Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 2007

Cooper Spur Mountain Resort, Ore. – The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team took a gamble early on in Thursday’s 87-mile (140 km) Cooper Spur Circuit Race on Stage 3 at the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic.

The move eventually amounted to a six-man breakaway that included no fewer than four Toyota-United riders: Chris Baldwin, Stefano Barberi, Heath Blackgrove and Burke Swindlehurst.

Baldwin, who stood fourth on the overall classification heading into the stage, told Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett he wanted to “roll the dice” with a big move on a day when the race comprised four-and-a-half laps of a circuit that included 9,200 feet of climbing.

“We were hoping to try something different to try and win the race considering how well Nathan O’Neill (Health Net presented by Maxxis) is riding,” Willett said. “It was our one day to try and get some time on him and we gave it a try.”

In the end, no amount of time was gained, but Toyota-United’s best hopes for overall victory – Baldwin and Justin England – are still in good position with three stages remaining. England finished fifth Thursday, three seconds behind stage winner Glen Chadwick (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team) to move up to seventh overall, 44 seconds behind race leader Ben Jacques-Maynes (Priority Health Cycling Team presented by Bissell). Baldwin was 23rd on the day, 22 seconds back, and stands 10th overall, 49 seconds out of the lead.

Friday’s stage will almost certainly be decisive for the overall contenders. The 18.5-mile (29.7 km) Scenic Gorge Time Trial features a two-mile climb that winds its way to the top of the Columbia River Plateau, followed by another climb up to the historic Mosier Tunnels.

“This time trial is unbelievably hard,” Willett said. “It’s probably the most challenging time trial these guys will see all year and quite possibly the hardest one on the domestic scene because of all the climbing and a headwind that’s expected to be 20 to 25 mph.”

Thursday, Toyota-United ignited the stage by attacking after the first of five ascents of the Category 2-rated Cooper Spur climb. With Baldwin, Barberi, Swindlehurst, Jeff Louder (Health Net) and Barry Wicks (Kona Lesgets Factory Team) in the break, the leaders quickly built a 75-second lead 25 miles into the stage.

Fewer than 10 miles later, Blackgrove bridged across to the group of five and helped push the lead up to a nearly two minutes with two 19-mile laps remaining.

“Heath attacked in the hopes that one of the Navigators guys would go with him, which would have put pressure on Health Net and Priority Health,” Willett said. “Unfortunately, nobody went with him.”

The chasing efforts of the Priority Health and Navigators teams eventually brought the margin down as the race closed in on the final lap. With the break about to be caught, Chadwick jumped out of the pack, marked by Toyota-United’s Bobby Lea. The pair worked together to build a nearly minute’s lead with only seven miles to go. But Chadwick eventually ventured off alone and held on to finish one second ahead of Jacques-Maynes, Zajicek and O’Neill.

One consolation for Toyota-United on the day was the effort of Barberi, who took the lead in the King of the Mountains competition. The Brazilian will wear the green-and-white jersey through Saturday, as Friday’s time trial does not figure into the climbing competition.

Labels: Burke Swindlehurst, Chris Baldwin, heath blackgrove, Stefano Barberi

Chris Baldwin (third from right) took fourth in the sprint.
The Dalles, Ore. - Chris Baldwin moved up to third overall at the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic Wednesday morning without even climbing onto his bicycle.

Baldwin was listed as the fourth-place finisher in Tuesday’s Stage 1 Panorama Point Prologue time trial. But overnight, race officials determined the original stage winner, Devon Vigus (California Giant/Specialized), was credited with a time one minute faster than his actual finish. The revised results showed Baldwin in third, 11 seconds behind new leader and defending champion Nathan O’Neill (Health Net presented by Maxxis).

Hours later, Baldwin and his Toyota-United teammates were racing Thursday’s 110-mile (176.9 km) Columbia Hills Road Race, the longest stage of the six-day race. With the peloton averaging barely 20 mph for the first two hours, a three-man breakaway easily escaped up the road and built a 13-minute advantage.

It was left to O’Neill’s Health Net squad to do the chasing – and, with help from the Navigators Insurance Cycling Team – the leaders were caught within 15 miles of the finish.

“Guys were mostly suffering from the heat,” Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett said. “We haven’t really done a 90-degree race in the sun all year. Guys started to wilt off the back when the pace picked up.”

Toyota-United’s Stefano Barberi and Justin England were among several riders who went on the attack in the closing miles, further pressuring the Health Net team.

“Navigators chipped in again to help bring them back,” Willett said. “Unfortunately, if a Navigators rider had been in that move, it might have changed things.”

