Three guys riding like a squad of eight

While the Swiss members of the team were racing around southern Switzerland this weekend, three US-based BMC riders joined General Manager Gavin Chilcott at the Merco Credit Union Cycling Classic in Merced, California. With most BMC team members racing someplace else, preparing to race someplace else or injured, only Chad Beyer, Jackson Stewart and Taylor Tolleson were available to fly the BMC colours at the US domestic event.

However, it would be forgivable to think Chilcott fielded a full squad of eight riders due to their continual presence in every break of significance, and their top finishes on both days. In the Saturday criterium, Jackson Stewart sprinted to a 4th place finish behind current US Criterium Champion Rahsaan Bahati (Rock Racing). And on Sunday, Taylor Tolleson took second in the 200km Foothills Road Race after he was pipped at the line by a young sprinter, Ignacio Silva (Rock Racing).

Working the breaks to avoid field sprint

For Saturday’s Downtown Grand Prix criterium, BMC knew that they would have to do their best to avoid having the pack come into the finish together. “We had a pretty active day for the crit, and since we came to the race without a true sprinter, we knew we probably wouldn’t have that good of a chance if it came down to a field sprint,” Chilcott explained. “So we made sure that at least one of our three riders was in every break of consequence.” Believing that Bahati was the fastest sprinter in the field, Chilcott was not surprised when he was the rider to pull off the victory at the end of the day. “We did what we should have done, and since breaks have succeeded in the past on this course, it was by no means a futile tactic,” Chilcott said. “Taylor was caught up in a crash that last lap, but we had both Jackson (4th) and Chad (7th) finishing well in the sprint, so we should be happy with that result.”

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Team High Road’s Emilia Fahlin won her second race of the weekend in the Merco Cycling Classic Road Race on Sunday March third in Merced, California. Fahlin easily won the bunch sprint ahead of Tibco’s Rushlee Buchanan who also finished second in the Saturday Criterium, and Proman’s Virginia Perkins.

Her teammates Kim Anderson and Anche Wichman kept the pace fast at the front of the field and then Fahlin looked after herself in the final meters. “I had Anche and Kim with such good help in the last corner and the climb so that just perfect. I headed off from Anche’s wheel and then I didn’t see anybody.” said Fahlin.

With her back-to-back wins, Fahlin was enjoying the weekend. “It’s been a really good weekend for all, the team is racing really strong, it’s been fun and we learn to race with each other.”

The 72 miles, or 3 loops of a rolling hill course surrounded by blooming almond trees were raced aggressively. Attacks were unsuccessfully launched until High Road’s Mara Abbott launched her solo foray on the second lap just before the feed zone.

“The plan was to try and be aggressive, we did a lot of attacking in the second lap, but it’s really windy so if you don’t have anyone with you, it’s hard to stay away. Mara managed to stay away for the most significant break of the race but she was on her own.” said High Road directeur Kristy Scrymgeour.

Mara Abbott attacks the field

The other teams including Tibco and Proman let Abbott dangle in front always in view and gobbled her up in the last lap.

“Mara Abbott was up the front, we had some people at the front, and Proman was at the front and we were just watching Mara, making sure she didn’t get out of sight.” said Buchanan.

After the catch, the peloton slowed down, preparing for the final attacks and counter moves and the final bunch sprint.

“With 10k to go, some attacks again were started from my team, we tried to get something going, otherwise we go for the sprint.” said Fahlin.

In the last kilometer, Amber Rais (Tibco) and Abbott attacked, increasing the speed of the peloton, and launching the sprinters.

“Coming about 1k out there, it’s a bit rolly and Amber and Mara attacked and they crested the hill first and then I just jumped on the High Road train, but Emilia just got the jump on me, she’s really strong.” said Buchanan.

Fahlin doesn’t consider her form to be close to one hundred percent. “Because I’m used to starting my season in April, so I didn’t think I was ready to race at all at this time of year but it has been going better than I expected so that’s just great, maybe I can hope for a good year.”

