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Johnson, Simms take Rad Racing GP
Cannondale's duo defeats Kona's twin towers for the second time in as many days
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Tim Johnson and Jeremy Powers of Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com played the numbers on Kona's Ryan Trebon at Sunday's Rad Racing GP in Tacoma, Washington, with Johnson coming away with the win in a two-up sprint. Wendy Simms (Kona) won the women's race after dropping Sue Butler (Monavie-Cannondale.com) in the final lap.
The cyclocross race followed Saturday's nearby Star Crossed event in which Powers was able to get the better of Trebon after the Kona rider crashed in the last lap.
At Rad Racing, an initial selection of five men went clear — Johnson, Powers, Trebon, Andy Jacques-Maynes (California Giant Strawberry) and Joachim Parbo (Leopard Cycles). Trebon said that once the split was established, "nobody was working," so he gassed it, dropping Jacques-Maynes and Parbo.
Rad Racing features a brutal 80 meter-long run-up section, where Trebon saw Powers was struggling a bit. With four laps to go — and two teammates marking him — Trebon attacked the run-up. Sure enough, Powers came off. But Johnson clung tenaciously to Trebon's wheel.
Behind, Powers dangled a few seconds back for the rest of the race, allowing Johnson to sit on Trebon. Trebon's teammate Barry Wicks was present in the race, but didn't figure into the front end of the action.
Trebon led the last three laps. He kept trying in vain to shake Johnson. In the final sprint, Trebon led it out, and Johnson came around for the win.
After the finish, Johnson said he was a little surprised. "This is the third time in my career I've won a race in a sprint," he said.
For his part, Trebon said his legs just gave out at the end.
In the women's race, Butler and Simms went clear together early, as they had done the night before at Star Crossed. On the steep run-up, Simms gassed it and held her advantage to the line.
Amy Dombroski (Velo Bella) took the sprint for third.
