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Commerce Bank Triple Crown
USA, June 3-8, 2008
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Race 3 - June 5: Commerce Bank Reading Classic (Men), 119.1km/74mi
Sevilla flies up Mt. Penn thrice for solo victory
High Road gets second, third; Tie for overall leader into Philly
By Mark Zalewski, North American Editor in Reading, Pennsylvania
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The former best young rider of the Tour de France Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing) likes tough racing, and he found it last month at the Vuelta a Colombia where he won the sprint competition. The tough racing gave him top form coming into Philly week and it showed as he blasted up Mt. Penn not once but twice, the second time solo on the final lap to take home a huge victory for his U.S. domestic team.
"For me it was a very important win, but for the team too," Sevilla told Cyclingnews. "Michael Ball is a good boss and has a lot of confidence in us, and the win today was for him!"
Sevilla was seemingly riding in a special gear up the KOM, compared with the rest of the peloton. On the first ascent he led his breakaway group, then paused on a steep section to take stock of the situation before proceeding to drop the hammer and blast away. This breakaway group looked to have the potential to work, with defending champion Bernhard Eisel (High Road) there and about every major team represented. But it was just too big to get organised and the descent to the start/finish collapsed the gap.
"That first time over the hill that break seemed promising," said Slipstream-Chipotle's Will Frischkorn. "I looked around and saw everyone was there, but it was just a little too big - it was 20 guys, and too many good guys. We all rolled but nobody would commit."
But Sevilla was not done as on the second time up the climb he attacked again, taking second over the top and joining up with four riders in a small break. "I was sure he was the strongest man in the bunch," said Eisel. "We went away together with three to go and I said to him, 'Ok, let's try it last lap!' But he flicked me and went with two to go!" he said laughing. "But he was the better rider today. It was a good break but we were just missing a few riders from other teams."
"I was just trying to get the other teams aware I was up there and motivated to get something going," Sevilla said about the first KOM. "The second time around I just decided to attack and go for it. The race was fast and towards the end I knew some guys would be lacking some legs. The circuit is not as hard as I would like it, I like longer climbs, but coming out of the Vuelta a Colombia I am in top shape."
The second time up Sevilla was chasing one of the Mexican Tecos riders, Bernardo Colex, who rode solo up the second time. When asked if he was going for the points or the win, he replied, "I was thinking about winning the race, but I just didn't have the strength to carry on." Colex was in the final break that included Sevilla, another Mexican in Moises Aldape and Valeriy Kobzarenko (Team Type 1). When Sevilla attacked on the final ascent, only Aldape was able to hang on, even if just for a short time.
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"He was going very fast," Colex said about Sevilla. "He didn't say anything, he just went by and dropped us."
Rock Racing also knew Sevilla was the man for the day, as team-mate Michael Creed told Cyclingnews before the race that Sevilla was flying coming out of Colombia and the team was going to do everything they could to set him up. "I couldn't do too much in the end, but I got in some breaks early and that hopefully took some pressure off," Creed said after the race. "But Sevilla has so much class, as much as I liked to think I helped I think he could have done it without me, so hats off to him!"
As the break remnants and field hit the climb behind Sevilla it was High Road's young Norwegian rider Edvald Boasson Hagen breaking away from the field to mount the solo chase of the Rock Racing rider. "I could see Sevilla most of the way and then again on the descent and flat, but it was too much," the 20 year-old said. "I was too far behind because I was planning on attacking on the last lap."
Boasson Hagen was sitting in the middle of the thirty-second gap between Sevilla and the field, trying desperately to catch in the final two kilometers. But Sevilla had enough time to enjoy his victory, posting up and adjusting his jersey for the photos. Boasson Hagen held on for second while his team-mate and defending champion Bernhard Eisel won the field sprint for third ahead of the top American finisher Frank Pipp (Health Net-Maxxis).
The win today puts Sevilla in a tie for the overall series lead with Tuesday's winner in Allentown Yuri Metlushenko (Amore & Vita-McDonald's) heading into Sunday's Philadelphia. Cyclingnews will have live up-to-the-minute coverage of both the men's race and the women's Liberty Classic.
