- HOT TOPICS:
- The new VeloNews.com (BETA)
It's Haedo again in Arkansas.
Van Gilder takes the womens race while Carroll inches closer to Powers' GC lead.
- Article Extras
- Results
- Race Index
“It was tense from the word go,” said Mike Tamayo, director of OUCH-Maxxis, the team leading the Joe Martin Stage Race heading into Saturday’s 92-mile circuit race.
But despite a breakaway containing many of the top general classification riders staying away late into the race, at the finish it was again Colavita-Sutter Home’s Lucas Sebastian Haedo placing first in a large field sprint ahead of Johnathan Cantwell (Fly V-Successful Living) and Nic Sanderson (Rock Racing).
The breakaway emerged on the first of three trips up a steep climb on the 23-mile circuit. In the move were two Team Type 1 riders, including the leader on the road, Darren Lill, Morgan Schmitt (Team Bissell), Anthony Colby (Colavita), Matt Crane (Jelly Belly), and Dan Boman (Kelly Benefit Strategies).
Riding the front, OUCH-Maxxis allowed the break to gain a maximum of two minutes before a second group emerged on the next trip up the climb. Bridging across were Shawn Milne (Team Type 1), Chris Baldwin (Rock Racing), Luis Amaran (Colavita), and Jeremy Vennell (Team Bissell).
The group of 10 worked efficiently together and put OUCH-Maxxis in a dangerous situation as the gap continued to grow. However, on the long, downhill run toward the finish, Fly-V and Planet Energy threw their weight behind the chase, bringing the break back within the final eight miles and setting the stage for another bunch finish.
“I had to get a bike change with only 10 kilometers to go and had two teammates bring me back up to the front,” said Haedo, who placed second at this stage last year after Bissell’s Ted King made a late, race winning attack. “From there the goal was to be in the best position possible with 500-meters to go so no one could surprise us again.”
“We played good tactics today but unfortunately it didn’t work out. We’ll go on the attack again tomorrow,” said Team Bissell’s Ben Jacques-Mayne, sitting in second place overall, nine seconds behind race leader Rory Sutherland of OUCH-Maxxis.
“Tomorrow’s a crit, so it’s always going to be tough,” Jacques-Maynes said.
Van Gilder wins, Carroll inches closer in GC
After misjudging the finish and narrowly losing stage 3 here three years ago, Laura Van Gilder of Mellow Mushroom timed her sprint perfectly on Saturday to take the win over Team Tibco’s Katharine Carroll and Webcor Builders Gina Grain.
While Team Type 1’s Alison Powers maintained her overall lead, the gap to those behind her is shrinking. By virtue of the 10-second time bonus from her second consecutive podium finish, Carroll moved into third place overall. She now sits nine-seconds back from Powers with Webcor Builders Katheryn Curi Mattis in second place at four seconds back.
The 69-mile circuit race featured only one dangerous breakaway. Chrissy Ruiter of the ValueAct Capital Cycling Team escaped on the first of two 23-mile circuits, featuring the steep Hogeye climb, and gained a maximum of 40 seconds before she was chased down after roughly 8 miles solo.
With a 10-second time bonus for the win threatening Powers' overall lead, Team Type 1 plans to come out aggressively in Sunday’s difficult downtown Fayetteville criterium.
“The bonuses make it exciting because we all have to race our bikes,” said Powers. “I love the crit here. It’s technical and hard, which suits the abilities of my team.”
