Minneapolis – The Nature Valley Grand Prix will continue its tradition as a leader in bringing innovations to U.S. stage racing by limiting men's teams to six riders in 2012.

Nature Valley Grand Prix Executive Director David LaPorte said the decision was made after consulting with USA Cycling Managing Director of National Events Micah Rice, who says fielding smaller squads offers benefits for both the race and the teams.

“This change will shake things up and make the racing more exciting for the spectators," Rice said. "With their focus on spectator experience, it’s not surprising that the Nature Valley Grand Prix was the first stage race to make this change. Smaller team sizes will also reduce the travel costs for the teams, a factor that played a big role in the development of the 2012 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) and National Criterium Calendar (NCC).”

The Nature Valley Grand Prix was one of the first NRC events to include multiple criteriums in its format and instituted a ban on time trial bikes in 2010. For the past 13 years, the race in Eastern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin and has made it a priority to educate fans and engage spectators.

"The Nature Valley Grand Prix has been a leader in bringing new fans into the sport," Jamis/Sutter Home Director Sebastian Alexandre said. "Reducing the team size will make the racing even more exciting for the fans. For the teams, it will be fun racing, that is for sure. With smaller squads, the teams and riders will have to carefully plan their race strategies and the overall lead could change after every stage. It will be a really big show."

Three-time U.S. national professional road champion Fred Rodriguez of Team Exergy Pro Cycling – a past stage winner at the Giro d'Italia – said reducing the team size gives the younger riders on his team an opportunity to show themselves and possibly get in a winning move.

"From my experience of races that run smaller teams, it creates more opportunities for everyone in the peloton," Rodriguez said. "It's harder for the big teams to take control and more riders have a chance. It also takes the predictability out of the top riders being on the podium. I see the winner being someone who is aggressive and willing to take a chance."

LaPorte said the reduced team size will only apply to men's teams. The women’s race will continue to have a maximum team size of eight.

“Team size has not been a factor in the women's race," LaPorte said. “The last time the overall winner was on a full team of eight was 2006. If we reduced the women’s maximum team size, all we’d be doing is forcing them to leave their development riders at home. One of our goals is to build women’s racing and excluding their future stars would have the opposite effect.”

The 2012 edition of the Nature Valley Grand Prix will take place June 13-17.

Photo: Matthew Moses

By Amber Pierce

A race block can loosely be defined as whatever races and travel occur between when you pack your bag, and when you get home and either unpack and/or re-pack for the next block. Time between race blocks can vary from a single day to a few weeks, depending on the calendar. This most recent block began when I got re-packed at the team house after Muri Fermani… at 2am… and flew the next morning from Venice to Philadelphia.

Philly is a huge race, because a) it’s by far the most prestigious one-day race in America, and b) everything about the race is cool on a grand scale. Philly is just a cool city. It’s got a gritty, all-American-melting-pot aesthetic that charms the pants off you.

Saturday’s race prep went something like this. We ran a Q&A session with fellow Fuji Bikes teams, Geox TMC and Fly-V Australia, for the Cadence Cycling Foundation supported by Fuji Bikes. The kids had some great questions (“How are you going to be able to ride up the [Manayunk] wall so many times?”), and after the Q&A, we all rode out to Manayunk together. These kids were a lot of fun, and their enthusiasm for the sport was the perfect pre-race energizer.

After previewing most of the course, we ate, napped and headed out to dinner in Manayunk with Fuji Bikes, where we got to chat with the people who make the magic behind our bikes. The folks at Fuji are genuinely awesome people, and the party they hosted for us in Philly was just another example of the fun and thoughtful way they do business and support the sport.

Heading back to the hotel, we hitched a ride in the Geox team van and got to catch up with our men’s team. It was good practice for our broken Italian (better than our broken Spanish), but several of the guys spoke English too. The next day in the race, as the men’s and women’s pelotons passed one another going opposite directions on Kelly Drive, we waved to each other in a nice show of camaraderie. That’s another reason to like Philly – the men’s and women’s teams have a chance to show support for one another, as they race the same course on the same day. I hope we’ll have the chance to do it again before the year is out.