How it unfolded
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The third edition of the Reading Classic got off to a rough start, as the announcers and starters misread the time of day and started the race a few minutes early. While most riders were on the line, a few were not - along with the entire contingent of team cars. A few miles into the race the officials decided to neutralise the riders to allow the dropped riders and team cars to make it back. The slowing of the race combined with a bumpy road caused a crash, adding to the woes and making for some unhappy riders. The neutral lasted the entire first lap (10.8km) but counted as a race lap - with the officials starting the riders again 11.2km into the race.
With the impromptu parade lap out of the way, the attacks began again as they did on Tuesday. The racing was fast and furious with everyone wanting to be represented in the break. Again, no breaks could manage more than a minute on the field. It was not until past the halfway point of the race that a major group escaped that looked to have the right composition. Out of the feed zone for the first feeding lap Luca Damiani (Colavita-Sutter Home) launched an attack.
The rest of the group consisted of: Michael Friedman (Slipstream/Chipotle p/b H30), Vicente Reynes Mimo (Team High Road), Andreas Schillinger (Team Sparkasse), Matthew Goss (Team CSC), Michael Creed (Rock Racing), Ivan Santaromita (Liquigas), Doug Ollerenshaw (Rock Racing), Ian MacGregor (Team Type 1), Miguel Martinez (Amore & Vita-McDonalds), Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell).
But even that was not enough as a lap later the peloton reigned them in. A lap later an attack by a Kelly Benefits-Medifast rider upped the pace and an inattentive rider halfway back in the field let a gap grow, splitting the field in two. Eventually 21 riders pulled away with 8 attacking out of that group.
After a few bridging riders crossed, the group numbered 15, with: Bernhard Eisel and Roger Hammond (Team High Road), Kasper Klostergaard Larsen and Lasse Bochman (Team CSC), Maciej Bodnar (Liquigas), William Frischkorn (Slipstream/Chipotle p/b H30), Alejandro Alberto Borrajo and Luis Amaran Romero (Colavita-Sutter Home), Rory Sutherland (Health Net p/b Maxxis), Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing), Svein Tuft (Symmetrics Cycling Team), Darren Lapthorne (Team Sparkasse), Caleb Manion and Dominique Rollin (Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team).
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Team directors were on the radios to their riders thinking this to be the move of the day, with the first ascent up Mt. Penn looming just ahead. Out of this group Oscar Sevilla attacked first, claiming maximum points on his way to the KOM win for the day.
On the other side the group lost its organization and the field regained its, catching the break on the line with two to go. Approaching the climb again the second time Bernardo Colex (Tecos) launched his move, with Michael Stevenson (Amore & Vita-McDonalds) trying to go with. Behind it was Sevilla again moving to the front, cresting the climb in second behind Colex. Sevilla joined the Mexican on the descent back to the finish, along with Valery Kobzarenko and Moises Aldape (Team Type 1).
The four leaders lasted to the small hill of the feed zone right before the KOM climb began. With the peloton looming close behind Sevilla made his final move, dropping Kobzarenko and Colex, and soon after dropping Aldape. High Road's Edvald Boasson Hagen came out of the field to pass the rest of the break and chase Sevilla. But the Spainard went over the top alone and never looked back, holding his lead on the chasing Norwegian all the way to the line.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by
Jonathan Devich/
- Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing) takes a huge home victory for Rock Racing.
- Magnus Backsted (Slipstream) and Greg Henderson (High Road) have a chat on the start line.
- Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United) welcomes tuesdays winner Yuri Metlushenko (Amore & Vita-McDonalds Pro Cycling Team) to the line.
- The whole field takes to the line.
- And the men are off.
- The group passes a historical scene along the route.
- A break gets some time on the field.
- The field takes up chase.
- The mens field rolls through downtown Reading.
- Things get spread out in the large bunch.
- Jason Donald (Slipstream/Chipotle) corners with Dominique Rollin (Toyota-United) by his side.
- Riders head up and out of downtown.
