Nature Valley Stage Race Stage 3 – 40 minute criterium
Stage 3 – 40 minute criterium
Teutenberg and Schmatz Rule the Criterium
By James Lockwood
It was suppose to be a 40-minute race through the streets of downtown Minneapolis. Saturn’s Ina Teutenberg turned it into a 40-minute time trial. The German took off from the start of the gun in the inaugural Minneapolis Downtown Classic – a .8-mile circuit race that was the third stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix – and never looked back.
Joined on two separate occasions by only one other rider, she cruised to a 5-second win over T-Mobile’s Stacy Peters, with Saturn’s Laura VanGilder winning the sprint to third. While Teutenberg looked to do all the work, she took little credit for the win. “We wanted to race aggressively,” she said. “We didn’t want to give the seconds.” With many sprint bonuses and primes for bonus time on the general classification, Saturn controlled the race from all aspects of the course to deny any bonuses to Diet Rite’s Tina Mayolo-Pic and TDS Telecom’s Sarah Ullmer, both sitting second and fourth respectively overall.
A sick VanGilder even used all the kick she had to deny Ullmer the third-place bonus time on the finish. “I gave one for the team today,” she said, describing her illness as a cold. Katie Mactier, who wore the leader’s red jersey after Friday morning’s time trial, said the race couldn’t have worked more perfectly for her and the team, but also wondered about the strategy of the other teams.
The race saw few attempts by Mayolo-Pic’s Diet Rite to bridge the gap to Teutenberg, who at times had her break up to 20 seconds and never fell below 10 seconds. TDS made some early attempts but never were able to have a rider hold Teutenberg’s wheel. “There seemed to be a lot of riders racing for themselves this evening,” she said.
Rona-Esker’s Karen Bockel thought it was just Saturn, with some help from T-Mobile, shutting down any attempts. “They were trying to control the race,” said Bockel, who dropped from fourth to fifth in the general classification, 29 seconds down to Mactier. Peters did give credit to her team for allowing her to stay out just less that half the race. She said it was not in her plans at the start. “I did not feel particularly good at the start of the race,” she said. “When I made the jump, it was the first time I had seen the front of the pack all day. “It was just good timing, I guess.” But the kudos came back to Teutenberg. “She was just so awesome,” Peters said.
In the Men’s race it wasDan Schmatz who took the honours in the inaugural Minneapolis Downtown Classic – a 60-minute, .8-mile circuit race that was the third stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix – while Navigator’s Cieran Power smartly took back the red leader’s jersey after placing third in the finish.
It turned out to be all about the bonus times at the finish and in sprints that put Power back into red after losing the jersey in Friday morning’s time trial. “This was a perfect race for me,” said Power, who won the open stage road race on Thursday and took 55 seconds in bonus time on Friday. “Navigators just did their own race and it worked out for me.”
Jelly Belly’s new pro rider Adam Bergman also road his own race, but in the end his results were not so sweet. Wearing the red leader’s jersey after Friday morning’s time trial, he finished in the main pack 37 seconds down to the leaders and 44 seconds down to Power in the G.C., third overall. The results, though, did not seem to worry him too much. “I had no teammates today, so I had to conserve some of my energy for Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “I’m confident I can give it a go. I’ll definitely be a threat.”
Bergman’s strategy was questioned by Saturn’s Mark McCormack, who sat second in the G.C. after the time trial and is fourth currently. “He was glued to my wheel all day,” said McCormack, who was in an early break of 12 for the first half of the race but finished in the pack, as well, 38 seconds down. “You can’t just let the guy who is in third ride away with the bonuses,” he said, referring to Power. “I was kind of surprised he wasn’t willing to stick his neck out more.” For McCormack, his team has so many guns it did not matter if he stuck his neck out or not. Although in fourth place, second overall now belongs to McCormack’s teammate, Viktor Rapinski, who also finished second in the Minneapolis stage. “My teammates did everything we could today,” said Rapinski, who is 32 seconds off the leader’s jersey. “It was difficult to race the time trial and then travel 3 hours to race here this evening. “I think next time, it will be better,” he said with a grin, hoping for something more than second place.
But for this race, the night belonged to Schmatz. The winner of the Athens Twilight Criterium found the race that suited him, and used the power of teammate John Lieswyn to get him to the end. While Saturn used both riders in an initial break of 12 and the chase group to shut down what looked to be a decisive break with 7-Up, Navigators, Schroeder and Jelly Belly, Lieswyn would have none of it and attacked after the peloton regrouped with 20 minutes to go in the race. Both Navigators and 7-Up kept the pace high, building a 38-second lead with 4 laps to go.
