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Tour of Shenandoah - NE
USA, April 25-30, 2006
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage
Stage 7 - April 30: Waynesboro criterium, 31.5 miles
Brent Bookwalter lands his first big one
Priority Health Rider Wins GC and U-23 at Shenandoah
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Priority Health's Brent Bookwalter won the 2006 Tour of Shenandoah general and U-23 classifications after a hard week of mountainous racing. It culminated in a display of his versatility when he took second-place in the sprint of the criterium finale in downtown Waynesboro.
"It feels phenomenal," exclaimed Bookwalter, 22, thrilled to win his first general classification title. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native finished the 31.5-mile hilly criterium in 1:06:17.
After 7 stages, Bookwalter had the best total time of 15:57:36, 1 minute 24 seconds faster than second place GC finisher Dan Timmerman of Fiordifruitta and 1 minute 27 seconds faster than Team Nerac/Outdoorlights.com's Justin Spinelli who placed 3rd GC.
Champagne bottles popped at the podiums after Bookwalter was awarded the final green GC leader's jersey, presented by DiscoverBathCounty.com and the yellow U-23 jersey presented by Byvik Financial Services.
Over the past six days, Brent Bookwalter proved his mettle as an all rounder. He succeeded in the gruelling Blue Ridge Mountains. He excelled in the time trials. And in the finale, he took on the chiseled, tree-trunk legs of Rite Aid's Zach Bell, one of Canada's top track cyclists.
"Every day here is a new challenge," said Bookwalter who thinks of himself as a climber but admits he is a decent all rounder. "If I could pick only one race, this would be the one I'd do," said Bookwalter.
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"It takes an all rounder to win the Tour of Shenandoah," said executive race director Matt Butterman after the race. "While we're open to racers of all ages, the Tour of Shenandoah showcases the best young talent in North America," Butterman said. "Brent [Bookwalter] is a terrific young rider - exactly the type of cyclist we had in mind when we designed the course."
How will Bookwalter celebrate? "I've got a chemistry exam and a senior research paper to do this week" said Bookwalter, a student at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina.
Stage 7 criterium recap
After six tough stages, more than a quarter of the original field of riders dropped out prior to today's 33-lap, 30-mile criterium in downtown Waynesboro, Virginia. Even Priority Health was missing their star rider Tom Zirbel. Zirbel - who wore the GC leader jersey the first three stages - was sidelined with a minor concussion after a high-speed crash during Wednesday's mountainous stage 4.
However, Priority Health started today's stage 7 well positioned to defend Bookwalter's GC and U-23 jerseys. A Priority Health member wore the green leader jersey every day during the race except for stage 4, and, to a man, the team was focused on keeping the GC. Bruno Langlois of AEG-Toshiba/JetNetworks was the only rider able to briefly wrest the green jersey from Priority Health.
History was on Priority Health's side. Eddy Hilger and Bookwalter finished the Waynesboro criterium 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the 2005 Tour of Shenandoah. "It's my favourite crit," Hilger said the before the race.
Stage 7 started at 3 p.m. Several breaks formed during the race, but the main pack continually reeled them in throughout the 33-lap, 30-mile course. Bookwalter stayed comfortable in the front of the peloton most of the race.
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"Sometimes the best, safest place to be is out front," Bookwalter said. "Eddy [Hilger] worked hard to keep me out of trouble," Bookwalter said. "I had the luxury of being able to conserve early in the week," Bookwalter said. "We had two other guys that had the leader jersey."
Bookwalter and Rite Aid's Zach Bell of White Horse, Yukon wound up in a sprinter's duel the last 100 meters of the race. Bell found the line first, but only by the narrowest of margins ahead of Bookwalter.
"I had the guys I needed up front," said Bell. "I'm glad I had the snap in the end after a long week of racing," he said. "This has been one of the most enthusiastic crowds we've had all week," said the renowned Canadian track specialist.
G.S. Mengoni's Alberto Blanco finished 3rd stage 7, right behind Bell and Bookwalter to finishing the Tour of Shenandoah 31st GC. Rite Aid finished the Tour with two jerseys. Bell secured the red Sprinter's jersey today, and his teammate Christoph Herby of Charlottesville, Virginia claimed the blue King of the Mountains jersey after stage 5.
Herby said he trains in the Shenandoah Valley and calls it "a secret cycling paradise."
Bookwalter shared the same sentiment about the race course saying "there are very few races like this in America."