The race was all back together as it entered the final 10 km (6.2 miles), which was a rolling downhill to the finish. Toyota-United’s Bobby Lea led Baldwin out for the bunch sprint in the hopes of helping his teammate earn one of three time bonuses on the line. Baldwin just missed out on another podium finish, placing fourth, as Ben Jacques-Maynes (Priority Health Cycling Team presented by Bissell) took the win and moved into the overall lead.

All six of Toyota-United’s riders finished among the lead group of 54 and are in the top 25 in the overall classification heading into Thursday’s 87-mile (140 km) Cooper Spur Circuit Race. The racers will complete four-and-a-half laps of a circuit that comprises 9,200 feet of climbing.

“Basically, one half of the course is a climb, the other half is downhill,” Willett said. “In the past, it’s been smaller groups that have come into the finish – mostly the overall contenders and a few climbers – usually a group of less than 20.”

Willett said the stage might not decide the overall race winner, but it can certainly eliminate someone from contention.

“Tomorrow is going to be a hard day,” he said. “We’ll find out exactly how strong the Health Net guys are because we’ll be on the attack.”

Labels: Chris Baldwin, Justin England, Stefano Barberi

Hood River, Ore. – Chris Baldwin of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team finished fourth in the Panorama Point Prologue time trial Tuesday night at the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic.

Baldwin was 23 seconds behind the winning time of Devon Vigus (California Giant/Specialized), who clocked a time of five minutes and 50 seconds over the 3.0-mile (4.8 km) course. The race’s defending champion, Nathan O’Neill (Health Net presented by Maxxis), was second (12 seconds behind), while current National Race Calendar standings leader Ben Jacques-Maynes (Priority Health Cycling Team presented by Bissell) was third at 20 seconds.

All six Toyota-United riders placed in the top 35 of the 146 starters on the opening day of the six-stage, six-day National Race Calendar event: Justin England (pictured at left) was 15th (37 seconds behind), Heath Blackgrove was 20th (39 seconds behind), Stefano Barberi was 25th (40 seconds behind), Bobby Lea was 30th and Burke Swindlehurst was 32nd (both 45 seconds behind).

Toyota-United lies fifth in the team standings, 14 seconds behind Health Net, after the opening day. California Giant/Specialized is second, Navigators Insurance Cycling Team is third and Priority Health is fourth.

Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett said the quality of the field makes Wednesday’s 112-mile (180.2 km) Columbia Hills Road Race an interesting one, particularly with the race leader hailing from an amateur team.

“There are four teams here with solid leaders – us, Health Net, Priority Health and Navigators,” Willett said. “Navigators have seven guys, we have six, Health Net has six and Priority Health has five. So the race is definitely on a different level than it was last year.”

Labels: Bobby Lea, Burke Swindlehurst, Chris Baldwin, Justin England, Stefano Barberi

Russellville, Ark. – Chris Baldwin (pictured at right) came excruciatingly close to winning the Tri-Peaks Challenge Sunday.

The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team’s all-arounder chased hard to catch Andrew Bajadali (Jelly Belly Cycling Team) on the tortuous 18 percent grade of Mount Nebo. But when Baldwin crossed the finish line after nearly 11 hours of racing over four days, he found himself five seconds short.

“Of course I’m frustrated,” Baldwin said. “But the team orchestrated our plan perfectly. The guys led me into the final climb and put me in great position.”

Ivan Stevic, who won the Stage 3 criterium, was the final Toyota-United rider to drive the pace leading up to the final climb. His lung-searing effort dropped all but five riders: teammates Baldwin and Justin England, Bajadli, Predag Prokic (AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork) and Javier Zapata (Caico Cycling).

Overall race leader Karl Menzies (Health Net presented by Maxxis), who had a 27-second lead over Baldwin coming into the final stage, was one of those left behind in the final miles. Menzies wound up sixth in the final standings.

“We did everything that we planned and we didn’t make any mistakes today,” Stevic said. “But Bajadali was just stronger and had better legs in the end.”

England helped pace Baldwin until the closing miles, when Bajadali attacked. The difference in the end proved to be the 15-second time bonus Bajadali was awarded for the win. Baldwin received a 10-second bonus for second place to secure his fourth podium finish at a National Race Calendar event this season.

“I took a lot of time out of him (Bajadali) in the Stage 4 time trial and that was important,” Baldwin said. “Unfortunately, I just didn’t have the best legs today.”

Toyota-United put five riders in the top 20 in the final overall standings. Caleb Manion, who finished third to Stevic on Stage 3, was seventh overall, England was 10th, Stevic finished 14th and Burke Swindlehurst was 16th.