Post-race, our team gathered for a full-on American-style backyard barbeque, courtesy of Shelley’s family in Philly. We indulged in handmade burgers and specialty franks, fresh guacamole, salsa and tortilla chips, the likes of which we knew would not be seen again once we returned to Europe.

The following day, we flew to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where we stayed for a week leading into one of my favorite stage races in North America: the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

When my husband (who is from Minnesota) meets other people from Minnesota, he laughingly says, “You must be a good person,” but he’s not really joking. Minnesota really is good people. Our hosts, Maria and Linsey, gave up extra space in their homes for us to eat, sleep and generally invade their lives for two weeks. My in-laws and close friends threw a barbeque in honor of the team and rallied a committed group of supporters to come out and cheer for us everyday. Fellow racer Bjorn Selander (Team Radio Shack) and his dad, Dag, took us on some fantastic training rides across the St. Croix in Wisconsin (and let us use their home in Hudson as a temporary HQ after long training rides). My in-laws even made the drive out to Menomonie to surprise us with homemade muffins after the stage!

We also owe a big debt of gratitude to the folks at The Angry Catfish, a well-curated, hip-as-the-day-is-long “bike+coffee” shop in south Minneapolis. They feature excellent coffee (I recommend the Smoked Sea Salt Mocha), served by talented, friendly and efficient baristas at the front counter, which opens into a sleek, warehouse style shop and café (complete with sofas and hand-made, polished concrete countertops supported by steel road frames).

Aside from earning this shout-out by virtue of the quality of their coffee and service, the folks at Angry Catfish claim a soft spot in my heart for all they did to help us out during our stay. We showed up for coffee on our first day in town, and asked whether anyone could direct us to an easy 2 hour loop. Instead of pulling out a map, the owner, Josh, generously hopped on his own bike to guide us for 2 hours through town in 105 F heat (that’s 40 C!). They then essentially gave us full support for the whole stage race. (And yes, their coffee was a staple pre-race indulgence!)

I’d also like to give a shout to the organizers of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. This race has gets bigger and better every year, and they have always been mindful of supporting the women’s side of the sport with excellent media coverage and huge crowds. To the NVGP crew – thank you. And keep it coming! We love your race!

From Minneapolis, we flew onward to Augusta, GA for the US National Championships, leaving behind Minnesota Nice and stepping into the land of Southern Hospitality--also not just a cliché. Our hosts Hugh and Pam showed us every kindness, as did their friends at Outspoken Bicycles (please check them out if you’re ever in Augusta!). We nearly melted in the heat and humidity, with the exception of the criterium, which ended in a fury of wind, rain, thunder and lightening.

Still using the same luggage I’d packed before Muri Fermani (yes, that’s a month of the same tiny selection of clothes, which still seemed to be more than I actually needed), I then flew from Atlanta to Frankfurt to Venice, where I met up with the rest of our team to get ready for the big one: The Giro Donne.

Amber Pierce - An American expat living in Austria, Amber has made the leap across the Atlantic in pursuit of her dreams on the road. After making a name for herself as one of the top road cyclists in the US, she now faces new challenges in her life on the road in Europe.

Amber's path to full-time racing in Europe has been anything but linear. From high school valedictorian holding national swimming records, to scholarship athlete at Stanford University and researcher on the open ocean, she has found herself in countless adventures all over the globe. With 53 career victories under her belt, however, Amber appears to have found her calling on the bicycle.

Photo: Courtesy Diadora Pasta Zara/Fuji Bikes

By Cynthia Lou, Nature Valley Grand Prix

Stillwater, Minn. – Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno D’Asolo presented by Cooking Light) attacked at the bottom of Chilkoot Hill Sunday to secure her third stage win at this year’s Nature Valley Grand Prix as Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad) held on to win the race overall.

Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12) attacked the penultimate time up the leg-breaking climb that was packed with spectators, hoping to repeat her previous years' success at the Stillwater Criterium. But Neben's HTC-Highroad teammate, Evelyn Stevens, and Bronzini jumped after her. Bronzini's win was the reigning world road race champion's third of the five-day, six-stage race.

“I have no words for Evie (Stevens) – she made the race,” Bronzini said, laughing. “I tried to save my power for the last climb because I came here with all of the best climbers and I’m a sprinter. So I tried only to follow (wheels) and save my best sprint for the final.”

