First Union Classic, Cat 1.3

Brief

"Everyone else on my team had done their job, so it was my turn to work," said Svorada, 30, who avoided a 40-mph crash in the final turn of the 90-mile, 12-lap race.

Heading out of the final turn, Svorada (Mapei-Bricobi), George Hincapie (U.S. Postal Service) and Mike McCarthy (Saturn) gunned it at 45-47 mph for the finish line on State Street.

The United States Postal Service Pro Cycling Team's George Hincapie continued to display his fine form heading into Sunday's USPRO Championship by taking second in today's 150 km First Union Classic in Trenton, NJ.

After numerous breakaway attempts were reeled in by the speedy field - the last one caught just before the bell lap - a lead group of 25 riders came to the line together with Mapei's Jan Svorada taking the victory by a wheel over Hincapie in a time of 2 hours, 50 minutes and 14 seconds. Besides Hincapie, the U.S Postal Service team placed two other riders, Anton Villatoro and Tyler Hamilton, in lead group, finishing 17th and 18th, respectively. The lead 25 riders averaged over 31 miles an hour for the event.

After teammates Frankie Andreu and Lance Armstrong finished first and second, Hincapie placed fifth overall in the 91-mile First Union Invitational in Lancaster, Penn., on Tuesday, and third in yesterday's 105-mile Christiana Care Cup, held in Wilmington, Del.

Hincapie, who took second, said he was waiting for Saturn to make a move so he could get on McCarthy’s wheel in the sprint. But they both ended up jumping at the same time.

"We wavered a bit and that may have slowed us. Then Jan came around," Hincapie said.

At the line it was Svorada edging Hincapie by a wheel.

Svorada’s Mapei team worked earlier in the race to rein in an eight-man break- away led by riders from Saturn, Saeco-Cannondale and Mercury. They were caught in the last half of the 7.5-mile circuit, setting the finish for a field spring of the 102 riders.

For U.S. teams Mercury and Shaklee the finish was a heart-breaker. Their top sprinters, Julian Dean and Jonas Carney, respectively, were among six riders to go down in the crash only one kilometer from the line. The riders suffered road burns and bruises.

Svorada moved to the front just in time to avoid the crash, which was about six riders back in the speeding peloton.

McCarthy, 29, who carried his 13 month-old daughter to the podium, said the speed of the race was incredible.

"I looked down and we were doing 62km (about 40 mph). Hats off to Jan. I like this race, it’s fast."

About 150 riders started the 10th running of the Classic, which takes tight turns through downtown Trenton, including rough brick sections, and then heads out to Cadwalader Park.

The First Union Classic is part of the U.S. National Racing Calendar, the year-long series which ranks cyclists in elite American racing. The NRC continues Sunday with the First Union USPRO Championships in Philadelphia, the American professional road race championship.

Trenton, 150 kms:

 1.  Jan Svorada (Cze) Mapei				     2.50.14
 2.  George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service			s.t.
 3.  Mike McCarthy (USA) Saturn	
 4.  Mark McCormack (USA) Saturn	
 5.  Tomas Konecny (Cze) ZVVZ-Giant	
..
17. Anton Villatoro (Gua) US Postal Service
18. Tyler Hamilton (USA) US Postal Service			s.t.
40. Lance Armsrong (USA) US Postal Service			1.02
41. Marty Jemison (USA) US Postal Service			1.02
81. Christian Vande Velde (USA) US Postal Service		2.20