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Wachovia
Invitational |
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Wachovia Cycling Series
USA, June 3-8, 2003
Wachovia Invitational - June 3: Lancaster, PA, 146km - 13 laps of 11.5km
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Piil & CSC storm to win on a rainy day in Lancaster
By Tim Maloney in Lancaster, PA
CSC's Jakob Storm Piil pounded out a solo win today in Lancaster after his strong squad gave a whuppin' to the other teams at the first race of the Wachovia Cycling Series. Piil won here four years ago riding for Acceptcard as a relatively unknown track rider, but since then, the quiet Dane has won not only the First Union Classic that same year, but the prestigious Peace Race and the 2002 World Cup Classic Paris-Tours.
Piil rode away from his seven break companions with two laps to go to win with a margin of over a minute.
"I tried to make the right move, but when I made my move, I didn't feel super so I thought I had to get ahead of the race," said Piil. "But I think everybody [in the break] felt the same as me. This race is so damn hard; you have to go maximum force from the start so you can feel very bad but still win."
Piil's CSC teammate Julian Dean was third, but the rapid Kiwi had a close call in the sprint for second with Saturn's mark McCormack. An angry Dean told Cyclingnews, "McCormack came across my front wheel and took it out with 150m to go. It was an unprofessional move because he knew I was coming around him and it was the only thing he could do." Dean's front wheel lost nine spokes in the incident, but due to the difficult weather conditions that made for poor viewing, the officials left the standings alone.
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US Postal's Matt White showed the talent today that got the Sydneysider a spot on Postal in the first place and it looked like his exclusion from USPS's Tour long team had perhaps provided the Aussie an extra edge. But Whitey, always the team player, disabused Cyclingnews of that notion, saying, "No, I'm here to win bike races; I've got good legs at the moment so I'm gonna use them."
Last year's Lancaster winner David Clinger and his Prime Alliance team tried hard today, but sickness had slowed the Thousand Oaks, CA. rider down, and he was eighth at 3:19. Post-race, Clinger told Cyclingnews, "I was sick Monday and got depleted from that so I didn't feel great today, but hopefully I'll come around [for Sunday's USPRO championship]."
Right with Clinger in ninth was Chris Horner (Saturn), who said, "it was an epic day today; unbelievable, definitely the hardest day I've raced probably the last three years! [Saturn] were totally outnumbered by CSC. Yeah, we had some numbers but it was the wrong guys at the wrong time. Nathan [O'Neill] was tired from being up the road, and with four laps to go, the key break just went."
US Postal's Michael Barry was runner-up to Piil in 1999, when the duo broke away in the last, rainy laps at Lancaster and both crashed (Piil twice) on the greasy roads. Barry was 12th today. Just back from Europe, Barry told Cyclingnews, "I felt really good today, but tactically at the end it didn't really work out for us. Whitey was up there, but it would have been better if we had two more guys up there at least."
Barry was optimistic for Sunday's USPRO Championship, as was Henk Vogels of Navigators, who abandoned today. "I just got back from Australia and have a bit of a cold, but I'm getting better," said Vogels. Barry went on to compliment Piil, saying "he looked good today; Piil did a lot of attacking today. He's a really classy rider who's super smooth on his bike even when he's suffering." Navigators got Oleg Grishkine in the third group for 11th today, but they and all the domestic teams were just outgunned by the firepower from CSC in Lancaster.
Photos
Images by Jonathan Devich/www.wachoviacycling.com
- Trent Klasna (Saturn) spent the first couple laps time trialing off the front in the rain by himself.
- Marty Nothstein (Navigators) and Chann McRae (Schroeder Iron) still looking dry at the beginning of the day.
- John Lieswyn (7UP / Maxxis) fought hard in the break today with Julian Dean (CSC-Tiscali) just behind him, who finished third.
- Vini Caldirola rider Fred Rodriguez, one of Sunday's favorites, rides conservatively on today's rain slicked roads.
- One of the mid-race chase groups during one of the day's heavier periods of rain.