Between attacks from Team TIBCO/To The Top and Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 and the sheer difficulty of the 18 percent average grade on Chilkoot Hill, an elite group of riders quickly separated themselves from the peloton. The decisive breakaway group formed within five laps of the 13-lap race and featured a mix of experienced veterans and promising newcomers. It included Bronzini, Neben with teammates Stevens, Ally Stacher, and Amanda Miller, overall runner-up Erinne Willock (Team TIBCO/To The Top) and teammate Joelle Noumainville, defending champion Armstrong and teammate Kristin McGrath, Anne Samplonius (NOW and Novartis for MS), and Jade Wilcoxson (Nature Valley Grand Prix Pro Ride).

As the teams battled for the general classification, Armstrong and Bronzini were able to sit in the pack and save themselves for the finish.

“I wanted to sit and let Highroad do their work to protect the jersey,” Armstrong said. “I knew two minutes would be too much to gain today so we went for the stage win for the team. I tried my best, I tried to go with two to go but everyone out there was really strong. I just couldn’t get that extra acceleration.”

Neben said it actually was a very easy day for her because her team was so good.

“I didn’t really have to do anything but just watch them," Neben said. "It went according to plan. I’m proud of them, they rode really well this week. I have the yellow, but really, we all won.”

Stevens’ performance earned her the Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider jersey.

“Ally, Amanda and Chloe raced their hearts out,” Stevens said. “Amanda and Chloe took it on the back, then I would take control on the climb. I think it was perfect teamwork – no one could get away. It was really exciting.”

Before the race, Stacher was honored with the "Carla Swart Sportsmanship Award," recognizing the female athlete at the race who sacrificed her own chances for the good of her team. Swart was a South African Olympic hopeful and the most decorated collegiate rider in U.S. history who died when she was hit by a truck during a training ride.

We raced how Carla would have raced," Stevens said. "She was just an amazing woman, and I know Ally was her best friend. I can’t think of someone better than Ally to wear that jersey. The way she rode today, she rode her heart out. It’s just incredible, the whole team.”

Stacher’s performance also won her the Tria Orthopaedic Best Young Rider jersey, and HTC-Highroad won the Team classification.

Riding for the Nature Valley Pro Ride team, Wilcoxson finished with the front group of elite riders to win the Nature Valley Grand Prix Best Amateur.

“I was really nervous to start it, but it turned out to be a really good course for me,” Wilcoxson said. “I kind of shocked myself as well. I was really surprised to hang with the big dogs like that. I just wanted to be able to finish the race today, so, I’m really excited about the results.”

Leah Kirchmann (Colavita Forno D’Asolo) held onto her Sports Beans Queen of the Hill jersey and Wheaties Fuel Sprint Competition jersey.

Results - Stillwater Criterium
1. Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno D’Asolo presented by Cooking Light)
2. Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Highroad)
3. Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12)

General Classification - Final
1. Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad)
2. Erinne Willock (Team TIBCO/To The Top)
3. Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12)
4. Ally Stacher (HTC-Highroad)
5. Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Highroad)
6. Anne Samplonius (NOW And Novartis For MS)
7. Jade Wilcoxson (NVGP Pro Ride)
8. Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita/Forno d'Asolo presented by Cooking Light)
9. Amanda Miller (HTC-Highroad)
10. Leah Kirchmann (Colavita/Forno d'Asolo presented by Cooking Light)

Photos: Matthew Moses

By Lyne Lamoureux, Nature Valley Grand Prix

Stillwater, Minn. – The Stillwater Criterium once again provided thrills and excitement to conclude the Nature Valley Grand Prix as defending champion Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) attacked the penultimate time up Chilkoot Hill Sunday to win the final stage.

With the assistance of his Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth teammates, Jesse Anthony survived all the attacks to finish second on the stage and claim the overall classification. Frank Pipp (BISSELL Pro Cycling) was third on the stage.

“Everyone here sees the crowd and how many people come out to cheer us on, it's an awesome stage and it's fantastic for the city of Stillwater to have such an event, there are not many like this in the country,” Sutherland said.