Emilia Fahlin enjoys his victory

Top 10 Results

1. Emilia Fahlin (Team High Road - Women)
2. Rushlee Buchanan (TEAM TIBCO)
3. Virginia Perkins (PROMAN Racing)
4. Laura Charameda (Dewars Racing Team)
5. Taitt Sato (ValueAct Capital)
6. Amanda Seigle (code 3 racing)
7. Ginger Hsieh (Team Rock)
8. Ashley Dymond (Team Rock)
9. Morgan Kapp (South Bay Wheelman)
10. Heather Sborz (Vanderkitten)

All photos copyright Lyne Lamoureux.

See also:

• Merco Cycling Classic Men’s Road Race Report and Photos
• Merco Cycling Classic Men’s Crit Report and Photos
• Merco Cycling Classic Women’s Crit Report and Photos

Eric Wohlberg (Symmetrics) won the hard way at the Merco Cycling Classic Road Race on Sunday, March third. After a select group of twenty-four riders managed a substantial gap to the rest of the field, the Canadian soloed away on the final lap to cross the finish line with over one minute ahead of the charging group. Winning the sprint, Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell) finished a second time on the podium over the weekend, ahead of Anibal Borrajo (Colavita-Sutter Home).

“I jumped with one (lap) to go, I was just having to chase stuff all day long by myself so you might as well make that effort off the front. You’re going to make that effort anyway so you might as well do it off the front. I’m sure I got my gap while the other three big teams were looking at each other, bluffing each other into committing to the chase, when you’re by yourself either you’re covering stuff all day long or you might as well be throwing it down. If you go, you go.” said Wohlberg.

The field of over 100 riders started off early on a somewhat chilly Sunday morning to cover five loops of a rolling 24-mile course surrounded by acres of blooming almond trees, and their frequent companions, bees. With only a few teams having support cars in the race, the spirit of cooperation was evident amongst the teams, as cars supported multiple riders for the 120 miles race, with BMC’s Gavin Chilcott providing feed support to Astana’s Chris Horner and others.

The first lap started off relatively easy as most riders were trying to warm up, Matt Seagrave (Kahala La Grange) managed to get a gap of five minutes to the field before being caught in the second lap.

Attacks on the second lap

Attacks were relentless on the second lap, with each team trying to be represented in the break, and shutting down any moves that they didn’t like.

Fast Freddie Rodriguez (Rock Racing) covering an attack

“Complete flurry of attacks, we had one guy up there, one group would go across, then another group would go across and we had one guy in each of those bridging moves, suddenly you have a big group up front and everyone sits up in the back, race over.” said Jacques-Maynes about the attacks on the second lap.

A successful break of about 24 riders finally went on the second lap, and quickly established a gap which grew to over 10 minutes by the final lap. Most teams were well represented in the break with multiple riders, which included Colavita-Sutter Home’s Tyler Wren, Davide Frattini and brothers Alejandro and Anibal Borrajo. Rock Racing also had four riders in the break: David Clinger, Sergio Hernandez, Sterling Magnell and Brock Curry. Bissell with three riders: Jacques-Maynes, Aaron Olson and Morgan Schmitt. California Giant Cycling Team also had three riders, Any Jacques-Maynes, Patrick Briggs and Jesse Moore. Also in the break were Amgen Tour of California King of the Mountains Scott Nydam and returning from injury Brent Brookwalter from BMC, Keven Lacombe (Kelly Benefits/Medifast), Markus Weinberg (Kahala-La Grange), Mark Shimihara (Team Clif Bar), Daniel Holloway (VMG) and Wohlberg.

The breakaway group on the third lap

Ben Jacques-Maynes and his team didn’t like to way the break was being controlled, so they attacked with less than three laps to go to reduce the numbers to around fifteen riders. “Colavita took control on the pack and acted like they were in control and so, when three quarters of the break is sitting on, it was time to start breaking it up so half way through the race we started attacking them for a bit. (We) really wanted to break it down a little bit, drop some dead weight and, we brought it down, we still had the 3 of us in the front.”

With one lap to go, Wohlberg launched his solo move, and the group didn’t respond as they were busy watching each other to see who would chase.

“When Wohlberg went, Colavita was killing every single move that we did, it was like ‘hey you want to kill move, kill that one, that’s the one that you need to kill right now, if you don’t, you’re going to lose the race’.” said Ben Jacques-Maynes.

While the chasing group attacked each other, Wohlberg built up a gap of over one minute, and was able to enjoy crossing the line. “I did a full lap solo. It was pretty tough, I don’t know who was chasing.”

