USA CYCLING NATIONAL RACING CALENDAR &

NATIONAL TIME TRIAL CALENDAR

August 22, 2011

NRC: Home state criterium win for Cliff-Ryan

After the 2011 Herman Miller USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championship, the women took center stage on USA Cycling's National Racing Calendar (NRC) at the Grand Cycling Classic in Grand Rapids, Mich. A summer storm halted and delayed the men's race, but the women's race happened in its entirety without a hitch. After the results had been tabulated, Colavita-Forno d'Asolo clinched the top spot in the women's team NRC standings.

Women

Theresa Cliff-Ryan celebrated a win in the Grand Cycling Classic in front of friends and family in her home state.
Theresa Cliff-Ryan celebrated a win in the Grand Cycling Classic in front of friends and family in her home state.
After a thrilling criterium at the Grand Cycling Classic, won by Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Cedar Springs, Mich./Colavita-Forno d'Asolo), the women have only four events remaining on their NRC schedule. Despite finishing 21st in Grand Rapids, Janel Holcomb (San Diego, Calif./Colavita-Forno d'Asolo) remains the leader of the women's NRC standings. In fact, the top five of the women's standings are unchanged. Leah Kirchmann (CAN/Colavita-Forno d'Asolo) remains in second place, only 235 points behind Holcomb and just 44 points ahead of third-place rider Erinne Willock (CAN/Team TIBCO to the Top). Amber Neben (Lake Forest, Calif./HTC-Highroad Women) sits in fourth, 35 points ahead of Anne Samplonius (Boulder, Colo./NOW-Novartis MS), who is currently in fifth place.

On Saturday, the women contested a 45-minute criterium race through the streets of downtown Grand Rapids. They turned laps around the damp 1.1-kilometer, six-turn course. Rain temporarily stopped the men's national championship race earlier in the day, but by the time the women hit the three-surface course, the course was largely dry. The course consisted of nearly equal parts blacktop, pavement and bricks. In the final results, Cliff-Ryan, who was racing in her home state of Michigan for the first time in nearly three years, edged Laura van Gilder (Cresco, Pa./Mellow Mushroom) to win the event. Kelly Benjamin (Kansas City, Mo./Colavita-Forno d'Asolo) finished third ahead of Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Team TIBCO to the Top) and Samantha Schneider (West Allis, Wisc./Team TIBCO to the Top).

Colavita-Forno d'Asolo clinched the women's National Racing Calendar team standings.
Colavita-Forno d'Asolo clinched the women's National Racing Calendar team standings.
With Cliff-Ryan's win and a strong performance by the entire team, Colavita-Forno d'Asolo clinched the top spot in the women's team NRC standings. With only four events remaining, Colavita-Forno d'Asolo holds a 1,012-point cushion over Team TIBCO to the Top. HTC-Highroad Women is 1,388 points behind Team TIBCO to the Top in third place. Diadora Pasta Zara remains in fourth place, 125 points ahead of Primal-MapMyRide Women's Racing.

Men

The men's NRC standings remain unchanged after a second consecutive week off. Francisco Mancebo (ESP/Realcyclist.com) leads the standings with only four events remaining. Jacobe Keough (Sandwich, Mass./UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling) is in second place just 130 points behind. Luis Romero Amaran (CUB/Jamis-Sutter Home) is in third wheel, just 46 points behind while Jonathan Cantwell (AUS/Team Fly V) is in fourth place, just 24 points behind Amaran. Frank Pipp (Boulder, Colo./Bissell Pro Cycling) trails Cantwell by 162 points in fifth place.

In the men's team standings, UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling trails the leader, Bissell Professional Cycling, by 176 points. Jamis-Sutter Home is in third place, only 258 points behind UnitedHealthcare. Team Exergy and Realcyclist.com continue to alternate between fourth and fifth places. Team Exergy sits in fourth, holding a 195-point cushion on Realcyclist.com.

NRC standings

 

Men
1. Francisco Mancebo (ESP/Realcyclist.com) — 822
2. Jacobe Keough (Sandwich, Mass./UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling) — 692
3. Luis Romero Amaran (CUB/Jamis-Sutter Home) — 646
4. Jonathan Cantwell (AUS/Team Fly V) — 622
5. Frank Pipp (Boulder, Colo./Bissell Professional Cycling) — 460

Men's Team
1. Bissell Pro Cycling — 2,413
2. UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling — 2,237
3. Jamis-Sutter Home —1,979
4. Team Exergy — 1,338
5. Realcyclist.com — 1,143

Women
1. Janel Holcomb (San Diego, Calif./Colavita-Forno d’Asolo) — 822
2. Leah Kirchmann (CAN/Colavita-Forno d'Asolo) — 587
3. Erinne Willock (CAN/Team TIBCO-To the Top) — 543
4. Amber Neben (Lake Forest, Calif./HTC-Highroad Women) — 536
5. Anne Samplonius (Boulder, Colo./NOW and Novartis for MS) — 501

Women's Team
1. Colavita-Forno d'Asolo — 3,498
2. Team TIBCO-To the Top —2,495
3. HTC-Highroad Women — 1,260
4. Diadora Pasta Zara — 522
5. Primal/MapMyRide Women's Racing — 406
 

For more information on the National Racing Calendar, log on to www.usacycling.org/nrc.

COMING UP

The men return to action as they join the women on the streets of Binghamton, N.Y. for the Chris Thater Memorial, a criterium on Aug. 27-28.

Trio tops National Time Trial Calendar standings

The USA Cycling National Time Trial Calendar (NTTC) in its first year has been hotly contested. There are three men tied atop the men's NTTC standings while Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Team TIBCO to the Top) has a five-point lead over three women tied for second place in the women's NTTC standings.

The next event on the NTTC is the Masters Road National Championships Time Trial in Bend, Ore., on Aug. 31.

NTTC standings

 

Men
1. Nathan Brown (Covington, Tenn./Trek Livestrong U23) — 20
1. LeRoy Popowski (Colorado Springs, Colo./Team juwi solar-First Solar) — 20
1. Brian Williams (Missoula, Mont./Northern Rockies Orthopaedic) — 20
4. Landen Beckner (Helena, Mont./Montana Velo) — 17
4. Lawson Craddock (Austin, Texas/Trek Livestrong U23) — 17
4. Greg Krause (Littleton, Colo./Team juwi solar-First Solar) — 17

Women
1. Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Team TIBCO to the Top) — 25
2. Lindsy Campbell (Missoula, Mont./Northern Rockies Orthopaedic) — 20
2. Kristin McGrath (Durango, Colo./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) —20
2. Evelyn Stevens (Dennis, Mass./HTC Highroad Women) — 20
4. Jeannie Longo (France) — 17
4. Amber Neben (Lake Forest, Calif./HTC Highroad Women) — 17
 

For complete standings, visit the NTTC page of USA Cycling's website.

 

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About the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar
Currently in its 15th season, the National Racing Calendar (NRC) is the premier season-long domestic road cycling series sanctioned and owned by USA Cycling. With an overall ranking system that determines the best individual male and female cyclists, as well as the best teams in the U.S., the NRC features the nation’s top Pro-Am road race events, boasts a total prize purse of more than one million dollars, and is open to both professional and amateur cyclists. For more information on the NRC, visit www.usacycling.org/nrc. Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX, and cyclo-cross.


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This Article Published August 22, 2011 For more information contact: