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International Cycling Classic - Superweek - NE
USA, July 8 -24, 2005
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Stage 14 - July 20: Bellin Health De Pere Classic, De Pere, WI, 100km
Colombians take charge in De Pere
Frank Pipp takes sprint jersey back in tie
By Mark Zalewski, North American Editor in Depere, WI
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Carlos Alzate (Colombian National Team) won his second race of the 36th annual International Cycling Classic - Superweek, by taking a lap on the field along with teammate Carlos Uran and Health Net-Maxxis' John Lieswyn. The fast duo from Colombia initially only wanted to earn some cash by scoring as many primes as possible, Alzate explained to Cyclingnews. "We came here to take advantage of the sprints [primes] but saw that [Lieswyn] went with me and so I tried to win," Alzate said.
The trio of riders had some trouble finding a rhythm early on, almost losing a thirty second lead before reorganizing themselves and pushing their lead to over a minute, eventually lapping the field. "They were real strong guys," Lieswyn said of his break companions. Lieswyn admitted he was not in the textbook best break combination with two against one, but riding his last Superweek means that the veteran domestic pro is taking bigger risks in order to score a final win here.
With only one other teammate at today's race compared to the seven-rider Colombian National Team, the chances for a sprint win for Lieswyn against two Colombian were slim. However, with Greg Henderson as his lead-out teammate, defending champion in De Pere and winner in yesterday's Lakefront Road Race, the chances were seemed better.
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With all of the Colombians driving the front of the race for the last twenty laps, followed by Henderson and Lieswyn, the pace was high enough to insure nobody would come around. Unfortunately for Lieswyn, the organization fell apart on the final lap and the traffic of a reintegrated field came flying by on the back side of the course. "The pace had to be fast to work," said Lieswyn. "But on the back stretch it slowed and I got swarmed. Greg went through a pinhole-sized gap and I just couldn't follow his wheel." Lieswyn held on for second in a messy field sprint, with Alzate taking the win and Uran taking third.
In a race within a race, Monex's Emile Abraham led Frank Pipp (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) by only two points in the sprint category. Back and forth the two riders traded points on the sprint laps, with Advantage Benefits/Endeavour massing on the front to lead-out Pipp. One of the hardest workers was overall leader Karl Menzies, organizing his riders vocally when the radios malfunctioned. "Everytime he was on my wheel or I was on his," said Pipp about Abraham. "But we've got a bigger team and Karl Ten-Menzies worked hard."
After today's race, the two riders were tied on points, but since Pipp has won more sprint laps he wears the jersey. Having the sprint race still competitive this late in the series is a rarity in Superweek history. "We're having fun now!" Pipp joked. "It's usually all wrapped up by now, but this will be fun for the fans. However, when Cyclingnews asked Pipp what he wanted more, the sprint jersey or to win the infamous Downer Avenue race, Pipp pondered and eventually replied, "That certainly would cap off a great Superweek for me. If it came down to it, yeah I would give [the sprint jersey] up. But the team comes first."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Mark Zalewski
- Defending champion in De Pere Greg Henderson (Health Net-Maxxis) remembers that the temperatures can get a little high this time of year.
- Frank Pipp (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) rides the wheel of a Colombian National Team rider nearing one of the three sprint laps of the day.
- The breakaway trio working well together.
- The breakaway trio exchanging words and not working so well together.
- Overall leader Karl Menzies and an Advantage Benefits/Endeavour teammate try to chase down the break, as Greg Henderson (Health Net-Maxxis) watches closely.
- The breakaway trio makes the catch of the field.
- The Colombian National Team drove the field for the last twenty laps until the final lap.
Results
1 Carlos Alzate (Colombian National Team) 2 John Lieswyn (Health Net/Maxxis) 3 Alexander Gonzalez (Colombian National Team) 4 Carlos Vargas (Team Monex) 5 Marco Rios (Kahala-LaGrange) 6 Greg Henderson (Health Net/Maxxis) 7 Aaron Smathers (GS Tenzing) 8 Alexi Martinez (Excel Sports) 9 Kirk Albers (Jelly Belly/PoolGel) 10 Emile Abraham (Team Monex) 11 Dean LaBerge (GS Lombardi Sports) 12 Pete Lopinto (Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada) 13 Frank Pipp (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 14 Andrew Crater (Wheel and Sprocket) 15 Karl Menzies (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 16 Patrick Briggs (Cal Giant / Village Peddler) 17 Armando Cardenas (Colombian National Team) 18 JD Bergmann (McGuire Cycling) 19 Darin Divine (Lombardi Sports) 20 Russell Hamby (Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada) 21 David Kay (Great Dane Velo Club) 22 Duke Schimmer (Dewars Racing Team) 23 Jamiel Danesh (Hammer Nutrition) 24 Karl Bordine (Helen's Cycles) 25 Jose Serpa (Colombian National Team) 26 Nathan Miller (Team Monex) 27 Erik Lyman (Espoirs de Laval) 28 Seth Hansley (Park City Cycling Academy) 29 Mikkel Bossen (Team Oregon) 30 Roman Kilun (McGuire/Langdale Pro CT) 31 (unknown rider) () 32 Billy Clark (Morgan Stanley/Specialized) 33 Garrett Peltonen (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 34 King Wai Cheung (Hong Kong National Team) 35 Mark Van Gemert (Team Mack) 36 Morgan Wiswall (Wheel & Sprocket) 37 Aron Huerta (Village Peddler) 38 Robert Newman (GS Lombardi Sports) 39 Cameron McKenzie () 40 Jacob Rytlewski (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 41 Jeff Kapheim (Team Wheel & Sprocket) 42 John Staroba (Eastside Cycles/Marin) 43 Peter Femal (Subway) 44 Scott Zwizanski (Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada) 45 Ho Ting Kwok (Hong Kong National Team) 46 Carlos Uran (Colombian National Team) 47 Zach Rosenbarger (Morris Trucking) 48 Eric Losak (Veloworx Racing) 49 Randy Reichardt (Hauln Ass Racing Team(HART)) 50 Paul Sumner (GS Lombardi Sports) 51 Matias Mendigochea (Kahala-LaGrange) 52 Carlos Julian Quintero (Colombian National Team) 53 Gregory Coburn (Vegas Velo Racing Team) 54 Peter Coons (Wheel & Sprocket) 55 Michael Anderson () Sprint 1 1 Carlos Alzate (Colombian National Team) 2 Alexander Gonzalez (Colombian National Team) 3 John Lieswyn (Health Net/Maxxis) 4 Frank Pipp (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 5 Emile Abraham (Team Monex) 6 Karl Menzies (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 7 Greg Henderson (Health Net/Maxxis) Sprint 2 1 Alexander Gonzalez (Colombian National Team) 2 John Lieswyn (Health Net/Maxxis) 3 Carlos Alzate (Colombian National Team) 4 Emile Abraham (Team Monex) 5 Frank Pipp (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 6 Karl Menzies (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 7 Greg Henderson (Health Net/Maxxis) Sprint 3 1 Carlos Alzate (Colombian National Team) 2 Alexander Gonzalez (Colombian National Team) 3 John Lieswyn (Health Net/Maxxis) 4 Frank Pipp (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 5 Emile Abraham (Team Monex) 6 Pete Lopinto (Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada) 7 Karl Menzies (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) Sprint 4 1 Frank Pipp (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 2 Emile Abraham (Team Monex) 3 Karl Menzies (Advantage Benefits/Endeavour) 4 Carlos Alzate (Colombian National Team) 5 Carlos Uran (Colombian National Team) 6 Nathan Miller (Team Monex) 7 Greg Henderson (Health Net/Maxxis)
