May 1, 2010, Charlotte, NC – The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis started May in the Southeast exactly how they ended April. But instead of Jake Keough taking the top step of the podium as he did yesterday, it was Karl Menzies getting the win at the Dilworth Criterium in Charlotte, his second of the USA Crits Speed Week, after he opened the series with the win in Athens a week ago. Keough did however hold on for 5th place today.
As in yesterday’s race, the attacking occurred early and often, and usually with a UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis rider in the thick of it.
“Adrian Hegyvary was in tons of attacks today,” said Team directeur sportif Mike Tamayo. Late attacks by Hegyvary and Matt Crane once again helped foil the plans of the OUCH-Bahati team trying to set up there sprinter, Hilton Clarke, for the win.
Yesterday, it was Hilton’s younger brother Jonny doing the damage with a late solo effort. Today, Hegyvary got in a move of three riders with five laps to go that forced OUCH-Bahati chase. As soon that move was caught with two laps to go, Crane took off solo to keep the pressure on.
Crane was caught coming across the start/finish line with one lap to go and Hegyvary, who had slotted back into the UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis rotation after he was caught, provided the acceleration over the first hill that brought the team to the front. Clarke took over on the descent and drove it to the base of the finishing hill 400 meters from the line, leaving the lead-out task to Andrew Pinfold.
“I had Jonny and Pinner leading me out and Jake on my wheel,” Menzies said. “Pinner dropped me off and I had good acceleration out of the last turn. The finish is a bit of a power climb. I took off at the right time, maybe a bit earlier than the other guys were expecting.”
The early kick gave Menzies the jump he needed to hit the line ahead of Hilton Clarke and Alexey Schmidt (Team Type 1).
“Everyone has been racing really well this week,” Menzies said. “I don’t think we’ve done anything different the last two nights. We’ve just finished it off a bit better.”
Notes
UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis continued to extend its lead in the overall team competition at Speed Week, opening a gap of nearly 800 points on 2nd place Team Mountain Khakis. With his 5th place today, Keough has pretty much wrapped up the U25 individual competition.
Speedweek concludes Sunday with the Sandy Springs Criterium outside Atlanta (not the Sunny King Criterium, as incorrectly noted yesterday).
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