Thomson takes second straight stage

The Schlitz Park Endeavour Cycling Challenge was held on an arduous criterium circuit only 0.8 miles in length but with half that as a steep grunt up 2nd Street followed by about 45 seconds of downhill on Martin Luther King Drive before the hill was repeated. The pro men had to endure this house of pain for 70 laps, and this eventually took its toll as less than half of the field finished. Initially, after a period of rain, it looked like the course may prove to be treacherous, but after 10 minutes of racing the roads dried completely.

It was breakaway after breakaway during the race, and each time the breaks were reeled back in by chasers determined not to let them go. The sprint competition was heating up between the main contenders, Team MTN and Geargrinder for rounds one and two. However, the first significant breakaway of the race, containing Christoff Van Heerden (Team MTN), Matthew Busche (ISCorp Cycling Team), Timothy Farnham (Bissell Pro Cycling Team), Michael Friedman (Garmin-Slipstream), Bernard Sulzberger (Fly V Australia), Hector Pastorino (ZMotion) and Toby Marzot (Team Mountain Khakis) had a handy lead and looked to be established with all the major teams represented.

Right before the third round of sprint points there was an acceleration from the red jersey contenders, with Ronnie Strange (Team Hotel San Jose) on the front driving hard followed by Jay Thomson (Team MTN). They came close to catching the break and Strange succeeded in launching his teammate Heath Blackgrove to bridge across to the leaders.

The breakaway swelled to 14 riders with Karl Menzies (Team OUCH), Chun Kai Feng (Team Exustar), Daniel Bowman (Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Riccardo Van der Velde (Garmin-Slipstream) the notable new additions but the escapees never got organized. As the bell was rung for a $75 prime Taiwan's Chun Kai Feng attacked up the climb with two riders in tow and managed to win the sprint for the cash.

Chun Kai Feng continued with the momentum created to take three other riders with him, however his escape attempt was short-lived as the other breakaway riders worked hard to neutralise the gap. Meanwhile, the peloton had been chasing hard, strung out single file to reabsorb the break of 14 moments before the final round of sprint points. Chun Kai Feng (Team Exustar) found enough energy to edge out Jay Thomson (Team MTN) to take maximum points.

Late in the race, with 17 laps to go, Garmin-Slipstream's Michael Friedman attacked and soon gained a 20-second advantage over the peloton. Race leader Sulzberger attacked at 13 to go and successfully bridged to Friedman, however this escape did not last long as Team MTN chased hard to peg them back. Once it was back together again with 11 laps remaining four riders attacked: Bowman (Kelly Benefit Strategies), Van Heerden (Team MTN), Van der Velde (Garmin-Slipstream) and Jorge Alvarado (Kahala La Grange). This escape lasted only two laps before being chased down.

The decisive moment came in the form of a $60 prime with four laps remaining. South Africa's Jay Thomson leapt clear of the peloton to take the prime and from there, once the gap was realized, he went into time trial mode to hold off a charging peloton and take his third stage win at Superweek. Zachary Davies, like he did at Arlington Heights, attacked on the final lap to claim second place while Bernard Sulzberger (Fly V Australia) won the field sprint for third place to further consolidate his race lead.

At the post-race presentation, Thompson was clearly stunned that he had won. "I would not have done it without my team behind me," he said. "I was told by the team to go and take the $60 prime with four to go, and I looked back and saw I had a gap on the field so I just kept going. I never thought that I would be able to hold on for the win".

Race announcer Eddy Van Guyse dubbed him "Superman" since Thomson has won the toughest of Superweek's races: Elgin Park, Holy Hill road race and now Schiltz Park. The victory moved Thomson into second place in the overall standings.