Ben Jacques-Maynes won a close sprint ahead of Anibal Borrajo to finish on the podium for the second day in a row, following his third place finish in Saturday’s criterium. “I’ve done good on this sprint before, I’ve been fourth and fifth, we were in a small group, Borrajo, once again, wanted to sit on my wheel. The group came back just at the top of the hill, we got all back together and Aaron hit on the front, got his wheel, dropped me off with 250 to go and just tried not to die in the headwind.”

Ben Jacques-Maynes takes the sprint for second place

Wohlberg was happy with the weekend of racing by his teammates. “It was very aggressive actually, it was good racing. Beautiful out, not too many bees which is nice, fantastic marshalling both yesterday and today so we’re always very happy to come up here. I’m in Sunnyvale so I’m relatively local. It’s great to see these races continue and Merco stepping up to keep this race going and the town of Merced is fantastic.”

Ben Jacques-Maynes was pleased to see Wohlberg claim victory. “He’s been a training partner for years, he came second to me a couple of times last spring so I’m one hundred percent for him, great ride by him. He waltzed away from a stellar field here, he proved his class once again.”

Wohlberg was disappointed that his team, Symmetrics, did not get an invitation to the Amgen Tour of California. “We were training for Tour of California hoping that we’d get into that, but it didn’t work out for us. It’s kind of disappointing so we got three guys in Northern California still riding pretty hard right now so we’re going to try to pick these events as much as we can and continue with our season.”

Wohlberg is not sure if he will do the third race of the series, the Fresno criterium. “It was a great race last year when it was a full on stage race but if it just a one-day criterium, it’s a classic criterium but that’s not really my cup of tea. That’s kind of argy bargy all day long. If I had all my hockey gear down here.” said a laughing Wohlberg. “Maybe one of these days, there’s going to be a guy in hockey gear doing a criterium and that’s going to be me.”

Eric Wohlberg following a Colavita-Sutter Home wheel early in the race

Top 10 Results

1. Eric Wohlberg (Symmetrics)
2. Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell Pro Cycling Team)
3. Anibal Borrajo (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light)
4. Andy Jacques-Maynes (California Giant Berry Farms)
5. Daniel Holloway (VMG/Felt)
6. David Clinger (Rock Racing)
7. Markus Weinberg (Kahala-La Grange)
8. Brent Brookwalter (BMC Pro Cycling Team)
9. Alejandro Borrajo (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light)
10. Aaron Olson (Bissell Pro Cycling Team)

All photos copyright Lyne Lamoureux.

See also:

• Merco Cycling Classic Women’s Road Race Report and Photos
• Merco Cycling Classic Men’s Crit Report and Photos
• Merco Cycling Classic Women’s Crit Report and Photos

After his small 3-man break lapped the field with only two laps to go, Alejandro Borrajo (Colavita-Sutter Home) won the chaotic sprint ahead of Chris Horner (Astana) and Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell).

“To the last corner, I was in third wheel with two teammates ahead of me, I looked back and saw that none of the other two guys were close, so I relaxed a little bit the last 50 meters and enjoyed the win.” said Borrajo.

The Merco Credit Union Cycling Classic race has a long rich history and denotes the opening of the California road racing season. While this year the race is not part of the National Race Calendar (NRC), teams such as Rock Racing, Bissell Pro Cycling, California Giant Cycling Team and BMC chose to send squads to hone in their form for the
upcoming season.

A field of over 95 riders took the start of the 50 laps, 40 miles course in downtown Merced buffeted by winds, and attacks started immediately from the get go.

The successful break was made right after a prime and Horner just kept riding hard, and a group of nine splintered from the field. The break included Colavita-Sutter Home duo Borrajo and Tyler Wren, Bissell’s teammates Jacques-Maynes and Richard England, Kayle Leogrande (Rock Racing), Elite Mens National Criterium Champion Daniel Holloway (VMG), Adrian Garrits (Kahala-LaGrange) and Canadian national road champion Cameron Evans (Symmetrics).

“There was a prime and I just kept on riding hard right after the prime, and it split to the nine of us and I did a couple of hard laps on the front and then everyone did a really good job of rotating through. I think the break had pretty much all the strong guys in it, everyone was comfortable and was working well together.” said Horner.

