Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium
Charlotte, NC
| August 04, 2007 |
USA CRITS: PIPP BEAT HEAT AT PRESBYTERIAN INVITATIONAL
Health Net-Maxxis rider Frank Pipp snatched an opportunity to outgun a field of top flight sprinters during the fourth annual Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium in Charlotte, North Carolina, taking the lion's share of $125,000 in prize money on offer during Saturday's race. With the help of Kodak Gallery-Sierra Nevada rider Jesse Anthony, the pair stayed away from an advancing field that may have waited too late to launch a full-on assault to the two escapees from the pack.
"I followed Jesse - and he was killing it - we were both working hard" Pipp told Cyclingnews.com afterwards. "There wasn't any time to talk - we just went full gas the whole time. We had 30 seconds with one lap to go, and that's a lot of time to take back in two kilometres. With maybe half a lap, I stopped pulling, and that was that."
Behind the two leaders was the man sitting in third place on the USA CRITS leader board, AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork rider Yosvany Falcon. Falcon's bid to catch Pipp and Anthony fell just 24 seconds short, but he maintained enough speed to secure the third spot on the podium.
Formerly known as the Bank of America criterium, this year's event was seen by nearly 50,000 spectators who surrounded the six-turn 1.25 mile course despite temperatures that held in the low 90's throughout most of the evening. The heat combined with the NRC points battle ongoing between Pipp's Health Net-Maxxis team and the Toyota-United squad meant that the majority of the action was left to other USA CRITS regulars including series leader Mark Hekman (Abercrombie & Fitch), Kelly-Benefits Strategies' Jonny Sundt Joe's). Though none of their efforts were able to stick, those riders benefited from several lucrative lap primes (bonuses).
Race organizer Thad Fischer said that despite the $125,000 prize purse, the race has still managed to raise nearly a million dollars for the Brain Tumor Fund of the Carolinas.
"We have somewhat of a limited budget, and what we save we manage to give back to the Brain Tumor Fund. I'm proud to say that we've raised in three years nearly one million dollars for the project." This year The Brain Tumor Fund hoped to raise between $500,000 and $750,000 for brain cancer research at UNC Charlotte and area hospitals.
The women's race was won by 2006 defending champion Tina Pic riding for the Colavita-Sutter Home squad. Pic counted heavily on her team to fend off attacks from the aggressive efforts of TEAm Lipton, who didn't have a sprinter in their ranks and made several attempts at a breakaway.
"When Kori Seehafer got away. Iona (Wynter) was pulling it back and when Lauren Franges got away Alison (Powers) was pulling it back for us." Pic told VeloNews. "Everyone was doing thier part, and they were still there for me in the end."
Only one more event remains in the USA CRITS Series before the final championship jerseys are awarded at the World Championship Sports Network (WCSN) USA CRITS Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 27th. The 24th annual Chris Thater Memorial in Binghamton New York, commemorates the life of an avid cyclist whose life was taken by a drunk driver. Each year the event strives to promote a positive and healthy lifestyle, while also hoping to increase awareness concerning drunk driving. The Chris Thater Memorial attracts over 1,500 participants from all over the world and should draw well over well over 12,000 spectators when it takes place on August 25th. More info at www.gobroomecounty.com/bcstopdwi/StopDWI_Thater.php
MEN'S RESULTS First Last Team Frank PIPP Health Net presented by Maxxis Jesse ANTHONY Kodak Gallery Pro Cycling p/b S Yosvany FALCON AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Ricardo ESCUELA team successful living Karl MENZIES Health Net presented by Maxxis Emile ABRAHAM PRIORITY HEALTH/BISSELL Alejandro ACTON Colavita-Sutter Home presented Jonathan PAGE Battley Harley - Davidson/ Huds Kyle WAMSLEY Navigators Insurance Dominique ROLLIN Kodak Gallery Pro Cycling p/b S Jeremiah WISCOVITCH Rock Racing Brad HUFF Team Slipstream powered by Chip Jackson STEWART BMC Racing Team Alejandro BORRAJO Rite Aid Pro Cycling Ivan DOMINGUEZ Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team Luca DAMIANI Colavita-Sutter Home presented Dan SCHMATZ BMC Racing Team Cody O'REILLY Kodak Gallery Pro Cycling p/b S Ben BROOKS Navigators Insurance Mark WALTERS Kodak Gallery Pro Cycling p/b S Rory SUTHERLAND Health Net presented by Maxxis Adam BERGMAN Colavita Sutter Home presented Mark HEKMAN A&F Pro Development Cycling Tea Chad HARTLEY BMC Racing Team Timothy HENRY Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Alexi MARTINEZ team successful living Andrew BAJADAIL Jelly Belly Cycling Team Davide FRATTINI Colavita-Sutter Home presented Maxime VIVES UCI Calyon / Litespeed Pro Cycl Kirk ALBERS Texas Roadhouse Cycling Robert KING PRIORITY HEALTH/BISSELL Keven Lacombe Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifa Gilbert MARTIN Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifa Adam MYERSON Nerac Pro Cycling Daniel HOLT Nerac Pro Cycling Rich HARPER A&F Pro Development Cycling Tea Frank TRAVIESO AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Paul MARTIN Texas Roadhouse Cycling Ryan DEWALD Rite Aid Pro Cycling Ryan MACKENZIE Equipe Volkswagen-Trek Ryan ROTH Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifa Garrett PELTONEN PRIORITY HEALTH/BISSELL Sebastian HAEDO Rock Racing Shawn MILNE Health Net presented by Maxxis Jonny SUNDT Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifa Rudolph NAPOLITANO Rock Racing Patrick WALSH Nerac Pro Cycling Dan TIMMERMAN Kodak Gallery Pro Cycling p/b S Gustavo ARTACHO Colavita-Sutter Home presented Tim JOHNSON Health Net presented by Maxxis Mike Norton Rite Aid Pro Cycling John MURPHY Health Net presented by Maxxis Scottie WEISS AEG-TOSHIBA-JetNetwork Curtis GUNN team successful living Scott ZWIZANSKI PRIORITY HEALTH/BISSELL Jeffery HOPKINS Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Dan LARSON Cycle Science Josh THORNTON Kodak Gallery Pro Cycling p/b S Jacob FETTY Manulife Financial Oleg GRISHKIN Navigators Insurance Chris WHERRY Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team Tommy NANKERVIS Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Paul WARD Nature's Path Cycling Cody STEVENSON Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Hilton CLARKE Navigators Insurance Micheal MULLER Manulife Financial WOMEN'S RESULTS First Last Team Tina Pic Colavita/ Sutter Home presented Gina Grain Team expresscopy.com Laura Van Gilder UCI WPT Cheerwine Jen Mcrae Advil ChapStick Katharine Carroll Aaron's Corporate Furnishings P Laura Yoisten Webcor Builders Alex Wrubleski Colavita/ Sutter Home presented Shontelle Gauthier Team Ultralink Anne Samplonius Team expresscopy.com Christina Dekraay Harris Teeter Naturals Amber Rais Webcor Builders Lauren Franges TEAM Lipton Allyson Brandt HealthCoach Catherine Cheatley UCI WPT Cheerwine Brenda Lyons TEAM Lipton Lara Kroepsch TEAM Lipton Rebecca Larson Aaron's Corporate Furnishings P Julie Bishop Harris Teeter Naturals Heather Labance Advil ChapStick Robin Farina Moto-Velo/Sledhammer Charlies Kori Seehafer TEAM Lipton Rachel Heal Webcor Builders Kristin Sanders Aaron's Corporate Furnishings P Elizabeth Hatch Vanderkitten Catherine Powers Aaron's Corporate Furnishings P Leigh Valetti TARGETRAINING WOMEN'S TEAM Alison Powers Colavita/ Sutter Home presented Shannon Hutchinson-krupat Aaron's Corporate Furnishings P Iona Wynter Colavita/ Sutter Home presented Chrissy Ruiter UCI WPT Cheerwine Heidi Woolever ABRT/Latitude Kristen Lasasso TEAM Lipton Laura Bowles Advil ChapStick Andrea Dvorak Colavita/ Sutter Home presented Anna Milkowski Advil ChapStick Leigh Hobson UCI WPT Cheerwine Kat Clark Harris Teeter Naturals Alison Testroete Team expresscopy.com Kelly Benjamin UCI WPT Cheerwine
