USA Crits Southeast Series - NE

USA, April 28-May 6, 2007

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Race 6 - May 4: SmithBarney Classic, 60/60 laps (M/W)

Super fast race with Borrajo on top

The tight and flat criterium course in downtown Spartanburg made for a high velocity men's race, with no breaks able to even think about forming - let alone get away. In the final lap it was Jittery Joe's trying riding the front for Cody Stevenson, but in the final turn it was Argentinian Alejandro Borrajo (Rite Aid) ducking under Keith Norris (AEG-Toshiba) for the win, holding off a hard-charging Kayle Leogrande (Rock Racing).

"I tried to hold a good position at the end," Borrajo told Cyclingnews. "I was about fourth wheel and on the back stretch I was third wheel but knew I needed to be first or second through the last corner. It was really fast so I knew guys wouldn't be able to come around if I was first or second. I was second behind an AEG rider and just sprinted for the line."

Leogrande was not in as good position on the final lap, a vital part of racing on such a tight circuit. "I was like third into the last lap and Jittery Joe's was lining it up for Stevenson," he said. "I got swarmed on the back stretch and was six guys back." From there it was touch-and-go for the amateur crit champion, who tried to make the best decision coming out of the final turn. "Norris was coming backwards and I just went left hoping it would open up - it did but right at the line Barrajo just had enough to keep it," he said.

This is yet another second place for Leogrande, whose only win on the season so far was rescinded after being relegated in the criterium at the Tour of Virginia. "I just came from Virginia and was pretty tired," he explained. "I won that crit but they took it from me. I've gotten second six times this year."

Leogrande, Borrajo and the rest of the sprinters will be back at it again tomorrow night in Anniston, Alabama for the second-to-last stop on the USA Crits Southeast Series.

VanGilder joins the winner's club

By Kirsten Robbins in Spartanburg, South Carolina

Spartanburg hosted the sixth event of the South East Crit Series on a fast four-corner circuit with a small climb out of the last two corners. Laura VanGilder (Cheerwine) has been on the prowl for a win and delivered one home by powering to the finish ahead of Tina Pic (Colavita/Sutter Home) and Shantelle Gauthier (UltraLink).

VanGilder toyed with the idea of a break away win when she snapped off the front mid way into the 50 lap event. Her effort forced the Colavita/Sutter Home and Aaron's teams into a mad chase while many of the other teams tried to bridge. She came back to the field but display only added fuel to the fire that ignited attack after attack from every team represented in the series.

There was no sitting in and even on the final laps of the race there were riders making a last ditch effort to form a break with out the top sprinters involved. The Cheerwine team took control of the front of the peloton on the last lap, led by Chrissy Ruiter and Catherine Cheatley. Pic fell several wheels back coming up to the last corner and UltaLink's Gauthier worked her way to VanGilder's wheel.

VanGilder was the first to jump and took it all the way to the line. The 'power puff' of the Poconos expressed her thoughts about her team's efforts making her win that much sweeter.

"You try to pick and chose your moments and certainly we feel there is a lot of racing to come this week," VanGilder said. "Cheerwine wanted another victory and maybe this is jumping ahead but our team is coming dialed into each other.

"We were looking for another victory here and crossing the line for a win felt to me like a culmination of the efforts of the week," she added. "After winning I felt so much gratitude to the hard work of my teammates and their belief in me that I could do it. It just goes to show that if you persevere and believe you can do it."