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Men
1Jay Thomson (Team MTN)
2Zachary Davies
3Bernard Sulzberger (Fly V Australia)
4Hans Dekkers (Garmin-Slipstream)
5Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V/Australia)
6Christoff Van Heerden (Team MTN)
7Andreas Muller (No Radunion)
8Juan Van Heerden (Team MTN)
9Robert Bush (Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team)
10Alexander Candelario (Kelly Benefit Strategies)
11Nick Frey (ciclismo racing)
12Chun-Kai Feng (Team Exustar Taiwan)
13Ricardo Van Der Velde (Garmin-Slipstream)
14Isaac Howe (Team Mountain Khakis)
15Chad Hartley (Team Geargrinder)
16James Stemper (Team Geargrinder)
17Heath Blackgrove (Hotel San Jose/RGM Advisors)
18Hector Pastorino (ZMOTION)
19Max Taam (RD: Horizon Organic PB Prerace.com / MTN)
20Derek Dixon (HDR P/B Lombardis Sports)
21Andrew Crater (Wheel & Sprocket)
22Oneal Samuels (Myogenesis.Com P/B United Healthcare)
23Timothy Farnham (Bissell Pro Cycling Team)
24Bradley Potgieter (Team MTN)
25Jeffrey Schroetlin (ABD Cycling Team)
26Matthew Busche (ISCorp Cycling Team)
27Gustavo Rullo (ZMOTION)
28Matthias Schroger (Gourmetfein)
29Jordan Roessingh (Nova Cycle Sports Foundation Inc.)
30Ryan Freund (ABD Cycling Team)
31Mike Tettleton (Team Bearclaw)
32Wei-Cheng Lee (Team Exustar Taiwan)
33Alex Wieseler (Nova Cycle Sports Foundation Inc.)
34Jorge Alvarado (Kahala La-Grange)
35John (Jackie) Simes (Team Mountain Khakis)
36Chris Winn (Mob Cyclery Racing / RMCEF)
37Daniel Bowman (Kelly Benefit Strategies)
38Andrew Baker (Team Mountain Khakis)
39Steve Scholzen (Nova Cycle Sports Foundation Inc.)
40Ian Mclead (Team MTN)
41Adam Bergman (Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team)
42Juan Gaspari (ZMOTION)
43Reid Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies)
44Duane Dickey (Iowa City Cycling Club)
45Luis-Alejandro Zamudio (Kahala La-Grange)
46Michael Friedman (Garmin-Slipstream)
47Alessandro Bazzana (Fly V Australia)
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Sprint 1
1Will Hoffarth (Team Mountain Khakis)
2Jay Thomson (Team MTN)
3Chad Hartley (Team Geargrinder)
4Robert White (Team Geargrinder)
5James Stemper (Team Geargrinder)
6Ronnie Strange (Hotel San Jose/RGM Advisors)
7Chun-Kai Feng (Team Exustar Taiwan)
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Sprint 2
1Jay Thomson (Team MTN)
2Ricardo Van Der Velde (Garmin-Slipstream)
3James Stemper (Team Geargrinder)
4Jorge Alvarado (Kahala La-Grange)
5Matthias Schroger (Gourmetfein)
6Matthew Busche (ISCorp Cycling Team)
7Wei-Cheng Lee (Team Exustar Taiwan)
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Sprint 3
1Christoff Van Heerden (Team MTN)
2Matthew Busche (ISCorp Cycling Team)
3Timothy Farnham (Bissell Pro Cycling Team)
4Michael Friedman (Garmin Chipotle)
5Bernard Sulzberger (Fly V Australia)
6Hector Pastorino (ZMOTION)
7Toby Marzot (Team Mountain Khakis)
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Sprint 4
1Chun-Kai Feng (Team Exustar Taiwan)
