High Road’s Teutenberg wins Sequoia crit
- By VeloNews.com
- Published Mar. 16, 2008
German phenom emerges from strong, fast field to clinch it
In a hard, fast race full of attacks but few breaks, world-class German sprinter Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Team High Road) triumphed in the final stretch of the Visalia Criterium on Sunday, pulling around Brooke Miller (Team Tibco), who took second just in front of teammate and lead-out, Lauren Franges. Rounding out the top five were Canadian Anne Samplonius (Cheerwine) and Meredith Miller (Aaron’s).
Downtown Visalia was the site of a seven-turn, 40-mile criterium that concluded the Sequoia Cycling Classic. With 57 laps, the field of 82 women vying for the $10,000 NRC purse played it fast and aggressive from the start. By the sixth lap, numerous teams went on the attack, including Team High Road, Aaron’s, Cheerwine, Team Tibco, ValueAct Capital, Proman and Colavita / Sutter Home.
“There were a lot of attacks,” Teutenberg said. “The race was really fast, so it was just hard to hold it. There was never the right group, so there were always people following.”
Two riders, Liz Hatch (Vanderkitten) and Lara Kroepsch (ValueAct Capital), went down coming out of the third turn in just the 14th lap, taking the riders behind by surprise and sending roughly 35 riders — almost half the pack — to the pit for a free lap.
Erica Allar (Aaron’s), the 2007 U23 national criterium champion, was caught in the melee, but like all but Hatch and Kroepsch, came out unscathed. “I ended up in a bush, so that was pretty cool,” she said.
Laura Van Gilder (Cheerwine) was held up longer than the rest of the pack. “I had to run to the pit because both my wheels [weren’t moving] … I mean, you get there as soon as you can. It’s not like you’re stopping at the food court and the beer garden for a beer and then you go to the pit.”
The crash resulted in some further confusion when a group of six riders who hadn’t been caught in it ended up nearly lapped by the re-formed field. They mistakenly thought they were ahead of the pack rather than behind it, and were ordered off the course by officials in the 21st lap.
Prior to the race, Colavita / Sutter Homes’ Tiffany Cromwell said they planned to play it conservatively on the tight, windy course, and if things stayed together as they had in the men’s pro field just prior to the women’s race, they would shoot for “a lead-out train and get Shontell [Gauthier) out for the win.” Apparently, the majority of other teams went with this strategy when things failed to break up, too.
“At 20 laps to go, we decided we were just going to stop [launching attacks] pretty much,” Teutenberg said, “and try for the sprint. Aaron’s rode really aggressive, Colavita rode aggressive, so I think it was everybody pretty much who went out there, tried to [ride aggressively].”
Team Tibco’s plan was to deliver Miller to the final sprint. “With about four to go, Helen [Kelly], Amber [Rais], myself, and Brooke were at the front communicating really well with each other,” Franges said. “I think it was like three to go, and Chrissy Ruiter from ValueAct attacked and Kim Anderson went to the front from High Road, and [the pack] brought her back because obviously she was with Ina.”
Repeated attacks saw the team in the lead rotate through the remaining laps, with teams like High Road, Cheerwine, Aaron’s, Colavita, and Tibco still in serious contention heading toward the final turn before the finish.
“I basically attacked around the last corner and made sure Brooke was on me when I went,” Franges said. “We came through the last corner, and I was accelerating out of it, and Brooke took off from there, and just basically kept going.”
“Lauren, after doing a really hard effort, came up with a great sprint,” Miller said. “I got on her wheel … and jumped around her on the corner. I should have waited a little longer.”
With a leadout from teammate Anke Wichmann, Teutenberg pulled around Miller, and took it in for the win. This was the second weekend in a row that Teutenberg got the best of Miller in an exciting finish. Miller tried to best her at the Central Valley Classic’s Tower District Criterium in Fresno last Sunday, but didn’t manage to come around.
Only 42 women completed the race when Cheerwine’s Van Gilder crashed heading into the final stretch. She wasn’t hurt, and apparently simply slipped out in the turn, but a pile-up ensued that prevented much of the field from finishing.
“Everybody knows that Laura is a safe rider and doesn’t make any stupid moves,” teammate Samplonius said. “She has a lot of respect. It’s just one of those unfortunate things that happens in cycling.”
Photo Gallery
Results
Pro/1/2 Women
1 Teutenberg Ina-Yoko Team High Road
2 Miller Brooke Team TIBCO
3 Franges Lauren TEAM TIBCO
4 Samplonius Anne Cheerwine Cycling
5 Miller Meredith Aaron’s Pro Women’s Cycling Tea
6 Wangsgard Nichole Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cook
7 Guarnier Megan PROMAN Racing
8 Lang Anna Aaron’s Pro Women’s Cycling Tea
9 Holcomb Janel Webcor Builders
10 Hobson Leigh Cheerwine Cycling
11 Wilson Jennifer SouthBay Wheelmen
12 Gauthier Shontell Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cook
13 Perkins Virginia PROMAN Racing
14 Beltran Michelle Bicycle John
15 Rais Amber TeAM TIBCO
16 Wynter Parks Iona Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cook
17 Tzinberg Rachel Bicycle Johns
18 Hambleton Marni ValueAct Capital Cycling Team
19 Reither Jennifer SouthBay Wheelmen
20 Kapp Morgan SouthBay Wheelmen
21 Dvorak Andrea Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cook
22 Galenti Elizabeth Helen’s
23 Wichmann Anke Team High Road – Women
24 Sato Taitt ValueAct Capital Cycling Team
25 Abbott Mara Team High Road – Women
26 Bradshaw Elis Metromint Cycling on Marin Bike
27 Koch Shannon Metro Volkswagen Cycling Team
28 Evans Nicole ValueAct Capital Cycling Team
29 Van Houweling Molly Metromint Cycling
30 Drumm Helene PROMAN Racing
31 Terry Chellie Fitzgerald’s Bicycles
32 Dillon Olivia Touchstone Climbing
33 Heal Rachel TIBECO
34 Banks Hannah ValueAct Capital Cycling Team
35 Seigle Amanda Code 3 Racing
36 Cooper Abby Lyn PROMAN Racing
37 Sanders Kristin Aaron’s Pro Cycling Team
38 BOROWSKI Holly Touchstone/US Armed Forces
39 Patella Martina ValueAct Capital Cycling Team
40 Kelly Helen TEAM TIBCO
41 Anderson Kim Team High Road – Women
42 Cromwell Tiffany Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cook
Men’s Pro/1
1 Haedo Lucas Sebastian Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cookin
2 O’Reilly Cody Successful Living.com P/B Parkp
3 Borrajo Alejandro Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cookin
4 Jacques-Maynes Ben Bissell Pro Cycling
5 Menzies Karl HealthNet/Maxxis
6 Correia Joao Bissell Pro Cycling Team
7 Bazzana Alessandro Successful Living.com P/B Parkp
8 Sutherland Rory Healthnet/Maxxis
9 sayers michael BMC Pro Cycling Team
10 Candelario Alex Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifa
11 Marttinez Alex Successful Living.com P/B
12 Klein Kevin Rock Racing
13 Hanson Ken California Giant Berry Farms
14 Copeland Dirk California Giant Berry Farms
15 Evans Cameron Symmetrics
16 Hipp Chris
17 Bosch Brian Sierra Pacific Racing
18 Mumford Jonathan Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifa
19 Jacques-Maynes Andy California Giant Berry Farms
20 Switters Adam Rock Racing
21 Badia James Webcor/Alto Velo
22 olheiser mike Memphis motor werks/Carve
23 Sundt Jonathan Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifa
24 Jensen Brian Successful Living.com P/B Parkp
25 Grabinger Michael Successful Living.com P/B Parkp
26 Kearney Christian Z-Team
27 Blackgrove Heath Toyota United Pro Cycling Team
28 Santurbane Mark California Giant Berry Farms
29 SHIMAHARA Mark Team Clif Bar
30 Bramblett Randy BPG/Montano Velo
31 Easterling Eric Sierra Pacific
32 Briggs Patrick California Giant Berry Farms
33 wohlberg eric Symmetrics
34 STAMM Frederick Metromint Cycling/Marin Bicycle
35 Reaney Steven California Giant Berry Farms
36 Hipp Chris
37 Borrajo Anibal Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cookin
38 Guptill andrew Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cookin
39 newman bob Pacific State Bank Cycling Team
40 Jaimel
41 White Bradley Successful Living.com P/B Parkp
42 Gaimon Phillip Fiordifrutta
43 Jenkins Max California Giant Berry Farms
44 Robertson Joel Sierra Pacific
45 HOROWITZ Josh LaGrange
46 Dibble Tyler
47 Laflamme Aroussen Webcor-AltoVelo team
48 zwizanski scott BISSELL Pro Cycling
49 Miller Rand Webcor/Alto Velo
50 Olson Aaron BISSELL Pro Cycling Team
51 Owens Vincent Sierra Pacific Racing
52 Gramshaw Tim
53 Amaran Romero Luis Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cookin
54 Klikng Jason
55 Spinelli Justin Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifa
56 Moore Jesse California Giant Berry Farms
57 Damiani Luca Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cookin
58 Hunt John California Giant Berry Farms
59 Coulter Jonathan Webcor / Alto Velo
60 Randell Andrew Symmetrics Cycling
FILED UNDER: Race Report / Race Result / Road