Continental Championships close out with road races this weekend

  
  


The U23 men's squad takes a team pic on Sunday before the road race.
The U23 men's squad takes a team pic on Sunday before the road race.
This weekend, U.S. athletes made a strong showing as they closed out the Pan American Road and Track Championships in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
 
Following the track portion of competition, where the U.S. racked up 11 medals over six days, four women and five young men took to the pavement this weekend to represent the U.S. during the road racing segment.
 
Friday: TIME TRIALS
 
First up were Friday’s time trials which saw the U.S. grab three medals. Amber Neben (Irvine, Calif./Specialized-lululemon) got to stand on top of the podium as the new Continental Champion after clocking a winning time of 26:60.096 in the women’s event. Then, Nate Brown (Covington, Tenn./Trek-Livestrong) and Lawson Craddock (Houston, Texas/Trek-Livestrong) were second and third in the men’s U23 time trial.
 

Sunday: WOMEN’S ROAD RACE
 
Olds and Neben leading the pack in the women's road race on Sunday
Olds and Neben leading the pack in the women's road race on Sunday
The final day of competition saw Shelley Olds (Gilroy, Calif./AA Drink) finish fourth in the elite women’s road race.
 
Olds teamed up with Neben, Coryn Rivera (Tustin, Calif./Exergy TWENTY 12), and Beth Newell (Oakland, Calif./Now Cycling – NOW and Novartis for MS) for the 12-lap, 90-kilometer circuit race. The biggest challenge on the 7.5-kilometer circuit was a 200-meter ascent just after the start/finish.
 
The team worked hard for Olds, with Neben doing a lot of work in the front. In the end, the contest came down to a field sprint with Olds crossing the line in fourth to bareley miss out on the podium.
 
Cuba’s Yumari Gonzalez was named Continental Champion while Canadian Leah Kirchamann and Brazilian Janildes Fernandez were second and third.  Neben, Newell, and Rivera finished 22nd, 25th, and 29th respectively.
 


Sunday: MEN’S ROAD RACE
 
Rob Bush made an impressive 6th-place effort in the U23 contest.
Rob Bush made an impressive 6th-place effort in the U23 contest.
In the U23 men’s road race, which was a 165-kilometer affair, Rob Bush (Louisville, Ky./Chipotle Development Team) posted the top result for the U.S.
 
After three hours and 45 minutes of racing, Bush crossed the line in sixth-place during a field sprint finish.  
 
The race was won by Arnold Olabarria of Chile. Grabbing the silver and bronze medals were Carlos Quishpe of Ecuador and Fabrizio Von Nacher of Mexico. Americans Ty Magner (Athens, Ga./TT1), Matthew Lipscomb (Decatur, Ga./Hincapie Development Team), and Nathan Brown (Covington, Tenn./Trek-Livestrong) were 16th, 17th, and 18th respectively.

Photos by Greg Cross and Gustavo Carillo


This Article Updated March 12, 2012 @ 11:54 AM For more information contact: