Devo Wrap: Juniors shine during tough week for NDP riders

Part of being a rider in the USA Cycling National Development Program is running into and overcoming adversity and unlucky situations. The riders had their fair share, last week. Read on to find out how they overcame it, gained some valuable experience, and recorded a podium appearance.

U23

The Tour de l'Avenir

The group of USA Cycling riders that contested the Tour l'Avenir in France. (Photo by Amaury Sport Organisation/P. Perreve)

The USA Cycling riders battled untimely mechanical issues and costly crashes at the Tour de l'Avenir. The unlucky occurrences played out in the general classification as Joe Dombrowski (Marshall, Va./Trek Livestrong U23) recorded the best result, finishing 38th, 28:42 behind the leader. Larry Warbasse (Traverse City, Mich./BMC Racing) was 47:30 back in 49th place while Ian Boswell (Bend, Ore./Trek Livestrong U23) finished 74th.

Nathan Brown (Covington, Tenn./Trek Livestrong U23) registered the contingent's best result in a stage as he was 12th in the prologue, 29 seconds behind the race leader.

USA Cycling's Tour de l'Avenir roster:

Ian Boswell (Bend, Ore./Trek Livestrong U23)
Nathan Brown (Covington, Tenn./Trek Livestrong U23)
Robert Bush (Louisville, Ky./Chipotle Development Team)
Joe Dombrowski (Marshall, Va./Trek Livestrong U23)
Rob Squire (Sandy, Utah/Chipotle Development Team)
Larry Warbasse (Traverse City, Mich./BMC Racing)

Tour of China

A group of U23 riders are currently contesting the nine-stage Tour of China. After three stages, Tanner Putt (Roswell, Ga./Team Type 1) sits in 10th place, 3:37 behind the race leader. Evan Huffman (Elk Grove, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) is just six seconds behind Putt in 35th place, while Chris Stastny (Vacaville, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) and Charlie Avis (Palo Alto, Calif./Trek Livestrong U23) are eight minutes back in 76th and 79th, respectively. Mike Stone (Monroe, Ga./Hincapie Development) is 28 seconds behind them in 100th. Eamon Lucas (Pacific Grove, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) is in 108th, 20:24 behind the leader.

Putt has recorded the contingent's best single-stage result, placing fourth in the third stage.

A complete wrap-up will be in next week's Development Wrap.

WOMEN

Holland Ladies Tour 2011

The women contesting the 2011 Holland Ladies Tour unfortunately fell victim to a similar fate as the U23 men in France. Several crashes and mechanical issues taught the riders valuable lessons in overcoming such occurrences in the future.

Robin Farina (Charlotte, N.C./NOW and Novartis for MS) registered the contingent's best result in the final results, placing 32nd, 23:45 behind the race winner. Andrea Dvorak (Crozet, Va./Colavita-Forno d'Asolo) was 27:23 behind while Coryn Rivera (Tustin, Calif./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12), who finished 17th in the Best Young Rider Classification, was 33:23 back.

The contingent's best single-stage result came in the second stage, a 20.5-kilometer individual time trial. Farina placed 12th, just 1:17 behind the stage winner.

USA Cycling's roster for the Holland Ladies Tour:

Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Cedar Springs, Mich./Colavita-Forno d'Asolo)
Andrea Dvorak (Crozet, Va./Colavita-Forno d'Asolo)
Robin Farina (Charlotte, N.C./NOW and Novartis for MS)
Kristin McGrath (Durango, Colo./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12)
Coryn Rivera (Tustin, Calif./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12)
Tayler Wiles (Murray, Utah/Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12)

JUNIORS

Rothaus Regio Tour

Alex Darville finished third in the second stage of the Rothaus Regio Tour in Germany. (Photos by Billy Innes)

A group of junior riders contested the Rothaus Regio Tour, a four-day stage race in and around the Freiburg area of Germany from Sept. 8-11. Alexey Vermeulen (Pinckney, Mich./Prochain) registered the contingent's best result, placing 10th overall, but all of the riders finished within 7:36 of the winner.

Vermeulen recorded a strong result in the opening stage, a 9.8-kilometer uphill time trial, as he finished 18th, 1:49 behind France's Pierre-Roger Latour. Colby Wait-Molyneux (Vancouver, Wash./Hammer Nutrition-CMG Racing Team) and Kristo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho/BYRDS) were the next best placed USA Cycling riders, finishing 39th and 40th, respectively.

The entire contingent of junior riders and soigneurs contesting the Rothaus Regio Tour. (Photo by Billy Innes)

Alex Darville (Santa Barbara, Calif./Echelon Santa Barbara) found the podium after winning a field sprint for third place in the second stage. Darville was just two seconds behind the two stage leaders after the rolling 98.5-kilometer course. Paul Lynch (Colchester, Conn./Hot Tubes Development Cycling) placed 18th in the stage.

The 127-kilometer third stage featured many hills and loops. The French contingent tried to control the day's race, but a two-man break escaped from the lead group. Vermeulen, who finished sixth in the stage, was in the lead group to help him move into ninth overall.

The final stage included nearly 1,400 meters of climbing and finished in the town of Mullheim. The Australian contingent chased an extremely dangerous break that contained Stage 1 winner and virtual leader, Latour. The USA Cycling contingent had a myriad of issues that restricted moving Vermeulen into a higher overall place, but lessons were learned and he retained a 10th place finish.

Alex Darville (Santa Barbara, Calif./Echelon Santa Barbara)
Kristo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho/BYRDS)
Mathew Lipscomb (Decatur, Ga./Greenville Spinners Bicycle Club-Hincapie Development Team)
Paul Lynch (Colchester, Conn./Hot Tubes Development Cycling)
Alexey Vermeulen (Pinckney, Mich./Prochain)
Colby Wait-Molyneux (Vancouver, Wash./Hammer Nutrition-CMG Racing Team)

COMING UP

The following group of women will contest the Premondiale Giro Toscana Int. Femminile - Memorial Michela Fanini in Italy from Sept. 13-18:

Robin Farina (Charlotte, N.C./NOW and Novartis for MS)
Megan Guarnier (Mountain View, Calif./Team TIBCO to the Top)
Janel Holcomb (San Diego, Calif./Colavita-Forno d'Asolo)
Kristin McGrath (Durango, Colo./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12)
Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Team TIBCO to the Top)
Tayler Wiles (Murray, Utah/Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12)

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