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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

Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing)
Photo ©: Jon Devich
(Click for larger image)

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.

Bernardo Colex (Tecos)
Photo ©: Jon Devich
(Click for larger image)

"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

A large breaks gets a little bit if a gap on the field.
Photo ©: Jon Devich
(Click for larger image)

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).

The final break that tried to get up the road.
Photo ©: Jon Devich
(Click for larger image)

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/

Images by Emory Ball/Cyclingnews

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                                 

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