Anthony, perhaps better known for his cyclocross prowess until now, credited his team for helping him win the first stage race of his career.

“Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth has been working super hard all year," he said. "We've been racing aggressively in every race we've done and we threw it down this week as hard as we could. Everyone went in 110 percent, everyone on the team was committed and it ended up working out for us.”

Only the strong survive the notoriously brutal criterium course that features Chilkoot Hill's 21 percent grade at its steepest point during a two-block climb to the finish line. Riders started falling off the fast pace set by Anthony's green train as it controlled the front, quickly reacting and neutralizing dangerous attacks from Luis Amaran and Tom Zirbel (Jamis/Sutter Home).

With two laps to go, Robert Förster (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) upped the pace on Chilkoot, exploding the dwindling field as the battle for the stage win commenced. Sutherland, Anthony, Amaran and third-on-general classification Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda) all went with the attack. Sutherland attacked the next time up the climb and was able to hold on to enjoy his second consecutive victory at Stillwater.

“Last year was beautiful," Sutherland said. "But this year, being actually able to enjoy the climb on the last time instead of having to sprint up, was nice.”

Anthony battled until the last lap keeping his closest rivals close and then passing them on the final climb to the finish line.

“The crowd here in Stillwater is unbelievable," he said. "It rivals the Mayanunk Wall in Philadelphia. The hill is unexplainable until you really do it, even if you're having the best of days, it hurts so much. I had great legs today and all week, but it was a battle to stay up front and stay with my teammates and follow the wheels at the end."

Halfway through the 20-lap race, Timothy Rugg (Nature Valley Pro Ride) and Jeremy Vennell (BISSELL) got away and built a gap of 25 seconds before being reeled in eight laps later. Rugg was awarded the red Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider for his efforts.

Kyle Wamsley (BISSELL) won the Sports Beans King of the Hills jersey after a tough fight with Logan Hutchings (ELBOWZ Racing) for it the final two stages.

“It makes me that much more happier that I could hold on to the jersey when I have somebody racing me for it,” Wamsley said about his fight for the polka dot jersey.

Förster won the Wheaties FUEL Sprint Competition. Chad Haga (Team Rio Grande) took home the final Nature Valley Top Amateur green jersey while Joseph Schmalz (ELBOWZ Racing) won the white TRIA Orthopaedic Center Best Young Rider jersey. The BISSELL Pro Cycling team won the team classification.

Results - Stillwater Criterium
1. Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team)
2. Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth)
3. Frank Pipp (BISSELL Pro Cycling)

General Classification - Final
1. Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth)
2. Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda)
3. Luis Amaran (Jamis Sutter Home)
4. Andres Corrales (Team Exergy)
5. Frank Pipp (BISSELL Pro Cycling)
6. Freddie Rodriguez (Team Exergy)
7. Andy Jacques-Maynes (BISSELL Pro Cycling)
8. Jamey Driscoll (Jamis Sutter Home)
9. Reid Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth)
10. Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team)

Photo: Matthew Moses

By Lyne Lamoureux, Nature Valley Grand Prix

Menomonie, Wis. — The Menomonie Road Race lived up to expectations Saturday at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. At the end of the more than 100 miles of hard racing in the lush rolling terrain of Wisconsin, the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team's winning streak was stopped at four.

Amidst a shattered peloton that saw fewer than two dozen riders allowed onto the finishing circuit, Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda) attacked his fellow escapees on the last of four laps around the two-mile course to claim the victory.

“I died a thousand deaths, but I ate plenty of Sports Beans in the race and also on the circuits and it all worked," Van Ulden said. "Without my sponsors, none of this would be possible. I'm very happy. This is a dream come true.”

Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth) finished second on the stage and took over the yellow jersey as the general classification experienced a big shakeup.

“We're really, really happy to have the lead in this race especially with OptumHealth, one of our title sponsors here,” Anthony said. “We've been racing aggressively and it's awesome to finally see it pay off. This is a team effort, I wish all my teammates could wear the yellow jersey with me, we all worked for it equally.”

Jay Thomson (BISSELL Pro Cycling) was third on the stage.