- A bird's eye view of the break.
- Scott Guyton (Flanders-IteamNova.com) leads the group through historical downtown Lancaster.
- US Postal rider Michael Barry concentrates hard going through a rain soaked corner.
- A Saeco rider gets up close and personal through turn 1.
- Max Van Heeswijk (US Postal) rode hard to make it up to the break late in the race.
- The umbrella equipped crowd looks on as riders cross the line with one lap to go.
- CSC rider Jakob Piil repeats his 1999 win in Lancaster, storming across the line with a 1'18 buffer over Mark McCormack.
- The podium - (from L to R) Mark McCormack (Saturn, 2nd), Jakob Piil (CSC, 1st) and Julian Dean (CSC, 3rd).
Images by Michael Doupe/RedRoseRaces.com
- Water spraying everywhere as the race begins
- Over 120 racers started - but only 23 finished
- Jonathan Vaughters (Prime Alliance) looks for blue sky before the start
- Saturn's Trent Klasna working his early solo attack
- Early breakaway attacker Trent Klasna from Saturn
- SportsBook.com's Adam Hodges-Myerson leading the peloton in the early going
- Jakob Storm-Piil from CSC-Tiscali gives a victory salute
- The winners' podium
Images by CQUAD.com
- It's a little wet out there
- Showing off the tan-lines on an overcast day
- A pre-race massage
- Jonathan Vaughters looking very serious
- The Posties wait for their coffee…
- … and here it is
- Current USPRO Champion Chann McRae tries to scare off his opponents
- Hello base? Can I have another jacket? This one is wet
- The riders line up, and wonder if they will need floaties
- First corner; take it easy
- Too much lean and you will find yourself on the ground
- Beautiful day for it
- Saturn's Nathan O'Neill climbing to the feed zone
- O'Neill on the first breakaway
- The peloton chases O'Neill down
- Like taking candy from a baby
- The shrinking peloton
- Some lights would be helpful
- Jakob Piil (CSC) wins, followed by an SUV second and a Saturn support car third
- We are the champions (so far)
- On the podium
Results
1 Jakob Piil (Den) Team CSC 3.23.42 (43.00km/h) 2 Mark McCormack (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 1.18 3 Julian Dean (NZl) Team CSC 4 Matthew White (Aus) US Postal presented by Berry Floor 5 John Lieswyn (USA) 7UP / Maxxis 6 Uros Murn (Slo) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiavé 7 Geert Van Brondt (Bel) Team CSC 8 David Clinger (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 3.19 9 Chris Horner (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 10 Jimmi Madsen (Den) Team CSC 3.53 11 Oleg Grishkine (Rus) Navigators Cycling Team 12 Michael Barry (Can) US Postal presented by Berry Floor 13 Danny Pate (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 14 Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) US Postal presented by Berry Floor 15 Viktor Rapikski (Blr) Saturn Cycling Team 5.49 16 Charles Dionne (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 17 Adam Livingston (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 7.13 18 Matt Dubberley (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 10.16 19 Alan Iacuone (Aus) Flanders-IteamNova.com 10.21 20 Jeff Louder (USA) Navigators Cycling Team 21 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Navigators Cycling Team 13.09 22 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Cycling Team 23 Troy White (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar
Past Winners
2002 David Clinger (USA) U.S. Postal Service 147.5 kms in 3.18.52 (44.35 km/h) 2001 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Mercury Viatel 147.5 kms in 3.20.13 2000 Trent Klasna (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 147.5 kms in 3.21.04 1999 Jacob Piil (Den) Acceptcard 147.5 kms in 3.19.42 1998 Frankie Andreu (USA) US Postal Service 147.5 kms in 3.23.17 1997 Chan McCrae (USA) 147.5 kms in 3.22.15 1996 Chris Horner (USA) 1995 Fred Rodriguez (USA) 1994 Andrea Peron (Ita) 1993 Arvis Piziks (Lat) 1992 Roberto Pelliconi (Ita)