2Jay Thomson (Team MTN)
3Robert White (Team Geargrinder)
4Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V/Australia)
5Karl Menzies (Team OUCH Presented by Maxxis)
6Zachary Davies
7Bernard Sulzberger (Fly V Australia)
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Women
1Sydney Brown (Mercy Cycling Team)
2Kristin Wentworth (Team Kenda)
3Mei-Yu Hsiao (Team Exustar Taiwan)
4Sarah Maguire (Priority Health Cycling Team)
5Gwen Inglis (DFT p/b Treads)
6Leah Kirchmann (Team Manitoba)
7Sally Annis (Hub Racing)
8Nicky Wangsgard (Colavita Sutter Home P/B Cooking Light)
9Hsiao-Chia Tseng (Team Exustar Taiwan)
10Emma Petersen (Team Ultralink)
11Sheba Farrin (Hub Racing)
12Elizabeth Morse Hill (Hub Racing)
13Kate Ross (Lip Smacker)
14Jennifer Purcell (Colavita Sutter Home P/B Cooking Light)
15Amy Mcguire (Hub Racing)
16Kate Ligler (Dolce Vita Cycling)
17Jeannie Kuhajek (Team Mack)
18Ho-Hsun Huang (Team Exustar Taiwan)
19Antonia (Toni) Musto (Priority Health Cycling Team)
20Julia Farell (Team Ultralink)
21Janel Bedard (MVP Healthcare Elite Cycling)
22Julia Lafranchise (NOW-MS Society)
23Veronica Martinez (Hub Racing)
24Mary Magnani (Dolce Vita Cycling)
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Sprint 1
1Sydney Brown (Mercy Cycling Team)
2Julia Lafranchise (NOW-MS Society)
3Shontell Gauthier (Colavita Sutter Home P/B Cooking Light)
4Jennifer Purcell (Colavita Sutter Home P/B Cooking Light)
5Karla Kingsley (SUGARCRM)
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Sprint 2
1Sydney Brown (Mercy Cycling Team)
2Kristin Wentworth (Team Kenda)
3Julia Lafranchise (NOW-MS Society)
4Leah Kirchmann (Team Manitoba)
5Sarah Maguire (Priority Health Cycling Team)
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Sprint 3
1Mei-Yu Hsiao (Team Exustar Taiwan)
2Leah Kirchmann (Team Manitoba)
3Sarah Maguire (Priority Health Cycling Team)
4Gwen Inglis (DFT p/b Treads)
5Mary Magnani (Dolce Vita Cycling)
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Standings-Men
1Bernard Sulzberger (Fly V Australia)164pts
2Jay Thomson (Team MTN)131Row 1 - Cell 3
3Hans Dekkers (Garmin-Slipstream)129Row 2 - Cell 3
4Andreas Muller (No Radunion)125Row 3 - Cell 3
5Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia)124Row 4 - Cell 3
6Christoff Van Heerden (Team MTN)113Row 5 - Cell 3
7Carlos Vargas (Hotel San Jose/RGM Advisors)88Row 6 - Cell 3
8Joshua Carter (ABD Cycling Team)85Row 7 - Cell 3
9Chun-Kai Feng (Team Exustar Taiwan)82Row 8 - Cell 3
10Ricardo Van Der Velde (Garmin-Slipstream)74Row 9 - Cell 3
11James Stemper (Team Geargrinder)62Row 10 - Cell 3
12Robert Bush (Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team)59Row 11 - Cell 3
13Juan Van Heerden (Team MTN)54Row 12 - Cell 3
14Chad Hartley (Team Geargrinder)53Row 13 - Cell 3
15Chad Burdzilauskas (Kenda Pro Cycling presented by Spinergy)51Row 14 - Cell 3
16Andrew Bradley (Gourmetfein)41Row 15 - Cell 3
17Zachary Davies40Row 16 - Cell 3
18Hector Pastorino (ZMOTION)39Row 17 - Cell 3
