RACE REPORTS: US PROFESSIONAL CRITERIUM CHAMPIONSHIPS: MURPHY AND PIC CLAIM STARS AND STRIPES

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RACE REPORTS: US PROFESSIONAL CRITERIUM CHAMPIONSHIPS: MURPHY AND PIC CLAIM STARS AND STRIPES
Road Bike Action
August 16, 2009

John Murphy of the OUCH p/b Maxxis team
(Photo: OUCH p/b Maxxis)

John Murphy of the OUCH p/b Maxxis team took the stars and stripes of the US Professional Criterium Championship after scoring a second place finish behind Ben Kersten (Fly V Australia) of Australia. The 100-kilometer race was twice postponed to bad weather. Finally beginning at 4:00 in the afternoon the early pace was set by Luis Amaran (Colavita-Sutter Home) who attacked on the first lap and remained out front until 20 laps to go when Mike Greed (Team Type 1) and Dan Bowman (Kelly Benefits) made the bridge.

The three man breakaway worked together but was caught a short six laps later as the sprinter's teams began winding up the pace. As the laps counted down crashes began to mount, ending the chances of several riders. On the final lap pre-race favorites Karl Menzies (OUCH p/b Maxxis) and Rahsaan Bahati (Rock Racing) both went down in crashes.

In the final run for the line Kersten took a close sprint ahead of Murphy and Tony Cruz (BMC). First year professional Andy Jacgues-Maynes continued his impressive season with an eighth place finish.

Men's US Professional Criterium Championship
1. Ben Kersten (Fly-V Australia) 2:24:29
2. John Murphy (Ouch Presented by Maxxis)
3. Tony Cruz (BMC)
4. Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies)
5. Adam Myerson (Mountain Khakis p/b EPNO)
6. Jacob Rytlewski (Kenda Pro Cyling p/b Spinergy)
7. Alex Candelario (Kelly Benefit Strategies)
8. Andy Jacques-Maynes (BISSELL)
9. David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies)
10. Ken Hanson (Team Type 1)

Tina Pic takes her sixth national criterium title
(Photo: Ken Conley)

Women's Race
Tina Pic (Colavita-Sutter Home) took her sixth and final national criterium title. Pic who is retiring at the end of the month, ended her career in style with one last victory in Downer's Grove. The Colavita-Sutter Home team rode nearly perfect to get Pic to the line in first place. Every time a breakaway threatened, Pic's team chased and assured that the race would end in a sprint finish. This approach was in stark contrast to the Tibco squad who launched rider after rider off the front in the hopes of a solo victory.

Amber Rais was the first Tibco rider to break free. This caused a major reaction from Colavita-Sutter Home and Team Type 1. With the pressure on in the field, Rais was eventually pulled back. With Rais back in the field, Meredith Miller (Tibco) tried a solo move. Miller quickly gained 30-seconds before Pic's Colavita-Sutter Home team took up the chase.

Miller was finally brought back with ten laps to go. With four laps remaining all six Tibco riders hit the front in what appeared to be a lead out for the final sprint. Instead Katharine Carroll (Tibco) launched a solo move with two laps remaining. It was again Pic's Colavita-Sutter Home team that gave chase with Kelly Benjamin closing the gap with half and lap to go. In the final sprint Pic out kicked Miller and Shelley Olds (PROMAN) to take the victory.

Women's US Professional Criterium Championship
1. Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light)
2. Brooke Miller (TIBCO)
3. Shelley Olds (PROMAN)

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