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Menzies tops in Tour of Elk Grove
Zirbel, Haedo and Cantwell win stages
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The promoters of the Tour of Elk Grove call it the "richest stage race in the world." And with more than $150,000 on the line for a 7.7km time trial, a 150km road race and a 110km criterium, the dollars-per-kilometer average is quite astronomical.
The elevation gain is less so. The NRC race, run July 31 through August 2 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, shares the mountainous profile of nearby Chicago O'Hare International Airport, which results in a time trial run on a criterium course, a flat-as-a-pancake road race with more turns than your typical criterium, and a criterium for a final stage.
So it was no surprise that after staying within reach on the opening time trial Karl Menzies (OUCH-Maxxis) was able to sprint for precious bonus seconds in the road race on his way to claiming the overall title — as well as a novelty check for $25,000.
Zirbel wins TT
Bissell's strongman Tom Zirbel won the opening time trial Friday evening, but the time gaps were so small as to set the stage for a repeat of Nature Valley, where Zirbel lost the overall in the final moments to Rory Sutherland on time bonuses. Menzies was just four seconds behind Zirbel, with BMC's Brent Bookwalter at just one second. But Zirbel and his team were realistic all along, knowing what the road race course would be like for him, with 27 turns over each 9.5-mile circuit.
"I knew that it was my job and it was my goal," he said about winning the TT. "It went well, though I would have liked a little larger buffer in front of the sprinters like Menzies. But we got the win and we stacked it up pretty good in the top 10.
“For me personally I knew I would have needed a little luck on my side (to keep the overall). You look at that (road race) course on paper, and if they had gotten a brain trust together to develop the worst possible course for me, that would have been it!"
To make matters more complicated for everyone, thunderstorms skirted the area during the road race, dropping just enough water on the tarmac to create that perfect film of water and motor oil. Thus caution seemed to be the order of the day in the beginning with teams not wanting to crash out of the big money. But riders went down regardless, including Jelly Belly's Bernard Van Ulden and Kelly Benefit Strategies' Neil Shirley.
Most riders agreed that the road race course was far too technical, bordering on dangerous at times. But ProTour rider Chris Horner (Astana), who was making his annual appearance at the race, was philosophical about it.
"It's just like a Belgian kermesse!" he laughed. "It's a different style of course — it's what you expect when you come to Elk Grove, flat and technical! What else are you going to do with flat?"
And after breaking his collarbone here last year, Horner would be the one to ask if a course were too technical.
Haedo sprints to road-race victory
In the end the field wanted to sprint together, with Colavita-Sutter Home's Sebastian Haedo adding another impressive win to his 2009 résumé. Meanwhile, Menzies finished second and grabbed enough bonus seconds to vault him over Zirbel by eight seconds.
But there would be no rest for the weary as more time bonuses were available for the final criterium stage. The OUCH-Maxxis team took to the front early on and was immediately tested with a large group rolling off the front. With so many riders within shot of the GC, the team did not take the time to see who was in the break, knowing that the odds were against it being safe.
"It didn't matter who was in the break, it was just too big, so we had to bring it back," said Menzies.
Next Jeff Louder (BMC) and Thomas Soladay (Team Mountain Khakis) attacked, which Menzie said “was perfect for us because it was only two guys and the time bonuses were eaten up."
A line of OUCH-Maxxis riders set the pace with Floyd Landis doing a large share of the point work.
Louder was the best-placed at 18 seconds behind Menzies but with only six seconds available, he was not much of a threat. Moreover, the amount of money for the stage win had all the sprinters salivating, and Menzies could rest assured other teams would help finish off the 30-second gap.
Fly V drives the chase
Fly V Australia was just that team, coming to the front near the half-way point to pitch in and try to do better than the third place they scored in the road race with Jonathan Cantwell and Australian crit champ Bernard Sulzberger.
"Bernie and I have great form coming off Superweek," said Cantwell. "Yesterday I led him out but I ended up getting third and he ran fifth. So (today) I was supposed to go for the win with Bernie leading me out. I had fantastic legs here so today I felt strong for the win."
Though the Kelly Benefits Strategies and Planet Energy teams attempted to control the field in the closing laps, it all went up in the air on the final lap as dollar signs were on the mind.
"No one had a train," said Horner about the final lap. "I thought on the back stretch it was going to stall out so I hit out, but then everyone else started to hit out behind me! Then you get guys hooking you for sixth and seventh, and I think about it being $50 difference, so I just hit the brakes a little."
Added Menzies: "Everyone brought their sprinters to the front, and with the headwind everyone was slowing up so it was mass chaos. I had Pinfold looking out for me and he was perfect — 500 meters, full-gas all the way and perfect lead-out the same as (the road race) but I wasn't fast enough today."
Cantwell closes the deal
The final, curving stretch up to the finish line had Cantwell jumping out of the middle, ahead of Ken Hanson (Team Type 1) and Sebastian Haedo, with last week's Chicago Criterium champion Brad Huff (Jelly Belly) finishing fourth.
"The race was very, very fast and very crazy!" said Haedo. "Everybody was trying to get to the front in the corners and it was very dangerous. My team was working for me and I was sixth into the last corner, and jumped at 200 meters before the line, but Cantwell was very strong today."
Cantwell said his squad took control with 30 laps to go “because it was a dangerous breakaway.”
“Everyone thinks taking control is hard work, and it is, but also I'm able to sit at the back of the train, out of the wind and not have to fight for position. That might have burned a few matches early on, but it paid off in the end,” he said.
A little farther down Menzies and Horner finished safely in 11th and 12th, respectively. However, a five-second split in the field sprint shuffled some other GC places, with Brookwalter jumping over Zirbel on the podium into second — five seconds that resulted in a $6,000 difference.
All in all, the racing improved from last year, which was the first year of the road race. With nearly double the amount of pro riders the racing was much more animated.
"This was the best field they have ever had here," said Horner. “This was full-on, mid-June, Philly Week kind of form with everyone just going hard!"
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