Results

Pro men
 
1 Alejandro Borrajo (Rite Aid)                    1.16.50
2 Kayle Leogrande (Rock Racing)                      0.00
3 Cody Stevenson (Jittery Joe's)                     0.00
4 Ricardo Escuela (Successfulliving.com)                 
5 Damiani Luca                                           
6 Emile Abraham (Priority Health)                    0.01
7 Dominique Rollin (Kodakgallery)                    0.01
8 Alexi Martinez (Successfulliving.com)              0.01
9 Keith Norris (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork)                  
10 Adam Myerson (Nerac)                              0.01
11 Jonathan Page                                     0.02
12 David Frattini                                    0.02
13 Mark Hekman (Abercrombie & Fitch)                     
14 Frank Travieso (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork)           0.02
15 Casey Magner (Myogenesis)                             
16 David Guttenplan (Sakonnet Technologies)          0.02
17 Craig Dodson (Nature's Path ProAm)                    
18 Tiago Depaula (TIME Developmental Team)           0.03
19 Sebastian Haedo (Rock Racing)                     0.03
20 Martin Gilbert (Kelly Benefit)                    0.03
21 Clayton Barrows (Rite Aid)                        0.03
22 Sergio Hernandez                                  0.03
23 Adam Bergman                                      0.03
24 Guido Palma (Rite Aid)                            0.04
25 Grant Potter (Loco's)                             0.04
26 (Unknown)                                             
27 Phil Whikoff (HealthCoach)                        0.04
28 Chris Frederick (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork)              
29 Emilio Asconeguy (UCL)                            0.04
30 Seth Hansley (Loco's)                             0.04
31 Johnny Sundt (Kelly Benefit)                      0.05
32 Kolt Bates (Compliance Depot)                         
33 Shane Densmore (Compliance Depot)                     
34 Shane Weaver (Alliance Environmental/Hincapie)    0.05
35 Jon Atkins (Myogenesis)                           0.05
36 Cody O'Reilly (Kodakgallery)                      0.06
37 Josh Thornton (Kodakgallery)                      0.06
38 Sterling Magnell (Rock Racing)                    0.06
39 Marco Aledia (Abercrombie & Fitch)                0.08
40 Gregory Coggin                                    0.08
41 Oscar Henao (UCL)                                 0.08
42 Bill Eliiston (Rite Aid)                          0.09
43 Diego Garavito (UCL)                              0.09
44 Ryan Barnett (Myogenesis)                         0.09
45 Chris Monteleone (TIME Developmental Team)        0.09
46 Christian Valenzuela (Successfulliving.com)       0.10
47 Dusan Ganic (Successfulliving.com)                0.11
48 Rich Harper (Abercrombie & Fitch)                 0.11
49 Patrick Walsh (Nerac)                             0.12
50 Nathan Griffith (Manulife Financial)              0.12
51 (Unknown)                                         0.13
52 Kevin Attkisson (Texas Roadhouse)                 0.15
53 John Grant (Texas Roadhouse)                          
54 Chuck Coyle (Successfulliving.com)                0.15
55 Cleve Blackwell (Myogenesis)                      0.17
56 Matt Seagrave (Compliance Depot)                  0.17
57 Yosvany Falcon (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork)           0.18
58 Ward Solar (Nature's Path ProAm)                  0.19
59 Jered Gruber (TIME Developmental Team)            0.20
60 Josh Carter                                       0.21
61 Wesley Hartman (HART)                             0.24
62 Thad Dulin (Jittery Joe's)                        0.24
63 Trent Wilson (Jittery Joe's)                      0.25
64 Rahsaan Bahati (Rock Racing)                      0.26
65 Curtis Gunn (Successfulliving.com)                0.32
66 Reid Peacock (Pacesetters Steel)                  0.32
67 Joseph Coddington (Manulife Financial)            0.43
68 David Wiswell (Nerac)                             0.45
69 Prokic Predrag (AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork)           0.46
70 Todd Wezefski (Nerac)                             0.49
71 (Unknown)                                         0.51
72 Tim Henry (Jittery Joe's)                        14.13
73 Tyler Grahovec (Pacesetters Steel)               14.13
 
Pro women
 
1 Laura Van Gilder (Cheerwine)                    1.27.51
2 Tina Pic (Colavita)                                0.00
3 Shontelle Gauthier (Team Ultralink)                0.00
4 Iona Wynter (Colavita)                             0.01
5 Holli Steelman (Juice Plus Cycling)                    
6 Katharine Carroll (Aaron's)                        0.01
7 Laura Bowles (Advil Chapstick)                     0.01
8 Mackenzie Dickey (Colavita)                            
9 Jennette Williams (Hub Racing)                         
10 Catherine Cheatley (Cheerwine)                    0.01
11 Christina Dekraay (HT Naturals)                   0.02
12 Sarah Caravella (Aaron's)                         0.02
13 Kelly Benjamin (Cheerwine)                            
14 Robin Farina (Targetraining)                      0.02
15 Gina Voci (Team Kenda Tire)                       0.02
16 Kele Murdin (Team Ultralink)                      0.02
17 Sarah Uhl (Cheerwine)                             0.03
18 Jennifer Bodine (ABRT/Latitude)                   0.03
19 Andrea Meyers (Targetraining)                         
20 Stacey Spencer (Colavita)                         0.03
21 Hadley Trotter                                    0.03
22 Sheba Farrin (Hub Racing)                         0.03
23 Nicole Bossie (Juice Plus Cycling)                0.03
24 Leslie Jennings (ABRT/Latitude)                   0.03
25 Mandy Lozano (Targetraining)                      0.04
26 Melissa Petty (BMW-Bianchi)                       0.04
27 Kathleen Billington (Targetraining)               0.05
28 Elizabeth Morse-Hill (HT Naturals)                    
29 Elisa Gagnon (Advil Chapstick)                    0.06
30 Catherine Powers (Aaron's)                        0.07
31 Reem Jishi (Advil Chapstick)                      0.07
32 Tara Ross (Advil Chapstick)                       0.08
33 Marianne Holt (Outdoorlights.com)                     
34 Genevieve Gagnon (Team Ultralink)                 0.08
35 Michelle Kiesanowski (Aaron's)                    0.09
36 Kathryn Clark (HT Naturals)                       0.09
37 Kristin Keim (Cycleworks)                         0.09
38 Wendy Ulmer (ABRT/Latitude)                       0.10
39 Kirsten Robins (Advil Chapstick)                  0.10
40 Chrissy Ruiter (Cheerwine)                            
41 Robin Kavan (Neptune/Dent Wizard)                 0.10
42 Dale Tye (Hub Racing)                             0.11
43 Krystal Jeffs (Hub Racing)                            
44 Julie Bishop (Bens Cycling)                       0.12