Devo Wrap: Craddock wields Triptyque mystique

Devo Wrap: Craddock wields Triptyque mystique

The road portion of the USA Cycling National Development Program (NDP) has kicked into high gear with excellent results from the riders in U23, juniors and women's programs. The women and U23 men each contested a pair of races while the juniors men toed the line in one race.

U23 Men

Le Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux

Lawson Craddock wore the yellow and green jerseys during Le Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux. (Photo by Michael Sayers)

The USA Cycling contingent started the first stage strong as all six riders finished with the main group. Tanner Putt (Park City, Utah/Bontrager Cycling Team) made a key four-man breakaway that stayed clear of the peloton for approximately 100 kilometers. In the final two kilometers, Putt attacked, but was caught by the peloton with 200 meters remaining.

The second stage started with a flat, 10-kilometer time trial. Craddock asserted himself among the race leaders, finishing 20th, 22 seconds behind the fastest rider, Edward Theuns (BEL). Each of the six USA Cycling riders finished within 1:02 of Theuns. The second stage concluded with a 100-kilometer road race with difficult finishing circuits. Craddock crashed with 10 kilometers remaining in the race. The USA Cycling contingent rallied to deliver Craddock to the leading break, capped by Putt's efforts on a difficult climb. Craddock attacked and the peloton was unable to answer, allowing him to win the road race by 11 seconds.

The third and final stage spanned 160 kilometers of difficult riding with 15 climbs. The USA Cycling riders controlled the race until the finishing circuits. The Leopard-Trek team gained control of the race and earned time bonuses in the process, putting Silvestre into the lead. Craddock attacked on the last climb, but was caught by Leopard-Trek in the last three kilometers.

In addition to Craddock placing second, Putt finished just 1:33 behind Silvestre. Gavin Mannion (Dedham, Mass./Bontrager Cycling Team) completed the race 7:24 behind Silvestre while Nate Brown (Covington, Tenn./Bontrager Cycling Team) and Ryan Eastman (Petaluma, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team) were 8:32 and 11:55, respectively, back. Alex Darville (Santa Barbara, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team) also competed in the race.

Eamon Lucas gives the thumbs up before a stage of Boucle de l'Artois. (Photo by Jochen Dornbusch)

Eamon Lucas (Pebble Beach, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) placed second in the individual time trial, only 19 seconds behind Fredrik Ludvigsson (SWE) before finishing 47th in the general classification. Lucas also earned 20 points throughout the race to tie for sixth in the final tally for the points classification. Nate Wilson (Elk Grove, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team) and Daniel Eaton (Mesa, Ariz./Gateway Harley-Davidson) placed 84th and 86th while Justin Mauch (Sterling, Va./Kelly Benefit Strategies-LSV) placed 96th in the two-day race.

Three of USA Cycling's contingent finished the opening stage 1:30 behind winner Louis Verhelst (BEL). Lucas, Connor O'Leary (Salt Lake City, Utah/Bontrager Cycling Team) and Nate Wilson (Elk Grove, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team) placed 45th, 94th and 95th, respectively, in the opening stage. Daniel Eaton (Mesa, Ariz./Gateway Harley-Davidson) and Justin Mauch (Sterling, Va./Kelly Benefit Strategies-LSV) also finished the stage.

The second stage started with the time trial that landed Lucas on the podium, while Wilson and O'Leary placed 72nd and 74th, only 3:20 and 3:24, respectively, behind Ludvigsson. Mauch and Eaton finished within five seconds of each other as Mauch was 3:37 back and Eaton was 3:42 behind the leader.

Eaton was the squad's best-placed rider in the final stage, finishing only 31 seconds behind stage-winner Leonardo Pinizzotto (ITA). Lucas completed the road race 4:41 behind Pinizzotto. Wilson was 8:12 back while Mauch was 10:54 behind the stage winner.

Women's Road

Ronde van Vlaanderen
Five women started the Ronde van Vlaanderen on Sunday. As the field was whittled down in the second half of the race, Janel Holcomb (San Diego, Calif./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Kristin McGrath (Boise, Idaho/Exergy TWENTY16) remained with the lead group. The decisive split happened with about 25 kilometers remaining in the 127.4-kilometer race as four riders broke away from the lead group. In the final results, Marianne Vos (NEC) won the race with a time of 3:33:21.

Holcomb and McGrath were the American contingent's best-placed riders finishing 38th and 42nd, 4:33 behind Vos.

Lauren Hall (Dolores, Colo./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) finished 13:12 behind Vos while Emily Kachorek (Sacramento, Calif./Vanderkitten) and Ruth Winder (Lafayette, Calif./Vanderkitten) finished 21:45 back.

Grand Prix de Dottignies
On Monday, the women contested the Grand Prix de Dottignies, a 119-kilometer road race in Belgium.

