Ahlstrand wins Univest Grand Prix

An all-out effort by the powerful Amore Vita squad and series of aggressive attacks by Neil Shirley of Kelly Benefits Strategies helped close a 40-second gap with two kilometers to go in Saturday's Univest Grand Prix. But it was the final strike by Cykelcity's Jonas Alhstrand that gave the young Swedish champion his first international elite victory.

Ahlstrand's countryman Michael Olsson of the PA Lightning team took second, and American Nick Frey of Jamis Sutter Home/Colavita got third in the reconfigured North American Pro-Am classic that featured constant attacks and breakaways and led to the largest pack sprint in race history.

"We watched the large groups go and come back, go and come back," Ahlstrand said. "I had good legs but Amore Vita had five guys left and they pushed really hard."

Amore Vita, with defending Souderton champion Volodomyr Starchyk and two-time Doylestown winner Yuriy Metlushenko in the field, sent all of their guys to the front in the final laps, setting a pace that was impossible for the breakaway to withstand. Yet even after the pack came together in the final kilometer, Shirley kept attacking until Ahlstrand's jump with 500 meters to go on a downhill sprint.

Shirley - along with Amore Vita's Vladislav Borisov of Russia, Canadian Ryan Roth of Spidertech Powered by Planet Energy and Frank Pipp of Bissell Pro Cycling - looked to have the winning break with three laps left.

"We hit the final five circuits and it was 'game on,'" said Shirley, who expected his attacks to wear out the others. "I looked at the other guys, and I could tell they were feeling it. I felt we were going to be able to keep it up but the pack came up faster than expected."

The new Univest Grand Prix course designed by race organizer John Eustice of Sparta Cycling featured 11 laps on a 5.8-mile figure eight shaped course in Souderton, Franconia and Telford and five finishing laps on a 3.8-mile loop in Souderton. The course was designed to enhance spectator appeal, and large crowds gathered at the finish line and along Souderton's deceptively steep Wile Avenue hil..

"Based on the spectacular finish, the daylong racing action, the crowd attendance and enthusiasm, I feel absolutely certain I made the right decision to change the race course," Eustice said afterward. "This is the future of road racing, especially in urban areas and maybe even in Europe."

None of the early breaks was able to maintain a consistent lead and riders kept reshuffling the early standings, but the constant turns and 16 times up Wile Avenue kept the strongest riders in contention until the end. However, with only three kilometers left it looked like the winning break of four riders would stay away until defending champions Amore Vita went to the front and hit the gas.

"It was really close at the end. I had to throw my bike across the line for third," said Frey, who also won the Bergey's First American Award in his fourth attempt to finish the Univest Grand Prix. "That hill, going up every single time, was like a grinder. This was a European-style race - always hard and aggressive."

Olsson said the race was really fast right from the start. He had some difficulty adjusting to the almost constant turns but found his rhythm as the race progressed, he said.

Cykelcity coach Aike Visbeek, a Univest Grand Prix veteran, who earlier in the week said the new course had national championship potential, said the race lived up to its promise. "It was exciting to the finish," he said.

Visbeek said he was surprised that the final break was pulled back but it played right into Cykelcity's strategy.

"With almost 40 seconds to go and one lap, I thought it was going to be incredibly tight," he said. "But we had four guys and there were all prepared to work for Jonas."

In addition to the top three places and Frey's Best American award, other awards included the yellow jersey to Ahlstrand; the best sprinter jersey to Joey Rosskofh of Team Mountain Khakis/Jittery Joe's Coffee, the king of the mountains jersey to defending jersey holder Bernardo Colex Tepoz of Amore Vita and the most aggressive rider jersey to Neil Shirley.

Racing continues Sunday at the always-fast Univest Criterium of Doylestown, which includes 50 miles of high-speed action on a 1.4-mile course around the perimeter of the Doylestown Arts Festival in Bucks County.

