable Cycling Team / C)Row 146 - Cell 2
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Women - 1/2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team)0:47:25
2Kristy Broun (Team Verducci Breakaway Racing)0:00:00
3Sinead Miller (Team TIBCO)Row 2 - Cell 2
4Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom)0:00:00
5Joelle Numainville (Webcor Builders)0:00:01
6Emma Petersen0:00:01
7Jennifer Purcell (Rooster p/b Edge Composite Whe)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Kate Veronneau0:00:01
9Erica Allar (Team VBF)0:00:02
10Carrie Cash Wootten (Team VBF)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Sarah Caravella0:00:02
12Kori Seehafer (Team Type 1)0:00:02
13Nichole Wangsgard (Roosters p/b Edge Composite Wh)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Kacey Manderfield (Cycle Loft)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Amity Elliot (Team Kenda)0:00:02
16Genevieve Whitson (MVP Healt Care Cycling)0:00:03
17Melissa Sanborn (CyclePath Racing)0:00:03
18Thea Parent (Human Zoom / Pabst Blue Ribbon)0:00:03
19Kelly Benjamin (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team)0:00:03
20Unknown Rider0:00:03
21Lenore Pipes (Fruit66/Artemis)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Colleen Gulick (Team Kenda)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Samantha Schneider (Team TIBCO)0:00:04
24Amy Mcguire (Wheelworks Racing)0:00:04
25Mary Costelloe (Verducci)0:00:04
26Kristen Lasasso (Team TIBCO Pro Cycling)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Caryl Gale (Denos Wonder Wheel)0:00:05
28Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Type 1)0:00:05
29Amanda Watson0:00:05
30Kristine Church (Humanzoom/ Pabst Blue Ribbon)0:00:05
31Colleen Hayduk (Team Verducci Breakaway Racing)0:00:07
32Christy Blakely0:00:07
33Jennifer Rasmusson (Team Kenda)0:00:18
34Anna Mcloon (Team Kenda)0:00:20
35Patricia Buerkle (Fruit66 - Artemis)0:00:22
36Alexandra Carle (Team Verducci Breakaway Racing)0:00:23
37Nicole Freedman (Wheelworks Racing)0:00:25
38Erin Silliman (Fruit66/Artemis)0:00:28
39Sarah Iepson0:00:28
40Sara Zeigler0:00:28
41Andrea Luebbe (Lehigh University Cycling Club)0:00:29
42Arley Kemmerer (Team CARD Women's Cycling)0:00:33
43Lauren Shirock (BMW/Bianchi)0:00:33
44Catherine Cheatley (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team)0:00:35
45Carmen Small (Colavita Baci Pro Cycling Team)0:00:40
46Kimberly Geist (Team Alliance Environmental)0:00:40
47Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team)0:00:40
48Morgan Patton (Team Type 1)0:00:43
49Lenore Imhof (Riptide Cycling)0:00:50
50Michelle Hart (CAWES powered by Specialized)0:00:56
51Mandy Marquardt (Team Type 1)0:01:00
52Natalie Stoll (MVP Health Care Cycling)0:01:05
53Rushlee Buchanan (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team)0:01:15
54Kate Bates (Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Tricia Carnila (Verducci Breakaway)0:01:28
56Lisa Jellett (Team Verducci Breakaway Racing)0:01:28
57Bron Ryan (Team Verducci Breakaway Racing)0:02:05
58Elspeth Huyett (Team Verducci Breakaway Racing)0:02:05
DNSJanel Bedard (MVP Health Care)Row 58 - Cell 2
DNSSinead Miller (Peanut Butter & Co. / Twenty 12)Row 59 - Cell 2
DNSAnna Young (MVP Health Care Cycling)Row 60 - Cell 2
DNPMonique HanleyRow 61 - Cell 2
DNFJessie Maclean (Team Verducci Breakaway Racing)Row 62 - Cell 2

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Kirsten Frattini
Deputy Editor

Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.

Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.

She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.

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