Pipp wins bunch sprint in Fort Bayard

Frank Pipp (Bissell) secured his first National Racing Calendar (NRC) win of the season at the stage two Inner Loop Road Race at the SRAM Tour of the Gila. He won a bunch sprint ahead of Anibal Borrajo (Jamis-Sutter Home) in second and stage race leader Francisco Mancebo (RealCyclist.com) in third.

"We never planned to ride the front, regardless if we had a rider in the move," Pipp said. "We just wanted to sit back and wait because we figured it would be a sprint today. There was no wind so we wanted to go for the sprint. It was a good sprint for Jay [Thomson] or I. We had a full team effort and everyone did their job."

Mancebo increased his lead in the overall classification by winning a third place time bonus. He is leading the race ahead of Tyler Wren (Jamis-Sutter Home) in second and Joseph Dombrowski (Trek-Livestrong) in third, heading into the stage three time trial on Friday.

"V Australia helped out today and so did Jamis-Sutter Home at the end to set up its sprinter," said Mancebo's teammate and the designated sprinter Cole House. "I'd say that we had a fairly easy day because we had our rider in the breakaway and had some help. The plan was to keep the GC lead, control the race and if possible double-dip a little bit. I was planning on going for the sprint but I lost some positions coming into the park and then got bumped out in the end."

Pipp is also leading the event's best sprinter's green jersey, while Mancebo is leading the King of the Mountain (KOM) competition.

Stage two's Inner Loop Road Race presented the peloton with a 125km trek that began in Old Fort Bayard, headed out on a large circuit to the top of Pinos Altos, around Lake Roberts, and back down into Old Fort Bayard.

An early breakaway set sail that included Joseph Lewis (Trek-Livestrong), Mike Northey (Pure Black Racing), Ian Holt (Team Rio Grand), Jay Thomson (Bissell) and Evan Hyde (RealCyclist.com) as the race headed along Hwy. 180. Joseph won the first bonus sprint of the day, just past the exit of Hwy. 180.

The breakaway gained a one minute lead heading into Pinos Altos as they reached the first KOM of the day. Two more riders, Danny Summerhill (Chipotle Development) and Marsh Cooper (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth), bridged across to the breakaway to make a lead group of seven riders. Thomson took full points in the KOM competition, and the seven gained extended their lead to 1:30.

Mancebo's RealCyclist.com teammates worked to keep the time gap at a manageable amount as the highest placed rider in the breakaway was Holt at 2:34 back. The team received some help from V Australia in the early parts of the road race.

The breakaway descended the narrow roads through the Gila National Forest, 3.3 million acres of protected land. Once at the bottom of the descent the riders turned right onto NM 35, went through the town of Sapillo Crossing and headed around Lake Roberts. The margin from the breakaway to the field had extended out to 2:20 for what would be their largest lead.

The second bonus sprint was located roughly 65km into the stage on the flat to rolling NM 35. Lewis took full points at the sprint but it was not enough to move into the lead of event's best sprinter jersey.

The breakaway continued along NM 35 through the town of Mimbres and San Lorenzo before making a right turn onto NM 152 for the final climb of the day.

On the climb, Thomson rode solo across the second KOM at the top of the 10km ascent, but it was not enough to surpass Mancebo for the climber's jersey. He was rejoined by several of his original breakaway companions before all were reabsorbed into the field on the descent with roughly six kilometres remaining to the finish.

"Coming over the climb I thought I would give it a go," Thomson said. "But it was a bit far. It worked out perfect for us with Frank [Pipp] winning the sprint so I am ecstatic.

"I thought of going for a few points today, get close to the jersey. I'm here to help Chris [Baldwin] because he is our GC guy and I will sell out everything for him on Sunday. Everything else we get along the way is a bonus."

Jamis-Sutter Home wound up its lead-out train heading down the hill into Old Fort Bayard for Borrajo. Bissell also contested the final kilometres of the race with a strong lead-out train for Pipp along with RealCyclist.com, trying to set up sprinter House and Mancebo.

"It was a long sprint but it was hard enough, I guess people's legs start to fade," Pipp said. "I went earlier then I wanted to but I could see riders coming up on my right and if I waited I would have been pinned."

Logan Sprenger wins solo, as Abbott maintains hold on overall

Heather Logan-Sprenger (Colavita Forno D’Asolo) took a solo victory at the in stage two of the SRAM Tour of the Gila on Thursday. The former Canadian hockey player, won the stage ahead of chasing duo Kristin LaSasso (Primal-MapMyRide), and Tayler Wiles (Peanut Butter & Co Twenty12, who rounded out the podium.

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