- Mark Walters (Team Race) will be after a repeat win on Sunday.
- The bunch heads toward the hilltop historic area of Reading.
- Bernardo Colex (Tecos) goes solo.
- The peloton heads away from the Reading city skyline.
- Ben Brooks (Team Type 1) heads towards the feed zone.
- Liquigas made the long trip over the pond for this weeks racing.
- The field takes a breather.
- Karl Menzies (Healthnet) was hoping to better his 2nd place from tuesday.
- Riders tackle the incline heading towards the park.
- Ben Brooks (Team Type 1) climbing in the field.
- Omar Cervantes (Tecos) on his way to the climb.
- Riding next to the park nearing the feed zone.
- Ian McGregor (Team Type 1) leads the break.
- Michael Friedman (Slipstream/Chipotle) heads up to the feed zone.
- Tyler Wrenn (Colavita) sitting in the bunch today.
- The peloton passes cemetery gates across the street from a historic mansion.
- A large breaks gets a little bit if a gap on the field.
- Svein Tuft (Symmetrics) leads the break.
- Things get organized at the front of the break.
- Luis Amaran Romero (Colavita/Sutter Home) takes up work at the front.
- Flags draped the streets along the party section of the course.
- Urban racing on the back side of Reading.
- The final break that tried to get up the road.
- High Road comes to the front to bring back the break.
- Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing) was all smiles on the podium.
- Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing) 1st, Edvald Boasson Hagen (High Road) 2nd and Bernard Eisel (High Road) 3rd.
Images by Emory Ball/Cyclingnews
- Steve Cozza (Slipstream) in the opening laps.
- Tommy Nankervis (DLP Racing) showing the strain of the fast pace.
- Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing) blasts away from the breakaway the first time up the climb.
- The rest of the break makes its way up the steep switchbacks.
- Did we mention it's steep?
- Michael Stevenson (Amore & Vita-McDonalds) breaks away from the peloton on the climb.
- At 600 meters to go Sevilla is alone out in front.
- The effort is showing but the race is all but won at this point.
- Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team High Road) jumped away but too late to catch Sevilla.
- The main field snakes its way through the final turns.
- Team High Road has its lead out train up front.
Results
1 Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing 2.47.11 2 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team High Road 0.06 3 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team High Road 0.09 4 Frank Pipp (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 5 Brad Huff (USA) Jelly Belly 6 Eric Baumann (Ger) Team Sparkasse 7 Anibal Andres Borrajo (Arg) Colavita-Sutter Home 8 Francois Parisien (Can) Team R.A.C.E. Pro 9 Antonio Cruz (USA) BMC Racing 10 Alex Candelario (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling 11 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing 12 Ciaran Power (Irl) Pezula Racing 13 Dominique Rollin (Can) Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team 14 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Slipstream/Chipotle p/b H30 15 Gregory Henderson (NZl) Team High Road 16 Ricardo Escuela (Arg) Successfulliving.com presented by Parkpre 17 Alejandro Alberto Borrajo (Arg) Colavita-Sutter Home 18 Benjamin Brooks (Aus) Team Type 1 19 John Fredy Parra (Col) Toshiba-Santo presented by Herbalife 20 Svein Tuft (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team 21 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Type 1 22 Yasvany Falcon (Cub) Toshiba-Santo presented by Herbalife 23 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing 24 Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC 25 Luis Macias (Mex) Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara 26 Taylor Tolleson (USA) BMC Racing 27 Kirk O'Bee (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 28 Roger Hammond (GBr) Team High Road 29 Phil Zajicek (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 30 Edward King (USA) Bissell 31 Cameron Evans (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team 32 Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita-Sutter Home 33 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis 34 William