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Jonas Ahlstrand (Swe) Team Cykelcity3:06:07
2Michael Olsson (Swe) PA LightningRow 1 - Cell 2
3Nick Frey (USA) Jamis Sutter HomeRow 2 - Cell 2
4Frank Pipp (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling TeamRow 3 - Cell 2
5Alexander Candelario (USA) Kelly Benefit StrategiesRow 4 - Cell 2
6Simon Lambert Lemay (Can) Spidertech-Planet EnergyRow 5 - Cell 2
7Sean Sullivan (Aus) Team Hotel San Jose-Juwi SolarRow 6 - Cell 2
8Will Goodfellow (Can) Bikereg.com-CannondaleRow 7 - Cell 2
9Sebastian Balck (Swe) Team CykelcityRow 8 - Cell 2
10Neil Shirley (USA) Kelly Benefit StrategiesRow 9 - Cell 2
11Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team CykelcityRow 10 - Cell 2
12Yuriy Metlushenko (Ukr) Amore & Vita ConadRow 11 - Cell 2
13Karl Menzies (Aus) Team UnitedHealthcare-MaxxisRow 12 - Cell 2
14Neil Bezdek (USA) Team Mountain Khakis-Jittery Joe’sRow 13 - Cell 2
15Jacob Keough (USA) Team UnitedHealthcare-MaxxisRow 14 - Cell 2
16Andrew Guptill (USA) Jamis Sutter HomeRow 15 - Cell 2
17Spencer Smitheman (Can) Hagens Berman LLP Cycling TeamRow 16 - Cell 2
18Ryan Roth (Can) Spidertech-Planet EnergyRow 17 - Cell 2
19Peter Van Agtmaal (Ned) Global Dutch Cycling TeamRow 18 - Cell 2
20Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling TeamRow 19 - Cell 2
21Kyle Wamsley (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling TeamRow 20 - Cell 2
22Ian Holt (USA) Battley Harley-DavidsonRow 21 - Cell 2
23Matthew Cooke (USA) Team Mountain Khakis-Jittery Joe’sRow 22 - Cell 2
24Hamish Presbury (NZl) Team New Zealand Pro CyclingRow 23 - Cell 2
25Vladislav Borisov (Rus) Amore & Vita ConadRow 24 - Cell 2
26Charles Hutcheson (USA) Battley Harley-DavidsonRow 25 - Cell 2
27Peter Hurst (USA) Axa Equitable Cycling TeamRow 26 - Cell 2
28Antoine Duchesne (Can) Team Tour De QuebecRow 27 - Cell 2
29Paul Mach (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling TeamRow 28 - Cell 2
30John Delong (USA) Haymarket ClubRow 29 - Cell 2
31Kennett Peterson (USA) Hagens Berman LLP Cycling TeamRow 30 - Cell 2
32Chris Johnson (USA) Alliance EnvironmentalRow 31 - Cell 2
33Hugo Houle (Can) Team Tour De QuebecRow 32 - Cell 2
34John Loehner (USA) AXA Equitable Cycling TeamRow 33 - Cell 2
35Antoine Matteau (Can) Team Tour De QuebecRow 34 - Cell 2
36Jake Hollenbach (USA) AXA Equitable Cycling TeamRow 35 - Cell 2
37Keck Baker (USA) Battley Harley-DavidsonRow 36 - Cell 2
38Jonathan Clarke (Aus) Team UnitedHealthcare-MaxxisRow 37 - Cell 2
39Michael Chauner (USA) PA LightningRow 38 - Cell 2
40Sam Steele (NZl) Team New Zealand Pro CyclingRow 39 - Cell 2
41Volodymyr Starchyk (Ukr) Amore & Vita ConadRow 40 - Cell 2
42John Jackie W Simes Iv (USA) Jamis Sutter HomeRow 41 - Cell 2
43Austin Roach (USA) Met Life-GrosolarRow 42 - Cell 2
