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CSC Invitational kicks off big week of domestic racing
This Sunday’s 11th edition of the CSC Invitational marks the start of a week of international racing along the East Coast.
Many teams will be using the flat 1km course in downtown Arlington, Virginia, as a primer for the upcoming Philly race week (comprised this year of three of the biggest races on the US PRO calendar including the Lehigh Valley (June 3) and Reading (June 5) Classics and culminating in the 24th edition of the Philadelphia International Championship on June 8th.
Defending champion Laura Van Guilder (Cheerwine) will bring a four-rider team to the CSC while reigning USPRO crit champ Tina Pic (the 2006 winner) will have six Colavita teammates at her disposal and Ina Teutenberg (herself twice a winner at Arlington) brings seven Team High Road teammates. Other women’s teams hunting for NRC points in Arlington include ValueAct Capital, Hub Racing, Aaron’s Pro Cycling and Team Advil-Chapstick.
Last year, Rock Racing’s Rahsaan Bahati outsprinted Ivan Stevic (Toyota-United) and an on-form Hilton Clarke (Navigators) to take one of the biggest wins of his career. While Stevic and Clarke will not be contesting this year’s edition, racing instead along with a full Toyota-United squad at the Tulsa Tough stage race, a host of contenders will be gunning for the win.
Kelly Benefit Strategies is sending experienced sprinter Alex Candelario, third in 2006 along with last week’s Kelly Cup winner, 20-year-old Canadian David Veillleux. Fresh off claiming the top two spots at Somerville, Colavita will have a full team to support Sebastian Haedo and Kyle Wamsley.
The European contingent will include a five-rider CSC team composed of younger Danish riders while Slipstream-Chipotle will have 2004 Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt racing in Arlington for the first time. Team High Road brings an international group of classics specialists including Roger Hammond, Greg Henderson and 2002 Roubaix winner Servais Knaven.
CSC Invitational past winners:
Men:
2007: Rahsaan Bahati
2006: Mark McCormack
2005: Ivan Domenguez
Women:
2007: Laura van Guilder
2006: Tina Pic
2005: Laura van Guilder