Stevic’s stage win was his second of the season and the team’s 16th overall. Teammate Sean Sullivan helped set up the
victory by spending nearly the entire race in a two-man breakaway.

“Health Net was chasing so hard that if you weren’t in the first 30 guys, you were off the back,” Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett said. “The field was pretty much blown to bits.”

Another highlight of the race was the return of Heath Blackgrove, who had been out with a leg injury since the Amgen Tour of California.

Up next for Toyota-United is the six-day, six-stage Mt. Hood Cycling Classic in Hood River, Ore. It begins May 29.

Labels: Chris Baldwin

Stevic had time to freewheel across the finish line.
Russellville, Ark. – The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team remains in position to score its first National Race Calendar stage race win of the season with Chris Baldwin and Caleb Manion less than a minute off the lead with one day remaining at the Tri-Peaks Challenge.

Baldwin sits in third place, 27 seconds behind overall leader Karl Menzies (Health Net presented by Maxxis) and 10 seconds behind second-placed Aaron Tuckerman (Team Rubicon). Manion is sixth, 54 seconds off the lead. Overall, eight riders from six different teams are within 90 seconds of the lead heading into Sunday’s 71.7-mile (115.4 km) NEBO Road Race.

Gaps of seconds may very well turn into minutes, said Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett, considering that the race finishes with a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) climb up Mt. Nebo that averages 18 percent grade.

“This is one of the hardest mountain-top finishes we’ll see all year,” Willett said. “It’s a little bit shorter than Brasstown Bald (the punishing climb in the Tour de Georgia) but with a lot of really gnarly switchbacks.”

Saturday morning, Toyota-United scored its 16th victory of the season when Ivan Stevic won the 55-minutes-plus-four-laps Tech Criterium on the Arkansas Tech University campus. Teammate Sean Sullivan helped set up the fantastic finish by breaking away early in the race with Frank Travieso (AEG-Toshiba JetNetwork Professional Cycling Team), forcing Health Net to chase down the move. The pair was not caught until only five laps remained.

“With Health Net chasing so hard, if you weren’t in the first 30 guys, you were off the back,” Willett said. “The field was pretty much blown to bits.”

On the final lap, Henk Vogels towed Stevic, Manion and Baldwin to the second-to-last corner. From there, Stevic accelerated away to easily win his second race of the season while Manion was just pipped on the line for second by Rahsaan Bahati (Rock Racing).

In Saturday’s second stage, a 5.5-mile (12 km) afternoon time trial in Dardanelle, Ark., Toyota-United placed three riders in the top 10. Baldwin was eighth (17 seconds behind), Jose “Chepe” Manuel-Garcia was seventh (20 seconds back) and Vogels finished eighth (24 seconds back). John Murphy led a 1-2-3 finish by Health Net in the stage.

“Chepe is really riding strong right now,” Willett said. “His form has really improved over the past couple of weeks.”

Russellville, Ark. – Ivan Stevic of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team scored his sixth top five finish in his last nine races with a third place Friday on the Stage 2 Epic Road Race at the Tri-Peaks Challenge stage race.

Stevic’s placing was all the more remarkable considering he spent more than 45 miles riding in a four-man breakaway that was caught with 27 miles to go in the 102-mile (164.1 km) race from Dover to Hector, Ark. Brice Jones (Jelly Belly Cycling Team) won the stage with Karl Menzies (Health Net presented by Maxxis) finishing second.

“The guys were kind of looking after him (Stevic) coming into the finish,” Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett said. “With about a kilometer-and-a-half to go, the road rolls up hill for almost a kilometer, then it flattens out the last 500 meters. We wanted to make sure the guys helped Ivan, Caleb (Manion) and Chris (Baldwin) being in position when the hill started.”

Baldwin, in third place overall, is Toyota-United’s best-placed rider on the overall classification. Manion is also in the top 10, less than a minute behind, after making the decisive breakaway in Thursday’s opening stage of the four-day, five-stage race.

Since the third stage of the Tour of the Gila stage race two weeks ago, Stevic has been on a tear – finishing third three times, second twice and fourth and fifth one time each. He placed second overall in last weekend’s Joe Martin Stage Race while never finishing worse than sixth place.

Friday’s stage featured more than 10,000 feet of climbing and a lot of chasing by the Health Net team. After Stevic and James Meadley (Jelly Belly) joined two other early escapees, the four built a lead of nearly three minutes. That sparked a reaction from Health Net – which had Karl Menzies in second place overall and two others in the top 10 overall.

