Farina’s photo finish victory tops final day of road nationals
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Print The last of more than 200 medals were distributed on Sunday as the junior men 17-18, elite men, Under-23 and elite women tested their meddle in the road race on the Major Matthew P. Burke Burke, M.D. Championship Course on Fort Gordon in Augusta, Ga., on the fifth day of the Juniors, U23, Elite & Para Road National Championships.
Robin Farina edged Andrea Dvorak at the finish line to win the women's elite road race. (Photo by Jonathan Devich)Robin Farina (Charlotte, N.C./NOW and Novartis), Alexey Vermeulen (Pinckney, Mich./Prochain) and Max Korus (Elkins Park, Pa./BikeReg.com-Cannondale) distinguished themselves as the national champions of their respective categories.
As the winners of the elite women’s and junior men’s 17-18 races, Farina and Vermeulen, will receive an automatic nomination to the 2011 squad to represent the United States at the UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, September 21-25.
The marquee event of the day was the women’s elite road race and it came down to a photo finish. In the early stages of the 120-kilometer race, Alison Starnes-Tetrick (Mill Valley, Calif./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) went on an early break with Jennifer Wheeler (Seattle, Wash./Team TIBCO to the Top II) and Kasey Clark (Louisville, Colo./Primal MapMyRider). That trio opened a lead that grew as large as three minutes with three laps remaining. Anna McLoon (Cambridge, Mass./Missing Links Coaching & Training Systems) bridged to the lead group before those four riders were absorbed into the peloton. Late in the last lap, a six-rider break got away creating a sprint to the finish. Farina won the sprint, edging Andrea Dvorak (Crozet, Va./Colavita-Forno d’Asolo) and Amanda Miller (Fort Collins, Colo/HTC Highroad Women), who placed second and third, respectively.
Samantha Schneider (West Allis, Wisc./Team TIBCO to the Top) was the top Under-23 finisher, placing tenth in the women’s elite field.
"I knew I had to be patient,” Farina said. “I knew this was going to be a race of attrition, especially today with it being so hot. So I just wanted to wait and let some early moves go and just follow a couple certain people. It just happened to pan out today."
In the men’s junior 17-18 road race, Vermeulen broke away with Colin Joyce (Pocatello, Idaho/Hot Tubes Development Team) from the pack with 16 of the 96-kilometer race remaining. The race was on between those two riders as Vermeulen beat Joyce to the finish line for his first national title. Gregory Daniel (Englewood, Colo./Chipotle Junior Development Team), who earned the bronze medal, just barely beat Paul Lynch (Colchester, Conn./Hot Tubes Cycling Team) and Ben Bertiger (Altadena, Calif./Major Motion Cycling Club) in a bunch sprint. Lynch and Bertiger placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
"The team was unreal. They were working and chasing stuff down. Apparently, my teammate Andrew Dillman (Fairdale, Ky./Prochain) just chased everything down. It allowed Colin and I to get away. From there, it was up to me."
Korus, who is in just his second year racing, emerged atop a men’s elite field of 219 starters. A breakaway of five riders that started in the second lap gradually grew to a group of nine riders by the fourth lap, building a lead as large as one minute. By the completion of the fifth lap, the peloton caught up to the breakaway. Toward the end of the race’s penultimate lap, a 15-rider breakaway organized off the front, building a 30-second lead.
With two laps remaining in the race, Korus, who was working for Alister Ratcliff (Durango, Colo./BikeReg.com-Cannondale) covered the 15-rider breakaway. The move happened to stick, leaving Korus in a cat and mouse game with Jesse Moore (Sacramento, Calif./California Giant Cycling). Moore made the first move, Korus stuck to his wheel and with 300 meters remaining, slung himself around Moore and drilled it through the finish line.
"I felt good. I felt like there was nothing more I could have done. I'm thankful it turned out to be enough. He's a great rider. I wasn't sure I had enough to come around him."
