Keough wins Crystal City Classic

Jake Keough (UnitedHealthcare) defended his title by winning the bunch sprint at the National Racing Calendar (NRC) Air Force Cycling Classic Crystal City on Sunday. His team executed a perfectly time lead-out for Keough, and in the process secured second and third place on the podium with the previous day's winner Hilton Clarke and Robert Forster, respectively.

"We did the same sort of lead-out that we've been doing all season, and in the past couple of races we've had Robert with us. That changed our roles a little bit and gave us more fire power at the end," Keough said. "I was at the back and it was basically if I could come around them at the end. Who ever is on the back is always sprinting for the win, today that was me."

Clarke won the event's overall omnium by virtue of winning the Clarendon Cup on Saturday and placing second at the Crystal City Classic. "I'm happy to have won the omnium," he said following the race. "The team did a good job this weekend."

The Crystal City Classic offered somewhat of a dumb-bell shaped, two-kilometre course. The men were scheduled to complete 90 minutes, which was reduced by roughly 10 minutes to accommodate live television coverage.

The race was aggressive from the start with several attacks coming from teams Exergy, Amore & Vita, Jamis-Sutter Home, Mountain Khakis and Team Type 1, whose sprinter Aldo Ino Ilesic rode solo off the front for roughly four laps.

Mid-race, a flurry of attacks caused the peloton to start to splinter with one larger group forming a mere seconds off the front. However, all came back together when UnitedHealthcare started its eight rider lead-out with 10 laps to go.

"This course was only 90 minutes, after yesterday's 100km, so if you stick together it would be a field sprint," Clarke said. "We just waited and the boys are really well drilled now, they are so calm coming to the finish and it doesn't really matter what other teams do because we just stick together."

A rider from BikeReg.com launched himself off the front and maintained a five- to 10-second lead for three laps. Tom Soladay (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth) countered that move, but he too was reeled in with three laps to go.

UnitedHealthcare continued to dominate the final lap, as notable sprinters such as Freddie Rodriguez (Team Exergy) moved into position directly behind them. Rodriguez attempted to bring his team's sprinter Carlos Alzate into a good position to sprint for the victory. Alzate placed a respectable fourth behind Keough, Clarke and Forster.

"Carlos was in second place in the omnium so we wanted to bring him right up to the UnitedHealthcare train," Rodriguez said. "They had a really good train and it was the perfect course to control it so they did a perfect job. It was hard to beat that but we wanted to give it a shot because Carlos finished second yesterday."

Kirchmann triumphs in women's race

Canadian National Criterium Champion Leah Kirchmann (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) won the bunch sprint at the NRC Air Force Cycling Classic Crystal City on Sunday. She out-paced her fellow-countryman, Canadian National Road Champion and previous day's winner Joelle Numainville (Tibco-To the Top) who placed second and Lauren Tamayo (Peanut Butter & Co Twenty12) in third.

Kirchmann won the overall omnium based on placing second in the previous day's Clarendon Cup and winning the Crystal City Classic.

"I didn't feel enormous pressure but I was the designated sprinter on the team here and I've learned a lot from being on this team," Kirchmann said. "I was more aggressive off the start, but one of my teammates reminded me that I should stay conservative because I was the sprinter for the day. It was nerve-racking because it was a little bit sketchy and bumping elbows and trying to get position, it can be scary but also exhilarating."

The women started their 60-minute event under slightly cooler temperatures compared to the previous day's Clarendon Cup. The Crystal City Classic offered a fast, two-kilometre course that made it difficult for any breakaway to gain more than 10 seconds.

Tibco-To the Top had full confidence in Numainville's sprint and thus utilized the same plan as the previous day, which was to cover the attacks coming from Colavita Forno D'Asolo and other teams, and maintain good position for a field sprint.

"I definitely have confidence in Joelle and our goal was to keep Joelle, Jo [Keisanowski] and Sam [Schneider], who are our top finishers, up there at the end for the omnium," said Tibco-to the Top DS Lisa Hunt. "It was tight timing on the sprint, it was close and obviously I am disappointed, but we are really focussing on Nature Valley Grand Prix next week. We are excited and we have a really strong team. All of our positive momentum is going forward."