44Logan Hutchings (NZl) Team Hotel San Jose-Juwi SolarRow 43 - Cell 2
45Daniel Bowman (USA) Kelly Benefit StrategiesRow 44 - Cell 2
46Kevin Gottlieb (USA) Haymarket ClubRow 45 - Cell 2
47Lucas Euser (USA) Spidertech-Planet EnergyRow 46 - Cell 2
48Lang Reynolds (USA) Hagens Berman LLP Cycling TeamRow 47 - Cell 2
49Amos Brumble (USA) CCB WheelworksRow 48 - Cell 2
50Johan Lindgren (Swe) Team CykelcityRow 49 - Cell 2
51Chris Gruber (Can) Bikyle-Mazur Coaching (alternate)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Jonathan Mumford (USA) Kelly Benefit StrategiesRow 51 - Cell 2
53Jordan Cheyne (Can) Bikyle-Mazur Coaching0:00:15
54Marc De Maar (Ned) Team UnitedHealthcare-Maxxis0:00:17
55Charly Vives (Can) Spidertech-Planet Energy0:00:20
56Heath Blackgrove (NZl) Team Hotel San Jose-Juwi Solar0:00:44
57Justin Lindine (USA) Bikereg.com_Cannondale0:01:00
58Igor Volshteyn (USA) Champion System Racing-Cycles Gladiator WinesRow 57 - Cell 2
59Cameron Cogburn (USA) CCB WheelworksRow 58 - Cell 2
60Stefan Rothe (Ger) Team Hotel San Jose-Juwi SolarRow 59 - Cell 2
61Tyler Wren (USA) Jamis Sutter HomeRow 60 - Cell 2
62Peter Morse (Can) Jetfuel CoffeeRow 61 - Cell 2
63Andy Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team0:01:11
64Alex Bhogal (Ger) Bikyle-Mazur Coaching0:01:29
65Bobby Lea (USA) Team New Zealand Pro Cycling0:01:37
66Joey Rosskopf (USA) Team Mountain Khakis-Jittery Joe’sRow 65 - Cell 2
67David Hoyle (USA) CCNS-Charlescoaching.comRow 66 - Cell 2
68Steven Gordon (USA) Haymarket Club0:01:53
69Jesper Dahlstrom (Swe) PA Lightning0:01:55
70Roberto Torres Aguiar-Santiago (PuR) Champion System Racing-Cycles Gladiator Wines0:02:07
71Tim Mitchell (USA) Ccb Wheelworks0:02:11
72Gavriel Epstein (USA) CRCA-Foundation CyclingRow 71 - Cell 2
73Fausto Fognini (Ita) Amore & Vita ConadRow 72 - Cell 2
74Serhy Hrechyn (Ukr) Amore & Vita ConadRow 73 - Cell 2
75Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Global Dutch Cycling TeamRow 74 - Cell 2
76Jonas Bjelkmark (Swe) Team Cykelcity0:02:18
77Rodney Santiago Gerena (PuR) Champion System Reacing-Cycles Gladiator WinesRow 76 - Cell 2
78Scott Zwizanski (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies0:02:41
79Bernardo Colex Tepox (Mex) Amore & Vita ConadRow 78 - Cell 2
80Ryan Fleming (USA) Met Life-GrosolarRow 79 - Cell 2
81Nicholas Bennette (USA) Met Life-GrosolarRow 80 - Cell 2
82David Guttenplan (USA) Team Mountain Khakis-Jittery Joe’s0:03:53
83Aliaksandr Bialiauski (Blr) CCB Wheelworks0:04:54
84Nick Bax (USA) Battley Harley-DavidsonRow 83 - Cell 2
85Russell Brown (USA) Haymarket ClubRow 84 - Cell 2
86Sean Smith (USA) Champion System Reacing-Cycles Gladiator Wines0:05:15
87Colin Sandberg (USA) Alliance Environmental (alternate)0:05:17
88Andrew Hughson (NZl) Team New Zealand Pro Cycling0:05:19
