Chris Wherry Third On Redlands’ Final Stage
0 Comments Published by Unknown on Sunday, March 25, 2007 at 7:52 PM.
Redlands, Calif. – An “all or nothing” decision by the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team changed the overall complexion of the Redlands Bicycle Classic on the final stage.Unfortunately, the aggressive approach to the 91.0-mile (146.5 km) Beaver Medical Group Sunset Road Race resulted in Toyota-United losing its hold on second place overall and the lead in the team general classification it had held since Thursday’s prologue time trial.
“The guys rode their hearts out,” Toyota-United Team Director Harm Jansen said. “It was all or nothing. This time was it was nothing.”
Toyota-United can take some satisfaction in having earned its second podium finish of the National Race Calendar (2.2) event with Chris Wherry’s third place in Sunday’s stage. That result moved the 2005 Redlands champion from 11th to fourth overall, while teammate Justin England, who was second on Stage 1, dropped from second overall to 11th place.
Only 69 of the original 190 starters finished the four-day, four-stage race. Toyota-United’s other placers were: Ivan Stevic, 22nd, 10:29 behind; Burke Swindlehurst, 29th, 16:58 behind and Sean Sullivan, 57th, 23:12 behind.
Andres Bajadali (Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team) won the race overall as Australian Rory Sutherland (Health Net presented by Maxxis) took the stage win, his second straight of the race. Ben Brooks (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team) was second on the stage. All three were part of a 13-rider breakaway that finished three minutes and 55 seconds ahead of the peloton and dashed the hopes Scott Moninger (BMC Racing Team) had of winning at Redlands for the third time in three different decades.
Jansen said he knew it would be a tall order to get England the eight seconds he needed to overtake Moninger for the overall win.
“I’ve never had such a long team meeting with the guys,” Jansen said. “We could never really put our finger on what was going to get our win. But it’s not in my nature – or the guys’ nature – to settle for second. So we went for it. So for as small a chance as it was to win, the guys gave it their all. We ended up with nothing. But that’s how I like to race and that’s how they like to race.”
The strategy Jansen laid out was an aggressive one. Part I would be to put a rider or two in a break in an attempt to soften up the BMC Racing Team, which would be riding to protect Moninger’s lead. Part II was for England to bridge up to the break and put enough distance between himself and Moninger to overcome his deficit.
The strategy worked early on, with Toyota-United’s Chris Baldwin and Wherry going up the road. But even with Moninger’s BMC squad in shambles, getting England in touch with the breakaway proved to be too difficult.
“I had Henk Vogels with me and we were attacking to bridge up but I was just too well marked and couldn’t get away,” England said. “We wanted to try and win the GC. We weren’t happy with second place. And in the end it ended up not working out for us.”
Wherry said he and Baldwin found themselves part of a motivated bunch that had no interest in waiting for anyone behind.
“The guys in the front with us just hit the gas and blew the race apart,” Wherry said. “That put us in a position to try and go for the stage win. It was an all or nothing shot. It just didn’t matter on the GC if it wasn’t first. We raced our hearts out and it didn’t come together.”
Jansen said he’ll remember the 23rd edition of the event – traditionally the first major stage race on the NRC circuit – as one where Toyota-United faced its share of adversity.
“From Justin just barely getting second on the climb to Oak Glen, to Ivan (Dominguez) being eliminated, to having Henk’s best friend (Damian McDonald) die in a car accident in Australia, it was a tough race,” Jansen said.
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