Devo Wrap: Pair of top-10 finishes top week for devo riders

  
  


The women and U23 men of USA Cycling's National Development Program took to the roads of Belgium last week. The women contested the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Grand Prix de Dottignies while the men competed in the Le Triptyque des Monts et Chateaux.

Kristin Armstrong on the podium at the Ronde van Vlaanderen. (Photo by Bart Hazen)
Kristin Armstrong on the podium at the Ronde van Vlaanderen. (Photo by Bart Hazen)

WOMEN

Ronde van Vlaanderen

A group of six women raced the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) for USA Cycling on Sunday, April 1, in Oudenaarde, Belgium. Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho/Team Exergy Twenty12) used a two-woman breakaway to secure second place, finishing just two seconds behind breakaway companion Judith Arndt (GER).

The American women rode a strong race, taking to the front of the peloton at the second cobblestone section and joining several unsuccessful breakaways. As the race hit the cobbled Oude Kwaremont climb around the 100-kilometer mark, Armstrong and Arndt attacked. They were soon pursued by a three-woman group that included Armstrong’s teammate Andrea Dvorak (Crozet, Va./Team Exergy Twenty12), but that chase group was later absorbed by the peloton.

As the two leaders neared the finish, Armstrong tried a solo acceleration, but Arndt matched the surged and powered the final few hundred meters to the finish ahead of Armstrong.

In the final results Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies), Dvorak and Tayler Wiles (Sandy, Utah/Team Exergy Twenty12) each finished 30 seconds behind Arndt, placing 13th, 28th and 30th, respectively. Kristin McGrath (Boise, Idaho/Team Exergy Twenty 12) was 1:52 behind the winner in 43rd place.

Grand Prix de Dottignies

The same group of women contested the Grand Prix de Dottignies in Belgium the next day.

Small registered the squad's best result, placing seventh in the general classification after finishing in the main group with winner Monia Baccaille (ITA).

Dvorak was just 10 seconds behind in 83rd place, while McGrath and Wiles each finished 1:26 behind Baccaille, in 91st and 93rd, respectively.

MEN

A group of seven U23 men contested Le Triptyque des Monts et Chateaux, a four-stage race in Belgium from March 30 to April 1.

After a slow start, the American men made a strong, late charge to place Larry Warbasse (Traverse City, Mich./BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Cycling Team) 32nd overall and ninth in the last stage.

Nate Brown (Covington, Tenn./Bontrager Livestrong Team) and Tanner Putt (Park City, Utah/BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Cycling Team) also rode to top-10 stage finishes. Brown placed ninth in the individual time trial on Saturday morning, followed later that afternoon by Putt's 10th place after finishing with the lead group in the second of two stages that day.

In the final results, Warbasse placed 6:01 behind the winner, Bob Jungels (LUX), while Brown placed 37th, 33 seconds behind Warbasse. Eamon Lucas (Fremont, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) was seven seconds behind Brown in 40th, and Putt finished 6:49 down on Jungels in 42nd place.

COMING UP

The following seven U23 men will contest Ronde van Vlaanderen on April 7 in Belgium:

Nate Brown (Covington, Tenn./Bontrager Livestrong Team)
Rob Bush (Louisville, Ky./Chipotle-First Solar Development Team)
Lawson Craddock (Austin, Texas/Bontrager Livestrong Team)
Ty Magner (Athens, Ga./BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Development Team)
Gavin Mannion (Dedham, Mass./Bontrager Livestrong Team)
Tanner Putt (Park City, Utah/BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Development Team)

The following group of juniors men head to Belgium to compete in the Ster van Zuid-Limburg, April 6-9:

Christopher Calder (Greenville, S.C./Les Amis)
Alex Darville (Santa Barbara, Calif./Hammer Nutrition-CMG Racing Team)
T.J. Eisenhart (Lehi, Utah/Velosport Racing)
Colby Wait-Molyneux (Vancouver, Wash./Hammer Nutrition-CMG Racing Team)
Ian Moore (San Luis Obispo, Calif./Team Swift)
Logan Owen (Bremerton, Wash./Lake Washington Velo)

The following group of women are slated to race in the Energiewacht Tour, a five-stage race in the Netherlands, April 4-8:

Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho/Team Exergy Twenty12)
Andrea Dvorak (Crozet, Va./Team Exergy Twenty12)
Kristin McGrath (Boise, Idaho/Team Exergy Twenty12)
Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)
Tayler Wiles (Sandy, Utah/Exergy Twenty12)

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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This Article Updated April 3, 2012 @ 05:23 PM For more information contact: