Tri-peaks Challenge - NE

Russellville, Arkansas, May 17-20, 2007

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Stage 1 - May 17: Road race, 65 miles

Tuckerman takes Magazine hilltop

By Kirsten Robbins

Tri Peaks' stage one course featured a breathtaking beginning with a descent down Mt Magazine Lodge. While not much could happen on the windy hill the race started with a flurry of attacks.

A rather short stage for the men's field saw a break away of sprinters whom out numbered the climbers. Team Rubicon's Aaron Tuckerman saw a chance to snag a win over Health Net's Karl Menzies and Toyota-United's Chris Baldwin in the home stretch of the climb back up Mt. Magazine while the remaining break away riders hosted a stare down to find out who would chase.

There were several attacks over the duration of the first half of the race but the winning break stuck when all of the teams were represented with 10 miles to the base of the finishing climb. The break included the three Health Net riders Karl Menzies, Frank Pip and Kirk O'Bee, Toyota-United's Chris Baldwin, Caleb Manion and Justin England, Jelly Belly's Andrew Bajadali, Fiordifrutta's Matt White, Ciaco's Jorge Martinez and Team Rubicon's Aaron Tuckerman.

The gap was six minutes between the break and the peloton by the time they reached Mt. Magazine, significantly due to the effort of three riders. "We [Toyota-United] took the bull by the horns along with Bajadali," explained former national time trial champion Chris Baldwin. "We drove it away from the group and into the climb while no one else did one pull."

Riders began falling off the pace, reducing the break to eight before the end. Attacks began to partially separate the small group but the three designated climbers held it together until five kilometers to the top. "Health Net and Ciaco began attacking toward the end and at the end of the string of attacks Tuckerman went," Baldwin said.

Tuckerman gained nine seconds over his break away by the time he reached the finish line at the Mt. Magazine Lodge. Toyota-United gave one last effort to limit its losses to Tuckerman but in the end Baldwin found himself sandwiched between the two powerhouse Health Net sprinters Menzies and Pip in the sprint to the line for second place.

The original Tri Peaks Challenge used Mt. Magazine as a mid way climb during the final stage ending up Mt. Nebo. Last year the climb was unused because of construction but the riders were happy to see its return in the 2007 addition - in its own stage. "It was a beautiful road race and nice course though it was a little short," Baldwin acknowledged. "It is a long climb but not overly challenging which is good because with Mt. Nebo we don't need another difficult climb."

Rais to the top

In the women's race a five-rider breakaway split into pieces on the way up Mt. Magazine, ending with Webcor Builders' Amber Rais claiming stage one on a hill-top finish. Rais took the win after relentless attacks by break away companion Cheerwine's Chrissy Ruiter failed to stick. Menikini's Elodie Touffet was able to hang on to third place against a charging group of climbers.

Cheerwine sent off the first set of attacks having had 10 riders in the small but power-packed field. "We only have three riders here," race winner Amber Rais said. "So, we wanted to be conservative in the first stage and be able to use all our cards in later stages."

A couple of breaks formed early on but while the most threatening included Catherine Curi (Webcor), Alex Wrubleski (Colavita/Sutter Home) and Beth Frye (Cheerwine) it fell to it's doom after 10 minutes.

Shortly after Chrissy Ruiter set off to counter the previous break and took Amber Rais with her. The duo did not work together but when three more riders that included Elodie Touffet (Minikini), Mary Downing (Kenda Tire) and Andrea Dvorak (Colavita/Sutter Home) bridged the five set sail. "We all started rotating at first but I told them I was going to sit on after," Rais admitted. "I thought it would come back together but I guess the group was happy with it."

After Rais had decided early on not to work to hard in the break, Ruiter quickly followed suit. Once the break reached the base of Mt Magazine they faced a 12 mile climb to the finish. "Chrissy and I both sat on in the end before we got to the climb and the other three were working together," Rais said. "I helped set tempo but on the final climb I surged through a couple of hair pin turns and tried to keep the pace high. Everyone fell off except for Chrissy."

A head wind on the climb made for a tactical game between the two riders and with five kilometers to go the game of cat and mouse began. "Chrissy attacked with three kilometers to go and I jumped on her wheel," Rais explained. "She attacked again with one kilometer to go and I was able to come around her at the line."

Rais added: "It would be great to see Chrissy continue to go for GC because she is riding extremely well right now."

The climbers who remained in the peloton charged up the climb during the first third but began to sit up through a false flat section mid way. Colavita/Sutter Home's Canadian National Champion Alex Wrubleski explained what motivated the group before the finish. "We went really hard at the beginning with Webcor and Cheerwine attacking," she said. "I didn't know what was going on up ahead in the break or who finished where so I tried to get onto everything. With the top three places on the podium out of range the field sat up and rolled to the finish."

Results

Elite men

1 Aaron Tuckerman (NZL) Team Rubicon               2.20.10
2 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net prsented by Maxxis    0.09
3 Chris Baldwin (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling           
4 Frank Pipp (USA) Health Net prsented by Maxxis          
5 Andrew Bajadali (USA) Jelly Belly                       
6 predag prokic (USA) AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork              
7 Jorge Martinez (Col) CAICO                              
8 Matt White (USA) Fiordifrutta Elite Cycling Team    0.17
9 Caleb Manion (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling            
10 Justin England (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling     3.42

Women

1 Amber Rais (USA) Webcor
2 Chrissy Ruiter (USA) Cheerwine
3 Elodie Touffet (Fra) Specialized Menikini
4 Andrea Dvorak (USA) Colavita Cooking Light
5 Moriah MacGregor (USA) AE Sport Development