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RACE REPORTS: TOUR OF UTAH STAGE 1: MANCEBO AND SEVILLA ROCK
Road Bike Action
August 19, 2009
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Sevilla (L) and Mancebo (R) cross the line
(Photo Mitchell Clinton)
Rock Racing teammates Francisco Mancebo and Oscar Sevilla put of an impressive display of power and teamwork in the first stage of the Tour of Utah. Mancebo and Sevilla broke free together on the day's final climb and then rode together the final 25-kilometers to finish first and second on the outskirts of Salt Lake City. At the line the Rock Racing duo had just over 30-seconds on the chasing peloton, which had been reduced to to just 25 riders. The peloton contained over night leader Brent Bookwalter (BMC) who lost the leader's yellow jersey to Mancebo. Canada's David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies) won the field sprint for third place.
The day was marked with several attacks and breakaways, none of which stuck until Aaron Olson (KFAN) got a lead of 25-seconds and took the King of the Mountains points at the top of the first categorized climb up Old Snowbasin road. Olson was caught on the decent before Sam Bewley (Trek-LiveStrong) and Brad White (OUCH p/b Maxxis) broke free and built a lead of close to four minutes. Sensing the danger, BMC when to the front and kept the gap in check.
On the second categorized climb, BMC set a vicious pace blowing apart the peloton. On the front Sevilla attacked with Peter Stetina (Felt-Holowesko) and Darren Lill (Team Type 1) with five kilometers from the top. As Sevilla, Stetina and Lill went over the top their gap over the peloton was only 15-seconds. The small gap caused Stetina and Lill to sit up. At the same time Sevilla's teammate Mancebo was bridging with Moises Aldape (Team Type 1). With Sevilla and Mancebo together they drove the break clear, picking up White on the descent. It was on a small incline 14-kilometers from the finish that the Rock Racing teammates dropped Aldape and White and to rode to victory.
“From the beginning, our plan today was to just to relax and let BMC work hard,” said Rock Racing Assistant Team Director, Chepe Garcia. “On the final climb, Oscar and Paco were feeling great and decided to go for it. We said why not? Why wait for tomorrow if you can do it today?”
Coming off big results at last month’s Bend Memorial Cascade Classic where Sevilla and Mancebo finished 1-2 in the overall, followed by a team mini-camp in Reno, Nevada Mancebo says the team is even stronger than it was in Bend. “We had a great camp after Cascade which has made a big difference. Our mentality coming into Utah was to be better than we’ve ever been and we feel like we are.”
His first time racing at the Tour of Utah, Mancebo likes what he sees “This is an incredible course and very well-suited to both Oscar and I. It’s going to be hard day tomorrow, but we’re ready.”
Tomorrow’s Stage 2, a 124 km stretch from Thanksgiving Point to Mount Nebo features a 20-mile climb to the finish line that rises 4,000 vertical feet to the highest point of the Wasatch Mountains.
Tour of Utah Stage 1, 137km
1. Francisco Mancebo Perez (Rock Racing) 3:25:00
2. Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing) @s.t.
3. David Veilleux (Kelly Benfit Strategies) @.25
4. Victor Hugo Pena (Rock Racing)
5. David Clinger (Cole Sport)
6. Alex Howes (Felt-Holowesko)
7. Alexander Hagman (Ciclismo Racing)
8. Darren Lill (Team Type1)
9. Bjorn Selander )Trek-LIVESTRONG)
10. Moises Aldape (Team Type1)
Overall Classification After Stage 1
1. Francisco Mancebo Perez (Rock Racing) 3:31:07
2. Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing) @.09
3. Brent Bookwalter (BMC) @.30
4. David Zabriskie (Garmin-Slipstream. DZ Nuts) @.32
5. Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell) @.33
6. Jeff Louder (BMC) @.34
7. David Veilleux (Kelly Benfit Strategies) @.36
8. Sam Bewley (Trek-LIVESTRONG) @.39
9. Christopher Baldwin (OUCH p/b Maxxis) @.
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