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Scenically, the Tour of Shenandoah is unique. As for the number of days' racing, only three events on the U.S. National Racing Calendar offer six or more, namely the Tour of California, Tour de Georgia, and Tour de Toona. This puts the Tour of Shenandoah in very select company.
Under-23 summary
With eight U-23 riders in the top 20 of the General Classification, and three in the top ten - including the GC winner - the 2006 Tour of Shenandoah has continued its tradition of showcasing North America's future stars.
Behind Brent Bookwalter finished 23-years old Sam Schultz (Byvik Financial Services/TrekVW), from Missoula, Montana, at 2:57, second in the U-23 category and seventh in GC.
Third in the U-23 category came 19-years old James Camut (Watchung Wheelmen/High Gear Cyclery), from Johnstown, New Jersey, at 3:42 and eighth in the GC.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Nathan Beck
- The Waynesboro criterium course was far from flat
- One of the ill-fated breakaways that was eventually engulfed by a very strong peloton
- Team Fiordifrutta from New England were driving hard to reel in a breakaway
- West Virginia's Nick Waite was one of the strongest young riders in the race
- Zach Bell, in the sprint leader's jersey, holds off a challenge from Brent Bookwalter (right) in the green race leader's jersey as they drive for the line
- On their sixth day of racing the field rolls off the line in Waynesboro for the final stage of the Tour of Shenandoah.
Images by Jeff Haden/Blackbird Images
- Eddie Hilger pre-race media coveraged focused on the GC leaders
- Jeremiah Bishop pushes the early pace
- Status check - the break would come back to the pack two laps later
- Chasing the breaks took its toll; R Muoio of LSV
- Zach Bell celebrates the stage win; Alberto Blanco finished a close third
- Tour of Shenandoah winner Brent Bookwalter during post-race interviews
Images by Bill McCarrick
- Small groups formed but none managed to stay way
- The end is near for the breakway
- The first real threat of the the day
- The jerseys wait.
- Matt Cooke (LSV Kelly Benefit Strategies) leads Pete Penzell (Rite Aid)
- Brent Bookwalter (Priority Health Cycling) follows a rider from AEG Toshiba JetNetwork
- Fiordifrutta has hopes of taking the points jersey from Zack Bell
- Herby, Bookwalter and Bell
- R Murio (LSV Kelly Benefit Strategies) at the front
- Jon Delong(Rite Aid) chases an early break
- The victory celebration
- Brent Bookwalter (Priority Health Cycling Team) took the U23 jersey
- Zack Bell (Rite Aid) takes the win
- Fiordifrutta chases
- A familiar sight this year, Fiordifrutta massed at the front
- Fiordifrutta work to get Dan Timmerman a a few bonus point and move him into 2nd overall
- Ben King (Hot Tubes Development Team - TRI DIM) had 3 top ten finishes
- Mountain Leader Christof Herby (Rite Aid) leads teammates Jon Wirsing and Sprint Leader Zack Bell
- Bookwalter puts on the final leaders jersey
- The podium - Justin Spinelli (Team Nerac)in 3rd, Dan Timmerman (Fiordifrutta) in 2nd and Bookwalter on the top step
Results
1 Zach Bell (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 1.06.24 2 Brent Bookwalter (Priority Health Cycling Team) 3 Alberto Blanco (G.S.MENGONI USA) 4 Bruno Langlois (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team) 5 Brad Viera (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 6 Bill Short (Pennsylvania Cycling Association) 7 Ben King (Hot Tubes Development Team - TRI DIM) 8 Jeremiah Bishop (Byvic Financial Services/Trek/VW) 9 Predrag Prokic (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team) 10 Jake Hollenbach (CCB / Volkswagen) 11 Greg Wolf (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team) 12 Peter Penzell (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 13 Nick Waite (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 14 Dan Timmerman (Fiordifrutta cycling team) 15 Craig Snydal (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 16 Thomas Soladay (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 17 Michael Norton (Team Nerac/Outdoorlights.com Pro Cycling) 18 Dan Maggiacomo (ItalPasta) 19 Christopher Jones (Champion System) 20 Sam Schultz (Byvic Financial Services/Trek/VW) 21 Josh Dillon (Fiordifrutta Cycling Team) 22 James Camut (Watchung Wheelmen/High Gear Cyclery) 23 Matt Cooke (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 24 Ian Ayers (Byvic Financial/Trek/VW/) 25 Jerry (Jay) Charles (Manulife Financial/Jack Kane Bicycles) 26 Gavriel Epstein (G.S.MENGONI USA) 27 Amos Brumble (CCB / Volkswagen) 28 Ryan Roth (Team R.A.C.E.) 29 Eddy Hilger (Priority Health Cycling Team) 30 Sean Barrie (Rockville Harley-Davidson/Silver Cycles) 31 Justin Spinelli (Team Nerac/Outdoorlights.com Pro Cycling) 32 Sonke Thiel (Team Ideal Tile/Wendy's/Liquid Lightning) 33 Derek McMaster (ItalPasta) 34 Jacob Rytlewski (Priority Health Cycling Team) 35 Matthew Guse (Team R.A.C.E.) 36 Matt DeCanio (Unattached/Stolen Underground Anti Doping RT) 37 Andy Applegate (Team Type 1/Abercrombie & Fitch) 38 Dan Cassidy (CCB / Volkswagen) 39 Torsten Wambold (Team Nerac/OutdoorLights.com Pro Cycling) 40 Chris Rozdilsky (Fiordifrutta cycling team) 41 R Muoio (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 42 Jered Gruber (Team Type 1/Abercrombie & Fitch) 43 Scott Jackson (Watchung Wheelmen/High Gear Cyclery) 44 Andrew Wulfkuhle (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 45 Mike Miller (Pennsylvania Cycling Association) 46 Brian Fouche (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 47 Scott Stewart (Priority Health Cycling Team) 48 Christoph Herby (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 0.30 49 Buck Miller (Fiordifrutta cycling team) 0.33 50 Jeff Schiller (Team R.A.C.E.) 51 Viktor Laza (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team) 0.35 52 John DeLong (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 53 Dan Maggiacomo (ItalPasta) 0.58 54 Brian Sheedy (Priority Health Cycling Team) 2.00 55 Graham Howard (Priority Health Cycling Team) 56 John Hanson (Team Nerac/Outdoorlights.com Pro Cycling) 2.36 57 Nate Buyon (Watchung Wheelmen/High Gear Cyclery) 3.06 58 James Duncan (Manulife Financial/Jack Kane Bicycles) 3.36 59 Alaisandr( Sasha) Bialiausk (CCB / Volkswagen) 60 Russell Langley (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 61 Matt White (Fiordifrutta cycling team) 62 Jon Wirsing (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 63 Joe Whitman (Pennsylvania Cycling Association) 64 Gabriel Larrea (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team) 65 Elliot Gaunt (Watchung Wheelmen/High Gear Cyclery) 3.46 66 Shawn Forsyth (CCB / Volkswagen) 4.16 67 Thomas Foster (Team R.A.C.E) 68 Cameron Fox (Encino Velo) 4.36 Final general classification 1 Brent Bookwalter (Priority Health Cycling Team) 15.57.36 2 Dan Timmerman (Fiordifrutta cycling team) 1.24 3 Justin Spinelli (Team Nerac/Outdoorlights.com Pro Cycling) 1.27 4 Bruno Langlois (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team) 1.44 5 Eddy Hilger (Priority Health Cycling Team) 1.50 6 Josh Dillon (Fiordifrutta Cycling Team) 2.09 7 Sam Schultz (Byvic Financial Services/Trek/VW) 2.57 8 James Camut (Watchung Wheelmen/High Gear Cyclery) 3.42 9 Matt Cooke (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 4.31 10 Ian Ayers (Byvic Financial/Trek/VW/) 4.38 11 Dan Cassidy (CCB / Volkswagen) 4.46 12 Predrag Prokic (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team) 4.50 13 Nick Waite (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 7.40 14 Ryan Roth (Team R.A.C.E.) 7.42 15 Jeremiah Bishop (Byvic Financial Services/Trek/VW) 7.45 16 Ben King (Hot Tubes Development Team - TRI DIM) 8.17 17 Scott Jackson (Watchung Wheelmen/High Gear Cyclery) 8.20 18 Mike Miller (Pennsylvania Cycling Association) 9.57 19 Christopher Jones (Champion System) 10.01 20 Derek McMaster (ItalPasta) 10.06 21 Michael Norton (Team Nerac/Outdoorlights.com Pro Cycling) 10.11 22 Zach Bell (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 11.11 23 Sean Barrie (Rockville Harley-Davidson/Silver Cycles) 12.45 24 Gavriel Epstein (G.S.MENGONI USA) 13.41 25 Christoph Herby (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 17.16 26 James Duncan (Manulife Financial/Jack Kane Bicycles) 20.17 27 Viktor Laza (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team) 20.28 28 R Muoio (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 21.18 29 Craig Snydal (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 24.56 30 Andy Applegate (Team Type 1/Abercrombie & Fitch) 25.14 31 Alberto Blanco (G.S.MENGONI USA) 26.49 32 Jacob Rytlewski (Priority Health Cycling Team) 27.31 33 Jered Gruber (Team Type 1/Abercrombie & Fitch) 28.49 34 Andrew Wulfkuhle (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 30.27 35 Sonke Thiel (Team Ideal Tile/Wendy's/Liquid Lightning) 30.58 36 Jerry (Jay) Charles (Manulife Financial/Jack Kane Bicycles) 33.12 37 Buck Miller (Fiordifrutta cycling team) 35.00 38 Matthew Guse (Team R.A.C.E.) 35.49 39 Dan Maggiacomo (ItalPasta) 36.44 40 Amos Brumble (CCB / Volkswagen) 38.01 41 Nate Buyon (Watchung Wheelmen/High Gear Cyclery) 39.14 42 Chris Rozdilsky (Fiordifrutta cycling team) 41.02 43 Greg Wolf (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team) 41.43 44 Brian Sheedy (Priority Health Cycling Team) 45.13 45 Jon Wirsing (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 46.12 46 Thomas Soladay (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 46.32 47 Alaisandr( Sasha) Bialiausk (CCB / Volkswagen) 51.08 48 Matt White (Fiordifrutta cycling team) 52.52 49 Brad Viera (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 53.51 50 Elliot Gaunt (Watchung Wheelmen/High Gear Cyclery) 55.31 51 Joe Whitman (Pennsylvania Cycling Association) 59.38 52 Jake Hollenbach (CCB / Volkswagen) 1.00.17 53 Bill Short (Pennsylvania Cycling Association) 1.01.45 54 Jeff Schiller (Team R.A.C.E.) 1.03.26 55 John DeLong (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 1.04.02 56 Shawn Forsyth (CCB / Volkswagen) 1.05.21 57 Brian Fouche (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 1.05.22 58 Russell Langley (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 1.11.45 59 Gabriel Larrea (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Pro Cycling Team) 1.14.40 60 Cameron Fox (Encino Velo) 1.19.12 61 Graham Howard (Priority Health Cycling Team) 1.21.05 62 Thomas Foster (Team R.A.C.E) 1.22.47 63 Torsten Wambold (Team Nerac/OutdoorLights.com Pro Cycling) 1.23.00 64 Scott Stewart (Priority Health Cycling Team) 1.23.22 65 Peter Penzell (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 1.26.31 66 John Hanson (Team Nerac/Outdoorlights.com Pro Cycling) 1.28.06 67 Matt DeCanio (Unattached/Stolen Underground Anti Doping RT) 1.32.29 U23 classification 1 Brent Bookwalter (Priority Health Cycling Team) 15.57.36 2 Sam Schultz (Byvic Financial Services/Trek/VW) 2.57 3 James Camut (Watchung Wheelmen/High Gear Cyclery) 3.42 4 Dan Cassidy (CCB / Volkswagen) 4.46 5 Nick Waite (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 7.40 6 Ryan Roth (Team R.A.C.E.) 7.42 7 Ben King (Hot Tubes Development Team - TRI DIM) 8.17 8 Scott Jackson (Watchung Wheelmen/High Gear Cyclery) 8.20 9 Sean Barrie (Rockville Harley-Davidson/Silver Cycles) 12.45 10 Sonke Thiel (Team Ideal Tile/Wendy's/Liquid Lightning) 30.58 11 Matthew Guse (Team R.A.C.E.) 35.49 12 Nate Buyon (Watchung Wheelmen/High Gear Cyclery) 39.14 13 Thomas Soladay (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 46.32 14 Alaisandr( Sasha) Bialiausk (CCB / Volkswagen) 51.08 15 Matt White (Fiordifrutta cycling team) 52.52 16 Jake Hollenbach (CCB / Volkswagen) 1.00.17 17 John DeLong (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 1.04.02 18 Shawn Forsyth (CCB / Volkswagen) 1.05.21 19 Brian Fouche (LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies) 1.05.22 20 Graham Howard (Priority Health Cycling Team) 1.21.05 21 Thomas Foster (Team R.A.C.E) 1.22.47 22 Scott Stewart (Priority Health Cycling Team) 1.23.22 23 John Hanson (Team Nerac/Outdoorlights.com Pro Cycling) 1.28.06
