Gateway Cup: Ilesic wins Giro della Montagne

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Aldo Ino Ilesic (Astellas) won the third day of racing at the Gateway Cup, at the Giro della Montagne. He won the sprint ahead of Ty Magner (UHC) and Daniel Holloway (Intelligentsia Coffee). 

The third round of the 2016 Gateway Cup took place on the iconic Giro della Montagna course for the longest running race of the series. In the men’s race, UnitedHealthcare continued to bank on a controlled race for a sprint finish.

The initial 20 minutes of racing were steady, but controlled enough that a solo break from Willem Kaiser was allowed a 20-second gap for close to 15 laps before being brought back in. From there, each of the big teams took turns lining out the field, making any real chance of a breakaway exceedingly challenging. However, the long, dragging climb of the circuit on St. Louis’s Hill neighborhood finally allowed a solid move to go clear with less than 15 laps remaining. The break had a winning makeup of Carlos Alzate from UnitedHealthcare, a rider each from Astellas and Gateway Harley Davidson, and several others intent on making their mark in the race.

With a good gap heading into two laps to go, it looked like a sure thing that the winner would come from the leading group of six. However, when the field came through for the final lap, Grant Erhard of Summit Pro Cycling had shot clear of the chase group and passed the breakaway as he set out for an almost impossible run at a solo win ahead of the charging field. It was not to be and the group was together coming through the final turn. While UnitedHealthcare had strength in numbers for the lead out, it was Ilesic from Astellas who came through for his second win of the weekend ahead of perennial podium threat Magner and Holloway.

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