June 3/08 7:45 am - Lehigh Valley Classic: Pro Men

Posted by Editoress on 06/3/08
 

Lehigh Valley Classic Allentown PA

Ukraine’s Metlushenko triumphs at Men’s Triple Crown opener

Launching what his competitors called a late-race hail Mary, Ukraine’s Yuri Metlushenko scored a razor-thin sprint win in Tuesday’s Commerce Bank Lehigh Valley Classic. Aussie Karl Menzies (Health Net-Maxxis) was second by half a tire width at the opening round of the 2008 Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling, with American Brad Huff (Jelly Belly) trailing home in third.

Metlushenko’s win came at the end of a12-lap, 85-mile battle on the rolling roads of Allentown, Pa., the Keystone state’s third largest city. This was the first running of the Lehigh event, which replaced the former Triple Crown series opener in Lancaster.

The new-for-2008 circuit traced a rectangular path from downtown Allentown, across the Little Lehigh River, and up the scenic and rolling Lehigh Parkway before returning downtown via West Hamilton Street. While by no means a climber’s course, the 7.1-mile circuit tested riders with a steady stream of punchy, leg-sapping rollers. Still, when the endgame unfolded, it was the fast men taking center stage.

“You really had to pay attention the whole day,” explained Huff, who after the Triple Crown series will head to Los Angeles in hopes of qualifying for the U.S. Olympic track cycling team. “Speeds were high all day. This was really a power man’s race. The sprint was really fast, but the hill before it really shook things up a little. People were trying to go from a long way out.”

Indeed, pre-race favorites such as Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United) and Rock Racing’s Fred Rodriguez were non-factors in the final outcome, while the heretofore unknown Metlushenko was thrusting his hands in the air in triumph. That final move almost cost the Amore & Vita-McDonald’s rider the win, as Menzies came oh-so-close to nipping him at the line.

“I was sure I would win and was thinking about making a good finish line picture,” recalled Metlushenko, who has a large scar near his right eye that belies his career as a bike racer. “But then I got scared when I saw how close it is. I won’t ever do that again.”

The first half of the Lehigh race was marked by a series of repeated – but fruitless – attacks. Among the riders trying escape at various times were Bissell’s Aaron Olson, Brian Jensen (Team Successful Living), Pennsylvanian Kyle Wamsley (Colavita-Sutter Home), Jason Donald (Slipstream-Chipotle) and Colavita’s Tyler Wren. None could make their moves stick for any significant length of time, and the race was all back together at the halfway point.

The first real move of consequence came during lap 7 when Jeff Louder (BMC Racing), Frank Pipp (Health Net-Maxxis), Luis Romero (Colavita-Sutter Home), and Canadian strongman Svein Tuft (Symmetrics) took off. They quickly rolled up a 50-second advantage, with Toyota-United’s Ivan Stevic, Slipstream’s Mike Friedman and Alberto Curtolo (Liquigas) all trying to bridge across. The bunch was having none of the second move, and the chasers were soon back in the field.

The four escapees continued to work off the front during the next four laps, but their advantage never exceeded a minute, and it was clear the sprinters’ team was in control. The break eventually split up, with Pipp and Tuft pushing ahead, while Louder and Romero drifted back.

The move was then momentarily re-energized when seven new riders pulled off the front of the field and bridged up, creating a dangerous lead group that included Ivan Stevic (Toyota-United), Kasper Klostergaard (Team CSC), Bernardo Tepoz (Tecos-Trek), Martijn Maaskant (Slipstream-Chipotle), John Murphy (Health Net-Maxxis), Eric Baumann (Team Sparkasse), Glen Chadwick (Team Type 1), Tuft (Symmetrics) and Romero. But the field was chasing hard and the race was all together early in the final lap.

Several more attacks and counter attacks ensued, including one final move with Pipp and Dominique Rollin (Toyota-United). But they were snowed under on the final trip up the circuit’s short climb, setting things up for a furious dash to the finish.

“I’m not sure where he came from,” admitted Menzies of the race’s final 200 meters. “I had two teammates leading me out perfectly, but I had to wait to make sure Huff didn’t come over the top of me. Then Uri came by. At the finish I knew I was coming quicker and saw him pause and throw up arms, so I gave a throw and hoped I could get him.”

It was a strategy that came up about a half inch short.

The Triple Crown’s 25-team field will now get a day off before reconvening in Reading for the 75-mile, 10-lap Commerce Bank Reading Classic that darts back and forth between the city’s downtown and the summit of nearby Mt. Penn. Finally, comes the mother of all North American one-day races, the Commerce Bank Philadelphia International Championship. Celebrating its 24th running, this epic 156-mile test of mettle begins and ends on Philadelphia’s famed Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

In between, a fast field of the world’s 200 best cyclists will hurtle their way around 10 laps of the 14.4-mile primary circuit that includes the infamous Manayunk Wall, with its always-raucous fans and precipitous grades that exceed 17 percent. Ten long laps are followed by three testing finishing circuits up and over Lemon Hill before the 2008 champion is crowned. To the victors will go the lion’s share of a $93,500 prize purse that includes a $10,000 bonus for the overall series winner.

Pro Men