Passeron pushes ahead on GC

Former Tour de France contender Aurelien Passeron (Garneau Club Chaussures) used his big race experience to capture a solo victory at the Wachusett Mountain Road Race. The Frenchman caught the peloton by surprise when he attacked with two kilometres to go and won the race by more than 15-seconds ahead of David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Paul Mach (Bissell), in second and third respectively.

"I attacked with two kilometres to go and I arrived solo," said Passeron. "Yesterday I placed third and so I wanted to win the stage today. I was not surprised there wasn't really a chase because Kelly Benefits, Jamis and Bissell were looking at each other so I counter attacked over the second last climb, gained 30 seconds and managed to win the race."

Passeron is leading the overall classification, 21 seconds ahead of the previous day's stage winner Alejandro Borrajo (Jamis-Sutter Home p/b Colavita) and an additional nine seconds ahead of Paul Mach (Bissell). The Courtyard by Marriott Fitchburg-South stage three time trial is flat and 14km in length but it is regarded as the most decisive stage for those looking to win the overall title.

"I'm not thinking about keeping the jersey tomorrow because I just want to think about doing the best time trial I can," Passeron explained. "Normally I am a good time trial guy but I feel a little bit tired because I raced for 10 days in a row at the Tour of Dairyland and because of all the traveling to get there and then to get to this race. I feel tired but my legs are good. In an effort of 14km... I'm not sure, we will see tomorrow."

Stage two offered the pro-elite peloton nine laps of a large rolling circuit that totaled 156km. Construction forced race organisers to eliminate the traditional five-kilometre ascent; the race did finish up a shorter hill outside the Princeton Centre, however.

A breakaway of roughly 10 riders gained a small advantage early in the race and included at least one rider from the two larger teams Bissell and Jamis-Sutter Home. Kelly Benefit Strategies did not have a rider in the move and organised a team chase that shattered the peloton behind. Mid-race, the front group swelled to about 30 riders when the chase, lead by Kelly Benefit Strategies, bridged across.

"Once that front group all came together the field pretty much sat up," said Mach. "Kelly Benefits had about six guys in that group so they were the ones who did a lot of the work, even after the two groups came together."

Key overall contenders that made the lead group included Passeron, along with Veilleux, Scott Zwizanski and defending champion Zach Bell (Kelly Benefit Strategies), Alejandro Borrajo, Luis Amaran and Tyler Wren (Jamis-Sutter Home p/b Colavita), Paul Mach, Jeremy Vennel and former overall winner Kyle Wamsley (Bissell), Jay Thomson and Darren Lill (Fly V Australia), Matt Cooke (Mountain Khakis p/b Jittery Joes), Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) Nick Waite (Kenda-Geargrinder) and Pat McCarty (Matrix-Richardson Bike Mart).

"I was in the group of 20 that bridged across to the front group," said Passeron. "I followed some attacks because I had one of my teammates up there."

The lead group, lead by nearly the complete Kelly Benefit Strategies lineup, gained roughly 15 minutes on the more than 100 riders that made up the main peloton. With one lap to go there was a flurry of relentless attacking from many of the teams vying for a stage win.

"There was tons of attacking on the last lap," Mach said. "There were a lot of false flat rollers across the top of the course and more along the bottom of the course. Kelly Benefit drove it up the last climb and I actually though I got second [behind Veilleux] because I didn't know that guy who won was off the front.

"That guy [Passeron] must have attacked and I guess everyone thought, 'Oh, he will probably blow up.' Then we all realise he rode the 2008 Tour de France and he didn't blow up."

Passeron attacked over a small roller with two kilometres to go and opened up a 30-second gap. He rounded the last right hand turn and powered over the final climb to take the win by 15 seconds ahead of a shattered peloton.

Cheatley doubles the score in Fitchburg

Cath Cheatley (Colavita-Baci p/b Cooking Light) won her second consecutive stage at the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic with victory in the Wachusett Mountain Road Race. The New Zealander attacked her late-race breakaway to take a solo win ahead of Bron Ryan (Verducci Breakaway) and teammate Rushlee Buchanan.

"This is a great way to start the race," said Cheatley. "The time trial is not my forte but we all have to go out and ride as hard as we can, even after a hard stage like today. I'm going to go out and give it my all."

Cheatley more than doubled her lead in the general classification heading into the stage three time trial. She is more than half a minute ahead of Ryan in second, with an additional 15 seconds to Buchanan.

The pro-elite women raced for six laps, totaling 102km on rolling terrain. Cheatley's teammates sent off several attacks during the opening laps and many of them resulted in small breakaways.

"We knew we had the numbers and aimed to attack a lot," said Colavita-Baci's directeur sportif Rachel Heal. "We wanted to try to wear out the stronger riders and teams to force them to work early on so that Cath and Rushlee could attack toward the end."

Buchanan made the first move with one and half laps to go and brought Ryan and Audrey Scott (LadiesFirst Racing) with her. The trio gained approximately 30 seconds on the peloton before the climb through the start-finish line showing one lap to go.

Cheatley bridged across to the three leaders and drove the pace, with help from Buchanan, causing Scott to fall off pace. Riders involved in chasing the small break included Amber Rais (Kuota Speed Kueens) and Olivia Dillon (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12).

Buchanan attacked at the base of the final climb forcing Ryan to chase. The move allowed Cheatley to counter attack for the stage win.

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