Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Giro finale Photo ©: Bettini |
USA Under 23 Road Championships - NE
Park City, Utah, August 12, 2004
August 12: U23 Road Race, 200km
McGregor makes the race
By Kristy Scrymgeour
|
Ian McGregor (TIAA Cref/5280) had the ride of his life today taking out the
U23 National Road Race and earning himself automatic nomination for the World
Championships in Verona, Italy. In a somewhat traditional early breakaway for
the U23 Nationals, McGregor continued to be the aggressor late in the race in
a move that paid off for him and his team.
Backing up after their 36km time trial in the heat yesterday, 111 Espoir men
hit the road in Park city to start their 120-mile (200km) road race through
the canyons southeast of town. The course consisted of three laps of 40 miles
in the wee hours of the morning, giving the riders a break from the heat of
the previous day. The course headed out of town and climbed a 5km hill along
a wide-open freeway with beautiful views of the mountains and the lake after
which it descended into the canyons through flat and undulating terrain.
With 15 miles to go the course climbed out of the canyons back up to Park city
on another steep 5km climb to finish the lap. On the final lap the top of the
second climb led to a short descent and continued to climb very gradually to
the finish line.
|
It was McGregor who was the first to stretch his legs very early in the race
making an attack on the first climb. Michael Cody (NCC/Bikereg.com) joined him
immediately and the pair worked together waiting for others to bridge. Five
riders eventually came across to them making the break seven riders and the
gap instantly grew to over two minutes.
Midway through the lap another group of four riders bridged to make the break
eleven. "Once that happened," said McGregor, "we all worked together and every
guy in the break did their turn."
The group consisted of four TIAA Cref riders McGregor, Jay Ku, Todd Yezefski
and Nathan Mitchell, along with US National Team members Blake Caldwell and
Gillespie, Robbie Yost (Subway Express), Mike Freidman (ESSM/GPOA), David Robinson
(Broadmark Capitol), Michael Cody (NCC/Bikereg.com) and Matt Stephens (Mercy).
With the gap continuing and the peloton continuing attacks but never putting
together a strong chase, it was obvious that this was becoming the move of the
day. The gap to the chasers stretched out to over six minutes and the lead group
continued to keep a smooth paceline.
|
In the middle of the second lap Timmy Duggan (TIAA Cref) went on the attack
to try to bridge to his four teammates. He and three other riders, Trevor Mays
(Nella Madison Bikes), Jeremiah Wiscovich (LaGrange) and Steven Cozza (US National
Team) set of in pursuit and quickly gained time of the peloton, getting closer
to the front break.
With one lap remaining, Stuart Gillespie started the action and attacked twice
on the first climb of the loop. His moves were covered by McGregor a couple
of times after which McGregor countered and got away with only Caldwell on his
wheel.
Both riders worked hard together knowing they had nothing to lose with teammates
back in the break and managed to open up a significant gap. This move proved
to be the decisive move of the day. Behind both Ku and Yezefski dropped off
the original break and fell back to their teammate Duggan who was trying to
bridge. "My teammates helped me get up to them," said Duggan, "When we picked
up Jay and Todd, they just drove it and we caught back on. I was feeling super
good."
On the last lap Caldwell began to attack his breakaway partner, but McGregor
was on his every move and eventually countered him to get away. "Blake put in
a couple of really strong attacks," explained McGregor, "and I was really struggling.
Actually I was puking all over myself. But I kept telling myself I just had
to get over the climb and that to win I had to really want this more than anyone
else and really hurt myself."
|
McGregor soloed to the finish to take the win, with Caldwell coming in 45 seconds
down to take second place. In an amazing performance, Duggan came through to
take third place after a long chase to catch and pass the original break.
Duggan was excited for his friend McGregor who he grew up ski racing with. "It
has been my dream to be on the podium with my best friend," he said.
McGregor was of course over the moon saying that he hasn't "had any other results
that have come close to this. It was purely because of my team. They were amazing
out there today."
Duggan agreed that the team was great today. "I have never done a race where
everyone on the team has worked so well and everything went exactly to plan
like it did today."
