June 16/11 12:58 pm - Nature Valley GP: Stage 2 Men
Posted by Editoress on 06/16/11
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Sweeps Podium
The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team controlled Wednesday's Stage 2 St. Paul Downtown Criterium from start to finish and topped it off with a sweep of the podium.
After a perfect leadout from his teammates that included yellow jersey owner Rory Sutherland, Jake Keough took the win, Hilton Clarke placed second and Robert Förster was third.
“I think we've proven tonight that we're one unit, whether it's off the bike or on the course.” Keough said after his win. “The team is one unit, we do everything together. The dedication from the whole team is perfect. Each one of those guys is a specialist in what they do throughout the whole race to perfection.”
After rain fell earlier in the evening, welcomed glimpses of blue sky could be seen for the men's race in the entertainment district of Downtown Saint Paul on a flat, fast, six-corner course that featured brick sections around Rice Park and some of the most beautiful architecture in the Midwest.
Only three laps into the 40-lap race, Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda) and Carlos Alzate Escobar (Team Exergy) escaped the fast-moving peloton. One lap later, two more riders, Alex Candelario (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth) and Tyler Wren (Jamis/Sutter Home) joined to form a breakaway. The complete UnitedHealthcare team assumed position at the front of the field, with Jonny Clarke and Adrian Hegyvary keeping the pace high.
Lap after lap, it remained the same, with Keough's teammates always in control, holding the gap at a very manageable 20 seconds. Cooperation was not perfect in the break, but the four stayed mostly together for 31 laps of the 1.4-kilometer course. During this time, Alzate took top points in the intermediate sprint competition while Van Ulden, Wren and Candelario contested the intermediate time bonus.
With seven laps to go, the BISSELL Pro Cycling Team swarmed the UnitedHealthcare train to take over the front and the already fast pace was revved up even further, dooming the breakaway.
Keough took it in stride. “I just kind of called the guys to be really calm and to wait until the other guys burned their matches so we could go back around them," he said. "We're getting well drilled at this. We've been putting it to some good effect. Each one of the guys did a perfect effort at the end.”
One lap later, the blue train was back at the front while the sprinters jockeyed for position behind. The battle was on for controlling the front of the pack with the inevitable bunch sprint finish rapidly approaching. Every lap the speed ramped up until Sutherland took over with one lap to go.
“He's a vital part of our leadout as well,” Clarke said about having the yellow jersey pull at the front. “Adrian worked all day and he was second overall and Rory is leading the race but he's helping us win the stage. We're all helping each other all tour. The roles are reversed each day and we work as a team.”
Then it became a matter of executing the peel-off as practiced successfully in many previous races.
“The order we've been putting into the leadout train for the past few weeks has been Frosi (Förster), Hilton and then me and it's been working," Keough said. "We've been going 1-2-3 and we're just going to try to keep doing it."
Finishing fourth on the stage, Alzate took over the Wheaties FUEL Sprint jersey, while Van Ulden was awarded the Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider jersey. Chad Haga (Team Rio Grande) will wear the green jersey as the Nature Valley Top Amateur and Joey Rosskopf (Team Type 1-Development), the white jersey for the TRIA Orthopaedic Center Best Young Rider.
After two stages, Sutherland remains in the lead with nine seconds on Hegyvary and Tom Zirbel (Jamis/Sutter Home). The defending champion also holds the Sports Beans King of the Hills jersey.
Thursday brings the Cannon Falls Road Race. The 67-mile course through gently rolling, but wide open farmlands, finishes with six laps on a circuit that includes a short, steep climb to the line. Even a gentle wind can tear the pack apart.
Keough says his team is ready to defend the yellow jersey. “I think tonight was a lot of bullets used so we need to make sure we're conservative and make sure we have the legs but the guys proved that they're strong and we're going to keep it up.”