Lauren Hall (Dolores, Colo./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) produced the contingent's best result, placing 30th, 2:17 behind the winner Vera Koedooder (NED), who finished the race in 2:57.23. Emily Kachorek (Sacramento, Calif./Vanderkitten) completed the course 10:58 behind Koedooder to place 57th in the final results.

The race consisted of four laps of a course that included three climbs and a 700-meter section of cobblestones. The riders dealt with crosswinds and narrow roads throughout the contest.

Hall rode in the main breakaway for most of the race. The lead group attacked two kilometers into the race. As the peloton crested the first climb, a group of 13 riders opened a 12-second gap. On the last lap, riders from Rabobank tried to reel the breakaway in, but six riders rode away as the field absorbed the remaining seven riders in the breakaway.

Kristin McGrath (Boise, Idaho/Exergy TWENTY16) and Ruth Winder (Lafayette, Calif./Vanderkitten) also contested the race.

Juniors Road
Ster van Zuid Limburg
The juniors road program started its season in stellar fashion despite frigid temperatures at Ster van Zuid Limburg.

The team placed a pair of riders in the top 10 of the final results. Jordan Cullen (Hudson, Wis./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team) completed the three-stage race in fourth place, just 3:37 behind the winner, Anders Egsvang (DEN). Tyler Schwartz (Newport Beach, Calif./VRC-Get Crackin') completed the competition seven seconds behind Cullen in seventh place. The entire contingent placed second in the team classification, 7:09 behind Team Roskilde Junior and 20 seconds ahead of the third-place Kon. Balen B.C. V.Z.W.

Miguel Bryon (Miami, Fla./DCM Cycling Team) finished the race in 5:46:06, 4:40 behind Egsvang. Justin Oien (Escondido, Calif./MRI Endurance Elite Juniors), who finished third in Monday's final stage, completed the race 5:30 behind the winner. The USA Cycling contingent was also well represented in the points classification as Bryon and Oien placed fifth and seventh, respectively. Bryon accumulated 15 points while Oien collected 13 points. Mats Pedersen (DEN) topped that list with 36 points.

Seth Veenbaas (Chino Hills, Calif./MRI Endurance Elite Juniors) and Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y./Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team, Inc.) also competed in the race.

Coming Up
U23 men
The group of six U23 riders below will contest a pair of one-day races in Germany in the upcoming week:

Greg Daniel (Englewood, Colo./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Alex Darville (Santa Barbara, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Daniel Eaton (Mesa, Ariz./Gateway Harley-Davidson)
Eamon Lucas (Pebble Beach, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized)
Justin Mauch (Sterling, Va./Kelly Benefit Strategies-LSV)
Nate Wilson (Elk Grove, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team)

The separate group of six U23 riders below are set to compete in Ronde van Vlaanderen Beloften in Belgium on April 6:

Nate Brown (Covington, Tenn./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Lawson Craddock (Austin, Texas/Bontrager Cycling Team)
Connor O'Leary (Salt Lake City, Utah/Bontrager Cycling Team)
Ryan Eastman (Petaluma, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Gavin Mannion (Dedham, Mass./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Tanner Putt (Park City, Utah/Bontrager Cycling Team)

Women's Road
The following group of six women are set to compete in the five-day Energiewacht Tour in the Netherlands from April 3-7:

Jessica Cutler (Seattle, Wash./Vanderkitten)
Lauren Hall (Dolores, Colo./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)
Emily Kachorek (Sacramento, Calif./Vanderkitten)
Kristin McGrath (Boise, Idaho/Exergy TWENTY16)
Ruth Winder (Lafayette, Calif./Vanderkitten)

Juniors Road
On April 7, the following group of six juniors men will toe the line in France for Paris-Roubaix Juniors:

Miguel Bryon (Miami, Fla./DCM Cycling Team)
Jordan Cullen (Hudson, Wis./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team)
Justin Oien (Escondido, Calif./MRI Endurance Elite Juniors)
Tyler Schwartz (Newport Beach, Calif./VRC-Get Crackin')
Seth Veenbaas (Chino Hills, Calif./MRI Endurance Elite Juniors)
Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y./Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team, Inc.)

Want to be part of USA Cycling’s Development Program? The first step is getting on USA Cycling’s radar. One of the best ways to do this is by attending a USA Cycling Regional Talent Identification Camp. The primary goal of the Talent ID Camps is to recognize athletes who, at an early age, show signs of potential future success in cycling. Receiving instruction from some of USA Cycling’s finest coaches, the camps also provide the necessary framework to improve the athletes skill set thus progressing their talent development. In some cases, the Regional Talent ID Camps assist in selecting riders for international competition and/or a national development camp.

For more information and the full 2013 schedule of USA Cycling’s Regional Talent ID Camps, please click here.

USA Cycling's National Development Programs are supported by the USA Cycling Development Foundation. Support the future of American cycling with an online donation now.

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