“They (Health Net) went to the front and chased hard right away,” Willett said. “They basically rode the front the rest of the race and controlled it even after the four guys were caught.”

Toyota-United’s Justin England and Jose Manuel-Garcia each had a go of it in separate attacks inside the final three miles. But each time, they were reeled in, setting the stage for the bunch sprint.

Toyota-United’s designated sprinter, Ivan Dominguez, did not start Friday’s race after being injured in an unusual post-race crash after Stage 1. The Cuban native suddenly lost control of his bicycle about 200 meters past the finish line and flipped over his handlebars, landing on his back and right shoulder. X-rays and a CAT scan proved negative for broken bones.

Willett said it has been determined that there was nothing mechanically wrong with Dominguez’s bicycle. The crash will likely keep him out of action for at least a week.

“We’re just glad he wasn’t more seriously hurt,” Willett said.

Saturday features dual stages: a 55-minutes-plus-four-laps criterium in the morning, followed by a 5.5-mile (8.9 km) individual time trial in the afternoon.

Russellville, Ark. -The enthusiasm of placing three Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team riders in the top 10 on the opening stage of the Tri-Peaks Challenge was dampened by a crash that occurred after the finish line that knocked Ivan Dominguez out of the race.

Dominguez crashed about 200 meters after finishing the stage. He told Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett he doesn’t remember making contact with anyone, only that his front wheel suddenly went sideways, propelling him over the handlebars.

“He basically dropped like a ton of bricks on his back,” Willett said.

A trip to the hospital for X-rays and a CAT scan revealed no broken bones. But Dominguez – already a winner of eight races this season – will not start Friday’s race.

“He’s lucky nothing is broken,” Willett said. “Hopefully, it will be one of those things where a week from now he’ll be OK.”

Dominguez was finishing with a group of riders who came in about six minutes down from the front group, which included Toyota-United’s Chris Baldwin, Caleb Manion and Justin England. Those three were part of a breakaway group of 12 that escaped with about 10 miles to go before the finishing climb to Mt. Magazine Lodge.

“The pack behind eventually sat up and gave up,” Willett said. “Without (Rory) Sutherland of Health Net up there, this was a good GC move for us to set up Baldwin.”

Though Sutherland – who won last week’s Joe Martin Stage Race – was not in the winning move, three of his teammates (Kirk O’Bee, Karl Menzies and Frank Pipp) did make the break. With a little over 1.8 miles (3 km) to go, Aaron Tuckerman (Team Rubicon) attacked his breakaway companions, and, with no response from the remaining riders, went on to win the stage by nine seconds over Menzies and Baldwin, respectively.

“Manion just rode tempo so that Tuckerman didn't totally ride away,” Willett said. “But to bring him back was all on Health Net because our guys had been riding for the last 30 kilometers.”

Manion finished ninth, 18 seconds back, while England was 10th, 3:42 behind. The lead pack arrived at the finish line another three minutes later.

Friday’s stage is a 103-mile (162.5 km) point-to-point road race that loops northwest into the Ozarks, circling back through the national forest and finishing after some 10,000 feet of climbing.

Chris Baldwin rode hard Sunday to help Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
teammate Ivan Stevic try to climb into the overall lead in the final criterium.
Fayetteville, Ark. - Fayetteville, Ark. (May 13, 2007) – Ivan Stevic and Chris Baldwin delivered the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team second and third place overall finishes, respectively, Sunday at the 30th annual Joe Martin Stage Race.

Toyota-United did take the top spot on the podium by winning the team classification at the three-day, four-stage National Race Calendar event to maintain its lead in the NRC team standings.

Rory Sutherland of Health Net was the overall winner of the stage race, finishing four seconds ahead of Stevic and 13 seconds ahead of Baldwin. Stevic also finished second at Joe Martin a year ago.

For Baldwin, it was his second straight podium finish at an NRC stage race. Last weekend, the two-time national time trial champion finished second overall at the Tour of the Gila in Silver City, N.M.

“I feel like I am on top of my game, but there are some great guys racing in the U.S. this year – guys like Rory Sutherland and Ben Jacques-Maynes. It's going to be a competitive year.”

Toyota-United Team Director Harm Jansen said the opportunity was there to overcome Sutherland’s six-second lead heading into the final stage, which was a challenging 85-minutes-plus-three-laps criterium held in oppressive heat.

“I know everybody felt we had a very good shot at it,” Jansen said. “But we could have used guys like Chris Wherry, Henk Vogels and Sean Sullivan today, too.”

