Iron Hill Twilight Criterium and Capital Criterium Throw One-Two USA CRITS Punch
Clayton Barrows, Jackie Simes, and Lauren Ellis winners this past weekend
Athens, GA - From an American main street to America's Main Street, USA CRITS rolled through two cities for a back-to-back weekend of criterium action. Top USA CRITS racers battled it out in West Chester, Pennsylvania and on Pennsylvania Avenue for crucial USA CRITS Series points.
At the Iron Hill Twilight Criterium, Clayton Barrows (AXA/Equitable) and Lauren Ellis (BikeNZ) came out on top, while Jackie Simes of Jamis-Sutter Home presented by Colavita won the Capital Criterium. Team Vera Bradley Foundation's Erica Allar took over the lead in the women's overall previously held by Tiffany Pezzulo (Treads.com/DFT), while Barrow's took the men's lead away from Isaac Howe (Mountain Khakis fueled by Jittery Joe's).
At the Iron Hill Twilight Criterium, small breaks tried to get away in the women's race with none sticking until after the halfway mark, when Ellis took a flyer off the front. Ellis could not be drawn back in and maintained about 30 seconds on the field all the way to the finish. Allar won the field sprint for 2nd place and Sarah Caravella (Team CARD) finished on the podium for a second time at Iron Hill to finish 3rd.
The men's Iron Hill Twilight is notorious for breakaways lapping the field and this year was no exception. A break of 13 rode away from the field and lapped the peloton just after the halfway mark. Included in the breakaway was 2008 Iron Hill winner and 2009 USA CRITS winner Mark Hekman, current overall leader Clayton Barrows, Jamis-Sutter Home teammates Annibal Barrajo and Guido Palma, Bahati Foundation's Bobby Lea, and Kelly Benefit Strategies' Scott Zwizanski.
Another break of ten riders, which included eight of the original breakaway members, took off and was able to stay away to the finish of the race. 2007 and 2008 USA CRITS Overall Champions Frank Travieso (Jamis-Sutter Home presented by Colavita) and Yosvany Falcon (Bahati Foundation) were the two riders who were not in the original breakaway but were able to make the second selection and help their teammates in the final sprint. With one lap to go Jamis and Bahati Foundation set-up a leadout, with Travieso winning the sprint to the line, but it was Barrows who won the race. Hekman got caught in a crash in the last turn but was able to hold off the charging peloton for an eighth place finish.
"I love West Chester. I love this crowd. And you gotta love a race who's title sponsor is a beer brewery," said an ecstatic Barrows after the race. Barrows completed his podium climb with a second, third, and first place finish over the last three races. Lea came in second and Palma rounded out the top three.
Iron Hill Twilight Criterium Women's Results
1. Lauren Ellis (BikeNZ)
2. Erica Allar (Team Vera Bradley Foundation)
3. Sarah Caravella (Team CARD)
Women's USA CRITS Overall Leaders presented by Champion System
1. Erica Allar (Team Vera Bradley Foundation)
2. Tiffany Pezzulo (Treads.com/DFT)
3. Kacey Manderfield (Cycle Loft)
Women's Maxxis Best Young Rider presented by Cyclingnews.com
Kacey Manderfield (Cycle Loft)
Women's Sportsbase Online Lap Leader presented by VeloNews
Lauren Ellis (BikeNZ)
Iron Hill Twilight Criterium Men's Results
1. Clayton Barrows (AXA/Equitable)
2. Bobby Lea (Bahati Foundation)
3. Guido Palma (Jamis-Sutter Home p/b Colavita)
The Capital Criterium brought the traveling circus that is USA CRITS to the most famous street in the country. With the Capitol serving as an impressive backdrop and temperatures swelling to 100 degrees, this was going to be a hotly-contested race. A small break was established after the mid-race prime but was caught with only 5 or 6 laps to go but not before Lea and Simes launched themselves out of that breakaway to never be seen again by the field.
The two lone riders were able to stay away and sprint to the finish mano y mano. Lea would have to settle for second for the second time in two days as it was Simes who took the win and appropriately placed the first-family of American cycling on the podium 75 years after his grandfather, Jackie Simes, Jr. won the National Capital Open.
Travieso won the field sprint, beating out friend and former teammate Falcon. Jamis-Sutter Home ended up placing three riders in the top five. Chad Andrews, voice of the USA CRITS, asked Travieso if he was disappointed with his result. "Are you kidding? We won the race, and I placed third," said Travieso. "It was a perfect day." Current USA CRITS Overall Leader Barrows finished 16th on the day.
Capital Criterium Men's Results
1. Jackie Simes (Jamis-Sutter Home p/b Colavita)
2. Bobby Lea (Bahati Foundation)
3. Frank Travieso (Jamis-Sutter Home p/b Colavita)
Standings after 5 events:
Men's USA CRITS Overall Leaders presented by Champion System
1. Clayton Barrows (AXA/Equitable)
2. Isaac Howe (Mountain Khakis fueled by Jittery Joe's)
3. Neil Bezdek (Mountain Khakis fueled by Jittery Joe's)
Men's Maxxis Best Young Rider presented by Cyclingnews.com
Isaac Howe (Mountain Khakis fueled by Jittery Joe's)
Men's Sportsbase Online Lap Leader presented by VeloNews
Hilton Clarke (UnitedHealthcare presented by Maxxis)
Next up:
Wells Fargo Twilight Criterium (Men's points-earning event only)
July 17, 2010
Boise, ID
Presbyterian Hospital Invitational (Men and Women)
August 7, 2010
Charlotte, NC
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