Devo Wrap: Winder tapped as Most Aggressive at Energiewacht

The road riders in the USA Cycling National Development Program (NDP) added another jersey to the closet last week. USA Cycling's contingents spanned European road races with a women's contingent, a pair of U23 squads and a juniors group donning red, white and blue internationally.

Women's Road

Ruth Winder proudly displaying her Most Aggressive Rider jersey at the end of the Energiewacht Tour. (Photo by Casey Gibson)

Kristin McGrath (Boise, Idaho/Exergy TWENTY16) was the contingent's best-placed rider, finishing 32nd, 13:57 behind the winner Ellen Van Dijk (NED), who recorded a time of 14:28:53 in the final results. Lauren Hall (Dolores, Colo./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) placed 37th, Winder was 60th and Emily Kachorek (Sacramento, Calif./Vanderkitten) finished 95th.

The race started on Wednesday, April 3, under less than ideal circumstances as high winds forced the race to be stopped then restarted several times. The 77-kilometer third stage did not have much activity. A four-rider breakaway lasted about 10 kilometers before being reeled in to the peloton. Winder finished 15th in the field sprint to the finish line.

The fifth stage featured Winder tracking down two different breakaways. Hall was in each of the two moves, but Winder countered them and broke away on her own before a group of seven bridged across to her. This group of eight riders stayed together until the last 10 kilometers of the race when riders launched several attacks. Winder tried to join the attacks, but had to sprint to the finish line and placed sixth.

Jessica Cutler (Seattle, Wash./Vanderkitten) was also part of the contingent.

Check out a photo gallery from the race.

U23
Ronde van Vlaanderen Beloften

Tanner Putt produced the USA Cycling contingent's best result at Ronde van Vlaanderen Beloften. (Photo by Casey Gibson)

Nate Brown (Covington, Tenn./Bontrager Cycling Team), Lawson Craddock (Austin, Texas/Bontrager Cycling Team), Connor O'Leary (Salt Lake City, Utah/Bontrager Cycling Team) and Ryan Eastman (Petaluma, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team) also represented USA Cycling in the race.

A second group of six U23 riders contested a pair of criterium races in Germany. The first race was Saturday in Bramsche and it spanned 35 laps or approximately 70 kilometers with a one-kilometer climb. Eamon Lucas (Pebble Beach, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) produced the contingent's best result placing eighth. Greg Daniel (Englewood, Colo./Bontrager Cycling Team) finished in the first group.

On Sunday, the riders competed in a 35-lap, 80-kilometer criterium in Uedem. The race came down to a field sprint and Alex Darville (Santa Barbara, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team) and Lucas finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Daniel finished 15th. The remaining three USA Cycling riders, Daniel Eaton (Mesa, Ariz./Gateway Harley-Davidson), Justin Mauch (Sterling, Va./Kelly Benefit Strategies-LSV) and Nate Wilson (Elk Grove, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team), finished in the first group.

Check out a photo gallery from the race.

Juniors Road
Justin Oien (Escondido, Calif./MRI Endurance Elite Juniors) recorded a top-10 result at Paris-Roubaix Juniors on Saturday in France. Oien finished in the first chase group, 22 seconds behind the winner, Mads Pedersen (DEN), in the final results.

Jordan Cullen (Hudson, Wis./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team), who finished fourth in last week's Ster van Zuid Limburg, placed 18th, 34 seconds behind Pedersen. Miguel Bryon (Miami, Fla./DCM Cycling Team) finished 20th, just 1:08 behind the winner. Tyler Schwartz (Newport Beach, Calif./VRC-Get Crackin') and Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y./Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team, Inc.) were each eight seconds behind Bryon in 36th and 37th, respectively.

Seth Veenbaas (Chino Hills, Calif./MRI Endurance Elite Juniors) also finished the contest, placing 44th, 3:04 behind Pedersen.

COMING UP

The following group of six women will toe the line at Ronde van Gelderland in the Netherlands on Sunday, April 14:

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)
Kendall Ryan (Ventura, Calif./Team Jeep South Africa)
Ruth Winder (Lafayette, Calif./Vanderkitten)

The group of six U23 men are slated to contest La Côte Picarde in France on April 10:

Nate Brown (Covington, Tenn./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Lawson Craddock (Austin, Texas/Bontrager Cycling Team)
Max Durtschi (Sun Valley, Idaho/Leopard-Trek)
Paul Lynch (Colchester, Conn./BMC Development Team)
Gavin Mannion (Dedham, Mass./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Tanner Putt (Park City, Utah/Bontrager Cycling Team)

On April 13, the following group of six U23 riders will represent USA Cycling in the Netherlands at ZLM Tour:

Greg Daniel (Englewood, Colo./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Alex Darville (Santa Barbara, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Ryan Eastman (Petaluma, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Paul Lynch (Colchester, Conn./BMC Development Team)
Ty Magner (Athens, Ga./BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Development Team)
Connor O'Leary (Salt Lake City, Utah/Bontrager Cycling Team)

On April 13, the following group of five U23 riders will contest Liège - Bastogne - Liège in Belgium on April 13:

Max Durtschi (Sun Valley, Idaho/Leopard-Trek)
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)
Justin Mauch (Sterling, Va./Kelly Benefit Strategies-LSV)

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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