Vogels and Wherry, who rode both the Amgen Tour of California and the Tour de Georgia for Toyota-United, did not start the stage race due to illnesses. Sullivan, who helped bring back a three-man breakaway that gained 11 minutes on Stage 1 on Friday, worked hard in Saturday morning’s road race to help reel in a three-man break, but finished outside the time cut.

Baldwin said Health Net did what it had to in order to win the race for the second consecutive time. Last year, Gord Fraser took top honors before retiring at the end of the season.

“I tried to break their composure, but they kept it together,” Baldwin said. “I give those guys (Health Net) a lot of respect. It was a course where it is much easier on the front, and it gets harder each guy you go back. They controlled the front.”

Health Net’s Karl Menzies won the criterium in a field sprint, with Stevic second and Sutherland third. Time bonuses of 10, seven and five seconds, respectively, to the top three finishers provided the final margin of victory.

Labels: Chris Baldwin, Harm Jansen, Ivan Stevic

Fayetteville, Ark. - Chris Baldwin of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team climbed his way into third place overall at the 30th annual Joe Martin Stage Race with a second place finish in Saturday night’s 2.5-mile (4 km) uphill time trial.

Baldwin’s Toyota-United teammate, Ivan Stevic, maintained his second place overall with a sixth place finish in Saturday morning’s 92-mile (148 km) road race and a fourth place finish in the time trial that wound its way through Devil’s Den State Park.

With only Sunday’s 85-minutes-plus-three-laps criterium remaining, Rory Sutherland (Health Net presented by Maxxis) leads the overall classification. Stevic is six seconds behind and Baldwin is eight seconds back. Baldwin finished eight seconds behind Sutherland in the time trial, while Stevic lost 16 seconds to Sutherland to finish in fourth place.

Time bonuses of 10, seven and five seconds will be awarded to the first, second and third-place finishers, respectively, of Sunday’s criterium through the streets of downtown Fayetteville.

“Obviously, it will be a tough task,” Toyota-United Team Director Jarm Hansen said. “We need Ivan to win the stage and have Sutherland finish outside the top three.”

Making the challenge even more difficult will be the absence of several of Toyota-United’s most formidable criterium racers. Henk Vogels and Chris Wherry both did not start the three-day, four-stage race while recovering from illnesses. A third Toyota-United rider, Sean Sullivan, did not make the time cut in Saturday’s road race.

“We are really missing those three guys right now,” Jansen said. “The criterium is very technical and challenging. There is a lot of room for movement on the final stage and without them, it will be hard to control things.”

Toyota-United’s Ivan Dominguez, who donned the leader’s jersey after winning Friday’s 110-mile (177 km) road race, was dropped on one of the final climbs in Saturday morning’s road race. He finished 104th, 2:42 behind, and dropped to 101st in the overall standings after placing 41st in the uphill time trial.

Toyota-United Team Soigneur Reed McCalvin helps Ivan Dominguez get ready
for the podium ceremony after Dominguez won the 110-mile road race.
Fayetteville, Ark. – Ivan Dominguez of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team grabbed the first-day lead at the 30th annual Joe Martin Stage Race with an impressive victory Friday in the Stage 1 road race.

Dominguez used the lead-out of teammate Ivan Stevic to jump past Karl Menzies (Health Net presented by Maxxis) coming out of the final turn at the end of the 110-mile (177 km) race. Stevic held on to place second, while Toyota-United had three others finish in the top 10: Chris Baldwin (sixth), Caleb Manion (ninth) and Justin England (10th).

The win was Toyota-United’s 15th of the season and its fifth in a National Race Calendar event. It was the eighth victory of the season for Dominguez, but his first since April 1. He came into the three-day, four-stage race in fifth place in the NRC individual standings (after 12 events).

“I was a little worried how I would do because this is my first race since the Tour de Georgia,” Dominguez said. “But I felt good.”

For much of Friday’s race, it looked like three riders who escaped the pack after 12 miles (20 km) would battle it out for the stage win. The trio built an 11-minute lead before the combined efforts of Toyota-United, Health Net presented by Maxxis and the Jelly Belly Cycling Team started bringing the gap down. The last of the three was caught only 3.1 miles (5 km) from the finish.

“At one point, it looked like it was going to get a little tight, so everyone threw in an extra guy (to work),” Toyota-United Team Director Harm Jansen said.

As the finish drew closer, Toyota-United put several riders on the front to set up a lead-out train for Dominguez. Manion handled the initial lead-out, followed by Stevic, who said he liked the uphill finish that featured a six-percent grade in the final 350 meters.

“I didn’t want to put him (Dominguez) in a bad situation by attacking and taking someone with me,” Stevic said. “So it was perfect to stay together and get him the win while I gained a few seconds.”