Photography
Images by Beth Seliga/www.3catsphoto.com
- The break led by TIAA Cref
- The men's podium David Robinson (Broadmark Capital), Timothy (Timmy) Duggan (Team TIAA-CREF/5280 Magazine), Ian MacGregor (Team TIAA-CREF/5280 Magazine), Blake Caldwell (U23 National Team), Stuart Gillespie (USPS U-23 National Team)
- The peloton heads up the first climb of the day
- The break working hard with Jay Ku (TIAA Cref) on the front
- Ian McGregor (TIAA Cref) and Blake Caldwell (US National) in the decisive move out of the break
- Ian McGregor (TIAA Cref) and Blake Caldwell (US National) fighting it out amongst themselves
- Ian McGregor (TIAA Cref) takes the win in the ride of his life
- Ian McGregor (TIAA Cref) looking pretty happy with himself as he comes across the line
- Blake Caldwell (US National Team) leads the way as he and Ian McGregor head towards the finish
- Ian McGregor (TIAA Cref) deserves to smile after his day
- Ian McGregor (TIAA Cref) already has his team edition stars and stripes jersey
- TIAA Cref DS Jonathan Vaughters thought the whole team deserved to be on the podium
- …and Ian McGregor thought his team deserved some champagne
- Best friends Ian McGregor and Timmy Duggan dreamed of being on the podium together as they were growing up
Results
1 Ian MacGregor (Team TIAA-CREF/5280 Magazine) 4.52.42 2 Blake Caldwell (U23 National Team) 0.45 3 Timothy (Timmy) Duggan (Team TIAA-CREF/5280 Magazine) 3.03 4 David Robinson (Broadmark Capital) 3.04 5 Stuart Gillespie (USPS U-23 National Team) 3.18 6 Tyler Farrar (Health Net Pro Cycling Team Pre) 3.19 7 Saul Raisin (Credit Agricole Espoirs) 8 Darby Thomas (US National) 3.20 9 Nicholas Reistad (Endeavour Cycling Team) 10 Sheldon Deeny (Team TIAA-CREF/5280 Magazine) 3.21 11 Geoffrey Rapoport (Minute Maid/Dasani-Lagrange) 12 Kevin Bouchard-Hall (USPS U-23 National Team) 3.23 13 Michael Cody (NCC/Bikereg.com) 3.27 14 John Devine (US National Team) 3.33 15 Ryan Hamity (Rocky Mtn. Cycling Edu. Foundat) 3.38 16 Peter Horn (GS Ciao) 17 Matthew Crane (Team Snow Valley) 18 Lucas Euser (Red Edge Cycling Team) 3.39 19 Christopher Herby (Outdoorlights.com) 20 Clayton Barrows (Rocky Mtn Cycling Edu. Foundati) 3.40 21 Nicholas Ranno (Trek Factory Team) 22 Keith Jennings (Louis Garneau) 3.41 23 Michael Lange (Sharper Image/Mathis Brothers F) 3.42 24 Christopher Deluise (Aerospace Engineering) 25 Daniel Bowman (Team TIAA-CREF/5280 Magazine) 3.43 26 Mat Stephens (Mercy) 27 Craig Wilcox (Team Rubicon) 4.06 28 Jarred Berger (LBC/Highgear) 4.14 29 Andrew Guptill (CRCA / SAKONNET TECHNOLOGY) 4.15 30 Walker Starr (California Pedaler) 4.35 31 Robert Giannini (CRCR/Sakonnet Technology) 4.37 32 Taylor Tolleson (Unattached) 4.45 33 Bradley Viera (Team snow valley) 4.46 34 Alex Hagman (Gart Frames) 5.08 35 Nathan Mitchell (Team TIAA-CREF/5280 Magazine) 5.10 36 Steven Cozza (USA National) 5.36 37 Jeremiah Wiscovitch (LaGrange) 9.01 38 Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team pr) 9.25 39 Michael Wolf (AG Edwards/Nalley Lexus) 11.07 40 Robert (Robbie) Yost (Subway Express Racing) 11.27 41 Trevor Mays (Nella madison bikes) 42 Robert Lofgran 11.32 43 Nathan Winkelmann (Hotel San Jose/UYS) 44 Daniel Cassidy (Fior di Frutta) 11.37 45 David Nelson (Landis/ Trek/ VW) 12.35 46 Nicholas Clayville (Broadmark Capital) 16.25 47 Michael Friedman (ESSM/GPOA) 16.28 48 Soloman Woras (Team Rubicon) 16.29 49 Owen Gue (Team Hammer Gel) 17.00 50 Jonathan Parrish (LANDIS/TREK/VW) 51 Jaime Gandara (ABC-Cyclingcenter) 17.01 52 Glenn Murray (Tri State Velo) 17.02 53 Jason Wagner (Rapid Transit) 17.03 54 Brian Dziewa (Long John Silvers Cycling Team) 17.06 55 Perry Paolini (Balance Bar / Devo) 18.37 56 Edward King (Louis Garneau Racing) 21.52 57 Todd Yezefski (Team TIAA-CREF/5280 Magazine) 22.04 58 Jay Ku (Team TIAA-CREF/5280 Magazine) 59 Bartolo Torre (Land/Rover Cycling Team) 25.50 60 Chris Kuhl (CRCA/SAKONNET TECHNOLOGY) 27.43 61 David Gettle (Bosie Developement Cycling Team) 32.46 62 David Guttenplan (Locos/Georgia Cycle Sport) 34.09 63 Robert Lea (Fuji) 64 Scott Walters (Long John Silver's Cycling Team) 35.31 65 Owen Laine (Ritchey/Organic Athlets) 35.32 66 Gray Skinner (Sonic/ Gran Fondo) 41.50 67 Michael Henry (Recycled Cycles Racing) 68 Ari DeWilde (Essex County Velo) 69 Graham Howard (Advantage Benefits Group Cyclin) 42.00 70 Cody Stephenson (Unattached) 42.03 71 Andrew Manart (Team TIAA-CREF/5280 Magazine) 42.18 72 Joshua Gewirtz (Fiordifrutta) 43.43
