Hartley, Van Gilder top East Troy classic

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Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom/Rose Bandit Race Team) and Cari Higgins (Exergy Twenty12) formed a duo break but most of the day, the field stayed as one on the highly technical half-mile, six-turn course. While a prime sent a minor shockwave through the field with six laps to go, Mellow Mushroom’s trio of Van Gilder, Kristen Lasasso and Laura Parsons maintained their focus.

With Van Gilder sitting third wheel, the front of the field exploded into wild chaos as Van Gilder sprinted up the middle for the stage win as well as a fitting for the pink Becker Law Overall Leader’s Jersey. Emily Collins (Vanderkitten-Focus) and Nicole Whitburn battled it out for second and third, respectively.

The short course lent some drama to the Pro Men’s race, with Rafael Meran (CRCA Foundation) and Paul Mach (Kenda 5-Hour Energy pb Geargrinder) making a bridge to Kenda’s Chad Hartley and Ryan Freund (Enzo’s/Psimet) to form a 4-man break 40 minutes in. Freund was the first to pull away from the break to lap the field but was soon joined by the rest of the foursome, who clung together ‘til the bitter end. And as they held tight, some stories unfolded from the field.

Kenda’s John Murphy took flight on a crazy solo flyer off the front with 35 minutes remaining in attempt to catch the powerhouse foursome and protect his coveted yellow cowprint leader’s jersey. But it didn’t take long for Michael Jacques (Clif Bar) to pull Murphy back. And then came the $500 Klumb Family Foundation cash prime, which escorted Kenda’s Paul Mach to the bank.

Springing from the field out of nowhere on a solo effort away from the Kenda brigade came Tulsa Wheelman Stefan Rothe with 10 laps remaining. He sat a silent wallflower until another prime reset the field and set up an 8-man Kenda roadblock. In the end, it was Kenda’s Hartley, the 2009 Overall ToAD Champion, screaming out of the final turn for the win followed by Meran and Freund, in at two and three, respectively. Money-bags Mach finished fourth, with Latino Cycling Team’s Emile Abraham claiming the field sprint for fifth.

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