Due to time bonuses awarded on the finish, Dominguez has a five-second lead over Stevic while third-place finisher on the stage, Alex Candelario (Jelly Belly) is 10 seconds back. Menzies is fourth at 15 seconds and is tied on time with seven other riders, including Baldwin, Manion and England.

Last year, only 21 seconds separated the top three overall finishers: Gord Fraser (first), Stevic (second) and Scott Moninger (third).

“Those eight seconds that separate 10th place with everyone else’s time are crucial. A few GC guys lost a few seconds,” Jansen said.

Toyota-United’s other three riders are among 103 riders who are 23 seconds back: Stefano Barberi (54th place), Jose Manuel-Garcia (55th place), and Sean Sullivan (108th place).

Friday’s race featured more than 5,400 feet of climbing, including a 9.2-mile section with an average grade of 2.7 percent. But Stevic said the tempo being set by the three teams to reel the breakaway back helped Dominguez save his strength.

“It wasn’t that hard so it was good for Ivan,” the Serbian national champion said. “We didn’t go hard on the climbs so he had good legs for the finish.”

Saturday, the 131 remaining professional men’s riders will compete in two stages: a 92-mile (148 km) road race in the morning and a 2.5-mile (4 km) uphill time trial in the afternoon. The road race features a 23-mile loop that includes more than 1,500 feet of climbing on each of the three laps the riders will complete. The individual time trial is a 680-foot climb out of Devil’s Den State Park. The average grade is 6.8 percent.

“I hope to ride a good time trial because it’s going to make the different on the GC,” Stevic said. “But a lot of things can change on the last day because the criterium (on Sunday) is very technical and very hard.”

Labels: Caleb Manion, Chris Baldwin, Ivan Dominguez, Ivan Stevic, Jose Manuel-Garcia, Justin England, Stefano Barberi

Toyota-United's Chris Baldwin (left) was second
to Nathan O'Neil (center). Scott Moninger was third.
Silver City, N.M. - Chris Baldwin of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team didn’t successfully defend his title at 21st edition of the Ben D. Altamirano Tour of the Gila. But you wouldn’t have known it by the smile on his face after Sunday’s final stage.

“I lost to a far superior rider,” Baldwin said after finishing second overall to Nathan O'Neil (Health Net presented by Maxxis). “We took some shots at him, but he certainly earned the win. I'm pretty pleased, though. I feel like I haven't gotten many results this spring, so I'm happy with my result.”

Baldwin finished the five-stage, 339.1-mile (545.7 km) National Race Calendar event one minute and 42 seconds behind O’Neil’s winning time of 13 hours, 58 minutes and 43 seconds. Over five days of racing, Baldwin finished third in the opening time trial Wednesday, third in the Stage 2 Silver City to Mogollon Road Race and third in Sunday’s Stage 5 Gila Monster Road Race.

“It was pretty hard to make much happen today,” Baldwin said of the 105.7-mile (170.2 km) final stage that featured more than 9,000 feet of climbing. “It was a big blow not having Burke (Swindlehurst) today. He's really, really good at riding this stage.”

Swindlehurst, a three-time Tour of the Gila champion (1996, 1998 and 2005) did not start Saturday’s Stage 4 criterium after coming down with a 24-hour stomach flu after Friday’s Stage 3 Inner Loop Road Race.

“He (Burke) is doing better now, but we really felt his absence,” Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett said. “It's hard when you're down to three climbers on a stage like this because all three have to have a good day.”

While Toyota-United successfully defending Baldwin’s second place overall, it was unable to hold onto its lead in the team classification. Justin England finished 10th Sunday and wound up eighth overall, 4:32 behind the winning time. But teammate Stefano Barberi, who was eighth overall heading into the final stage, had the misfortune of getting a flat tire midway through Sunday’s race.

“We got him back on and he fought real well to be our third guy on the road,” Willett said. “It’s too bad he had to overcome that flat tire, though. It took a little a bit of wind out of his sails.”

Barberi ended up crossing the finish line with a group that arrived more than eight minutes after stage winner Scott Moninger (BMC Pro Cycling Team). That dropped the Brazilian to 15th overall, 12:07 behind O’Neil.

Toyota-United’s other remaining riders, Ivan Stevic and Jose Manuel-Garcia, did not finish the final stage. Stevic spent more than 150 kilometers riding in breakaways on Stages 2 and 3 (finishing third on Stage 3) and placed fifth in Saturday’s Stage 4 Downtown Silver City Criterium.