For complete results from the para-cycling portion of the national championships, click here and for more detailed coverage of the para-cycling portion of the event, visit www.usparalympics.org.
For more information including schedules, rules, course maps and more, visit the Juniors, U23, Elite & Para Road National Championships official event page.
To view a collage of photos from the event check out USA Cycling’s photo gallery and USA Cycling’s YouTube page to view a random selection of videos from the event.
2011 USA Cycling Juniors, U23, Elite & Para Road National Championships
June 22-26
Augusta, Ga.
FULL RESULTS
Elite Women – 120 kilometers
1. Robin Farina (Charlotte, N.C./NOW and Novartis) 3:16:34
2. Andrea Dvorak (Crozet, Va./Colavita-Forno d’Asolo) 3:16:34
3. Amanda Miller (Fort Collins, Colo./HTC Highroad Women) 3:16:34
4. Kathleen Billington (Norwalk, Conn./Team Danbury Audi) 3:16:39
5. Meredith Miller (Fort Collins, Colo./Team TIBCO to the Top) 3:16:41
U23 Women – 120 kilometers
1. Samantha Schneider (West Allis, Wisc./Team TIBCO to the Top) 3:16:55
Elite Men – 168 kilometers
1. Max Korus (Elkins Park, Pa./BikeReg.com-Cannondale) 4:04:08
2. Jesse Moore (Sacramento, Calif./California Giant Cycling) 4:04:08
3. Timothy Rugg (Kensington, Md./Battley Harley Davidson-XO Comm) 4:04:16
4. Greg Krause (Littleton, Colo./Groove Subaru) 4:04:18
5. Austin Roach (Princeton, N.J./Press Forward Cycling) 4:04:24
Junior Men 17-18 – 96 kilometers
1. Alexey Vermeulen (Pinckney, Mich./Prochain) 2:19:20
2. Colin Joyce (Pocatello, Idaho/Hot Tubes Cycling Team) 2:19:20
3. Gregory Daniel (Englewood, Colo./Chipotle Junior Development Team) 2:19:32
4. Paul Lynch (Colchester, Conn./Hot Tubes Cycling Team) 2:19:32
5. Ben Bertiger (Altadena, Calif./Major Motion Cycling Club) 2:19:32
Robin Farina edged Andrea Dvorak at the finish line to win the women's elite road race. (Photo by Jonathan Devich)
As the winners of the elite women’s and junior men’s 17-18 races, Farina and Vermeulen, will receive an automatic nomination to the 2011 squad to represent the United States at the UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, September 21-25.
The marquee event of the day was the women’s elite road race and it came down to a photo finish. In the early stages of the 120-kilometer race, Alison Starnes-Tetrick (Mill Valley, Calif./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) went on an early break with Jennifer Wheeler (Seattle, Wash./Team TIBCO to the Top II) and Kasey Clark (Louisville, Colo./Primal MapMyRider). That trio opened a lead that grew as large as three minutes with three laps remaining. Anna McLoon (Cambridge, Mass./Missing Links Coaching & Training Systems) bridged to the lead group before those four riders were absorbed into the peloton. Late in the last lap, a six-rider break got away creating a sprint to the finish. Farina won the sprint, edging Andrea Dvorak (Crozet, Va./Colavita-Forno d’Asolo) and Amanda Miller (Fort Collins, Colo/HTC Highroad Women), who placed second and third, respectively.
Samantha Schneider (West Allis, Wisc./Team TIBCO to the Top) was the top Under-23 finisher, placing tenth in the women’s elite field.
"I knew I had to be patient,” Farina said. “I knew this was going to be a race of attrition, especially today with it being so hot. So I just wanted to wait and let some early moves go and just follow a couple certain people. It just happened to pan out today."
