June 5/11 14:30 pm - Liberty Classic women's results

Posted by Editoress on 06/5/11
 

World Road Champion Giorgia Bronzini Sprints to Victory

The Colavita/Forno D’Asolo Pro Cycling Team presented by Cooking Light achieved the results it had long sought – victory at Philadelphia’s Liberty Classic, the most prestigious women’s cycling race in North America.

With an international powerhouse squad consisting of World Road Champion Giorgia Bronzini of Italy, 2010 Liberty Classic runner-up Theresa Cliff-Ryan of Philadelphia, NRC Champion Cath Cheatley of New Zealand, Andrea Dvorak of Virginia, Barbara Guarischi of Italy, and Modesta Vzesniauskaite of Lithuania.   The six women represent all of the major cycling disciplines:  sprinting, climbing, and endurance – all of which are necessary for the 57.7-mile course, which includes four laps of a 14.4-mile circuit through downtown Philadelphia with four climbs up the grueling Manayunk Wall with its 17% slope.

“Keep the sprinters protected and make sure the race finishes in a sprint,” is how Colavita/Forno D’Asolo Director Rachel Heal explained the team’s strategy.  Despite a mechanical problem for Vzesniauskaite early in the race, the Colavita/Forno D’Asolo squad executed the plan flawlessly.

Strong teams like HTC-Highroad drove up the pace on the final ascent of the Manayunk wall and a small breakaway group formed, with Cheatley representing Colavita/Forno D’Asolo.  But with less than 10km to the finish, the sprinters were not to be denied their glory and the field was soon back together again.  As the attacks came thick and fast in the final kilometers, Vzesniauskaite and Guarischi protected Bronzini and Cliff-Ryan as they got into position for the final sprint down Benjamin Franklin Parkway.  Barreling down the finishing straight, it was Bronzini in the world champion’s jersey crossing the line, arms raised, to take Colavita/Forno D'Asolo's first victory in North America's biggest one-day race.

“We are extremely proud of every single rider and staff member,” said John A. Profaci, Vice President of Marketing for title sponsor Colavita USA. “We know our entire squad worked together to put World Champion Giorgia Bronzini across the finish line first.”

“We congratulate Dave Chauner and his team at Pro Cycling Tour for making the Liberty Classic a ‘must-race’ event for the top women’s cyclists in the world,” Profaci continued.  “We look forward to defending our title at the 19th edition of the Liberty Classic next year.”
Press release

Numainville 4th

Joelle Numainville of Team TIBCO/To the Top took 4th place in the bunch sprint finish of the Liberty Classic in Philadelphia, with teammate Joanne Kiesanowski taking 6th. World Champion Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita) took the victory, her second major win on North American soil after narrowly edging out Numainville at the GP Gatineau two weeks ago.

“The girls rode a great race today,” said Team Directeur Sportif Lisa Hunt. “I’m really proud of them. It’s always a gamble when things come down to a bunch sprint. The difference between second, third and fourth was tiny. It wasn’t exactly the outcome we wanted, but I’m happy with the way everyone raced.”

The race was partially defined by a solo break by Juvederm-Specialized rider Lex Albrecht, who took leave of the bunch on lap one and stayed away until the fourth and final trip up the Manayunk Wall.

“Everyone seemed content to let her stay out there,” Hunt said. “We weren’t going to kill ourselves to try to bring it back. It was working to our favor. But I think if you asked all the girls, the consensus would be that the race wasn’t hard enough.”

Once Albrecht was brought back, a series of attacks on the final trip up the Wall broke up the field. “We were in it with Joelle at the front, but everything came back together after the climb,” Hunt said.

From there it was a matter of setting up for the sprint. “I’m please with how everything went, and how everyone rode,” Hunt added. “It’s good to have most everyone back and healthy. I’m looking forward to next weekend and Nature Valley.”

Team Tibco press release