Many of the early race breakaways included a combination of riders from Colavita Forno D'Asolo and Tibco-To the top, along with riders from Team Sticky Fingers, Battley Harley Davidson, Pure Energy-Pro Air, Cawes p/b Specialized and Kenda p/b Geargrinder.

Tamayo, who was racing without teammates on the day, noted the strength in numbers of both Colavita Forno D'Asolo and Tibco-to the Top, and made the decision to conserve as much energy as possible in order to place well in the inevitable bunch sprint. "Yesterday Tibco and Colavita were trying to be pretty aggressive and they were always sending something off and if it was anything more than their individual team represented they sat up and didn't work with it," said Tamayo, who placed third on the day.

"Today, I tried to be more conservative because it would probably be the same," she said. "I get it, they are racing for the NRC and they have to gain NRC points. I decided to be conservative and see if the breaks would come back. I'm only one person and can only do so much work and I wanted to be decent for the finish. My legs felt tired half way through, but I did a couple of efforts trying to jump across to stuff and that cleared everything out. I just had to make sure I was on the right wheels at the finish."

One of the most significant late-race moves began with Tara Whitten (Tibco-To the Top) and Kelly Benjamin (Colavita-Forno D'Asolo). The breakaway reshuffled to include Rushlee Buchanan (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) and Megan Guarnier (Tibco-To the Top). And it reshuffled a third time to include Buchanan and Meredith Miller (Tibco-To the Top).