Then Lieswyn took off again on the bell lap, and Schmatz said he thought that was it. “I thought that the race was over,” he said. But as they entered the final turn into the finishing straight, Schmatz found a different line than the other riders that allowed him to pedal through the turn rather then just leaning into it, as most were doing. “I came out of the last corner just pedaling,” he said. “I never got out of my 13 [cog].” The win proved sweet for the 7-Up/Maxxis squad, who only has three riders here but animated most of the race in both breaks. “We were just rolling the dice,” he said.
The Nature Valley Grand Prix continues tomorrow in the southern Minnesota city of Winona with a 106-mile road race for the men and an 80 mile road race for the women.
Results
Women
1 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Saturn Cycling Team
2 Stacy Peters (USA) T-Mobile 0.06
3 Laura Vangilder (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 0.12
4 Sarah Ulmer NZl TDS 0.13
5 Nicole Freedman (USA) Basis
6 Andrea Hannos (Can) Rona-Esker
7 Gina Grain (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's
8 Jennifer Eyerman (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing 0.14
9 Tina Mayolo-Pic (USA) Diet Rite
10 Megan Long (USA) Jamba Juice
11 Katrina Grove (USA) T-Mobile
12 Petra Rossner (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger 0.15
13 Erin Carter (Can) TDS
14 Karen Bockel (Ger) Rona-Esker
15 Lara Kroepsca (USA) T-Mobile
16 Melissa Holt NZl Rona-Esker
17 Tania Duff-Miller NZl Diet Rite
18 Kelly Benjamin (USA) ABD Cycle Club
19 Brooke O'connor (USA) Colavita-Bolla Racing 0.16
20 Kori Kelly (USA) Diet Rite
21 Jo Kiesanowski NZl Diet Rite
22 Lyne Bessette (Can) Saturn Cycling Team
23 Catherine Walberg (USA) Jamba Juice
24 Katie Mactier (Aus) Saturn Cycling Team
25 Sarah Tillotson (USA) ABD Cycle Club 0.17
26 Dotsie Cowden (USA) T-Mobile
27 Anne Samplonius (Can) TDS
28 Megan Elliott (USA) Saturn Cycling Team
29 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Equipe Nurnberger
30 Carrie Tuck (USA) Rona-Esker 0.18
31 Jennifer Leonard (USA) Bianchi/Grand Performance
32 Sarah Konrad (USA) Basis
33 Helen Kelly (Aus) TDS
34 Lynn Gaggioli (USA)
35 Lauren Franges (USA) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's
36 Melissa Sandborn (USA) ICO (intermountain Cycling Org 0.19
37 Erinne Willock (Can) Rona-Esker
38 Amy Moore (USA) Saturn Cycling Team
39 Manon Jutras (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 0.21
40 Kate Sherwin (USA) Jamba Juice
41 Shawn Heidgen (USA) TDS
42 Jessica Phillips (USA) Saturn Cycling Team
43 Amanda Lawrence (USA) CCB 0.23
44 Elizabeth Morse (USA) Ford Racing Team/ Orlando Velo 0.24
45 Kristin Johnson (USA) T-Mobile
46 April Henderson Anderson (USA) Helens/Trek/VW
47 Christina Ruiter (USA) T-Mobile
48 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Equipe Nurnberger 0.26
49 Felicia Greer (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing 0.27
50 Cybil Diguistini (Can) Diet Rite
51 Sophie St. Jacques (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 0.28
52 Brooke Ourada (USA) Team Goldy's 0.32
53 Laura Schmidt (USA) Terry Precision 0.35
54 Laura Resor (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing 0.42
55 Lauren Gaffney (USA) Basis 0.46
56 Erika Schwarz (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing 43.46
57 Jennifer Stevens (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing 44.19
58 Kerry Cohen (USA) ABD Cycle Club
59 Crystal Yap (USA) Jamba Juice
60 Becky Broeder (USA) ICO (intermountain Cycling Org) 44.24
61 Rook (USA) Hi Tech Bikes/Harbour Lights 44.27
DNF Anne Meyer (USA) ABD Cycle Club
DNF Allison Dwyer (USA) America's Dairyland
DNF Rachel Eichers (USA) America's Dairyland
DNF Rebecca Loney (USA) America's Dairyland
DNF Megan Monroe (USA) America's Dairyland
