Kendall Ryan (Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing) and Lucas Bourgoyne (Team Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing) each delivered last-lap uphill sprint victories in pro races at the Athens Orthopedic Clinic Twilight Criterium on Saturday, the second round of USA CRITS.
It was a double-barreled barrage of success for both Ryan and Bourgoyne, who won using similar team tactics. Each crossed the line in their stars-and-stripes jerseys as USPro criterium champions. Ryan last won in 2022 lapping the field as the US champion while Bourgoyne earned his first Athens Twilight title.
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How it unfolded
In the women’s race, Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing rode a defensive 40-lap race to control multiple attacks with the pace high from the start. Kingdom Elite Racing, with Liza Ray and Heidy Praderas positioned second and fourth in the early USA CRITS individual standings, were aggressive throughout as well as Automatic Racing’s six riders.
There were very few laps where the pro women were bunched together on the one-mile circuit, instead a steady line of riders set a high pace on a hot day in Georgia. Single riders could not escape for more than half a lap. With 20 laps to go, five riders attempted to get away, but were reeled back quickly and solo riders went off for field primes.
Arielle Verhaaren (Automatic) launched a solo attack with seven laps to go but two circuits later her effort was closed by Caldera Medical’s Yarely Salazar leading the peloton. The six-rider Caldera Medical squad ignited the action from there with the full squad protecting Ryan.
Ryan launched her sprint on the final 400-metre straightaway on Washington Street and sailed away for her second win in Athens. Ivanie Blondin and Verhaaren, both with Automatic Racing, jumped on her wheel but could not close down the acceleration, the pair rounding out the podium.
The men took the same course at 8:30 p.m. local time with Foundation Cycling New York looking to repeat from success at Sunny King Criterium. Also in the hunt were European-based squads, Scottish Cycling and DCC Alpecin, the two-rider SpeedStudio p/b Basso squad of Cole Davis and Michael Garrison, and a lone ranger from Modern Pro Adventure, Brody McDonald.
Team Winston Salem Flow, with last year’s runner-up Will Hardin, and Foundation Cycling’s Bryan Gomez, a two-time Athens winner, were at the front of the race as the halfway point approached. An hour into the race, Cade Bickmore (Team Cadence Cyclery), USA CRITS leader Martinez of Foundation and McDonald tried to escape as a trio, but that threat was closed when Garrison went to the front of the peloton.
The race was back together with 23 laps to go, with Team Cadence Cyclery using their full arsenal to keep the race intact. A crash on the back side of the course with four laps to go forced a split, with the favourites escaping and Danny Summerhill picking up the pace for his team leader Bourgoyne.
Garrison led for the final one-and-half-laps, but once into the final corner, Bourgoyne launched his sprint with McDonald holding his wheel but unable to go around.
“I was trying to chase across to the lead break [when the crash happened]. There were four splits at once, but I was in front of the main split in the field,” McDonald told Cyclingnews.
“I was a bit shocked at the start how hard [everyone raced]. Usually the first 30 minutes are kind of hard, then it just chills out for like an hour. So I just decided I’ll hedge my bet if a break goes, and I’m just gonna wait for the sprint. So I kind of got lucky, I guess”.
USA CRITS continues Sunday with the third round of the eight-race series in LaGrange, Georgia. Pro races will be streamed live at the USA CRITS YouTube channel and at Outside.TV.
Results
|
Rank |
Rider |
Diff |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Kendall Ryan (Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing) |
53:50 |
|
2 |
Ivanie Blondin (AUTOMATIC Racing) |
+0:00 |
|
3 |
Arielle Verhaaren (AUTOMATIC Racing) |
+0:00 |
|
4 |
Chloe Patrick (Caldera Medical X Aurea Racing) |
+0:01 |
|
5 |
Yusmari Diaz (The Parks Law Firm All-Stars p/b Velostar) |
+0:01 |
|
6 |
Ava Wilson (Savannah College of Art and Design) |
+0:01 |
|
7 |
Laurel Rathbun (Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing) |
+0:01 |
|
8 |
Madison Gallagher (Team Winston Salem – Flow) |
+0:02 |
|
9 |
Liza Ray (Kingdom Elite Racing) |
+0:02 |
|
10 |
Claire Abrey (Team Winston Salem – Flow) |
+0:03 |
|
Rank |
Rider |
Diff |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Lucas Bourgoyne (Team Cadence Cyclery PB Waldo Racing) |
1:36:53 |
|
2 |
Brody McDonald (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling) |
+0:00 |
|
3 |
Julien Ruhe (Kelly Benefits Cycling) |
+0:00 |
|
4 |
Danny Summerhill (Team Cadence Cyclery PB Waldo Racing) |
+0:00 |
|
5 |
Bryan Gomez (Foundation Cycling New York) |
+0:00 |
|
6 |
Kyle Tiesler (Team Winston Salem – Flow) |
+0:00 |
|
7 |
Daniel Uhranowsky (Visit Pittsburgh Cycling Team) |
+0:00 |
|
8 |
Preston Eye (Clif Family Drifters Cycling) |
+0:00 |
|
9 |
Jordan Para (Foundation Cycling New York) |
+0:00 |
|
10 |
Mateo Garcia Castaneda (One Hart Racing) |
+0:01 |