6.7.07
AUSTRIAN
DOES THE ONE-TWO TRICK AT COMMERCE BANK
TRIPLE CROWN
Will he be the Triple Crown Winner?
June 7, 2007:
Norristown,
PA…
Bernhard Eisel, Austrian mega star of the
T-Mobile team, pulled off the one-two punch
by winning two races in a row in the
Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling. The
second leg with over 175 riders ran today in
Reading, PA under sunny skies and surrounded
by hundreds of screaming fans on the 75-mile
course. Eisel’s T-Mobile team has now
planted themselves in the driver’s seat for
the Commerce Bank Triple Crown overall prize
after he jumped clear at the bitter end of
the grueling Commerce Bank Reading Classic
race. Teams raced the first round of the
three race series last Sunday in Lancaster
and will finish up on June 10th
in Philadelphia at the Commerce Bank
Philadelphia International Championships.
With three
days to dry out after the wet affair in
Lancaster last weekend, racers were greeted
with dry roads and favorable conditions.
The tough Reading course tested the riders
who climbed steep Mount Penn three times and
surely played an important role in the final
outcome of the event. The first seven of
ten laps, however, did not take the riders
over the climb. However, the rolling 6.7
“short lap” had plenty of twisting, rolling
terrain to test the bunch. Three riders
rolled away early and established a one
minute gap. These riders included Jamier de
Jesus Zapata (Caico) from Columbia, Kasper
Klostergaard (CSC) from Denmark and Canadian
Christian Meier (Symmetrics Cycling Team)
and although they worked smoothly together
their lead was kept in check by the T-Moble,
Toyota United and Health Net p/b Maxxis
teams.
As the racers
rounded the turn for their first ascent of
the Mount Penn climb on the eighth lap, the
three escapees were about to be absorbed by
the hard charging group but showing true
resolve Zapata was just able to stay clear
to the top of the climb and scoop up the
fist of three rounds of points for the Berks
Packing Top Dog Competition awarded to the
best climber on the day. Scores of riders
were shelled on the slopes of the mountain
with the group dwindling to fewer than 70
riders as the riders crossed the line and
headed out on their second to last lap.
The field was
paired down each of the next two trips up
Mount Penn, but no rider was able to
establish a big enough advantage over the
climb to make it stick. As the riders flew
down the mountain that overlooks the
historic city of Reading, teams with enough
horsepower left up front began positioning
their sprinters for the final push to the
line. Recognizing the importance of leading
into the final two high speed corners, Eisel
decided to start his sprint well before the
line. By the time he exited the final
turn, he had his winning margin secured. As
Eisel coasted across the line, waiving his
arms in his own unique victory salute, the
battle for second and third raged. The
impressive Argentinean Alejandro Borrajo
(Rite Aid) was able to get the better of the
Russian veteran Oleg Grishkin (Navigators
Insurance) as both earned well deserved
trips to the podium.
Confirming
Colombia’s place as the country that
consistently produces the best climbers in
the world, The Berks Packing Top Dog
climbing competition was won by the Gregoria
Ladino (Tecos de la University).
Eisel now
leads in the Commerce Bank Triple Crown
overall competition awarded to the most
consistent rider over the three race
series. Second place is currently held by
Sergey Lagutin (Navigators Insurance) and
Alejandro Borrajo is in third.
WOMEN’S PRO
RESULTS
Earlier in the
day the pro women completed 25 miles of a
shorter 1.6 mile downtown Reading criterium
circuit. The strong field of riders
appeared determined to foil another sprint
win by the powerful German Ina-Yoko
Teutenberg and attacks started firing off
the front from the start. Groups of one and
two riders were allowed to gain 5 to 10
seconds but were routinely brought back by
the organized chase from T-Mobile and
Cheerwine. In the end nothing was allowed
to stay away.
As the woman
entered the last lap a field sprint was
inevitable. Ina’s arch rival here in
Pennsylvania is Pocono’s native Laura
VanGilder (Cheerwine) and with her second
place last weekend in Lancaster she seemed
like the likely rider to knock Teutenberg
off the top step of the podium. Around the
final corner however the familiar pink
T-Mobile uniform emerged for the final
sprint to the line and with apparent ease,
Ina-Yoko cruised in for the win once again.
Van Gilder was relegated to third place
after Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Verducci/Breakaway)
surged past in the final meters.
SECOND YEAR
FOR MEN’S ELITE AMATEUR RACE – BIGGER,
BETTER, BROADER
The first race
of the day was the Elite Amateur Men’s event
which was run on the same course as the Pro
Women would race on later. The new format
required each team to have at least one
rider under 23 years of age in an effort to
support the development of youth cycling.
This year’s event boasted 15 teams.
All eyes were
on Jamie Carney (Alliance p/b Bianchi) after
he took the win in last Sunday’s Tom Bamford
Lancaster Classic. Carney also won the
Reading race last year with his powerful
final sprint. After a blistering fast start
the race settled into a pattern of attacks
and counter attacks with no one was able to
stay clear on the difficult winding course.
In the end,
the field started the final lap together and
the sprinter’s teams brought their leaders
to the front. As the racers barreled up the
finishing straight history repeated itself
as Carney punched his way to the line a good
four bike lengths ahead of second place
finisher David Guttenplan (CRCA/Sakonnet
Techno). Third place went to Jason Snow
(Gotham Cyclists).
2007 Commerce Bank Reading Classic
June 7, 2007
RESULTS
Pro Men
Average Speed
of Winner 25.96 MPH 41.77 Km/H
Pl Bib Name Team Time Behind
1 183 EISEL, Bernhard T-Mobile 2:48:54 2:48:54
2 141 BORRAJO, Alejandro A Rite Aid " "
3 4 GRISHKIN, Oleg Navigators Insurance " "
4 6 LAGUTIN, Sergey Navigators Insurance " "
5 55 DIONNE, Charles COLAVITA / SUTTER HO " "
6 155 LEO GRANDE, Kayle Rock Racing " "
7 75 SUTHERLAND, Rory HEALTH NET p/b MAXXI " "
8 213 PARRA, John Freddy Tecos de la Universi " "
9 193 PEDERSEN, Martin* CSC " "
10 224 MANION, Caleb Toyota-United " "
Women
Average Speed
of Winner 23.83 MPH 38.35 Km/H
Pl Bib Name Team Time Behind
1 653 Teutenberg, Ina-yoko T-Mobile 1:02:57 1:02:57
2 615 Cliff-ryan, Theresa Verducci/Breakaway " "
3 657 Van Gilder, Laura CHEERWINE " "
4 610 Caravella, Sarah Aaron Corporate Furn " "
5 663 Yoisten, Laura Webcor Builders " "
6 617 Dekraay, Christina HT Naturals/Bicycle " "
7 633 Lyons, Brenda TEAm Lipton " "
8 607 Bowles, Laura Advil ChapStick " "
9 623 Hutchinson-krupat, S Aaron Corporate Furn " "
10 631 Larson, Rebecca Aaron Corporate Furn " "
Elite Amateur
Men
Average Speed
of Winner 27.01 MPH 43.47 Km/H
Pl Bib Name Team Time Behind
1 410 Carney, James Alliance p/b Bianchi 55:32 55:32
2 304 Guttenplan, David CRCA/Sakonnet Techno " "
3 317 Snow, Jason Gotham Cyclists " "
4 371 Castro, Gerardo Nature's Path Cyclin " "
5 414 Short, Bill Alliance p/b Bianchi " "
6 337 Tom, Soladay Kelly Benefit Strate " "
7 325 Schildge, Eric Human Zoom/Pabst Blu " "
8 345 Mele, Ryan Liberty Cycle " "
9 315 Santiago, Rodney Gotham Cyclists " "
10 313 Larson, Dan Gotham Cyclists " "
