Clarke laps field to win Clarendon Cup

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Hilton Clarke (UnitedHealthcare) took a convincing sprint victory ahead of an early three-man breakaway that lapped the field at the National Racing Calendar (NRC) Air Force Classic Clarendon Cup on Saturday. The Australian benefitted from a team lead-out and out-paced his breakaway companion Carlos Alzate (Team Exergy) who placed second on the day. His teammate Adrian Hegyvary was also in the early move and placed third on the day.

"Personally, I've always really enjoyed this event because I saw it when I first came to the US ten years ago," Clarke said. "It's so fast and there are so many corners and it's unique because there aren't too many 100 kilometre criteriums. I always look at this race and get excited about it so it was cool to win in a second time."

The Clarendon Cup kicked off its 14th edition in hot weather conditions. Race organizers allowed a feed zone to open during the men's 100 kilometre criterium. The event is well known for its one kilometre, figure-8 circuit where they men complete 100 laps. "It was really hot and I handed out more than 25 bottles today," said Tad Hamilton from Team Exergy. "There were a lot of guys cramping out there, even with the feed zone."

A three-man move that included Clarke, Hegyvary and Alzate rode off the front of the field with in the first ten laps of the race. There was little concerted effort from the participating teams to chase it back including Team Type 1-Sanofi Aventis, Bissell and Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth, among others.

"The breakaway gained time right away, they were doing about 70-second laps," said Hamilton. "As soon as they were half a lap up, they were only a quarter of the way off the back of the field. There were about 100 guys in the field. The teams sent one or two guys to help work but there wasn't anything really that organized."

The trio quickly gained half a lap and 15-laps later they rejoined the back of the main peloton, and one lap ahead. "I've done this race enough to know that it's usually really hot and you won't make it to the finish line if you attack early," Clarke said. "Today when I went in the break early with Hegyvary and Alzate, I was very hesitant to work fully, but Hegyvary was going so strong that it was clear after a few laps we had a chance to lap the field. Hegyvary was the driving force in the breakaway today."

"Ideally, for us, it would have been better if the three guys didn't catch the field, because then we had to deal with the eight UnitedHealthcare guys," Hamilton said. "But, with the race being 100 kms it wasn't realistic for them to just stay out there. Once they caught the field, UnitedHealthcare was on the front and we sent one guy to help. I'm not really sure why the teams let us ride away."

Once the three riders successfully lapped the field, a flurry of attacks continued and one rider, Patrick Moren (Amore & Vita), made a solo attempt that turned into a nearly 60-lap breakaway. He was joined by a large group for several laps, however, they split apart in the closing laps and Moren remained out from with an unidentified rider from Jamis-Sutter Home. The pair were caught on the last lap and Moren earned the event's Most Aggressive Rider award.

Back in the field, UnitedHealthcare took control at the head of the peloton to ensure a victory from one of its breakaway riders. Clarke won the bunch sprint ahead of his teammate Robert Forster, who ended up placing fourth on the day. Alzate's third place in the bunch sprint lead to a second place on the day, while Hegyvary completed the podium in third place.

Numainville triumphs in Arlington

Canadian National Road Champion Joelle Numainville (TIBCO-To the Top) won the bunch sprint at the National Racing Calendar (NRC) Air Force Classic Clarendon Cup on Saturday. She out-paced Colavita Forno D'Asolo duo Leah Kirchmann, who is the Canadian National Criterium Champion, in second and Lauren Hall who placed third.

"I worked my way into position at the end of the race," Numainville said. "I was pretty confident coming into this race that I would be able to do well."

The Clarendon Cup women's field race for 50 kms held over the course of 50 laps on a one kilometre, figure-8 circuit under extremely warm temperatures. "I liked the course, it was pretty fast with a couple of fast turns on the back side," Numainville said.

"The final corner was a little tricky but I tried to think about the best strategy all race. I was positioned in second on Cath Chealtey's wheel and she was there on the last lap so I got on her wheel. But, in general the race was really hot and really fast."

The women's race was aggressive and included several short-lived breakaways. One threatening move included two riders from Colavita Forno D'Asolo and TIBCO-To the Top, one rider from Peanut Butter & Co Twenty12 and another unidentified rider. The five women stayed off the front for roughly eight laps before being reabsorbed into the peloton. Both Colavita Forno D'Asolo and Tibco-To the Top has strength in numbers with eight riders per team, other aggressive teams included Cawes and Kenda.

"It was a quite aggressive race, probably one of the most aggressive races that we did this year," Numainville said. "It was really fast, our team worked really well together and everyone did a good job."

Megan Gaurnier (TIBCO-To the Top) and Cath Cheatley (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) worked their way off the front with eight laps remaining in the race. With a strong sprinter in Numainville back in the field, it was in Gaurnier's best interest not to work and the pair returned to the field with five laps to go. Cheatley lead the field around the last corner with Numainville on her wheel followed by Kirchmann and Hall.

"We figured going into the race that, although we had a strong run of results and the responsibility would be on us, we didn't have our top team sprinter, so a lot of the responsibility would be on Tibco," said Colavita Forno D'Asolo DS Rachel Heal. "It was very much a battle between us and Tibco. We initiated a lot of attacks because it was a good option for us to try and be off the front. Our plan was to have Cath do a full-lap lead-out with one lap to go for the sprinters Leah and Lauren."