“They both did a great job of supporting the other guys on the first half of Sunday’s stage,” Willett said. “Once you get dropped on a stage like this, you’re done unless you’re still in contention. Since both of those guys are doing the Joe Martin Stage Race next week, it’s wise that they saved their legs.”

Labels: Chris Baldwin, Justin England, Kirk Willett

Silver City, N.M. - Ivan Stevic’s bid for a stage win for the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team at the Tour of the Gila didn’t succeed Saturday. But it wasn’t for a lack of trying.

Twice, Stevic launched himself into viable breakaways during Stage 4’s 43.2-mile (69.7 km) Downtown Silver City Criterium. The first time, he bridged a 15-second gap to join teammate Jose Manuel-Garcia (pictured below), who was part of a five-man breakaway that formed halfway through the 34-lap race. With Stevic and Chad Hartley (BMC Pro Cycling) giving the escapees more power, their lead increased to 50 seconds.

“It was looking pretty good for us for awhile but then Jelly Belly and Health Net started riding tempo,” Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett said.

Inside of 10 laps remaining, the gap between the breakaway and the field was down to less than 15 seconds. This triggered Stevic’s second attack, which only Nick Reistad (Jelly Belly) could follow. But with Reistad under orders not to work, the two-time Serbian national champion was forced to go it alone. His efforts kept the pair out front until they were caught with two laps to go.

Despite working so hard Saturday – and in two long breakaways Thursday and Friday – Stevic still managed a fifth-place finish as Bryce Jones (Jelly Belly) won the field sprint. With the overall standings unchanged, Toyota-United’s Chris Baldwin remains in second place overall, one minute and 59 seconds behind Nathan O’Neill (Health Net presented by Maxxis). O’Neill has worn the leader’s pink jersey since winning the race’s opening time trial on Wednesday.

With only Sunday’s Gila Monster Road Race remaining, Toyota-United holds the lead in the team classification, thanks to having three riders in the top 11: Baldwin in second, Stefano Barberi in eighth, 3:43 behind) and Justin England in 11th, 3:56 behind. A fourth Toyota-United rider, Burke Swindlehurst, who was in ninth overall after Friday’s stage, came down with a stomach virus and was unable to start Saturday’s race, Willett said.

“Unfortunately, we lost a really strong guy for tomorrow,” Willett said.

Sunday’s 105.7-mile (170.2 km) race traditionally shakes up the overall standings, thanks to its challenging terrain, the altitude and overall distance.

“With O’Neill riding so well it will be hard to challenge him,” Willett said. “But he could find himself riding without any teammates in the last 20 miles. Then we’ll see what happens. It will definitely be a hard day.”

Labels: Chris Baldwin, Ivan Stevic, Jose Manuel-Garcia, Justin England, Kirk Willett

Bayard, N.M. – The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team garnered its third consecutive podium finish at the Tour of the Gila when Ivan Stevic finished third on the Inner Loop Road Race Friday.

Stevic was part of a four-man breakaway that escaped a shattered peloton approximately halfway through the 80-mile (129.6 km) race. A concerted attack from the gun by Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle decimated the field down to 18 riders, from which Stevic, Tom Peterson (Team Slipstream), Nick Resitad (Jelly Belly Cycling Team) and David Salomon (P&S-Halcones) eventually powered away to build a maximum lead of three minutes.

That advantage evaporated quickly in the closing miles, though, but the quartet managed to hold off the fast-charging field. Peterson took the win on a flat tire, ahead of Resitad and Stevic (pictured at far left), respectively.

Toyota-United’s other finishers in the lead group were Chris Baldwin (third-place finisher on Stages 1 and 2), who was eighth, Justin England (13th), Burke Swindlehurst (17th) and Stefano Barberi (26th).

For Stevic, it was the second consecutive day he found himself part of a long breakaway.

“I’d say he has spent close to 240 km (150 miles) riding on the front,” Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett. “He’s got a nose for getting into breaks. He’s always good at finding himself in the right one. He’s got the punch to jump across when it looks like it’s going to work.”

Feeling the exhaustion afterwards, Stevic was a man of few words.

“I wasn’t necessarily going to be in a break, but it was good for the team,” the Serbian national champion said. “They didn’t have to work at all.”

With the overall standings remaining relatively unchanged, Toyota-United maintained its lead in the team classification. In the individual classification, Baldwin is second, 1:59 behind of overall leader Nathan O’Neil (Health Net presented by Maxxis). Three other Toyota-United riders are in the top 11 overall: Stefano Barberi (8th, 3:43 behind), Burke Swindlehurst (9th, 3:45 behind) and Justin England (11th, 3:56 behind). Prior to Friday’s stage, race officials corrected Barberi’s placing on Stage 2, which moved him up from 12th place to eighth overall.