In the men’s junior 17-18 road race, Vermeulen broke away with Colin Joyce (Pocatello, Idaho/Hot Tubes Development Team) from the pack with 16 of the 96-kilometer race remaining. The race was on between those two riders as Vermeulen beat Joyce to the finish line for his first national title. Gregory Daniel (Englewood, Colo./Chipotle Junior Development Team), who earned the bronze medal, just barely beat Paul Lynch (Colchester, Conn./Hot Tubes Cycling Team) and Ben Bertiger (Altadena, Calif./Major Motion Cycling Club) in a bunch sprint. Lynch and Bertiger placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
"The team was unreal. They were working and chasing stuff down. Apparently, my teammate Andrew Dillman (Fairdale, Ky./Prochain) just chased everything down. It allowed Colin and I to get away. From there, it was up to me."
Korus, who is in just his second year racing, emerged atop a men’s elite field of 219 starters. A breakaway of five riders that started in the second lap gradually grew to a group of nine riders by the fourth lap, building a lead as large as one minute. By the completion of the fifth lap, the peloton caught up to the breakaway. Toward the end of the race’s penultimate lap, a 15-rider breakaway organized off the front, building a 30-second lead.
With two laps remaining in the race, Korus, who was working for Alister Ratcliff (Durango, Colo./BikeReg.com-Cannondale) covered the 15-rider breakaway. The move happened to stick, leaving Korus in a cat and mouse game with Jesse Moore (Sacramento, Calif./California Giant Cycling). Moore made the first move, Korus stuck to his wheel and with 300 meters remaining, slung himself around Moore and drilled it through the finish line.
"I felt good. I felt like there was nothing more I could have done. I'm thankful it turned out to be enough. He's a great rider. I wasn't sure I had enough to come around him."
For complete results from the para-cycling portion of the national championships, click here and for more detailed coverage of the para-cycling portion of the event, visit www.usparalympics.org.
For more information including schedules, rules, course maps and more, visit the Juniors, U23, Elite & Para Road National Championships official event page.
To view a collage of photos from the event check out USA Cycling’s photo gallery and USA Cycling’s YouTube page to view a random selection of videos from the event.
2011 USA Cycling Juniors, U23, Elite & Para Road National Championships
June 22-26
Augusta, Ga.
FULL RESULTS
Elite Women – 120 kilometers
1. Robin Farina (Charlotte, N.C./NOW and Novartis) 3:16:34
2. Andrea Dvorak (Crozet, Va./Colavita-Forno d’Asolo) 3:16:34
3. Amanda Miller (Fort Collins, Colo./HTC Highroad Women) 3:16:34
4. Kathleen Billington (Norwalk, Conn./Team Danbury Audi) 3:16:39
5. Meredith Miller (Fort Collins, Colo./Team TIBCO to the Top) 3:16:41
U23 Women – 120 kilometers
1. Samantha Schneider (West Allis, Wisc./Team TIBCO to the Top) 3:16:55
Elite Men – 168 kilometers
1. Max Korus (Elkins Park, Pa./BikeReg.com-Cannondale) 4:04:08
2. Jesse Moore (Sacramento, Calif./California Giant Cycling) 4:04:08
3. Timothy Rugg (Kensington, Md./Battley Harley Davidson-XO Comm) 4:04:16
4. Greg Krause (Littleton, Colo./Groove Subaru) 4:04:18
5. Austin Roach (Princeton, N.J./Press Forward Cycling) 4:04:24
Junior Men 17-18 – 96 kilometers
1. Alexey Vermeulen (Pinckney, Mich./Prochain) 2:19:20
2. Colin Joyce (Pocatello, Idaho/Hot Tubes Cycling Team) 2:19:20
3. Gregory Daniel (Englewood, Colo./Chipotle Junior Development Team) 2:19:32
4. Paul Lynch (Colchester, Conn./Hot Tubes Cycling Team) 2:19:32
5. Ben Bertiger (Altadena, Calif./Major Motion Cycling Club) 2:19:32
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