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Nalley Historic Roswell Criterium - (NE)
Roswell, Georgia, USA, May 4, 2008
Results Past winners 2007 Results
Toyota-United scores consecutive win
By Kirsten Robbins in Roswell, Georgia
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The Toyota-United team took its second consecutive win in the Nalley Historic Roswell criterium on Sunday. One day after Hilton Clarke outpaced his breakaway companions in the Sunny King criteruim, his team-mate Caleb Manion duplicated that feat, besting Cody Stevenson (Jittery Joe's), Ted King (Bissell) and Kyle Gritters (Health Net-Maxxis) to take the victory.
With a week's worth of high-intensity criterium racing in the riders' legs, it was almost inevitable that a break would stay clear, and when the well represented group of four riders got away, all hopes were over for the remainder of the field. The Toyota-United, Health Net, Jittery Joe's and Bissell teams controlled the rest of the race, each team confident their rider had a chance at the win. Two-thirds of the way into the race, the four riders lapped the field, setting up an exciting four-way battle in the sprint.
Despite a well-organized lead-out by the Jittery Joe's squad for Stevenson, Manion's Toyota United team delivered him to the win. "Today I had really good legs and I was a bit average yesterday," said Manion, who was also a key player in the previous evening's winning break. "When we started I knew that I was feeling good and I started strong at the front. It was a good day for a break and it suits me especially when we have such fast guys on our team for a lead out, the three fastest guys in the race."
The home town favourite team Jittery Joe's put in a strong effort for Stevenson, lining up a six rider lead out organized at five laps to go, but just missed out on the top place of the podium. "I had my Jittery Joe's teammates back in the bunch controlling things and I didn't have to worry about anything," said Stevenson, who was pleased with his team. "Everyone was in the front and got the job done. It's great to be on the podium and put out a good performance here because it is very close to our team.
"There were three teams trying to go for the win, Toyota-United, Health Net and Jittery Joes. The race was to the back hill and where ever you were was were you ended up. My guys did a great job and in particular Jonathan Cantwell who took me through the last corner. Unfortunately we just couldn't pull off the win."
A lone Rock Racing rider, Freddy Rodriguez, was a noted participant in the event, and was hoping for a field sprint that did not happen. "I was actually on a flight to come home yesterday but I decided to call the promoters and see if I could get in to the race," said Rodriguez who is in preparations for the triple crown held in Philadelphia in June. "My family wanted me to stay a couple of extra days and so I fly out on Tuesday. It all worked out, it's good for the team to have someone out here and for my family too. It's fun to come out and race around the US."
"It was my first time racing on this course and it was tough and the corners are pretty tight," Rodriguez went on to describe the Roswell's intricate circuit. "The last corner is off camber and kind of dangerous and you really had to come in fast and at the front. I didn't have any teammates so I just wanted to see if it would come down to a field sprint."
Pic's daily double
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After an appetizing win in the early morning's Sandy Spring Criterium, the Speed Week finale, Colavita/Sutter Home US national criterium champion to her entrée victory in the afternoon's Nalley Roswell NRC criteirum ahead of Anna Lang (Aaron's) and Jen McRae (Advil/ChapStick).
"It's been a tiring week," said Pic who gathered her sixth victory of the week. "My team has done an exceptional amount of work for me an it just proves how much cycling a team effort."
Tired legs were noticeable in the women's sixty-minute criterium, the final event of a series of seven criteriums over six days and combined with the US Crit Series Speed Week.
Twenty minutes into the race, a solo Team Revolution rider gained a sizeable lead on the peloton, however after four laps was reabsorbed into the field. Quick legs took advantage of the multiple primes offered on the challenging circuit but the three laps to go sign marked the start of business between the teams with top notch sprinters.
Cheerwine was the first to initiate a lead out for the double sprint combo Kelly Benjamin and Laura Van Gilder. Aaron's took over the lead of the race with two laps to go with race winner Tina Pic sitting tight onto the back of their train.
Second place on the day, Anna Lang (Aaron's) noted her team's on the fly tactics on the final lap, hoping to seize one last opportunity to at last out-wit the woman in the stars and stripes jersey.
"We've been trying to get organized because this was the first week we've all raced together," said Lang regarding her team's aggressive quality throughout the series of criteriums. "We took this week to get used to each other and iron out the bumps so that we learn each others' strengths and work off of those."
"When we came out of the third corner it was perfect because Rebecca Larson brought me up and as I shot the inside line I asked her to go wide which pushed Pic out," recalled Lang in the tactical finish. "I'm a long sprinter but that is a really long sprint and Pic came around me."
Third placed Jen McRae was also breaking in a new squad, but was pleased with the outcome of the week's events. "It was really fun to race this weekend with the team all together and to start it out with a podium is awesome," said McRae who took third in the previous day's Sunny King Criterium. "It was our first race weekend of the year together so getting the kinks out was important for us."
"Today there was always that jockeying of position but we had our team together at the end," said McRae. "Aaron's move ended up being something we had to chase down and Tina came by us in the end. I'm definitely happy with getting on the podium but we always have to go back to the strategy board in terms of pulling off a win because that is what we are working towards."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Trish Albert/www.southeasterncycling.com
- The women’s peloton is spread across the road before the attacks begin.
- A Kenda Tire rider tries to hang on.
- Cheryl Mueller (Reality Bikes) rounds turn 1.
- Value Act Capitol was very active on the front of the peloton.
- The women’s podium: 2nd Erica Allar (Aarons), Tina Pic (Cola Vita), and Jenn McRate (Advil-Chapstick)
- Ivan Dominiguez and Hilton Clark (Toyota United) share a joke on the starting line.
