Devo Wrap: Guarnier's ride tops week

The USA Cycling National Development Program kicked into rare form over the last week. The women earned and protected the leader's jersey in Italy, a group of U23 men competed valiantly in China and junior riders tuned up in European kermesses to prepare for the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Road World Championships.

WOMEN

Premondiale Giro Toscana Int. Femminile

After some tough luck last week in the Ladies Tour of Holland, six women rebounded for a very strong performance at the Premondiale Giro Toscana Int. Femminile in Italy. Megan Guarnier (Mountain View, Calif./Team TIBCO to the Top) parlayed strong performances in the third stage and the individual time trial to top the general classification. In addition to topping the GC, Guarnier also won the points, sprint and foreign rider designations.

"Really proud of these riders," Jackson Stewart, the former pro who now manages USA Cycling's Women's National Development Program, said. "They nearly all had a huge block of racing with racing Holland prior to Toscana with only one day of rest. They really put their game faces on and showed that they can ride with the best by taking three jerseys and showing a strong team performance in defending those jerseys."

The race started with the team time trial. Considering many of the girls hadn't worked together as a team, aside from a brief practice the morning of the event, the team finishing 10th, just 29 seconds behind the leader was admirable.

Guarnier climbed the general classification in the third stage, a 137.6-kilometer road race, as the team executed its plan of setting her and Janel Holcomb (San Diego, Calif./Colavita-Forno d'Asolo) up for the finish. Each of the ladies made the decisive split early in the race, but while Holcomb struggled on the last descent before the final climb, Guarnier was riding phenomenally as a teammate and for the sprint points. Guarnier finished the stage strong, earning the sprint jersey and moved into second overall.

The fourth stage was split into a road race in the morning and an individual time trial in the evening. After finishing with the leaders in the morning and placing second in the evening, Guarnier moved into the overall lead by 13 seconds. She maintained the sprint jersey while also grabbing best foreign rider. Additionally, Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Team TIBCO to the top) was awarded a memorial jersey for Carly Hibberd who was a teammate of hers and passed away over a year ago due to being hit by a car while training.

The fifth stage was a hilly 100.9-kilometer road race. The USA Cycling contingent controlled the pace, allowing Guarnier to open a 36-second lead heading into the final stage after placing third in the fifth stage.

The USA Cycling riders protected Guarnier, allowing her to protect the leaders jersey into the finish line.

Holcomb — 49th
Kristin McGrath (Durango, Colo./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) — 50th
Small — 68th
Tayler Wiles (Murray, Utah/Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) — 80th
Robin Farina (Charlotte, N.C./NOW and Novartis for MS) — DNF

For a complete photo gallery of this event, click here.

U23

Tour of China

A group of U23 riders contested the nine-stage Tour of China. Tanner Putt (Roswell, Ga./Team Type 1) started strong, climbing as high as 10th in the general classfication after finishing fourth in the third stage.

The riders then began to ride for Evan Huffman (Elk Grove, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized), who climbed from 35th after the sixth stage to 21st in the final results.

Charlie Avis (Palo Alto, Calif./Trek Livestrong U23) finished 56th, Chris Stastny (Vacaville, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) was 97th and Eamon Lucas (Pacific Grove, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) finished 110th.

Grand Prix Impanis - Van Petegem

The group of U23 riders that are contesting the U23 men's categories at the Road World Championships competed at the GP Impanis - Van Petegem in Belgium on Sunday. Joe Dombrowski (Marshall, Va./Trek Livestrong U23) was the lone USA Cycling rider to finish the race, finishing with the main group, six seconds behind the winner, Sander Cordeel (BEL), in the final results.

JUNIORS

Local Kermesses

The group of junior road racers used a group of local kermesses to tune up for the UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Alexey Vermeulen (Pinckney, Mich./Prochain) and Mathew Lipscomb (Decatur, Ga./Greenville Spinners Bicycle Club-Hincapie Development Team) raced Saturday in Sint-Denijs on a hilly and wind-swept course. Both riders found themselves in the break after fighting through a windy 85 kilometers. Vermeulen escaped from the lead group in the final kilometers to win solo and Lipscomb followed him in securing a top-10 finish.

On Sunday, Vermeulen, Lipscomb, Paul Lynch (Colchester, Conn./Hot Tubes Development Cycling) and Alex Darville (Santa Barbara, Calif./Echelon Santa Barbara) raced in Vichte on what started out as a sunny, breezy day before a storm blew in as the starting gun went off. Strong winds and rain shredded the field apart, but the USA Cycling contingent emerged at the front of the race and stayed in the main break until the very end. Unfortunately, Darville took a small spill and never made it back to the front. Two local riders narrowly outsprinted Lipscomb, Vermeulen and Lynch, forcing the Americans to place third, fourth and fifth.

COMING UP

Riders representing various groups of USA Cycling's National Development Program are contesting the UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark until Sept. 25.

PHOTOS

Megan Guarnier and Carmen Small proudly display their well-deserved jerseys. (Photo by C.J. Farquharson)

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