WN Fast Freddie Rodriguez (Team Exergy) on the podium!

Philadelphia International Cycling Challenge

The only returning champion at the 2012 Philly Challenge, Freddie Rodriguez entered this American classic as one of the hot favorites. The 3 time US champion is enjoying his best form in recent years, and his experience on the streets of Philadelphia marked him as a man to watch.

The distance was shortened from previous editions, and for the first time in its existence the race would not cover a full 250km. Although 200km would seem like plenty of time to accomplish objectives, the truncated event caused uncertainty amongst the sprinter squads. The result was a fast and aggressive start in which all teams looked to be in the day's breakaway.

At the end of lap 2 a group of 45 riders forged a 1 minute advantage. The strong selection seemed certain to succeed, but it never displayed the cohesion necessary to completely ride away from the main peloton.

After 130km a break of 5 riders earned some real space. Among them were Andres Diaz, Tomas Rabou of CompetitiveCyclist.com, and Clinton Avory of Champion Systems, the winner of last Thursday's Base Camp Invitational.

The last 2 trips up the famed Manayunk Wall trimmed the group to these 3 men, and with the help of a short-lived thunderstorm, the trio enjoyed a 2min advantage with 25km to go.

The tenuous lead gave hope, but each lap of the short finishing circuits saw the charging peloton gain time. With one lap to go and the lead down to 20sec, Diaz attacked his companions and made a bid for solo victory. Alas, the peloton played it perfectly and for the second straight year our man was caught with 2km to go.

The hard chase decimated the field, leaving Freddie, Logan Loader and Carlos Alzate an opportunity to take the day. The threesome fought their way into position and Freddie nearly took the day, slicing through the center of the sprint to finish 3rd behind Alexander Serebryakov and Aldo Ilesic of Team Type 1.

Fred Rodriguez (Team Exergy), the Philadelphia race's 2001 champion and only former winner to start today, finished in third place in the sprint finale to round out the podium.

Nice job by the 2001 champ. To think that he is in the mix at 38 years young!

Congrats Freddie!

USA Crits in Chicago. Boise's Liza Rachetto steps up takes 2nd!

Gorry nabs first USA Crits win in Chicago

By:

Ted Burns

Published:

June 2, 17:21,

Updated:

June 2, 18:16

Devon Gorry, (NOW and Novartis for MS) , rode away early from the field on the narrow twisty streets of Chicago's North Shore to win ahead of her break companions Liza Rachetto (Primal/MapMyRide Women's Racing), and Kaitlin Antonneau (Exergy 2012), at the inaugural Lake Bluff Criterium. US Crit Series leader Erica Allar (Patentit.com) led the field in 30 seconds later to take the field sprint for fourth. The race marked Gorry's first USA Crit series win, and kicked off a big week for the former Chicago resident, who is graduating from a Ph. D program at the University of Chicago next week.

Rachetto, Antonneau drive breakaway but come up just shy.

The tight, technical, six corner course enabled NOW and Novartis for MS, Primal/MapmyRide, and Patentit.com to control the race early on. "We wanted to go from the start, and make it a hard race," said Gorry. "The course is really narrow, so it's a good course for breaks to go, and we wanted to be up front because it just gets strung out."

Gorry and Rachetto found themselves up the road 12 laps into the race and were soon joined by Antonneau, the U23 Cyclocross Champion, who is preparing for the criterium rich Nature Valley Grand Prix. "We saw the break up the road," said Antonneau "Cari Higgins is here with us, she's a good sprinter, so I just figured I'd try to bridge up the break and if we got caught she'd be there for us."

"For a long time we just had 10 seconds, 10 seconds, 10 seconds, I thought it was going to come back because it went off early," said Gorry "All of a sudden at 5 laps to go we were at 20 seconds, then 30 seconds, and it was going to stick."

Back in the pack, veteran Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom Racing) did what she could to motivate the chase but failed to find any takers. "I wasn't going to be complacent and let the break get up the road, so I tried to get across but I was pretty heavily marked," said Van Gilder "I thought if we could bring it close enough it would animate some things which would bring it back, and reshuffle."

Going into the final laps Rachetto, who is fresh off the Exergy Tour, knew she had some speed left, but wasn't sure if it would be enough to defeat Gorry who had been preserving herself more since the break started. "I know Devon was soft pedaling a little more than Katie and I," said Rachetto "I knew it was going to be hard in the sprint, and I just tried to stay on her wheel and come around her, but she had too much speed."

With two laps to go, and their lead up to 30 seconds, Kaitlin Antonneau sprinted past Rachetto and Gorry to win a late race prime. The tactical error would cost Antonneau as neither Rachetto nor Gorry would take the lead from her until the final corner when both racers easily put a few meters on the young rider.

"We came into the last corner really slow, I knew Liza had a good sprint, and I'm not the quickest sprint, so I knew I had to go long, because I have a longer effort in me," said Gorry after her hometown win, "So I just went through the corner and worked really hard to hold it."

Despite her fifth place finish Van Gilder was impressed with the first year event. "The crowds are fantastic, what a great cycling community." said Van Gilder, "I look forward to Lake Bluff being on the calendar again."

Full Results

		Result
1	Devon Gorry (NOW and Novartis for MS)	0:43:12
2	Liza Rachetto (Primal/MapMyRide Womens Racing)
3	Kaitlin Antonneau (Exergy Twenty12)
4	Erica Allar (RideClean/PatentIt.com)	0:00:19
5	Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom Racing)
6	Christina Gokey-Smith (NOW and Novartis for MS)
7	Nichole Wangsgard (Primal/MapMyRide Womens Racing)
8	Alexis Ryan (Team TIBCO II)
9	Sarah Fader (Pepper Palace/Spin-Tech Trainin)
10	Cari Higgins (Exergy Twenty12)

Amanda Carey returns to take the (NUE) Mohican 100.

It sure is great to see a race like the Mohican 100 (NUE) step up and provide equal pay for the gals. Travel and costs needs to be covered!

Amanda Carey takes the WN at the NUE Mohican 100.

There seems to be a move towards better pay for the women pros (e.g. Exergy Tour). Let's just hope this trend holds the course! Let it be clear, both men & women need more prize money to stay in the hunt!

When a pro, meaning they are attempting to make a living has to pay out more to attend a race than the first place prize is just wrong. Thank goodness there is a little light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps cycling sports will grow?

We still have a long ways to go, the races are stepping up, but the cycling industry should step up and start putting forth some cash for these racers to cover their cost, verses just parts, etc...

If we want to see action pack cycling sport we need to pay them for all their efforts and time. Then they won't be see as bike bums.

When a guy can make $1ma a weekend in golf or $500,000 in NASCAR one day verses the pay at most cycling events of $1,000 paints a clear picture.

Now think if the race cost $1,200 to enter, the travel costs, etc... Oh yes, there are bills to pay at home, if they own one? Most folks can't lean on mommy & daddy!

Great job Mohican 100 race!

Show time cost!

Trans-Epic Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale Factory) leads a loaded field.

Men general classification after stage 6

		Result
1	Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale Factory Racing)	13:27:14
2	Barry Wicks (Kona)	0:24:04
3	Matthys Beukes	0:33:11
4	Aaron Snyder (Scott Pro Mountain Bike Team)	0:37:57
5	Drew Edsall (Kenda / Felt)	0:42:54
6	Justin Lindine (Redline)	0:53:27
7	Cary Smith (Team CF)	1:11:37
8	Chris Michaels	1:14:08
9	Stephan Kincaid (Stan's NoTubes/AXA Equitable)	2:10:22
10	Matt Miller (Giant Mid Atlantic Off-Road Team)	2:14:53