Devo Wrap: Three podium performances top week in Europe

Devo Wrap: Three podium performances top week in Europe

The USA Cycling National Development Program (NDP) experienced the highs and lows of European racing over the past week. The U23 riders registered a trio of podium appearaces while the women succumbed to bad luck in a pair of races.

U23

Ty Magner finished third in Friday's stage of the Arden Challenge. (Photo by Connor O'Leary)

The weekend started with Ty Magner (Athens, Ga./BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Development Team) finishing third in the 130-kilometer stage of the Arden Challenge. The USA Cycling riders covered all of the breakaways, including the final, eight-rider breakaway which decided the top eight spots of the race. Magner and Greg Daniel (Englewood, Colo./Bontrager Cycling Team) put themselves in that move as Daniel placed sixth.

Alex Darville (Santa Barbara, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team) was 14th. Eamon Lucas (Pebble Beach, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) posted a 17th-place result. Daniel Eaton (Mesa, Ariz./Gateway Harley-Davidson) was 35th, Connor O'Leary (Salt Lake City, Utah/Bontrager Cycling Team) was 60th and Stephen Leece (San Luis Obispo, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) finished 71st on the day.

Greg Daniel topped the podium following stage two of the Arden Challenge. (Photo by Jochen Dornbusch)

On Sunday, the group traveled to Germany to contest the 134.7-kilometer Rund um Düren 2013. Darville, who is in his first year as an under-23 rider, finished second after being narrowly edged out by Geert va der Wijst (NED). A 10-rider breakaway, including Eaton and Daniel, got away early in the race and built a lead as large as three minutes on the field. This group stayed away until they were caught with 20 kilometers remaining in the race. The winner would be determined by a field sprint as Darville was beaten by centimeters.

WOMEN
La Fleche Wallone Feminine
On Wednesday, the women's road contingent battled the Mur de Huy at the La Fleche Wallone Feminine in Belgium. The team tried to be active, getting into a break over the fourth climb. Since the breakaway included riders from major teams, the peloton quickly chased it down. As the field ascended the Mur de Huy the first time, it shattered the peloton, leaving many riders to fend for themselves.

The USA Cycling contingent was represented in the front with Kristin McGrath (Boise, Idaho/Exergy TWENTY16) and Lauren Hall (Dolores, Colo./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) finishing 21st and 36th in the final results, respectively. Marianne Vos (NED), who finished second to Evelyn Stevens (Dennis, Mass./Specialized-lululemon) in the 2012 edition of the race, won this year's race with a time of 3:34:32. McGrath was 54 seconds behind Vos while Hall finished 2:13 behind the winner.

Amber Neben (Lake Forest, Calif./Pasta Zara Cogeas), who was riding for her trade team, placed eighth on Wednesday, only 28 seconds behind Vos.

Jessica Cutler (Seattle, Wash./Vanderkitten), Emily Kachorek (Sacramento, Calif./Vanderkitten), Kendall Ryan (Ventura, Calif./Team Jeep South Africa) and Ruth Winder (Lafayette, Calif./Vanderkitten) also contested the race as members of USA Cycling's contingent.

EPZ Omloop van Borsele WE
Over the weekend, the same group of women rode into unfortunate luck at the EPZ Omloop van Borsele WE in the Netherlands. The riders competed on a fairly flat course and coped with strong, northern winds.

The EPZ Omloop van Borsele WE began with an individual time trial on Friday. The Americans produced encouraging results as Kristin McGrath (Boise, Idaho/Exergy TWENTY16) completed the 19.5-kilometer course in 27:24.63, 1:12.75 behind the winner Ellen van Dijk (NED), who finished in 26:11.88. Lauren Hall (Dolores, Colo./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) also performed well on Friday, placing 23rd with a time of 28:42.18.

During Saturday's road race, the tough luck struck the USA Cycling contingent. With the group well represented in the front field, McGrath, Jessica Cutler (Seattle, Wash./Vanderkitten), Kendall Ryan (Ventura, Calif./Team Jeep South Africa) and Ruth Winder (Lafayette, Calif./Vanderkitten) were all stuck behind a large crash.

Lauren Hall (Dolores, Colo./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) registered the contingent's best result, placing 21st in the general classification. Hall was 10:25 behind the winner, Vera Koedooder (NED), who posted a time of 3:05:56. Ryan and Winder each battled back into the race, finishing 46th and 59th, respectively. Both women were 10:31 behind Koedooder. Emily Kachorek (Sacramento, Calif./Vanderkitten) finished 11:03 behind the winner in 71st position.

COMING UP
BMX
From April 21-28, the group of riders below will be at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., participating in the first Junior Development Camp of the year:

Girls:
Destiny Ford (Rio Linda, Calif./Ssquared-AtomLab)
Lexa Jones (Peoria, Ariz./Ssquared-Answer-Troy Lee)
Veronica Laughton (Lancaster, Calif./Block Bike Corps)
Kelsey Van Ogle (Auburn, Wash./Phoenix Bicycles)

Boys:
Bryce Betts (Brentwood, Calif./Phoenix Factory Racing)
Antonio Bonessi (Hendersonville, N.C./Hyper-Rennen-1-9 Wheel)
Ben Bryson (North Fort Myers, Fla./Prana)
Dougie Butcher (Scottsdale, Ariz./Redman-Rockstar)
Matt Chism (Huntington Beach, Calif./Bike Alley-Redline-Rocks)
Walker Finch (Fort Collins, Colo./Factory Haro-Promax)
Lee Gaskin (Angola, N.Y./Green Factory Racing)
Makieva Hopson (North Las Vegas, Nev./Vendetta-Elite Bicycles)
Collin Hudson (Longmont, Colo./Crupi)
Gavin Nelson (Chico, Calif./Dirty 530-Supercross-Tan)
Alden Volle (Penryn, Calif./Dan's Competition)

Alex Darville finished second at the Rund um Düren in Germany on Sunday. (Photo by Jochen Dornbusch)

Greg Daniel (Englewood, Colo./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Alex Darville (Santa Barbara, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Daniel Eaton (Mesa, Ariz./Gateway Harley-Davidson)
Stephen Leece (San Luis Obispo, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized)
Eamon Lucas (Pebble Beach, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized)
Ty Magner (Athens, Ga./BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Development Team)
Connor O'Leary (Salt Lake City, Utah/Bontrager Cycling Team)

Women's Road
The following four American women will compete in the Pan American Continental Championships in Zacatecas, Mexico from May 1-5:

Amber Neben (Lake Forest, Calif./Pasta Zara Cogeas)
Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Specialized-lululemon)
Ally Stacher (Asheville, N.C./Specialized-lululemon)
Tayler Wiles (Murray, Utah/Specialized-lululemon)

Please note all four women will contest the road race on May 4. In addition to the road race, Neben and Small will compete in the time trial on May 2.

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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