The break rode well together and stayed ahead of the chasing field led in turns by the California Giant Cycling Team and Rock Racing Team.

The chase

Then dissension hit the break, with riders attacking for the numerous primes.

“And then one guy started getting a little greedy for the primes, the group gave him two, and then he started going for three and sprinting, and then it was like if you’re going to do that, then we’re just going to start attacking each other, and that’s what happened. With Ben there, and myself, and Colavita guy (Borrajo) then it was strong three of us and once we got a little bit of a gap then it was on from then on.” said Horner.

“We were rolling good then dissension crept in, the attacks started. It was basically two attacks and then we were gone. Chris goes, everyone is like ‘what do I do’” said Jacques-Maynes.

With thirteen laps to go, the group of three riders, Horner, Jacques-Maynes and Borrajo started increasing their lead ahead of a chasing group of six remnants of the break followed by the peloton.

Under the impetus of Horner, against the wishes of his breakaway companions, the trio started to catch up to the field.

“We were rolling pretty good, I saw with about seven laps to go, we were just seeing the field but we weren’t going to catch them I didn’t think especially as Borrajo started easing up so I started easing up, Chris has other options, he’s the only guy strong enough to do the work of three men and drive the whole thing down. ” said Jacques-Maynes.

Horner wanted to catch the field to cause chaos for the finishing laps. “I like the chaos of the sprint, I don’t really like it when I’m on the same lap as everybody but when I’m one lap up and all I have to do is follow a good sprinter’s line then that’s perfect. The only problem is that the other 2 guys didn’t want to so I have to do two or three laps on my own to close up the gap on the back and then unfortunately I think I closed it with three to go and I just couldn’t get that recovery to get to the front in time.”

With 5 laps to go, Holloway and Evans tried to go at it alone and stayed away until the final corner.

The field absorbed the final riders of the original breakaway and the trio caught the field with less than three laps to go, and started to work their way through the field.

On the final lap, a frustrated Jacques-Maynes was caught behind a crash. “It was basically the three guys trying to work their way through guys that were getting popped, and then, people got aggressive in the little chicane, two guys crossed wheels, started crashing, crossed my wheel, I would have turned straight into a barrier and everyone crashed into me so, that was with half a lap to go.”

Horner was happy with the chaos and just wished that the catch had been a lap or two before. “You just want that chaos and I wanted to be able to hop on like a Bahati’s wheel to the sprint. If maybe I would have caught one lap before it could have been different because I would have been fresh, the other two guys were sitting on my wheel with two or three before we caught so they have a full five laps of rest so when we caught the back end of the field, they were a little bit fresher to go through the field and I was a bit kind of red. It didn’t quite work out to plan but for sure I wasn’t going to win it if we come three guys out of the last corner, it’s too clean of a sprint, and then they’re just going to kill me.”

Borrajo pulled ahead of the other two riders and easily crossed the finish line ahead. “I felt very good in the first breakaway, I was trying to watch Horner because I know the level of rider he is, and as soon Horner moved, he jumped away and made a break of three. I felt good, I knew that I was faster than the other guys.”

Horner still sick from Tour of California, was enjoying the sunny day in the Central Valley and going back to his roots of crit racing. “I’ve done this race many, many times, I grew up doing these races. I’ve been a crit rider for my whole life more than anything. If you grew up in the States, that’s what you are, if you don’t ride crits then you don’t make a living.”

Final podium (l-r): Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell), Alejandro Borrajo (Colvaita-SutterHome), Chris Horner (Astana)

Top 10 Results

1. Alejandro Borrajo (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light)
2. Chris Horner (Astana)
3. Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell Pro Cycling Team)
4. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light)
5. Keven Lacombe (Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast)
6. Davide Frattini (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light)
7. Brian Bosch (Sierra Pacific Racing)
8. Andres Gil (Pacific State Bank Cycling Tea)
9. Aron Gadhia (Kahala La Grange)
10. Justin Williams (Rock Racing)

All photos copyright Lyne Lamoureux.

See also:

• Merco Cycling Classic Men’s Road Race Report and Photos
• Merco Cycling Classic Women’s Road Race Report and Photos
  
• Merco Cycling Classic Women’s Crit Report and Photos