McConnell sprints to Fontana cross country victory

Dan McConnell (Trek Factory Racing) won round 3 of the USA Cycling US Cup Pro Series presented by Sho-Air Cycling Group in Fontana, California, on Saturday afternoon. With three rounds done and one to go, Geoff Kabush (Scott-3Rox) leads the USA Cycling US Cup Pro Series.

Later in the afternoon, Australian national champion McConnell won a three-up final sprint ahead of Manuel Fumic of Germany and Marco Aurelio Fontana of Italy (both Cannondale Factory Racing).

Emil Lindgren (Giant Pro XC), Fontana and Fumic set the pace on the first two laps of the six-lap race as they strung out the field and established a group of favorites that included McConnell, US cross country national champion Stephen Ettinger (BMC), Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Trek Factory Racing). US short track national champion Todd Wells (Specialized Racing) was among the top riders leading the chase.

Mantecon made a move near the end of lap three that only Fontana could follow at first. They were chased by Lindgren and Ettinger with Wells, Fumic and McConnell not far behind.

Going into the second half of the race, all the top riders came back together for a seven-man lead group including Mantecon, Fontana, Lindgren, Ettinger, Wells, McConnell and Fumic. It looked like the winner would come from this group.

Mantecon attacked again on lap four and Fontana went with him. Ettinger seemed to be riding well, too, but suddenly disappeared from the leaders on the downhill.

"We were off the front - Fontana, Gutierrez and me - at the top of the descent on the fourth lap when I blew a valve stem off my wheel. I didn't have anyone in the back tech zone since I'm here by myself. It was a tough call, but I had to walk it in." Ettinger abandoned the race.

Wells drove the chase to bring Mantecon and Fontana back while Lindgren seemed to hang on for dear life at times. McConnell rode steady and sat in.

On the penultimate lap, it was Fontana's turn to surge, and he took Mantecon along with him for a bit of a gap. Wells chased in third ahead of McConnell, Fumic and Lindgren.

Unfortunately for Mantecon, he sprinted with one lap to go, thinking it was the end of the race, and then upon realizing his mistake, he had no choice but suffer through the last lap.

"Today I felt very good. The race was like a little World Cup. I tried to save my energy for the last lap, but I made a big mistake and with two to go, I thought it was the final lap and I sprinted," said Mantecon. "Then I heard the bell, so in the last lap, I was in crisis. But I'm excited to be here with my new team and new teammate [eventual winner McConnell]."

Going into the final lap, Fontana led with a slight advantage. McConnell moved up a few spots to head the chase on the climb, just ahead of Fumic. Fontana started to look visibly tired near the top of the climb although it had at first seemed like he might hold off the chasers, but on an exciting final descent, McConnell and Fumic bridged up to him.

McConnell smartly took over the lead heading toward the last part of the lap, when passing was difficult, and he led out the sprint, holding off Fumic and a tired Fontana. It would not be Fontana's day to win in Fontana.

Wells came across the line as the top American in fourth place, a performance that was good enough to bump him up one place in the series standings, into second overall.

Lindgren completed the podium for fifth while Mantecon limped home for sixth.

Second-year elite rider Anton Cooper (Cannondale Factory Racing), a former junior world champion, finished an impressive seventh.

Defending USA Cycling US Cup series leader Geoff Kabush (Scott-3Rox) could not hold the pace of the top riders on the day, but as other favorites dropped out or fell further back, he rode consistently enough to finish ninth and keep his lead with 94 points to Wells' 79 points.

Previous series runner-up Max Plaxton (Cannondale Factory Racing) did not finish the race.

USA Cycling US Cup presented by Sho-Air Cycling Group series standings

After round three of four in the USA Cycling US Cup presented by Sho-Air Cycling Group series, Kabush leads the series ahead of Wells and Plaxton while Nash continues to lead the series ahead of Pendrel and Batty.

The USA Cycling US Cup presented by Sho-Air Cycling Group series will continue with the final round, a UCI Category 1 race in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Saturday, June 28.

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