Menomonie, WI – With the cancellation of the Stage 3 Cannon Falls Road Race on Thursday, the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis looked to today’s only true road stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix, the 95-mile Menomonie Road Race, to move Rory Sutherland closer to the race lead and his third consecutive overall victory at the NVGP.

“We were in a position to win the stage with our sprinters, but we sold out for Rory to move him up in the general classification,” said Team Director Mike Tamayo. “We’ve won two stages with Hilton Clarke so far, both in front of our sponsors. But we came here to win the overall. We had all our sprinters there, but we were 100-percent focused on getting Rory to the line.”

“There were still a lot of sprinters left at the end,” Sutherland said. “But a sprint at the end of 150 km isn’t the same as a sprint at the end of a crit. At the end of a long stage, my chances go up a bit.”

With all eight of the team’s riders in the main bunch that came to the line, the team set up on the front as they had done for Clarke, Karl Menzies and Jake Keough toward the end of the two criterium stages.
Sutherland sprinted to 3rd place at the end of the hilly, 95-mile stage behind Team Type 1 sprinters Ken Hansen and Alexey Shmidt. Menzies finished right behind him in 4th. The six-second time bonus moved Sutherland within three seconds of race leader Scott Zwizanski (Kelly Benefit Strategies).

“Kelly did another great job again today protecting Scott’s lead,” Tamayo said. “It was a hard stage today, but the hills and the wind didn’t create any selections. They did a good job of keeping it under control. But we have one more stage left and Rory came into this stage last year in a similar position and came away with the overall title. He’s won it two years in a row, and we want a three-peat.”

For Sutherland’s part, he wants to repay his teammates’ work, but he said he doesn’t feel any pressure.

“The guys gave it all up for me today,” he said. “It just shows how well this team works together. But I don’t feel any pressure. I think Zwizanski has more pressure on him. I’d rather be three seconds back and get a good night’s sleep tonight than three seconds ahead and worrying about holding the lead. I’m in a good spot, but I didn’t come here to finish 2nd. I know we’ll come out tomorrow and have a go at it and try for the win.”

Notes

Despite not going for the sprint, Clarke maintained his lead in the sprinter’s competition ahead of Hanson and Shmidt.

Photo: Jonathan Devich, Epic Images

Print | posted on Saturday, June 19, 2010 12:30 AM