#ProRoadTour Mid-Season Update: Eisenhart, Winder lead Pro Road Tour

~~The first 11 events of the 19-event PRT calendar have featured stage races, criteriums one-day races and omniums in seven states across the U.S. With the conclusion of the six-stage North Star Grand Prix presented by North Memorial Health in Minneapolis, Minn. June 18, the men’s individual standings remained tight with 23-year-old T.J. Eisenhart (Lehi, Utah) of Holowesko l Citadel presented by Hincapie Sportswear retaining a nine-point lead over Gavin Mannion (Austin, Texas) of UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling.

Wtih 14 podiums early in the season between stage and general classification results, 24-year-old Ruth Winder (Lafayette, Calif.) of UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling extended her lead in the women’s individual standings. She gained another 144 points this past week with three podium finishes at North Star, expanding the lead over her UHC teammate Katherine Hall (Oakland, Calif.) to 328 points.

"USA Cycling's Pro Road Tour includes the premier American cycling events and the North Star Grand Prix p/b North Memorial Health is proud to be the only six-stage race for both men women athletes on this calendar,” said Race Director Brendon Hale, who’s Minnesota event closed the first half of the PRT schedule this summer. “We hosted 11 UCI and National teams and had riders from eight nations. Our fans love to watch these professional athletes compete here, and follow them as they achieve success around the world.”

Eisenhart is in his first year riding for Holowesko-Citadel presented by Hincapie Racing. He got the wheels turning in 2017 with the Joe Martin Stage Race, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. While he didn't score a result, he helped his teammate Robin Carpenter (San Diego, Calif.) to the overall G.C. victory.

The Utah native had a consistent performance with a third overall finish at the five-stage Tour of the Gila. He then triumphed to the overall victory, with two podiums, at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, a staple in American racing for 33 years.

“Honestly, for me the season is going basically perfect. This is what I came to the team for, to be the leader at these G.C. races, and I proved at Gila that I was ready for that. And then at Redlands, again I showed that I could finish it off,” said Eisenhart.

Mannion scored fourth-place G.C. finishes at both the Joe Martin Stage Race and the Tour of the Gila. Junior world time trial champion Brandon McNulty (Phoenix, Ariz.) of Rally Cycling, just 19 years of age, won the opening individual test at the North Star Grand Prix presented by North Memorial Health, and held on to finish second overall at the stage race in Minnesota, propelling himself into third in the PRT standings. Evan Huffman (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) of Rally Cycling and Carpenter, the latter the winner of the tough one-day Winston-Salem Cycling Classic, round out the Top 5 in the PRT standings on the men's side.

On the women's side, Winder has been a dominant force on the domestic scene. She finished on the podium three times at the North Star Grand Prix presented by North Memorial Health, which culminated with third place overall. She captured a bronze medal at the Pro Road Race National Championships in Knoxville, Tenn. in June.

Hall had an impressive Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease Women's Race empowered with SRAM in May, part of the women's WorldTour and PRT. She showcased her talent in her home state with a stage win and second overall, propeling her into second place on the PRT standings and creating an impressive one-two punch for UnitedHealthCare.

Lauren Stephens (Dallas, Texas) of Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank has been consistent all season, and this culminated with her capturing silver medals in the Pro Individual Time Trial and Pro Criterium National Championships. She began the season strongly with second and fifth overall at the Joe Martin Stage Race and Tour of the Gila, respectively. Her wins on the season include a stage of the Redlands Bicycle Classic and the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic. Her consistency has landed her in third place in the PRT standings.

Taylor Wiles (Fairfax, Calif.), in fourth position for the women, gives UnitedHealthCare three riders in the Top 5 of the overall PRT individual standings.

The women's champion of the North Star Grand Prix was 19-year-old Emma White (Delanson, N.Y.) of Rally Cycling, a double silver medalist at the 2015 junior world championships. White had four podiums during the race, including a win on the criterium stage. Her performance in Minneapolis vaulted her into fifth in the PRT standings. She scored U23 national titles in both the individual time trial and road race at U.S. Pro Road Nationals. A week later in Louisville, Ky., she captured second at the U23 Pro Criterium Nationals.

"This season has definitely been a page-turner for me," said White. "Last year was about figuring out the professional peloton, and this year I'm entering races trying to figure out how to win. I'm so fortunate to be apart of Rally and work with the girls on that team."

A woman to watch in the PRT standings is Marlies Mejias Garcia of Cuba riding for Weber Shimano Ladies Power, who sits seventh overall. She won the Clarendon Cup, one of the toughest criterium courses in the country. She used this form to propel to two stage wins at the North Star Grand Prix, including the tough Stillwater stage.

In the team standings, Rally Cycling leads Holowesko-Citadel by 342 points for the men and UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling by 451 points. Cylance Cycling and Axeon Hagens Berman round out the Top 5.

The UnitedHealthcare women's squad has a substantical 780 point lead over the next closest squad, TIbco-Silicon Valley Bank. After solid results at the Saint Francis Tulsa Tough and North Star Grand Prix, Rally Cycling sits in third and Hagens Berman - Spearmint has moved into fourth.  Sho-Air TWENTY20 rounding out the Top 5 on the women's side.

PRT Next Stops
A four-week break in the schedule allowed athletes to compete in multiple national championships across the U.S. The battle for PRT points will return July 15 at the Andersen Banducci Twilight Criterium in Boise, Idaho, and July 19-23 at the Cascade Cycling Classic in Bend, Ore. The calendar of events concludes Sept. 10 for both men and women at the Thompson Criterium of Doylestown in Penn.

Men's Individual Standings
1. T.J. Eisenhart (Holowesko-Citadel)    236 pts
2. Gavin Mannion (UnitedHealthCare)    227 pts
3. Brandon McNulty (Rally Cycling)    208 pts
4. Evan Huffman (Rally Cycling)    200 pts
5. Robin Carpenter (Holowesko-Citadel)   184 pts

Women's Individual Standings
1. Ruth Winder (UnitedHealthCare)    692 pts
2. Katharine Hall (UnitedHealthCare)    364 pts
3. Lauren Stephens (TIBCO-SVB)    330 pts
4. Tayler Wiles (UnitedHealthCare)    275 pts
5. Emma White (Rally Cycling)     241 pts

Men's Team Standings
1. Rally Cycling       1170 pts
2. Holowesko-Citadel      651 pts
3. UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling    532 pts
4. Cylance Cycling      349 pts
5. Axeon Hagens Berman     240 pts

Women's Team Standings
1. UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling    1612 pts
2. Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank    841 pts
3. Rally Cycling       647 pts
4. Hagens Berman - Supermint     394 pts
5. Sho-Air TWENTY20      268 pts