June 6, 2011

Van Gilder assumes second place in NRC standings; Cantwell climbs into fifth

Women

Janel Holcomb (San Diego, Calif./Colavita-Forno d'Asolo) remains the leader of the women's National Racing Calendar (NRC) standings. After placing eighth in the Liberty Classic, Laura van Gilder (Cresco, Pa./Mellow Mushroom) is the new second-place rider, trailing Holcomb by 124 points. Clara Hughes (CAN/Pactimo Cycling) slipped to the third spot, ahead of Amber Neben (Lake Forest, Calif./HTC-Highroad Women) and Mara Abbott (Boulder, Colo./Diadora Pasta Zara).

After claiming three of the top 10 spots at the Liberty Classic, Colavita-Forno d'Asolo added 66 points to its lead over Team TIBCO-To the Top in the women's NRC team standings. HTC-Highroad Women remains in third place, 109 points ahead of Primal/MapMyRider Women's Racing. Diadora Pasta Zara completes the top five women's teams, 56 points out of fourth.

Giorgia Bronzini pulled away from a late bunch sprint to claim the Liberty Classic title. (Photo by Casey B. Gibson, www.cbgphoto.com)

The Liberty Classic in Philadelphia featured an early breakaway, a well-constructed chase by the field and was capped off by a field sprint. In the final results, Giorgia Bronzini (ITA/Colavita-Forno d'Asolo) crossed ahead of Shelley Olds (Gilroy, Calif./Diadora Pasta Zara) and Jennifer Purcel (Austin, Texas/Danbury Audi) for the win.

Lex Albrecht (CAN/Juvederm-Specialized) broke off the front of the field during the first 23.2-kilometer lap and stayed away for three of the four laps. Albrecht's efforts were rewarded with the Queen of the Mountain jersey.

The race started at the Philadelphia Art Museum on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, passed the beautiful Schuylkill River and meandered to the famed Manayunk Wall, an ascent that climbs 800 meters before descending to Strawberry Mansion and Lemon Hill before returning to the finish line at Logan Square.

Men

Robert Forster topped the men's field at Base Camp International in Basking Ridge, N.J. (Photo by Liberty Cycle, Inc.)

The top four of the men's NRC standings are unchanged as Francisco Mancebo (ESP/Realcyclist.com) holds a 278-point lead over Jacobe Keough (Sandwich, Mass./UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling). Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (Watsonville, Calif./Bissell Pro Cycling) is 75 points behind Keough in third place. Michael Northey (NZL/PureBlack Racing) is in third place ahead of Jonathan Cantwell (AUS/Fly V Australia), who climbed from ninth place into fifth in the standings after finishing Base Camp International in fifth.

Bissell added 10 points to its lead over Realcyclist.com atop the men's NRC team standings. UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling trails Realcyclist.com by 68 points, trimming 152 points off its deficit in just one week. PureBlack Racing sits in fourth place, 126 points ahead of Chipotle Development, which rounds out the top five teams.

Robert Forster (GER/UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling) earned his first win in the United States at Base Camp International in Basking Ridge, N.J. Forster emerged from a bunch sprint ahead of Hilton Clarke (AUS/UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling) and Jaan Kirsipuu (EST/Champion System), who finished second and third, respectively, in the final results.

The race spanned 64 kilometers on a 1.7-kilometer circuit with eight corners, several chicanes an a modest climb to the finish line.

NRC standings

COMING UP:

There are two events on USA Cycling's NRC Calendar in the upcoming week. The Tulsa Tough, in Tulsa, Okla., from June 10-12, will count toward the men's standings while the Air Force Cycling Classic in Arlington, Va., on June 11-12 will count toward both, the men's and women's standings. The Air Force Cycling Classic is expected to attract many of the top men's teams.

Inaugural National Time Trial Calendar underway

LeRoy Popowski (Colorado Springs, Colo./Team juwi solar-First Solar) and Kristin McGrath (Durango, Colo./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) lead the open categories of the inaugural men and women's USA Cycling National Time Trial Calendar. The calendar kicked off on Memorial Day weekend with the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Time Trial in Durango, Colo., and continues with the Juniors/U23/Elite Road National Championships Time Trial in Augusta, Ga., on June 23.

Check out the complete standings of the National Time Trial Calendar.

NTTC standings

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