March 2/09 23:50 pm - Vuelta Mexico Telmex: Stage 2

Posted by Editoress on 03/2/09
 

Pinfold gets over three KoMs, then climbs podium after 2nd in Vuelta Mexico Stage 2
Press release

Canadian Andrew Pinfold of the OUCH Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis survived the first climbing stage of the Vuelta Mexico to finish with a hard-earned 2nd place in Stage 2.

The 205 km stage featured three rated climbs, including the final climb that ascended nearly 1000 meters, topping out eight kilometers from the finish in Puebla.

'Pinner rode a great stage,' said team director Mike Tamayo. 'He's known more for his sprinting but he showed today that he has pretty good climbing legs, and the strength to get a great result at the end of a hard day.'

Taking the pressure off

Apparently unsatisfied with his abbreviated time in the break during Stage 1, Bradley White of OUCH Presented by Maxxis once again made the main break of the day. And this time, he got his money's worth, spending about 140 km of the stage out front in a six-rider break that included last year's Vuelta Mexico winner, Glen Chadwick (Rock Racing).

With White in the break, the team got a free ride in the peloton for the first two-thirds of the stage. The break was finally absorbed heading into the final climb of the day through the efforts of the Mexican National Team of race leader and Stage 1 winner Juan Pablo Magallanes.

Once on the final climb, the peloton – which had remained mostly intact over the first two climbs – started to break up, Tamayo said.

By the time the race neared the top of the climb, a front group numbering around 50 riders had formed. OUCH Presented by Maxxis GC leader Floyd Landis was safely positioned in the front group, with teammates Pinfold, Pat McCarty, Roman Kilun and Karl Menzies keeping him protected.

'Once we got over the top of the climb,' Tamayo said, 'we went to the front and took control of the bunch.'

The team executed a well-orchestrated lead out that helped deliver Pinfold to 2nd place behind Jackson Rodriguez of the Italian Continental Professional team Serramenti PVC.

Kilun, McCarty and Landis all finished safely in the front group, while Menzies dropped off a bit at the end to finish 0:11 down on the front bunch. White, Cam Evans and John Murphy arrived at the finish in the second group on the road, 0:49 back. Race leader Magallanes finished in the front group to retain his overall lead.