19Andrew Dahlheim (Metro Volkswagen Cycling Team)38Row 18 - Cell 3
20Toby Marzot (Team Mountain Khakis)35Row 19 - Cell 3
21Robert White (Team Geargrinder)35Row 20 - Cell 3
22Reid Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies)33Row 21 - Cell 3
23Michael Van Eerd (Team YRC Now MS)31Row 22 - Cell 3
24Will Hoffarth (Team Mountain Khakis)30Row 23 - Cell 3
25Nick Frey (ciclismo racing)29Row 24 - Cell 3
26Duane Dickey (Iowa City Cycling Club)25Row 25 - Cell 3
27Oneal Samuels (Myogenesis.Com P/B United Healthcare)24Row 26 - Cell 3
28Matthew Busche (ISCorp Cycling Team)23Row 27 - Cell 3
29Isaac Howe (Team Mountain Khakis)23Row 28 - Cell 3
30Juan Gaspari (ZMOTION)22Row 29 - Cell 3
31Sean Sullivan (Hotel San Jose/RGM Advisors)19Row 30 - Cell 3
32Ryan Freund (ABD Cycling Team)18Row 31 - Cell 3
33Spencer Beamer (Team Mountain Khakis p/b EP-NO)18Row 32 - Cell 3
34Nicholas Martinez (Now MS Society)18Row 33 - Cell 3
35Edgardo Richiez (Puerto Rico Cycling Team)18Row 34 - Cell 3
36Gustavo Rullo (ZMOTION)18Row 35 - Cell 3
37Cole House (BMC Racing Team)17Row 36 - Cell 3
38Ben Kersten (Fly V Australia)17Row 37 - Cell 3
39Andrew Crater (Wheel & Sprocket)16Row 38 - Cell 3
40Jorge Alvarado (Kahala La-Grange)15Row 39 - Cell 3
41Anthony Bennett (Jittery Joe's U25 PB Kudzu.Com)13Row 40 - Cell 3
42Matthias Schroger (Gourmetfein)13Row 41 - Cell 3
43Mike Tettleton (Team Bearclaw)13Row 42 - Cell 3
44Bryan Mcvey (Vision Quest)13Row 43 - Cell 3
45Jason Short (RBM Matrix)13Row 44 - Cell 3
46Gabriel Acaba (Puerto Rico Cycling Team)13Row 45 - Cell 3
47Joseph Schmalz (Mercy Cycling Team)12Row 46 - Cell 3
48Jason Lowetz (Team Bearclaw)12Row 47 - Cell 3
49Alexander Candelario (Kelly Benefit Strategies)11Row 48 - Cell 3
50Alex Martinez (Kahala La-Grange)11Row 49 - Cell 3
51Curtis Gunn (Fly V Australia)11Row 50 - Cell 3
52Logan Loader (Team Mountain Khakis)10Row 51 - Cell 3
53Charles Huff (Jelly Belly Cycling Team)10Row 52 - Cell 3
54Jonathan Atkins (Team Latino)10Row 53 - Cell 3
55John (Jackie) Simes (Team Mountain Khakis)9Row 54 - Cell 3
56Heath Blackgrove (Hotel San Jose/RGM Advisors)9Row 55 - Cell 3
57Wei-Cheng Lee (Team Exustar Taiwan)9Row 56 - Cell 3
58Andreas Graf (Gourmetfein)8Row 57 - Cell 3
59Chris Uberti (Panther/RGF Cycling p/b Felt Bicycles)8Row 58 - Cell 3
60James Flora (South Chicago Wheelmen)8Row 59 - Cell 3
61Ryan Nye (MVP Healthcare Elite Cycling)7Row 60 - Cell 3
62Kevin Berger (Team Wheel & Sprocket)7Row 61 - Cell 3
63Clayton Goldsmith (Team Wheel & Sprocket)6Row 62 - Cell 3
64Matthew Brandt (Mesa Cycles Racing Team)6Row 63 - Cell 3
65Cory Hickman (Project 5 Racing)6Row 64 - Cell 3
66Danny Kam (Team Bearclaw)5Row 65 - Cell 3
67Ronnie Strange (Hotel San Jose/RGM Advisors)5Row 66 - Cell 3
68Derek Laan (Panther/RGF Cycling p/b Felt Bicycles)5Row 67 - Cell 3
69Derek Dixon (HDR P/B Lombardis Sports)5Row 68 - Cell 3
70Nick Housley (Myogenesis.Com P/B United Healthcare)5Row 69 - Cell 3
71Joe Lewis (Synergy)4Row 70 - Cell 3
