Cannon Falls, MN – June 11, 2009 - John Murphy of the OUCH Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis didn’t quite get the desired result – the victory – in the Stage 3 Cannon Falls Road Race at Nature Valley Grand Prix Thursday. But his 3rd place behind the Colavita/Sutter Home duo of Alejandro Barrajo and Lucas Haedo did give him back the six seconds he lost the evening before, and moved him up to 4th overall, 0:16 behind race leader Tom Zirbel (Bissell), and just ahead of teammate Karl Menzies, who sits 5th overall.
Defending NVGP champion Rory Sutherland finished safely in the bunch to hold his 2nd overall position, 0:07 behind Zirbel, and 0:05 ahead of Bissell’s Peter Latham.
“The stage was fast and actually not too eventful,” said team directeur sportif Mike Tamayo. “Once we were in the finishing circuits, the team went to the front with about five miles to go to get control of the race and keep the pace high and everything safe.
“The team did a really good job with the lead-out,” he added. “Everyone contributed. Floyd (Landis) did a great job in the circuits. We set up well, but it just didn’t work out.”
Murphy looked to be in good position for the sprint, but got a bit bunched up and was unable to keep in contact with the Colavita lead-out. “We wanted the win, but we’re still in a really good position going into the weekend,” Murphy said.
With tonight’s criterium not expected to be decisive, Murphy was looking to Saturday’s Mankato Road Race to potentially shake up the overall classification. “That’s where we did it last year,” he noted.
In the 2008 edition, Sutherland assumed the race lead after taking the rolling, windy 91-mile stage. Expect the next couple days to continue the OUCH Presented by Maxxis – Bssell battle, with Colavita’s sprinter looking for spoils and bonus time to try and move up higher in the overall classification.
Photo: Jonathan Devich
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