Philly Flyers, Teutenberg & Goss Lead HTC-Columbia Charge
The Philadelphia International Championship, along with its sister race the Liberty Classic, is undoubtedly America's answer to the great European one-day races, such as La Fleche Wallone or the Giro di Lombardia. From the Benjamin Franklin Parkway's resemblance to the fabled Champs-Elysees to the repeated, leg breaking ascents up the Manayunk Wall and Lemon Hill, Philadelphia provides a venue that riders simultaneously love and dread and one that has cycling fans returning year after year.
The 26th edition of the Philadelphia International Championship and the 16th Liberty Classic were run this past Sunday, June 6th, but the outcomes of each were startlingly similar.
Whether they carry the moniker of Team Highroad, Highroad-Columbia, or HTC-Columbia, Bob Stapleton's San Luis Obispo based cycling team can effectively call Philadelphia its eastern satellite as the team swept the events for a second year in a row. Germany's Ina Yoko Teutenberg laid claim to her second Liberty Classic in as many years, and her fourth overall, while Australia's Matthew Goss, who won a stage in last month's Giro d'Italia, took the men's race.
While Teutenberg has virtually owned the Liberty Classic over the years, she needed a massive effort in the finale to overcome Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12's Shelley Evans, last year's runner-up. In the final straight away, Evans caught everyone off guard and jumped with 300 meters to go. Unfortunately for Evans, that included herself.
Evans would tell Cyclingnews' Kristen Frattini afterward,
"I jumped too early and that’s the bottom line, I needed more patience in the sprint. I had Lauren Tamayo with me all the way to the end. But I followed my instincts and so many times that has happened to me on the road and I haven’t followed my instincts. I am very happy with the way that the team rode. I’m disappointed that I could not deliver for them today but this is an experience that I will learn from. Every time I make these mistakes I become a better rider. I walk away today having learned something.”
The mistimed move gave Teutenberg the opening she needed. The HTC-Columbia rider would overtake Evans before the line, and hold off the late challenge of Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita/Baci presented by Cooking Light), who took second. The game Evans would settle for third.
Results - Liberty Classic (92km)
1. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC-Columbia
2. Shelly Evans (USA) Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty 12
3. Theresa Cliff-Ryan (USA) Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team
4. Brooke Miller (USA) TIBCO - To The Top
5. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Noris Cycling Team
6. Joelle Numainville (Can) Webcor Builders
7. Ruth Corset (Aus) TIBCO - To The Top
8. Carla Swart (RSA) Team Vera Bradley Foundation
9. Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) TIBCO - To The Top
10. Anna Mcloon (USA) Team Kenda
In the men's race, Matthew Goss joined a laundry list of outstanding HTC-Columbia sprinters to take a victory on American soil. A perennial lead-out man who most recently was deployed in the service of Andre Greipel at the Giro d'Italia, Goss would supplant his teammate as champion of the Philadelphia International Championship, which Greipel won last year. Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Doimo), who was the revelation of this year's Amgen Tour of California, continued his display of brilliant form by taking second, while Alexander Kristoff (BMC Racing Team) finished in third.
Results - Philadelphia International Championship (251km)
1. Matthew Goss (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia
2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
3. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) BMC Racing Team
4. Alejandro Alberto Borrajo (Arg) Jamis - Sutter Home
5. Vidal Celis (Spa) Footon-Servetto
6. Guillaume Boivin (Can) Spidertech powered by Planet Energy
7. Martin Gilbert (Can) Spidertech powered by Planet Energy
8. David Vitoria (Swi) Footon-Servetto
9. Javier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Type 1
10. Shawn Milne (USA) Team Type 1
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