72Max Taam (RD: Horizon Organic PB Prerace.com / MTN)4Row 71 - Cell 3
73Jerome Townsend (Fitness Together/IF pb Lionette's)3Row 72 - Cell 3
74Robert Kelley (Team Bicycle Heaven)3Row 73 - Cell 3
75Ryan Baumann (Trek Livestrong)3Row 74 - Cell 3
76Todd Yezefski (IF/Lionette's Cycling Team)2Row 75 - Cell 3
77Calixto Bello (ZMOTION)2Row 76 - Cell 3
78Connor Sallee (Williams Cycling)1Row 77 - Cell 3
79Craig Streit (Carlos OBriens Racing)1Row 78 - Cell 3
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Standings-Women
1Nicky Wangsgard (Colavita Sutter Home P/B Cooking Light)140pts
2Shontell Gauthier (Colavita Sutter Home P/B Cooking Light)111Row 1 - Cell 3
3Emma Petersen (Team Ultralink)108Row 2 - Cell 3
4Mei-Yu Hsiao (Team Exustar Taiwan)107Row 3 - Cell 3
5Jennifer Purcell (Colavita Sutter Home P/B Cooking Light)105Row 4 - Cell 3
6Elizabeth Morse Hill (Hub Racing)89Row 5 - Cell 3
7Jeannie Kuhajek (Team Mack)86Row 6 - Cell 3
8Sheba Farrin (Hub Racing)79Row 7 - Cell 3
9Amy Mcguire (Hub Racing)77Row 8 - Cell 3
10Nicole Freidman51Row 9 - Cell 3
11Julia Farell (Team Ultralink)49Row 10 - Cell 3
12Jenette Williams (Altarum Women's Cycling Team)48Row 11 - Cell 3
13Kate Ross (Lip Smacker)48Row 12 - Cell 3
14Leah Kirchmann (Team Manitoba)44Row 13 - Cell 3
15Trish Black (Morgan Stanley/Team Spine/Specialized)40Row 14 - Cell 3
16Julia Lafranchise (NOW-MS Society)39Row 15 - Cell 3
17Josephine Giddens (Hub Racing)36Row 16 - Cell 3
18Gina Voci (Juice Plus)36Row 17 - Cell 3
19Anna Young (Team Lip Smacker)35Row 18 - Cell 3
20Veronica Martinez (Hub Racing)34Row 19 - Cell 3
21Christine Roettger (Team Revolution)33Row 20 - Cell 3
22Ho-Hsun Huang (Team Exustar Taiwan)31Row 21 - Cell 3
23Marie Rosado (Puerto Rico Cycling Team)28Row 22 - Cell 3
24Kristin Wentworth (Team Kenda)22Row 23 - Cell 3
25Sydney Brown (Mercy Cycling Team)20Row 24 - Cell 3
26Karlee Gendron (Woodcock Cycle Works)18Row 25 - Cell 3
27Sarah Maguire (Priority Health Cycling Team)17Row 26 - Cell 3
28Gwen Inglis (DFT p/b Treads)16Row 27 - Cell 3
29Arley Kemmerer (Hub Racing)15Row 28 - Cell 3
30Sally Annis (Hub Racing)14Row 29 - Cell 3
31Deborah Dust (Pact- DISH Network Cycling)14Row 30 - Cell 3
32Liz Leyden (Hub Racing)14Row 31 - Cell 3
33Hsiao-Chia Tseng (Team Exustar Taiwan)12Row 32 - Cell 3
34Karla Kingsley (SUGARCRM)12Row 33 - Cell 3
35Jennifer Johansen (NOW-MS Society)11Row 34 - Cell 3
36Julie Jerue (IS Corp)9Row 35 - Cell 3
37Luz E. Rodriguez (Puerto Rico Cycling Team)8Row 36 - Cell 3
38Lauren Liscinski (NOW-MS Society)8Row 37 - Cell 3
39Kristen Meshberg (BH USA)7Row 38 - Cell 3
40Kate Ligler (Dolce Vita Cycling)5Row 39 - Cell 3
41Francine Haas (Alberto's Sport)5Row 40 - Cell 3
42Ashley Anderson (Proman Hit Squad)3Row 41 - Cell 3
43Antonia (Toni) Musto (Priority Health Cycling Team)2Row 42 - Cell 3
44Dale Tye (Altarum Women's Cycling Team)2Row 43 - Cell 3
45Melissa (Missy) Erickson (Fort Lewis College)2Row 44 - Cell 3

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