After watching UnitedHealthcare win the first four stages – including a podium sweep in St. Paul on Stage 2 – the rest of the peloton was determined to try and wrestle control from the blue train. The course was equally as conducive for it, featuring plenty of twists and turns and four Sports Beans King of the Hills climbs. With an early break already off the front, the Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth squad lined up at the front heading up the the second tough climb and exploded the field.

“We knew today was going to be a decisive day as well as tomorrow," Anthony said. "We just had to race real aggressively and use the strengths that the team has. Today was a good long road race of attrition and we raced as hard as we could. The guys threw down, as hard as they could, we just kept attacking and we didn't give up.”

By the time the attacks ended, only 20 riders remained at the front, including multiple riders from Kelly Benefit Stategies, BISSELL, Jelly Belly, Team Exergy, Jamis/Sutter Home, and only one from UnitedHealthcare – defending champion Rory Sutherland.

The next round of hostilities were opened up as the breakaway approached the four finishing circuits with a gap of five minutes on the field. Seven riders (Van Ulden, Anthony, Thomson, Heath Blackgrove and Logan Hutchings (both of ELBOWZ Racing), Luis Amaran (Jamis/Sutter Home) and Freddie Rodriguez and Andres Diaz (both of Team Exergy) were battling for the stage win and the yellow jersey.

“Coming into the circuits here, I was dying a thousand deaths," Murphy said. "I started cramping and I knew I didn't have the legs to go against the sprinters so I figured my best chance was going to be either keep it together and try not to lose time because I was relatively high up there on GC, or to try to get off the front.”

In addition to the stage win, Van Ulden was also awarded the Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider jersey. His UnitedHealthcare teammate, Robert Förster, kept his lead in the Wheaties FUEL Sprint competition. Chad Haga (Team Rio Grande) retained the green jersey as the Nature Valley Top Amateur and Joseph Schmalz (ELBOWZ Racing) is the new leader in the white TRIA Orthopaedic Center Best Young Rider competition. Kyle Wamsley (BISSELL Pro Cycling) defended his Sports Beans King of the Hills in an early heated battle.

Sunday's Stillwater Criterium is billed as "the most brutal criterium course in North America." Last year, Kelly Benefit Strategies lost the overall in a battle to the wire with UnitedHealthcare. With a similar situation this eyar, Anthony said he is ready to defend his lead.

“It's going to be an amazing race," he said. "That course just explodes the race. It's hard the whole time and hopefully I have the legs. We've been working on this for the whole year. We'll go out there and see what we do.”

Results - Menomonie Road Race
1. Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda)
2. Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth)
3. Jay Thomson (BISSELL Pro Cycling)

Photos: Matthew Moses

By Cynthia Lou, Nature Valley Grand Prix

Menomonie, Wis. — It was a battle of a pair of former world time trial champions Saturday at the Menomonie Road Race as Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad) took over the yellow race leader’s jersey from Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12) at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

Rising star Leah Kirchmann (Colavita Forno D'Asolo presented by Cooking Light) took the stage win and rode aggressively enough to claim three classification jerseys: the Tria Orthopaedic Best Young Rider, Wheaties Fuel Sprint, and Sport Beans Queen of the Hills.

Neben will start Sunday's Stillwater Criterium with a 21-second lead over Erinne Willock (Team TIBCO/To The Top), 38 seconds over third-placed Leah Kirchmann (Colavita/Forno d'Asolo presented by Cooking Light), and 52 seconds over Armstrong, who slid to fourth.

The atmosphere was reverent, but competitive, at the start of the race, as riders lined up with memories of Friday's crash-cancelled stage still top of mind. Rolling out of the neutral start, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 controlled the pace and set out to protect Armstrong’s jersey.

At first, it looked like a repeat of Thursday’s Cannon Falls race was on, with all early attacks being brought back. But within the first 14 miles the decisive break that would change the complexion of the race was launched.

Figuring in the break were: Inga Cilvinatte (Diadora-Pasta Zara-Manhattan), Kirchmann, Megan Guarnier and Samantha Schneider (Team TIBCO/To The Top), Ally Stacher (HTC-Highroad), Anna Barensfeld (Missing Link Coaching Systems presented by Specialized), and Tayler Wiles (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12). The escapees quickly grew their lead to a minute.