DNF Kathleen Jones (USA) ICO (intermountain Cycling Org)
DNF Debbie Dust (USA) Jamba Juice
DNF Laurel Sundberg (USA) MCT/Tonka Cycle
DNF Andrea Mugge (USA) Mercy/Cannondale
DNF Lindsay Wetzel (USA) Mercy/Cannondale
DNF Anne Grabowski (USA) Nature Valley
DNF Kristen Lasasso (Can) Rona-Esker
DNF Elisa Gagnon (USA) Terry Precision
DNF Michelle Beltran (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing
DNF Betsy Bloom (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing
DNF Megan Mcquaid (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing
DNF Cory Page (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing
General classification after stage 3
1 Katie Mactier (Aus) Saturn Cycling Team 2.37.28
2 Tina Mayolo-Pic (USA) Diet Rite 0.09
3 Manon Jutras (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 0.16
4 Sarah Ulmer NZl TDS 0.24
5 Karen Bockel (Ger) Rona-Esker 0.29
6 Dotsie Cowden (USA) T-Mobile 0.50
7 Amy Moore (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 0.56
8 Melissa Holt NZl Rona-Esker 1.03
9 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Equipe Nurnberger 1.20
10 Erinne Willock (Can) Rona-Esker 5.05
11 Jennifer Eyerman (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing 5.14
12 Megan Long (USA) Jamba Juice 5.25
13 Sarah Konrad (USA) Basis
14 Lyne Bessette (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 5.41
15 Stacy Peters (USA) T-Mobile 5.45
16 Katrina Grove (USA) T-Mobile 5.59
17 Anne Samplonius (Can) TDS 6.01
18 Erin Carter (Can) TDS 6.11
19 Andrea Hannos (Can) Rona-Esker 6.15
20 Carrie Tuck (USA) Rona-Esker
21 Laura Vangilder (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 6.17
22 Lynn Gaggioli (USA) 6.21
23 Jessica Phillips (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 6.22
24 Nicole Freedman (USA) Basis 6.35
25 Kori Kelly (USA) Diet Rite 6.43
26 Helen Kelly (Aus) TDS 6.47
27 Megan Elliott (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 6.52
28 Christina Ruiter (USA) T-Mobile 6.54
29 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Saturn Cycling Team 6.57
30 Lara Kroepsca (USA) T-Mobile 7.05
31 Lauren Franges (USA) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 7.10
32 April Henderson Anderson (USA) Helens/Trek/VW 7.11
33 Kristin Johnson (USA) T-Mobile 7.12
34 Brooke Ourada (USA) Team Goldy's
35 Brooke O'connor (USA) Colavita-Bolla Racing 7.13
36 Kate Sherwin (USA) Jamba Juice 7.17
37 Petra Rossner (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger 7.18
38 Jennifer Leonard (USA) Bianchi/Grand Performance 7.20
39 Jo Kiesanowski NZl Diet Rite 7.22
40 Sarah Tillotson (USA) ABD Cycle Club
41 Melissa Sandborn (USA) ICO (intermountain Cycling Org 7.24
42 Laura Schmidt (USA) Terry Precision 7.30
43 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Equipe Nurnberger 7.33
44 Amanda Lawrence (USA) CCB 7.35
45 Catherine Walberg (USA) Jamba Juice 7.37
46 Cybil Diguistini (Can) Diet Rite 7.52
47 Tania Duff-Miller NZl Diet Rite 7.53
48 Felicia Greer (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing 7.55
49 Shawn Heidgen (USA) TDS 7.59
50 Gina Grain (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 8.01
51 Lauren Gaffney (USA) Basis 8.05
52 Kelly Benjamin (USA) ABD Cycle Club 8.07
53 Laura Resor (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing 8.57
54 Elizabeth Morse (USA) Ford Racing Team/ Orlando Velo 9.09
55 Sophie St. Jacques (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 9.16
56 Kerry Cohen (USA) ABD Cycle Club 49.58
57 Erika Schwarz (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing 50.58
58 Becky Broeder (USA) ICO (intermountain Cycling Org) 51.17
59 Jennifer Stevens (USA) VANIQA/Red 5 Racing 51.27
60 Rook (USA) Hi Tech Bikes/Harbour Lights 51.28
61 Crystal Yap (USA) Jamba Juice 52.24
Results:
Sarah 2nd
Erin 18th
Helen 20th
Anne 40th
Shawn 42nd