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U.S. National Criterium Championships - NE

Downer’s Grove Village, Illinois, USA, August 19-20, 2006

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Stage 2 - August 19: Men’s Pro 1/2 International Challenge, 50 km

Dominguez takes the warm-up race

by Mark Zalewski, North American Editor in Downers Grove, Ill.

Ivan Dominguez
Photo ©: Jon Devich
(Click for larger image)

The men only raced half the distance of tomorrow's championship race which could have explained the high speeds. Or it could have been the hefty tailwind from the passing thunderstorm up the home stretch which gave the riders an extra boost. Regardless, the high speeds insured a safer race with the nearly 200 large peloton strung out single file most of the time.

A lot of the fireworks in the race came courtesy of Health Net-Maxxis which established itself as one of the strongest teams coming off a defeat last weekend in Manhattan Beach where a shorthanded Greg Henderson was bested by Toyota-United's Juan Jose Haedo. Henderson even tried a solo attack in the first half of the race and was later joined by teammate Mike Sayers and other riders to form a threatening move.

About half-way through the thirty-one miles a crash on the far side of the course aided the breakaway's advantage over the field which took down Tim Johnson and Alberto Tiberio (Health Net-Maxxis) as well as Jackson Stewart and Pete Lopinto (KodakGallery-Sierra Nevada.)

The breakaway looked to be working well but the fast moving peloton was slowly inching its way back. With five laps to go the break was caught and Health Net-Maxxis put six riders on the front. For the next five laps Health Net owned the front every time out of the last turn and up the uphill home stretch -- until the last time, when Ivan Dominguez and Tony Cruz (Toyota-United) hijacked the train and rode away to the win.

"Cruz went in the third-to-last turn and I was too slow to react," said third place Karl Menzies (Health Net-Maxxis). "He gapped it before two to go with Dominguez. But the important thing for us it that it was a safe race."

Cruz said the team did not talk much during the race, just being patient and letting the race unfold. "I went a couple of times earlier in the race to test the legs, but the wind really neutralized things," said Cruz. About the strong showing by Health Net-Maxxis in the final laps, Cruz responded, "It's always a worry. Health Net has the experience leading out. But I could see Menzies getting ready to sweep near the third-to-last turn, and we took advantage of their lead out when Hendey swung off."

"[Health Net] raced great," said Dominguez after the race. "That is the best way to win. It's not easy following that, but it's better than being in the middle! I knew the only way to win was to lead through the last two corners. Hendey saw me go earlier in the lap and covered it, but Tony gapped him with three to go."

Notably absent from the field sprint, and even the front of the race, was ace sprinter Juan Jose Haedo. "Yeah, he was going easy today," said Dominguez. You can bet he will not be going easy tomorrow.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us

Images by Matthew Moses/www.moses-images.com

Results

1 Ivan Dominguez (Toyota United)
2 Tony Cruz (Toyota United)
3 Karl Menzies (Health Net Presented by Maxxis)

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