Report by Lyne Lamoureux, Nature Valley Grand Prix
| Stage 2 (June 15th): St Paul Downtown Criterium | |
| 1 Jake Keough (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 1:15:09 |
| 2 Hilton Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
| 3 Robert Forster (Ger) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
| 4 Carlos Alzate Escobar (USA) Team Exergy | |
| 5 Kenneth Hanson (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
| 6 Alejandro Borrajo (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | |
| 7 Charles Huff (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
| 8 K Frank Pipp (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | all s.t. |
| 9 Eric Young (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 0:05 |
| 10 Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
| 11 Luis Romero Amaran (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | |
| 12 Tyler Wren (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | |
| 13 Michael Friedman (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | |
| 14 Karl Menzies (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
| 15 Andrew Dahlheim (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | |
| 16 Ben Kersten (Aus) V Australia | |
| 17 Andrew Guptill (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | all s.t. |
| 18 Adrian Hegyvary (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 0:09 |
| 19 Alexander Candelario (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | |
| 20 Sergio Hernandez (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
| 21 Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
| 22 Michael Creed (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | |
| 23 Tom Zirbel (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | |
| 24 Daniel Holloway (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | |
| 25 Chris Baldwin (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | |
| 26 Benjamin Chaddock (Can) Team Exergy | |
| 27 Timothy Rugg (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | |
| 28 Andres Diaz Corrales (USA) Team Exergy | |
| 29 Thomas Brown (USA) Team Mountain Khakis presented by SmartStop | |
| 30 Nic Frey (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | |
| 31 Daniel Holt (USA) Team Type 1-Development | |
| 32 Jeremy Vennell (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | |
| 33 Marsh Cooper (Can) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | |
| 34 Eric Schildge (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | |
| 35 Andrew Bajadali (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | |
| 36 Christian Helmig (USA) Elbowz Racing | |
| 37 Adam Myerson (USA) Team Mountain Khakis presented by SmartStop | |
| 38 Joey Rosskopf (USA) Team Type 1-Development | |
| 39 Joseph Schmalz (USA) Elbowz Racing | |
| 40 Chad Haga (USA) Team Rio Grande | all s.t. |
| 41 Jay Thomson (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 0:16 |
| 42 Emerson Oronte (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
| 43 Chris Winn (USA) V Australia | |
| 44 Ty Magner (USA) Team Type 1-Development | |
| 45 Drew Christopher (USA) Team Rio Grande | |
| 46 Kyle Wamsley (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | |
| 47 Matthew Cooke (USA) Team Exergy | all s.t. |
| 48 Heath Blackgrove (USA) Elbowz Racing | 0:19 |
| 49 Andy Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | |
| 50 Mac Brennan (USA) Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist | |
| 51 Jamey Driscoll (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | |
| 52 Alec Donahue (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | |
| 53 Travis Livermon (USA) Team Mountain Khakis presented by SmartStop | |
| 54 Erik Hamilton (USA) Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist | |
| 55 Ryan Aitcheson (Can) Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist | |
| 56 Freddie Rodriguez (USA) Team Exergy | |
| 57 Zachary Davies (USA) V Australia | all s.t. |
| 58 Ryan Knapp (USA) Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist | 0:23 |
| 59 Brad Cole (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | |
| 60 Jonathan Toftoy (USA) GrandStay Hotels | both s.t. |
| 61 Mat Stephens (USA) Elbowz Racing | 0:25 |
| 62 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 1:43 |
| 63 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 1:53 |
| 64 Shadd Smith (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | 3:36 |
| 65 Adam Koble (USA) GrandStay Hotels | s.t. |
| 66 Will Dickeson (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 3:50 |
| 67 Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