“Immediately on the feed zone climb (at Star Hill), we were able to get her (Armstrong) isolated,” Neben said about her team’s strategy. “It was once I was able to get across to the break that I thought we would have a chance. There were enough numbers in the break to ride with me. It came down to the length of the day, and we were motivated at the front to keep going.”

Wiles dropped off the pace at the third Queen of the Hills competition and returned to the peloton to support Armstrong, who was beginning to slip out of the overall lead.

"It was really aggressive today," Willock said. "We had two girls up in the break, and Joelle (Numainville) drove it hard over the top of the third KOH, and it was over the third KOH that I bridged across."

"Before Erinne and Amber were in the break, I was the leader of the group and we all worked pretty evenly to keep it away," Kirchmann said. ”But as soon as they got there, I wasn’t leading the race anymore so I could save my legs for the sprint."

The seven entered the finishing circuits with a 33-second lead that increased to 45 seconds, then stretched to more than a minute, thanks to Neben and teammate Stacher working to extend the lead over the hilly four-mile finishing circuits. Back in the second group, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 was doing the majority of the chasing.

”I knew there was a chance to move up onto the podium on GC, and that was our goal,“ explained Willock. ”Leah didn’t do any work all day, and that’s fine, and that’s the way the game goes.“

Jade Wilcoxon (Nature Valley Grand Prix Pro Ride) retains the Nature Valley Top Amateur jersey, while Willock was awarded the Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider jersey.

Results - Menomonie Road Race
1. Leah Kirchmann (Colavita/Forno d'Asolo presented by Cooking Light)
2. Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad)
3. Erinne Willock (Team TIBCO/To The Top)

Photos: Matthew Moses

Last lap crash cancels stage finish; overall standings remain unchanged

Minneapolis, MN - Despite brilliant racing by Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12, HTC-Highroad, Colavita/Forno d'Asolo presented by Cooking Light and Diadora Pasta Zara, the results of this evening’s stage have no relevance to the overall classification as a late race crash negated both the finish and the intermediate sprints of the fourth stage at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

For the third year in a row, an unforeseen event canceled a stage, resulting in a lot of hard work for absolutely no change to the overall classification.

A crash on the final corner coming into the bell lap took down nearly the entire field including race leader Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12). It was an aggressive move out of the final corner by a rider sweeping across wheels, about 10th wheel back which saw nearly the entire peloton on the pavement and forced the race officials to cancel the stage.

The first 26 laps of the race were action filled with an early break splintering off from the front of the field 7 laps into the 28 lap criterium. Driven by last year’s race winner, Shelley Olds (Diadora Pasta Zara), the 3 person break was soon joined by Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12’s Lauren Tamayo and HTC-Highroad’s Amanda Miller. Miller was the highest placed in GC and worked hard with a motivated Olds to drive the break away from the chase organized by Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12’s behind.

For the next 10 laps, the gap slowly opened as Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 fought hard to minimize the time Olds, Miller, Joelle Numanville (Team TIBCO/To The Top) and Leah Kirchmann (Colavita/Forno d'Asolo presented by Cooking Light) were gaining. For a while the gap remained at 15 seconds with Tamayo sitting on the break. However, as the gap slowly opened past the 20 second mark and Miller (only 1:03 behind Armstrong) won the 5 second time bonus, the call was made for Tamayo to sit up out of the break and assist her Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 teammates in the chase.

Within two laps the break was reabsorbed, and from there the Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 team remained at the front, keeping the speed high to protect race leader Armstrong. As the riders rounded the final corner into the bell lap, a rider about 10 places back made an aggressive move across the field and a touch of wheels saw 39 women hit the deck.

Thankfully, the majority of the riders walked away mostly unscathed. Armstrong was bruised but will be able to start tomorrow’s stage. Others were not so lucky, as many were carried away in ambulances.

"The team did a great job tonight of protecting their jersey, it was unfortunate that this last lap incident marred the positive experience" remarked Armstrong. "Tomorrow is another day, a tough stage but we are ready to race"

In the end, the officials declared the race over; no results would be given, no neutral lap, no restarts. The race will not affect the overall classification making any time bonuses gained today a non-factor entering tomorrow’s 88 mile Menomonie Road Race.

