Cantwell too fast on Elk Grove circuits

Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia) was the fastest to the line in a bunch sprint at the AXA Equitable Circuit Race on Saturday; stage two of the Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove. The Australian opened up his sprint with 200 metres to go and outpaced 2008 overall winner David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies) and defending champion Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare p/b Maxxis).

“It was a good win for me and a good win for the team,” Cantwell said. “We got the 20-second time bonus for winning the stage and that was very fortunate. That has put us in good contention to win the overall.”

Menzies moved into the overall race lead after placing fourth in the opening time trial stage and acquiring third place time bonuses on the day’s stage two sprint. He will rely on his six teammates to maintain the lead and deliver him to a second consecutive overall win during the third and final stage, a criterium held in Elk Grove Village on Sunday.

“The guys were looking after me,” Menzies said. “I would have liked to win the stage but to get the bonus and the yellow jersey was definitely what we tried to do. The GC is still really tight and there is a big time bonus available tomorrow. Cantwell is back in contention so it will be the same as today, it is anybody’s race.”

The second stage of the Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove offered the peloton a 10-lap, 155 km circuit race held through the neighbourhoods surrounding the Elk Grove Village. The course required the utmost concentration and savvy bike skills to successfully negotiate the 26 corners per lap.

With $31,000 dollars on the line, it was no wonder the peloton took an aggressive approach to the start of the race. A breakaway of three riders gained a sizable lead that included Jim Stemper (Kenda p/b Geargrinder), Jay Thomson (Fly V Australia) and Kyle Wamsley (Bissell). The break swelled to five riders when Jonny Sundt (Kenda p/b Geargrinder) and Adam Myerson (Mountain Khakis) bridged across.

With more than a three-minute lead, Thomson assumed the role of virtual leader on the road. “It was imperative for us to be in the breakaway and gain some time bonuses,” Cantwell said. “To be aggressive, cover Bissell and UnitedHealthcare. Thomson got in the early break and that relieved a lot of the pressure from us. We didn’t have to chase at all throughout the race. We had an armchair ride.”

Bissell’s prologue winner and race leader Peter Latham along with his teammate and third place in the overall, Jeremy Vennell, sat comfortably in the peloton, also absolved of having to chase with sprinter Wamsley represented in the breakaway. He took advantage of his position to snag the mid-race prime for $1000, adding to his team’s abundant prize winnings following the previous day’s prologue.

Second placed overall, Mike Friedman sent his Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
teammates to the front of the field in an attempt to manage the time gap. The squad received help from the UnitedHealthcare p/b Maxxis who fielded a roster that included Menzies, 2007 winner Hilton Clarke and runner up in the National Racing Calendar series Rory Sutherland.

“It was a small break but no one wanted to work even though some other teams missed it,” Menzies said. “We wanted a bunch sprint and Jelly Belly also wanted a sprint. So our two teams worked together early on. With two to go, we added in more guys. The team rode awesome.”

There was a 20-second time bonus on offer to the winner of the stage along with 12 seconds for second place and 8 for third place that would no doubt change the overall classification.

The gap between the breakaway and the field drastically reduced and
allowed Kelly Benefit Strategies riders to bridge across. UnitedHealthcare p/b Maxxis pushed the pace at the front of the field to try and further reduce the gap in hopes of a bunch sprint for its wide array of sprinters. The breakaway was caught inside one lap to go and Cantwell timed his finish perfectly.

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