| 68 Benjamin Zawacki (USA) Team Mountain Khakis presented by SmartStop | both s.t. |
| 69 Ben Anderson (USA) GrandStay Hotels | 4:03 |
| 70 Zack Allsion (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | 4:15 |
| 71 Adam Carr (USA) Penn Cycle | s.t. |
| 72 Quinn Keogh (USA) Team Exergy | 4:34 |
| 73 Daniel Bowman (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | s.t. |
| 74 Brandon Feehery (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 4:46 |
| 75 Jerome Townsend (USA) Team Mountain Khakis presented by SmartStop | s.t. |
| 76 Trevor Connor (Can) Team Rio Grande | 4:50 |
| 77 Stefan Rothe (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | s.t. |
| 78 Austin Stewart (USA) Elbowz Racing | 5:44 |
| 79 Colton Jarisch (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | s.t. |
| 80 Jason Donald (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | 11:39 |
| 81 Tucker Olander (USA) Penn Cycle | 18:41 |
| 82 Scott Gray (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | s.t. |
| 83 Michael Woell (USA) GrandStay Hotels | 18:46 |
| 84 Jens Brabbit (USA) GrandStay Hotels | s.t. |
| 85 Joshua Roeser (USA) Penn Cycle | 22:10 |
| 86 Scott Tietzel (USA) Team Rio Grande | s.t. |
| 87 Micah Moran (USA) GrandStay Hotels | 24:36 |
| 88 Dan Ajer (USA) Penn Cycle | |
| 89 Michael Dalterio (USA) Team Type 1-Development | |
| 90 Erik Slack (USA) Team Exergy | |
| 91 Kai Applequist (USA) Team Exergy | |
| 92 Tanner Putt (USA) Team Type 1-Development | |
| 93 Tyler Jewell (USA) Elbowz Racing | |
| 94 Adam Mills (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | |
| 95 Brandon Krawczyk (USA) GrandStay Hotels | |
| 96 Nicholas Coil (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | |
| 97 Ian Holt (USA) Team Rio Grande | |
| 98 Andrew Gonzales (USA) Elbowz Racing | |
| 99 Alastair Loutit (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
| 100 John Phillips (USA) Team Rio Grande | |
| 101 Logan Hutchings (NZl) Elbowz Racing | |
| 102 Stephen Mull (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | all s.t. |
| DNF Chris Hillier (USA) Team Rio Grande | |
| DNF Scott Law (USA) V Australia | |
| DNF Jack Hinkens (USA) GrandStay Hotels | |
| DNF Christopher Hall (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | |
| DNF Scott Simmons (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | |
| DNF Andrew Mccullough (USA) Penn Cycle | |
| GC | |
| 1 Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 1:28:22 |
| 2 Adrian Hegyvary (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | at 0:09 |
| 3 Tom Zirbel (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | s.t. |
| 4 Robert Forster (Ger) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 0:11 |
| 5 Michael Friedman (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | 0:15 |
| 6 K Frank Pipp (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 0:16 |
| 7 Andrew Guptill (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | 0:17 |
| 8 Jeremy Vennell (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 0:24 |
| 9 Andres Diaz Corrales (USA) Team Exergy | 0:27 |
| 10 Chris Baldwin (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 0:30 |
| 11 Jake Keough (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 0:31 |
| 12 Joey Rosskopf (USA) Team Type 1-Development | 0:34 |
| 13 Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
| 14 Daniel Holloway (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | both s.t. |
| 15 Michael Creed (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | 0:39 |
| 16 Jay Thomson (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 0:40 |
| 17 Marsh Cooper (Can) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | s.t. |
| 18 Hilton Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 0:41 |
| 19 Andy Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 0:42 |
| 20 Andrew Bajadali (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | s.t. |
| 21 Alejandro Borrajo (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | 0:44 |
| 22 Luis Romero Amaran (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | 0:45 |
| 23 Eric Young (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 0:46 |
| 24 Chad Haga (USA) Team Rio Grande | s.t. |
| 25 Tyler Wren (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | 0:47 |
| 26 Carlos Alzate Escobar (USA) Team Exergy | 0:48 |
| 27 Nic Frey (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | 0:51 |
| 28 Benjamin Chaddock (Can) Team Exergy | s.t. |
| 29 Matthew Cooke (USA) Team Exergy | 0:53 |
| 30 Emerson Oronte (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 0:54 |
