Small rides to victory at 2012 Classica Citta di Padova

Carmen Small stands atop the podium.

Padova, Italy (March 17, 2012) — Powering her way out of a late breakaway, Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) soloed the final few hundred meters to win the 2012 Classica Citta di Padova on Saturday. Riding for USA Cycling’s National Development Program, Small beat second-place finisher Simona Frapporti (Italy/Be Pink) to the line by three seconds.

After taking part in a short-lived breakaway early on, Small was part of a group of 11 that rode away from the peloton with a few laps remaining in the nine-lap race.

On the final circuit, Small took off from the lead bunch, joined only by Frapporti. Small was able to surge ahead of the Italian in the closing meters to ride alone across the line for the win. Fifteen seconds later, Monia Baccaille (Italy/Mcipollini Giambenini Gauss) led the rest of the breakaway group across the line to take third.

For Small, who is included on the women’s road long team for the 2012 Olympic Games, the victory follows some solid results while racing in the Netherlands last weekend.

The USA Cycling National Development Program squad for the Classica Citta di Padova consisted of:

• Kasey Clark (Lafayette, Colo./Primal-MapMyRide Women's Racing)
• Robin Farina (Charlotte, N.C./NOW and Novartis for MS)
• Ashley James (Dousman, Wisc./NOW and Novartis for MS)
• Alexis Ryan (Ventura, Calif./Team TIBCO II)
• Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)

2012 Classica Citta di Padova

March 17, 2012
Padova, Italy

FULL RESULTS

1. Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) 2:32:55
2. Simona Frapporti (Italy/Be Pink) +0:00:03
3. Monia Baccaille (Italy/Mcipollini Giambenini Gauss) +0:00:15

15. Alexis Ryan (Ventura, Calif./Team TIBCO II) +0:00:15
83. Robin Farina (Charlotte, N.C./NOW and Novartis for MS) +0:00:15
91. Ashley James (Dousman, Wisc./NOW and Novartis for MS) +0:00:15