Despite the fact that the race did not have the outcome the teams had hoped for, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 once again proved they are up for the task of defending the Yellow Jersey. Exemplifying personal sacrifice for team goals, Tamayo and her determined Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 teammates have two more very challenging days ahead. However, as the cohesive team unit continues to withstand the attacks on the Yellow Jersey, they take a step closer finishing on the top step of the podium in Stillwater on Sunday.

Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 extends their best wishes and speediest healing thoughts to the riders who were injured.

Minneapolis – Defending champion Shelley Olds (Diadora-Pasta Zara-Manhattan) was knocked out of the Nature Valley Grand Prix Friday night when a huge crash on the penultimate lap forced race officials to stop the Uptown Minneapolis Criterium and eventually nullify the stage.

Race leader Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12) was among the 39 riders who went down in the crash on the finishing straight. Four of them had injuries serious enough to require transport to a local hospital: Olds (rib injuries), Laura Ralston (facial lacerations, possible broken collarbone), Robin Bauer (separated shoulder) and Hillary Billington (extent of injuries unknown). None will start Stage 5.

Teammates gathered around Armstrong after she was helped to the side of the road by a race medic. The yellow jersey wearer cut her elbow and suffered a bruise on her back.

"Kristin’s pretty banged up,” Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 Director Nicola Cranmer said. “She was at the bottom of the pile, so she had a lot of riders on top of her. Her spirits are good, but it was a shock to her system. It's obvious she's uncomfortable."

After the crash, officials and medical personnel tried to clear the road in hopes of allowing for a final sprint. But as the lead motorcycle rounded the final corner, fallen riders were still being attended to and the race was stopped.

”Our initial thought was to restart the race with five to go and try to get the it back up to speed,“ Chief Judge Dot Abbott said. ”But with the injuries we had, it was pretty upsetting for everybody so we decided to cancel the stage and nullify all of the points and the time bonuses, as though today’s race didn’t happen."

Until the crash, Olds had animated the race, being part of a five-rider break, along with Lauren Tamayo (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12), Leah Kirchmann (Colavita Forno D'Asolo presented by Cooking Light), Amanda Miller (HTC-Highroad), and Joelle Numainville (Team TIBCO/To The Top). Wearing the Freewheel Bikes Most Aggressive jersey, Olds captured six sprint points and three seconds in time bonuses.

Cranmer said despite her injuries, Armstrong and her team are up to the challenge of defending the race lead for two more days. First up, a hilly, 81-mile road race that begins and ends in Menomonie.

"I think the team has rallied around her," Cranmer said. "They're pretty fired up about protecting the jersey. Obviously it will be a challenge."

Photo: Matthew Moses

Minneapolis – In front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Uptown Minneapolis Criterium, the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team delivered a second straight stage win for Robert Förster, as well as the team's fourth victory at the Nature Valley Grand Prix and its second win in two years at the Uptown Minneapolis Criterium.

UnitedHealthcare took over the front of the field with two laps to go and capably delivered Förster to the line to increase his overall lead to 18 seconds on his teammate and defending champion Rory Sutherland. The podium result was identical to that of Stage 3: UnitedHealthcare's Jake Keough was second and Ken Hanson (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda) was third.

Förster said despite his team's string of success to this point, the race is far from decided.

"Today is today and tomorrow is tomorrow," he said. "We have a hard 160 kilometers ahead of us. The key is this is a team and the one thing we will continue to do here is work hard for one another. Tonight, the guys worked hard and we just do what we need to do to help each other."

Last year, it was Hilton Clarke who scored the win for UnitedHealthcare in the streets of Uptown. But a separated shoulder suffered in a crash on Stage 3 Thursday knocked him out of the race and reduced UnitedHealthcare to seven riders. It didn't seem to make a difference.

When five riders jumped off the front early in the 40-lap race around a flat, six-corner course, it was the yellow jersey wearer himself who bridged across.

“We wanted to control the race from the beginning.” Förster explained. “For me, it's easier to jump to the group and stay there so the boys in the back have it a bit easier first 10 laps.”

The first five to make the escape – Nick Frey (Jamis/Sutter Home), Andy Jacques-Maynes (BISSELL Pro Cycling), Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly), Reid Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth) and Matt Cooke (Team Exergy) – were joined by Förster, who had Carlos Alzate (Team Exergy) tagging along.

