Tyler Magner takes gold in U23 Men's Criterium

BMC/Hincapie's Tyler Magner took gold in the men's U23 criterium at the 2012 USA Elite Road National Championships in Augusta on Friday. Magner went two spots better than last year's renewal, when he could finish only third despite being highly fancied to win before the race.

Throughout the 60-kilometer contest, different riders from the California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized rotated turns attacking the field, seemingly setting up the newly-minted 2012 USA Cycling U23 Men's Time Trial National Champion Evan Huffman (California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) for a sprint finish. It wasn't meant to be as the field answered each of those attacks, setting up a field sprint to the finish.

Luke Keough (Team Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop) came around the final corner with a slight gap on the field, but Magner (BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Development Team) hadn't given up. Remembering his third-place finish in this race in 2011, Magner drilled. Not realizing Magner's proximity, Keough sat up and began his celebration prematurely as Magner sped around him barely beating him to the finish line to collect the first Stars-and-Stripes jersey of his career.

"Luke had a good gap on me," Magner said. "I could tell that I was gaining on him. Luckily, he just sat up a little too early and I had just that much left to get him right at the end."

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