| 31 Alexander Candelario (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | 0:54 |
| 32 Joseph Schmalz (USA) Elbowz Racing | 0:55 |
| 33 Karl Menzies (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 0:59 |
| 34 Christian Helmig (USA) Elbowz Racing | 1:01 |
| 35 Kenneth Hanson (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 1:02 |
| 36 Heath Blackgrove (USA) Elbowz Racing | 1:05 |
| 37 Jamey Driscoll (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | 1:06 |
| 38 Drew Christopher (USA) Team Rio Grande | 1:08 |
| 39 Sergio Hernandez (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 1:10 |
| 40 Erik Hamilton (USA) Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist | 1:13 |
| 41 Eric Schildge (USA) Jamis Sutter Home | 1:14 |
| 42 Zachary Davies (USA) V Australia | 1:16 |
| 43 Ben Kersten (Aus) V Australia | 1:18 |
| 44 Chris Winn (USA) V Australia | s.t. |
| 45 Timothy Rugg (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 1:21 |
| 46 Freddie Rodriguez (USA) Team Exergy | 1:23 |
| 47 Mac Brennan (USA) Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist | 1:30 |
| 48 Kyle Wamsley (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 1:33 |
| 49 Andrew Dahlheim (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | |
| 50 Ty Magner (USA) Team Type 1-Development | both s.t. |
| 51 Jonathan Toftoy (USA) GrandStay Hotels | 1:41 |
| 52 Daniel Holt (USA) Team Type 1-Development | 1:42 |
| 53 Ryan Knapp (USA) Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist | 1:47 |
| 54 Ryan Aitcheson (Can) Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist | 1:49 |
| 55 Alec Donahue (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 1:52 |
| 56 Travis Livermon (USA) Team Mountain Khakis presented by SmartStop | s.t. |
| 57 Thomas Brown (USA) Team Mountain Khakis presented by SmartStop | 1:54 |
| 58 Brad Cole (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | 2:02 |
| 59 Charles Huff (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 2:04 |
| 60 Adam Myerson (USA) Team Mountain Khakis presented by SmartStop | s.t. |
| 61 Mat Stephens (USA) Elbowz Racing | 2:07 |
| 62 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 2:30 |
| 63 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 3:01 |
| 64 Will Dickeson (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 4:30 |
| 65 Adam Koble (USA) GrandStay Hotels | s.t. |
| 66 Benjamin Zawacki (USA) Team Mountain Khakis presented by SmartStop | 4:52 |
| 67 Shadd Smith (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | 5:12 |
| 68 Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 5:22 |
| 69 Zack Allsion (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | 5:24 |
| 70 Quinn Keogh (USA) Team Exergy | 5:33 |
| 71 Ben Anderson (USA) GrandStay Hotels | s.t. |
| 72 Stefan Rothe (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 5:41 |
| 73 Daniel Bowman (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | 5:43 |
| 74 Trevor Connor (Can) Team Rio Grande | 5:52 |
| 75 Adam Carr (USA) Penn Cycle | 5:59 |
| 76 Jerome Townsend (USA) Team Mountain Khakis presented by SmartStop | 6:55 |
| 77 Brandon Feehery (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 7:14 |
| 78 Colton Jarisch (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | 7:27 |
| 79 Austin Stewart (USA) Elbowz Racing | 7:40 |
| 80 Jason Donald (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth | 13:06 |
| 81 Tucker Olander (USA) Penn Cycle | 20:16 |
| 82 Michael Woell (USA) GrandStay Hotels | 20:19 |
| 83 Scott Gray (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 20:38 |
| 84 Jens Brabbit (USA) GrandStay Hotels | 20:39 |
| 85 Scott Tietzel (USA) Team Rio Grande | 23:09 |
| 86 Joshua Roeser (USA) Penn Cycle | 23:42 |
| 87 Kai Applequist (USA) Team Exergy | 25:34 |
| 88 Tanner Putt (USA) Team Type 1-Development | s.t. |
| 89 Logan Hutchings (NZl) Elbowz Racing | 25:41 |
| 90 Alastair Loutit (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | s.t. |
| 91 Stephen Mull (USA) NVGP Pro Ride | 25:47 |
| 92 Ian Holt (USA) Team Rio Grande | 25:56 |
| 93 Erik Slack (USA) Team Exergy | 26:16 |
| 94 Andrew Gonzales (USA) Elbowz Racing | 26:21 |
| 95 Brandon Krawczyk (USA) GrandStay Hotels | 26:27 |
| 96 Michael Dalterio (USA) Team Type 1-Development | 26:28 |
| 97 Micah Moran (USA) GrandStay Hotels | 26:31 |
| 98 John Phillips (USA) Team Rio Grande | 26:33 |
| 99 Tyler Jewell (USA) Elbowz Racing | 26:51 |
| 100 Dan Ajer (USA) Penn Cycle | 26:58 |
| 101 Nicholas Coil (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | 27:01 |
| 102 Adam Mills (USA) Mercy Elite Cycling Team | 27:08/td> |
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