- Frank Pipp and John Murphy (Healthnet) are ready to race.
- With the major teams represented, the break lapped the field in the Men’s Pro race.
- The field was content to let the break lap it.
- Charles Rossignol (Pacesetter Steel) gives his opinion of how he did in the race.
- It’s all about the bubbly for men’s winner Calben Manion (Toyota United).
Results
Men 1 Caleb Manion (Toyota United Pro Cycling Team) 2 Cody Stevenson (Jittery Joe's) 3 Kyle Gritters (Health Net Professional Cycling) 4 Edward King (Bissell Pro Cycling Team) 5 Kenneth Hanson (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized) 6 Oscar Henao (Clinica Union) 7 Hilton Clarke (Toyota United Pro Cycling Team) 8 Jonathan Cantwell (Jittery Joe's) 9 Karl Menzies (Healthnet Maxis) 10 Richard England (Bissell Pro Cycling Team) 11 Frank Pipp (Health Net Professional Cycling) 12 Freddie Rodriguez (Rock Racing) 13 Domininque Rollin (Toyota United Pro Cycling Team) 14 Andy Jacques-Maynes (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized) 15 John Murphy (Health Net Professional Cycling) 16 David Guttenplan (TIME Pro Cycling) 17 Chad Hartley (Jittery Joe's) 18 Robbie King (Rite-Aid Pro Cycling) 19 Nicholas Reistad (Jelly Belly Cycling Team) 20 Garrett Peltonen (Bissell Pro Cycling Team) 21 Ivan Dominguez (Toyota United Pro Cycling Team) 22 William Elliston (Rite-Aid Pro Cycling) 23 Fabrio Calabria (Team Type I) 24 Joao Correia 25 Scott Zwizanski (Bissell Pro Cycling Team) 26 Matthew Crane (Health Net Professional Cycling) 27 Mark Hinnen (Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast) 28 Matthew Belcher (Turin Bicycle/Barker+Nestor) 29 Gregory Christian (Turin Bicycle/Barker+Nestor) 30 Carlos Savvedra (Clinica Union) 31 Timothy Henry (Jittery Joe's) 32 Brian Toone 33 Brian Buchholz (Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast) 34 Diego Garavito (Latino Cycling) 35 Luke Servedio (Krystal) 36 Emilio Asconeouy 37 Evan Elken (Jittery Joe's) 38 Hector Oscar (Herbalife) 39 Ben Renkema 40 Seth Meyer (Turin Bicycle/Barker+Nestor) 41 Darren Comer (Pacesetter Steel Service) 42 Kirk O'Bee (Health Net Professional Cycling) 43 Charles (Joe) Eldridge (Team Type 1) 44 D Tyler Grahovec (Pacesetter Steel Service) 45 Sebastian Sinisterra (UCL) 46 Timothy Hargrave (Team Type 1) 47 Jared Barrilleaux (Jittery Joe's) 48 Benjamin Kneller (Jittery Joe's) 49 Charles Rossignol (Pacesetter Steel Service) Women 1 Tina Mayolo-Pic (Colavita Racing) 2 Anna Lang (Aaron's Womens Pro Cycling) 3 Jennifer McRae (Team Advil/ChapStick) 4 Brenda Lyons (Team Advil Chapstick) 5 Holli Steelman (Juice Plus Cycling) 6 Lara Kroepsch 7 Laura Van Gilder (Cheerwine) 8 Jenette Williams (HPC powered by Altarum) 9 Sinead Miller 10 Kirsten Davis (Sorella Cycling p/b BVM Enginee) 11 Morgan Patton 12 Jacqueline Kurth (Team Kenda Tire) 13 Sarah Caravella 14 Tiffany Cromwell (Colavita/Sutter Home) 15 Briana Kovac (Team Revolution) 16 Samantha Schneider (Mesa Cycles Racing Team) 17 Martina Patella 18 Carrie Cash Wootten (Team Revolution) 19 Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Kenda Tire) 20 Rebecca Larson (Aaron's Womens Pro Cycling) 21 Shontell Gauthier (Colavita/Sutter Home) 22 Brooke O'Connor 23 Nichole Wangsgard (Colavita Racing) 24 Iona Wynter Parks (Colavita Racing) 25 Leigh Valletti (Vanderkitten Racing) 26 Sydney Brown (Team Revolution) 27 Kristen Meshberg 28 Julie Bishop 29 Allyson Brandt (Cheerwine Cycling) 30 Tamyra Barnard 31 Taitt Sato 32 Robin Farina (Cheerwine Cycling) 33 Erica Allar (Aaron's Womens Pro Cycling) 34 Casey Gale 35 Cheryl Fuller-Muller (Reality Bikes/Camp Highland Rac) 36 Catherine Cheatley (Cheerwine) 37 Catherine Powers (Aaron's Womens Pro Cycling) 38 Christy Keely (Team Priority Health) 39 Nicole Bossie (Hincapie Development team) 40 Elizabeth Morse Hill 41 Andrea Wilson (Team Kenda Tire) 42 Laura Bowles (Team Advil/ChapStick) 43 Elisa Gagnon (Advil Chapstick) 44 Kimberly Sawyer (Reality Bikes/Camp Highland Rac) 45 Melissa Sanborn (Vanderkitten Racing) 46 Anna Milkowski (Team Advil/ChapStick)
Past winners
Pro men Pro women 2007 Dominique Rollin (Kodak Gallery-Sierra Nevada) Tina Pic (Colavita) 2006 Gord Fraser (Health Net-Maxxis) Laura van Gilder (Team Lipton)