Rachel Warner (Missing Links Coaching & Training Systems) bridged across to Miller and Buchanan with two laps to go, however, the field came back together on the last lap for a field sprint won by Kirchmann.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Elite men results
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Jake Keough (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)1:20:45
2Hilton Clarke (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)Row 1 - Cell 2
3Robert Forster (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)Row 2 - Cell 2
4Aldo Ino Ilesic (Team Type I-Sanofi Aventis)Row 3 - Cell 2
5Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)Row 4 - Cell 2
6Carlos Alzate (Team Exergy)Row 5 - Cell 2
7Alexey Shmidt (Team Type I-Sanofi Aventis)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Luke Keough (Team Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop)Row 7 - Cell 2
9Roman Van Uden (Pure Black)Row 8 - Cell 2
10Mical Smit Larsen (Denmark National Team)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Eric Schildge (Jamis - Sutter Home)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Phillip Mamos (Amore-Vita)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Jacob Mueller (Kelly Benefit Strategies/Lateral Stress Velo)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Soren Petersen (Denmark National Team)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Patrik Moren (Amore-Vita)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Nick Frey (Jamis - Sutter Home)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Keck Baker (X/O Communications Battley Harley-Davidson)Row 16 - Cell 2
18Neil Bezdek (Team Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop)Row 17 - Cell 2
19Gavriel Epstein (Chipotle Development Team)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Thacker Reeves (Chipotle Development Team)Row 19 - Cell 2
21Jared Nieters (X/O Communications Battley Harley-Davidson)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Freddie Rodriguez (Team Exergy)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Max Korus (BikeReg.com/Cannondale)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Travis Livermon (Team Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop)Row 23 - Cell 2
25Timothy Rugg (X/O Communications Battley Harley-Davidson)Row 24 - Cell 2
26David Bozak (Clean Currents p/b Don Beyer Volvo)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Jerome Townsend (Team Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop)Row 26 - Cell 2
28Adam Myerson (Team Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Andrew Pinfold (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)Row 28 - Cell 2
30Danny Skovgren (Denmark National Team)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Peter Hurst (BikeReg.com/Cannondale)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Donald Brew (North Tek-Aria)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Evan Burkhart (BikeReg.com/Cannondale)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Charles Hutcheson (X/O Communications Battley Harley-Davidson)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Christopher Schmidt (ARTEMIS)Row 34 - Cell 2
36Robert Polder (CycleCity)Row 35 - Cell 2
37Jonathan Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth)Row 36 - Cell 2
38Vladislav Bonsov (Amore-Vita)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Stig Hemmingsen (Denmark National Team)Row 38 - Cell 2
40Ryan Mckinney (Clean Currents p/b Don Beyer Volvo)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Jonny Clarke (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Curtis Winsor (FEAR 2 ONE)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Charles Eldridge (Team Type I-Sanofi Aventis)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Jay Moglia (Raw Talent Ranch/CycleLife)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Andy Guptill (Jamis - Sutter Home)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Manuel Sebastian (KELLY BENEFITS)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Jason Meidhof (Clean Currents p/b Don Beyer Volvo)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Thomas Brown (Team Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Shane Kline (Bissell)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Jonathan Hamblen (Team Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Andrea Grendene (Team Type I-Sanofi Aventis)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Martijn Vershoor (Team Type I-Sanofi Aventis)Row 51 - Cell 2
53Thomas Soladay (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Juan Dario (KELLY BENEFITS)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Boy Van Poppel (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)Row 54 - Cell 2
56Adam Switters (X/O Communications Battley Harley-Davidson)Row 55 - Cell 2
57John (Jackie) Simes (Jamis - Sutter Home)Row 56 - Cell 2
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Elite women
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Leah Kirchmann (Colavita Forno d'Asolo Pro Cycling Team)0:58:00
2Joelle Numainville (TIBCO)Row 1 - Cell 2
3Lauren Tomayo (Peanut Butter & Co Twenty12)Row 2 - Cell 2
4Kacey Manderfield (Pure Energy Cycling-ProAirHFA)Row 3 - Cell 2
5Joanne Kiesanowski (TIBCO)Row 4 - Cell 2
6Kelly Benjamin (Colavita Forno d'Asolo Pro Cycling Team)Row 5 - Cell 2
7Lindsay Honaker (1 - Cat2) (X/O Communications/Battley Harley-Davidson)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Lenore Pipes (GUAM NATIONAL)Row 7 - Cell 2
9Jennifer Rasmusson (Team Kenda presented by Geargrinder)Row 8 - Cell 2
10Emily Thurston (Battley Harley-Davidson)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Erin Silliman (VA Asset Group p/b Artemis/Trek)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Sarah Fader (Team Sticky Fingers)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Lauren Hall (Colavita Forno d'Asolo Pro Cycling Team)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Kristine (Kacy) Wander (2 - Cat2) (CAWES p/b Specialized)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Jocelyn Setter (CAWES p/b Specialized)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Patricia Buerkle (Virginia Beach Velo/East Coast Bicycles)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Colavita Forno d'Asolo Pro Cycling Team)Row 16 - Cell 2
18Nicole Raspa (3 - Cat2) (CAWES p/b Specialized)Row 17 - Cell 2
19Cath Heatley (Colavita Forno d'Asolo Pro Cycling Team)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Monika Sattler (4 - Cat2) (X/O Communications/Battley Harley-Davidson)Row 19 - Cell 2
21Tara Whitten (TIBCO)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Megan Guarnier (TIBCO)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Kristin Sanders (Colavita Forno d'Asolo Pro Cycling Team)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Rushlee Buchanan (Colavita Forno d'Asolo Pro Cycling Team)Row 23 - Cell 2
25Samantha Schneider (TIBCO)Row 24 - Cell 2
26Meredith Miller (TIBCO)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Emma Mackie (TIBCO)Row 26 - Cell 2
28Sarah Iepson (5 - Cat2) (CAWES p/b Specialized)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Carmen Small (TIBCO)Row 28 - Cell 2
30Janel Holcomb (Colavita Forno d'Asolo Pro Cycling Team)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Sonja Evers (Team Sticky Fingers)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Jennifer Maxwell (Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Rachel Warner (Missing Links Coaching & Training Systems)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Arley Kemmerer (6 - Cat2) (CAWES p/b Specialized)Row 33 - 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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