August 2, 2011

NRC: Standings close after pair of criteriums

Two criteriums on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) tightened the men's and women's standings with only five events remaining on each schedule.

Men

The men's peloton of the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium whizzes past the start-finish line, completing one lap and starting the next. (Photo by Weldon Weaver)

After winning the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium, Jacobe Keough (Sandiwch, Mass./UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling) trimmed 120 points off Francisco Mancebo's (ESP/Realcyclist.com) lead atop the men's NRC standings and now trails by only 179 points. Jonathan Cantwell (AUS/Fly V Australia), who was just three-tenths of a second behind Keough in Charlotte, strengthened his grip on third place, pulling 75 points away from Frank Pipp (Boulder, Colo./Bissell Pro Cycling), who sits in fourth. Alejandro Borrajo (ARG/Jamis-Sutther Home) moved into fifth place, 34 points behind Pipp.

The Presbyterian Hospital Invitation Criterium, a 50-mile, twilight criterium in Charlotte, N.C., was held on a 1.3-mile loop through the city. Eight members of the UnitedHealthcare team worked together for the last seven laps to deliver Keough to the finish line. Heath Blackgrove (NZL/ELBOWZ Racing) led the majority of the race, at times by 15 seconds. By the last five laps, Blackgrove's margin was overcome and UnitedHealthcare rotated the lead before leading Keough out to the finish line. Cantwell narrowly edged Borrajo at the line for second.

The Tour de Nez, held the day after the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium, in Reno, Nev., also featured high level racing. Daniel Ramsey (Los Angeles, Calif./Full Circle Sports) pulled away from the pack with approximately 30 minutes remaining in the race. He navigated the highly technical course through downtown Reno and never relinquished the lead and eventually would win by 41 seconds over Rahsaan Bahati (Los Angeles, Calif./SKLZ p/b Pista Palace), who narrowly edged Jeremy Vinnel (NZL/Bissel Pro Cycling ) for second place.

UnitedHealthcare trimmed 110 points off its deficit to the leader of the men's team NRC standings, Bissell Pro Cycling. After trailing by 366 points last week, UnitedHealthcare now trails by only 256 with five events remaining. Jamis-Sutter Home sits in third place, 373 points ahead of Realcyclist.com, which overtook Team Exergy for fourth place. Team Exergy sits in fifth place, 26 points out of fourth.

Women

Janel Holcomb added to her lead by a strong performance at the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium. (Photo by Weldon Weaver)

The top five of the women's NRC standings are unchanged from last week. In fact, Janel Holcomb (San Diego, Calif./Colavita-Forno d'Asolo) adding 50 points to her lead after placing ninth in the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium is the only change in the top five. Amber Neben (Lake Forest, Calif./HTC-Highroad Women) remains in second place and now trails Holcomb by 170 points with only five events remaining on the women's slate. Erinne Willock (CAN/Team TIBCO to the Top) is 83 points behind Neben and only 36 points ahead of Kristin Armstrong-Savola (Boise, Idaho/Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12). Clara Hughes (CAN/Cycling BC) rounds out the top five only eight points behind Armstrong-Savola.

In Charlotte, a crash before the midpoint of the race forced a restart. As the race continued, Meredith Miller (Fort Collins, Colo./Team TIBCO to the Top) snuck off the front, but the riders from Colavita-Forno d'Asolo quickly absorbed her, allowing Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Cedar Springs, Mich./Colavita-Forno d'Asolo) to win her second consecutive title in Charlotte. Laura van Gilder (Cresco, Pa./Mellow Mushroom), who was just one-tenth of a second behind Cliff-Ryan, was barely ahead of Erica Allar (Tucson, Ariz./RideClean p/b PatentIt.com) and Joelle Numainville (Pescadero, Calif./Team TIBCO to the Top).

At the Tour de Nez, Amber Pierce (Colorado Springs, Colo./Diadora Pasta Zara) broke away approximately midway through the race and wasn't caught. Pierce won the race by 34 seconds ahead of Tiffany Pezzulo (Salt Lake City, Utah/Primal-MapMyRide), who won a bunch sprint of 11 riders for second place. Katerina Nash (Truckee, Calif./Luna Pro) placed third.

In the women's team NRC standings, Colavita-Forno d'Asolo added 25 points to its lead and now holds a 884-point advantage over Team TIBCO to the Top with only five events remaining. HTC-Highroad Women remains in third place, 878 points behind Team TIBCO to the Top. Diadora Pasta Zara is in fourth place, 116 points ahead of the fifth-place Primal-MapMyRide Women's Racing, but 738 points behind HTC-Highroad Women.

NRC standings

COMING UP

The next event in the NRC is the Tour of Elk Grove, a three-day stage race in Elk Grove, Ill., on Aug. 5-7.

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

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