89Justin Steeds (Can) Bikyle/mazur Coaching0:05:33
90Jose Escobar (USA) Battley Harley-DavidsonRow 89 - Cell 2
91Franklin Burgos (USA) CRCA-Foundation CyclingRow 90 - Cell 2
92Brady Gibney (USA) Alliance EnvironmentalRow 91 - Cell 2
93Nathaniel Wilson (USA) Haymarket Club0:05:41
94J Gabriel Lloyd (USA) Met Life-GrosolarRow 93 - Cell 2
DNFShane Kline (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling TeamRow 94 - Cell 2
DNFEric Boily (Can) Spidertech-Planet EnergyRow 95 - Cell 2
DNFMark Batty (Can) Spidertech-Planet EnergyRow 96 - Cell 2
DNFRichard Hoffarth (USA) Team Mountain Khakis-Jittery Joe’sRow 97 - Cell 2
DNFEric Schildge (USA) Team Mountain Khakis-Jittery Joe’sRow 98 - Cell 2
DNFTimothy Johnson (USA) Team UnitedHealthcare-MaxxisRow 99 - Cell 2
DNFRory Sutherland (Aus) Team UnitedHealthcare-MaxxisRow 100 - Cell 2
DNFBlair Berbert (USA) Alliance EnvironmentalRow 101 - Cell 2
DNFClayton Barrows (USA) AXA Equitable Cycling TeamRow 102 - Cell 2
DNFJohn Minturn (USA) AXA Equitable Cycling TeamRow 103 - Cell 2
DNFJoseph Whitman (USA) AXA Equitable Cycling TeamRow 104 - Cell 2
DNFTimothy Rugg (USA) Battley Harley-DavidsonRow 105 - Cell 2
DNFJerome Townsend (USA) Bikereg.com-CannondaleRow 106 - Cell 2
DNFStephen Weller (USA) Bikereg.com_CannondaleRow 107 - Cell 2
DNFAdam Farabaugh (USA) Bikyle-Mazur CoachingRow 108 - Cell 2
DNFYahor Buben (Blr) CCB WheelworksRow 109 - Cell 2
DNFAidan Charles (USA) CCNS-Charlescoaching.comRow 110 - Cell 2
DNFRon Larose (USA) CCNS-Charlescoaching.comRow 111 - Cell 2
DNFRyan Serbel (USA) CCNS-Charlescoaching.comRow 112 - Cell 2
DNFAlejandro Guzman (Dom) CRCA-Foundation CyclingRow 113 - Cell 2
DNFLisban Quintero (Col) CRCA-Foundation CyclingRow 114 - Cell 2
DNFErik Andrea (Ned) Global Dutch Cycling TeamRow 115 - Cell 2
DNFWouter De Groot (Ned) Global Dutch Cycling TeamRow 116 - Cell 2
DNFRuud Kooijmans (Ned) Global Dutch Cycling TeamRow 117 - Cell 2
DNFPhillip Elsasser (USA) Hagens Berman LLP Cycling TeamRow 118 - Cell 2
DNFSean Passage (USA) Hagens Berman LLP Cycling TeamRow 119 - Cell 2
DNFMike Stubna (USA) Haymarket ClubRow 120 - Cell 2
DNFRyan Aitcheson (Can) Jetfuel CoffeeRow 121 - Cell 2
DNFDave Byer (Can) Jetfuel CoffeeRow 122 - Cell 2
DNFKevin Hazzard (Can) Jetfuel CoffeeRow 123 - Cell 2
DNFJoe Lewis (USA) Jetfuel CoffeeRow 124 - Cell 2
DNFStephen Meyer (Can) Jetfuel CoffeeRow 125 - Cell 2
DNFChristian Bertilsson (Swe) PA LightningRow 126 - Cell 2
DNFJohan Landstrom (Swe) Team CykelcityRow 127 - Cell 2
DNFChad Haga (USA) Team Hotel San Jose-Juwi SolarRow 128 - Cell 2
DNFJames Canny (NZl) Team New Zealand Pro CyclingRow 129 - Cell 2
DNFYannick Bedard (Can) Team Tour De QuebecRow 130 - Cell 2
DNFArnaud Papillon (Can) Team Tour De QuebecRow 131 - Cell 2

 

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