Frey said he knew UnitedHealthcare would give an early break some room.

“The problem was that Förster went with us," he said. "We could have tried counter-attacking him, but he's got such a fast jump, he can just jump right on anything.”

With more riders trying to bridge up, cooperation in the break ceased and the field was back together a few laps later. But not for long. Four different riders (Kyle Wamsley of BISSELL Pro Cycling, Eric Schlidge of Jamis/Sutter Home, Andy Bajadali of Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth and Andres Diaz of Team Exergy) managed to escape the UnitedHealthcare juggernaut. They worked well together, rotating through to try and stay away.

“We were rolling pretty good I think," Sports Beans King Hills jersey wearer Wamsley said. "Bajadali and Diaz were going for the time bonuses. I was saving it for tomorrow, trying to seal up the mountain's jersey because it's good for BISSELL and it's important to the team."

Behind them, the blue train controlled the front of the field, working to keep the gap below 23 seconds. The situation remained the same until UnitedHealthcare upped the already fast pace in the closing laps. Luis Amaran (Jamis/Sutter Home) launched a counter-attack when the four were reeled in at 10 laps to go, but the strung-out field was back together two laps later.

Jelly Belly then took over the front with three laps to go. But a lap later, it was all blue at the head of the field again as UnitedHealthcare set up its 16th win of the season.

“Jelly Belly tried it again with two laps to go, but we have strong riders and the boys know exactly what to do. They are not nervous.” Förster said.

With his back-to-back stage victories, Förster takes over the Wheaties FUEL Sprint Competition. Chad Haga (Team Rio Grande) keeps his green jersey as the Nature Valley Top Amateur and Joey Rosskopf (Team Type 1-Development) remains the TRIA Orthopaedic Center Best Young Rider.

Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptuHhealth) was awarded the red Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider jersey for taking a solo flyer with five laps to go.

Racing continues Saturday with the 101-mile Menomonie Road Race. The brutal course with twists and turns can allow a breakaway to get out of sight and out of mind. There are four Sports Beans King of the Hills lines before four laps of a relatively flat, three-mile finishing circuit make the race complete.

Results - Uptown Minneapolis Criterium
1. Robert Förster (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team)
2. Jake Keough (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team)
3. Ken Hanson (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda)

Photo: Matthew Moses

Stage Three of the Nature Valley Grand Prix sees Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 defend against an onslaught of attacks

Bloomington, MN - Yesterday's 66 mile road race stage started and finished in the quaint town of Cannon Falls. The weather finally cooperated, with blue skies and warm temperatures. The evening race finished with 5 challenging circuits around downtown Cannon Falls, but only after taking the remaining 84 riders up and down through the nearby farming countryside.

With the riders in the overall standings bunched together, all of the 15 teams racing in the Nature Valley Grand Prix were eager to make their play to win the coveted yellow leader's jersey. Attacks started within the first three miles of Stage 3 as powerhouse HTC-Highroad and Diadora Pasta Zara, whose team leader Shelley Olds tried escaping many times up the road, relentlessly attacked the holders of the leader's jersey, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12.

Committed to retaining their Yellow Jersey, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 had an answer for each attack. Purposeful and undaunted, Kristin Armstrong’s charges shut down a number of small groups attempting to breakaway throughout the 55 miles out on the road.

Once the peloton arrived in the final circuits, a group of 33 were left to contest the finish. A well organized Colavita Forno D'Asolo presented by Cooking Light led out of the final corner to set up their top two sprinters, Theresa Cliff-Ryan and Giorgia Bronzini. In the final 100 meters, HTC-Highroad's Chloe Hosking made a hard bid for the line to steal the victory, but World Champion Bronzini was more than equal to the task and snatched her second win of the race over both her teammate and Hosking.

Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12’s diligent work paid off, with Armstrong maintaining Yellow for today's fourth stage, an evening criterium. The team’s strength saw them retain the Team Classification today, illustrating the emerging depth of this developing team.

Stay tuned as the action packed racing continues here in the green, lush and humid mid-west.

Photos: Joe Savola