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Results and Reports from the USA
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AST Criterium
Golden, CO, Sunday, April 25, 2004
By Robert Hicken
The race started at about 50 degrees but warmed up quickly for the men's Pro-1-2 race. Seventy riders showed up for this 1K oval course with a short steep hill followed by a steady downhill. There was only one real turn on this course so the speed was guaranteed to stay high. The race started off slowly as some riders were still a little tired from Saturday and not yet ready to red-line for 90 minutes. There were many early attacks with 2-3 riders going off the front, mainly the TIAA-CREF and Trek-VW teams were trying to create some action. With such a short course there was a strong possibility for a small break to lap the field. No real threats occurred until the Vitamin Cottage got a large break of about eight riders free and it looked like we wouldn't see them again except through our rear view mirrors. IMC attacked the field and with the help of Johan Levin they got Craig McCartney and Adam Everest across to the break, so it seemed like a done deal.
The only team to miss the break was Schwab Cycles/ Torelli so they brought all six of there riders to the front and did a team time trail until we latched back on after three laps of brutal chasing. Only 15 minutes were left and the riders were looking at each other for the counter and when it came it was sudden and final. A group of about seven riders separated themselves and with all of the top teams having their strong men in the break it looked like it would be a drag race. The break held a tenuous 15 second lead on the field for eight laps. With two laps to go Jeff Hartmann (Trek/ VW) launched a solo attack that looked powerful. Trent Lowe, the current Australian U23 mountain bike champion, knew that it was his time to make his move and when the bell lap rang he made an attack that caught the other riders off guard. He sailed past the suffering Hartmann and came into the finish with a 100 meter buffer. This was his first win after being in the U.S. for only one week and was well earned as it is the first race in the $15,000 Tokyo Joe's race series.
Results
1 Trent Lowe (Intermountain Color) 2 Jeffrey Hartmann (Team Rio Grande) 3 Andy Clark (Pro Peloton Racing) 4 Jonathan Baker (Pro Peloton Racing) 5 Mark Copeland (AST Cycling Team)