Frischkorn (USA) Slipstream/Chipotle p/b H30 35 Luis Amaran Romero (Cub) Colavita-Sutter Home 36 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Team High Road 37 Andy Bajadali (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling 38 Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita-Sutter Home 39 Predrag Prokic (Srb) Toshiba-Santo presented by Herbalife 40 Michael Stevenson (Swe) Amore & Vita-McDonalds 41 Christian Meier (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team 42 Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Racing 43 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Team Type 1 44 Eric Wohlberg (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team 45 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Liquigas 46 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team 47 Victor Hugo Pena (Col) Rock Racing 48 Michael Grabinger (USA) Successfulliving.com presented by Parkpre 49 Jacob Erker (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team 50 Soren Nissen (Den) Amore & Vita-McDonalds 51 Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell 52 Francisco Matamoros (Mex) Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara 53 Caleb Manion (Aus) Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team 0.23 54 Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den) Team CSC 55 Thad Dulin (USA) DLP Racing 0.26 56 Claudio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas 57 Moises Aldape (Mex) Team Type 1 58 Carlos Oyarzun (Chi) Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara 59 Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1 60 Lasse Bochman (Den) Team CSC 61 Aaron Olson (USA) Bissell 0.43 62 Dustin MacBurnie (Can) Team R.A.C.E. Pro 63 Jared Barrilleaux (USA) Jittery Joes 64 Jake Rytlewski (USA) Rite Aid Pro Cycling p/b Shebell & Shebell 65 André Steensen (Den) Team CSC 66 Miguel Martinez (Fra) Amore & Vita-McDonalds 67 Gregorio Ladino (Col) Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara 68 Dan Bowman (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling 69 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Team Sparkasse 70 Robbie King (USA) Rite Aid Pro Cycling p/b Shebell & Shebell 0.59 71 Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing 72 Daniel Ramsey (USA) Time Pro Cycling 1.12 73 Yuri Metlushenko (Ukr) Amore & Vita-McDonalds 74 Andrew Randell (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team 75 Ryan Roth (Can) Team R.A.C.E. Pro 76 Graziano Gasparre (Ita) Amore & Vita-McDonalds 77 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas 78 Tommy Nankervis (Aus) DLP Racing 79 Brian Jensen (USA) Successfulliving.com presented by Parkpre 80 Cameron Jennings (Irl) Pezula Racing 81 Mark Hekman (USA) Toshiba-Santo presented by Herbalife 1.33 82 Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing 83 Bradley White (USA) Successfulliving.com presented by Parkpre 84 Aaron Tuckerman (USA) Jelly Belly 85 Omar Cervantes (Mex) Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara 86 Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Rock Racing 87 John Murphy (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 88 Jason McCartney (USA) Team CSC 89 Matt Rice (Aus) Jelly Belly 90 Andrew Talansky (USA) Toshiba-Santo presented by Herbalife 1.51 91 Jeremiah Wiscovitch (USA) Rock Racing 92 John Devine (USA) Team High Road 93 Servais Knaven (Ned) Team High Road 94 Lars Wackernagel (Ger) Team Sparkasse 95 Mark Walters (Can) Team R.A.C.E. Pro 96 Michael Friedman (USA) Slipstream/Chipotle p/b H30 2.03 97 Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1 98 Steven Cozza (USA) Slipstream/Chipotle p/b H30 99 Bernardo Colex (Mex) Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara 100 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell 2.09 101 Blake Caldwell (USA) Slipstream/Chipotle p/b H30 2.16 102 Florencio Ramos Torres (Mex) Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara 2.36 103 Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Liquigas 104 Reid Mumford (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling 3.12 105 Michael Lange (USA) Jelly Belly 3.20 106 Richard England (Aus) Bissell 3.42 107 Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly 4.19 108 Matthew Goss (Aus) Team CSC 4.50 109 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Team Sparkasse 110 Tyler Farrar (USA) Slipstream/Chipotle p/b H30 111 Cody Stevenson (Aus) Jittery Joes 112 Michael Creed (USA) Rock Racing 6.10 113 Andrew Pinfold (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team 114 Ben Kneller (USA) Jittery Joes 6.39 115 Justin Spinelli (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling 6.44 DNF Alberto Curtolo (Ita) Liquigas DNF Darren Lill (RSA) BMC Racing DNF Mike Sayers (USA) BMC Racing DNF Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Slipstream/Chipotle p/b H30 DNF Jason Donald (USA) Slipstream/Chipotle p/b H30 DNF Phil Cortes (Can) Amore & Vita-McDonalds DNF Garrett Peltonen (USA) Bissell DNF Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell DNF Joao Correia (Por) Bissell DNF Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Colavita-Sutter Home DNF Luca Damiani (Ita) Colavita-Sutter Home DNF Andy Guptill (USA) Colavita-Sutter Home DNF Spencer Beamer (USA) DLP Racing DNF Joey Coddington (USA) DLP Racing DNF Charles Pendry (USA) DLP Racing DNF Scott Jackson (USA) DLP Racing DNF Boyd Johnson (USA) DLP Racing DNF Owen Nielsen (USA) DLP Racing DNF Tim Johnson (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis DNF Kari Menzies (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis DNF Matthew Crane (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis DNF Nicholas Sanderson (Aus) Jelly Belly DNF Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly DNF Nicholas Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly DNF Chad Hartley (USA) Jittery Joes DNF Neil Shirley (USA) Jittery Joes DNF Matthew Shriver (USA) Jittery Joes DNF Evan Elken (USA) Jittery Joes DNF Ryan Sullivan (Aus) Jittery Joes DNF Benjamin King (Aus) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling DNF Kevin Lacombe (Can) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling DNF Jonathan Sundt (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling DNF David O'Loughlin (Irl) Pezula Racing DNF Morgan Fox (Irl) Pezula Racing DNF Martyn Irvine (Irl) Pezula Racing DNF William Connolly (Irl) Pezula Racing DNF Clayton Barrows (USA) Rite Aid Pro Cycling p/b Shebell & Shebell DNF Jonathan Erdelyi (USA) Rite Aid Pro Cycling p/b Shebell & Shebell DNF Richard Geng (Ger) Rite Aid Pro Cycling p/b Shebell & Shebell DNF Stephen Kincaid (USA) Rite Aid Pro Cycling p/b Shebell & Shebell DNF Guido Palma (Arg) Rite Aid Pro Cycling p/b Shebell & Shebell DNF Bobby Lea (USA) Rite Aid Pro Cycling p/b Shebell & Shebell DNF Rahsaan Bahati (USA) Rock Racing DNF Tyler Hamilton (USA) Rock Racing DNF Zach Bell (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team DNF Dan Timmerman (USA) Team R.A.C.E. Pro DNF Kevin Miller (Can) Team R.A.C.E. Pro DNF Mark Batty (Can) Team R.A.C.E. Pro DNF Eric Robertson (Can) Team R.A.C.E. Pro DNF Philipp Mamos (Ger) Team Sparkasse DNF Tilo Schüler (Ger) Team Sparkasse DNF Sebastian Frey (Ger) Team Sparkasse DNF Charles Dionne (Can) Successfulliving.com presented by Parkpre DNF Curtis Gunn (USA) Successfulliving.com presented by Parkpre DNF Alessandro Bazzana (Ita) Successfulliving.com presented by Parkpre DNF Christian Valenzuela (Mex) Successfulliving.com presented by Parkpre DNF Christopher Jones (USA) Team Type 1 DNF Ian MacGregor (USA) Team Type 1 DNF Lui Guitierrez (Mex) Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara DNF Nick Frey (USA) Time Pro Cycling DNF Erik Barlevav (USA) Time Pro Cycling DNF Adam Myerson (USA) Time Pro Cycling DNF Andy Baker (USA) Time Pro Cycling DNF Thomas Soladay (USA) Time Pro Cycling DNF Michael Stoop (USA) Time Pro Cycling DNF David Guttenplan (USA) Time Pro Cycling DNF Frank Travieso (Cub) Toshiba-Santo presented by Herbalife DNF Daniel Vaillancourt (USA) Toshiba-Santo presented by Herbalife DNF John Durango (USA) Toshiba-Santo presented by Herbalife DNF Heath Blackgrove (NZl) Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team DNF Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team DNF Ivan Stevic (Srb) Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team DNF Henk Vogels (Aus) Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team DNF Chris Wherry (USA) Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team
