Dilworth Criterium - NE

USA, May 2, 2009

2008 Results Results Past winners

Hanson thunders to Dilworth win

By Daniel Carruthers

Ken Hanson (Team Type 1) out-powered Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia) on the uphill drag in Charlotte, North Carolina to win a tough Dilworth Criterium. Carlos Vargas (Team Hotel San Jose) took third place while only a third of the rain-drenched field managed to finish the event.

This was Team Type 1's first victory at the USA CRITS Speed Week Series after trying all week long to break through. Despite the absence of several top teams, in particular OUCH-Maxxis and Kelly Benefit Strategies, the racing still proved to be very competitive, with strong teams like Fly V Australia, Team Mountain Khakis, Team Type 1, Team Hotel San Jose, and Champion Porsche all represented.

The Dilworth Criterium, held around a parkland area shrouded with trees, started with 120 riders in dry, sunny conditions. The course had an uphill and downhill section that led to a hair-pin turn at the bottom, and then launched straight into a climb.

Everyone knew that due to these challenging features, the race was going to be strung out. However, this happened sooner than expected when thunder clouds rolled over, and heavy rains poured down on the racers. This instantly created mayhem. There was a big pile-up down the bottom, and the field broke up as fast as the thunder clouds had arrived. Ben Kersten (Fly V) walked into the pits with his front wheel absolutely shredded.

After 20 minutes of racing a break of four including Bernie Sulzberger (Fly V), Frank Travieso (Champion Porsche), Mark Hekman (Mtn. Khakis) and Hanson was established. Even though the break only lasted for a short time, it managed to reduce the peloton drastically. Numerous attacks tried to go but, due to the rain, the slippery surface, and the hill, a bunch kick at the finish was ensured.

Travieso pipped Hekman at the line for $250 mid-race prime, and earned 10 points towards the series classification.

No one team had any real control of the race, and it was a gamble to see which rider would prevail in the uphill sprint. It ended up being a rider who was the boldest, strongest, and most daring and who could combine those attributes to negotiate the downhill section and the sharp turn under the pouring rain and still put himself in a good position for the hill shoot-out for the finish. That rider was Hanson of Team Type 1.

He now moves up into third spot overall in the series, just 23 points adrift of Vargas, who has 1297 points. Hekman, with 1369 points, looks like he will secure the overall win provided he finishes close to Vargas at the Global BMW Sandy Springs Criterium.

The women's pro field did not have a points-earning race at the Dilworth Criterium, so most of the top teams were absent. The final races of the USA CRITS Speed Week Series will be contested on Sunday in Sandy Springs, GA.

Results

1 Ken Hanson (Team Type 1)                        1.15.41
2 Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia)                0.01
3 Carlos Vargas (Team Hotel San Jose)                    
4 Joey Rosskopf (Jittery Joes U25 Presented By K)        
5 Aldo Ilesic (Team Type 1)                              
6 Mark Hekman (Mt. Khakis)                               
7 Frank Travieso (Champion Porsche Presented By R)       
8 Rafael Meran (Gs Mengoni Usa)                      0.02
9 Benjamin Baumgartner (Metro VW)                        
10 Thomas Soladay (Mt. Khakis)                           
11 Ryan Sullivan (Myogenesis)                        0.03
12 Andrew Dahlheim (Metro VW)                            
13 Daniel Estevez (Crca/ Foundation)                     
14 Christian Helmig (Metro VW)                           
15 Chad Hartley (Team Geargrinder)                   0.04
16 Bernard Sulzberger (Fly V Australia)                  
17 Dirk Pohlmann (Texas Roadhouse)                   0.05
18 Eric Murphy (Myogenesis)                              
19 David Guttenplan (Mountain Khakis)                0.06
20 Alder Martz (Dlp)                                 0.07
21 Adam Bergman (Texas Roadhouse)                        
22 Craig Dodson (Richmond Pro)                       0.08
23 Oniel Samuels (Myogenesis)                        0.13
24 Andrew Crater (Team Wheel & Sprocket)             0.14
25 Sean Sullivan (Team Hotel San Jose)               0.15
26 Lang Reynolds (Hagens Berman Llp Cycling Team)    0.17
27 Spencer Gaddy (Uptown Cycles)                         
28 Ben Zawacki (Richmond Pro)                        0.19
29 John Hamblen (Inland Construction)                0.20
30 Jafer Beizer (Jittery Joes U25 Presented By K)    0.24
31 Will Hofforth (Mountain Khakis)                   0.25
32 Diego Garavito                                    0.26
33 Daniel Carruthers (Hansaton Hearing Systems)      0.28
34 Steven Gordon (Dlp Racing)                        0.29
35 Jesse Anthony (Team Type 1)                       0.36
36 David Kemp (Fly V Australia)                      3.23
37 Daniel Holt (Team Type 1)                             
38 Thomas Brown (Jittery Joes U25 Presented By K)    5.01
39 Chris Schmidt (The Bike Rack Of Wash Dc)          5.03
40 Grant Potter (Champion Porsche Presented By R)    5.23
41 Robert Binkley (Scv)

Past Winners

2008 Aldo Llesic (Black Sheep Cartel)                         Kelly Benjamin (Cheerwine Cycling)