The penultimate stage of the five-day, five-stage event is Saturday’s Downtown Silver City Criterium, a 43.2-mile (69.7 km) race around a 1.08-mile (1.73 km) relatively flat rectangle.

Labels: Burke Swindlehurst, Chris Baldwin, Ivan Stevic, Justin England, Kirk Willett

Mogollon, N.M. – Toyota-United’s Chris Baldwin climbed into second place overall at the Tour of the Gila Thursday with a third-place finish on Stage’s 2 Silver City to Mogollon Road Race.

Baldwin is now one minute and 59 seconds behind overall leader Nathan O’Neil (Health Net presented by Maxxis), who finished second in Thursday’s 94.1-mile (152.3 km) road race that finished with a challenging climb. Hernan Monoz (P&S Halco Hermosillo) won the stage, finishing 10 seconds ahead of O’Neil and 35 seconds ahead of Baldwin.

With four riders finishing in the top 12 on Thursday, the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team moved into the overall lead on the team classification. Justin England finished sixth (53 seconds behind), Burke Swindlehurst was ninth (1:16 behind) and Stefano Barberi was 12th (1:49 behind). In the overall standings, Swindlehurst is eighth (3:45 behind), England is 10th (3:56 behind) and Barberi is 11th (4:03 behind).

Toyota-United’s Ivan Stevic (pictured above at left, with Baldwin) was part of a six-man breakaway group that escaped the field 10 kilometers after the start and built a maximum lead of six minutes. But upon reaching the initial portion of the final climb, the group splintered. When the remnants of the peloton caught up, only two of the original breakaway members – Stevic and Dave McCann (Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) – could stay with the leaders.

With four teammates around him, Stevic provided to be a valuable asset on a crosswind section before the final steeper portion of the climb.

“When Stevic came back from the break, he got right on the front of the group and just drilled it,” Baldwin said. “It put everybody behind him in trouble while Burke and I pretty much got a free ride.”

Swindlehurst then attacked at the base of the final portion of the climb, further diminishing the lead group. That set the stage for the decisive attack, which was launched by O’Neil with less than 3 km to go. Only Baldwin and Munoz could follow, with Munoz eventually going to on win the stage.

“There was no hesitation on Burke’s part to step up and sacrifice himself for Baldwin, Barberi and England,” Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett said of the three-time Tour of the Gila champion. “That’s what pleases me most about this team. The guys know what to do and when to do it.”

Baldwin said he hopes Stevic or Swindlehurst can be rewarded for their efforts in the days to come.

“Those guys were really the heroes for Toyota-United today,” the defending champion said. “The plan all along was to get as many guys as we could into the top 10. It gives you more options on the last day. Unfortunately, Burke had to sell out at the bottom for me, but he still managed a strong finish.”

Friday’s stage is the 80-mile (129.6 km) Inner Loop Road Race that starts and finishes at the Fort Bayard Medical Center, traveling in a clockwise loop through the town of Bayard, N.M.

“The climbs aren’t decisive, but it’s a stage where the wind can sometimes play a role,” Willett said. “Our sprinter here is Stevic, so if he didn’t burn too many matches today, we’ll look for him to be there tomorrow.”

Labels: Burke Swindlehurst, Chris Baldwin, Ivan Stevic, Stefano Barberi

Baldwin averaged 27.9 mph in the 16.15-mile time trial.
Tyrone, N.M. - Led by Chris Baldwin’s third-place finish in Wednesday’s Dan Potts Memorial Tyrone Time Trial, five Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team riders placed in the top 25 on the opening stage of the 21st annual Ben D. Altamirano Tour of the Gila.

Baldwin finished one minute and 29 seconds behind Nathan O’Neil (Health Net presented by Maxxis), who won the 16.15-mile (26 km) race against the clock in 33 minutes and 13 seconds. Ben Jacques-Maynes (Priority Health Cycling Team) finished second, 1:15 behind O’Neil. Baldwin is the race’s defending champion.

The revelation of the opening day of the five-day, five-stage, 339.1-mile (545.7 km) race was Toyota-United’s Stefano Barberi. Starting his second National Race Calendar stage race of the season, the 5-foot-9 Brazilian finished 10th, 2:14 behind.

The third-year pro (pictured at right), who makes his home in Boulder, Colo., already has one win to his credit this season. He captured the Stazio Criterium in Boulder on March 25 and rode to a pair of runner-up finishes in challenging mountain road races in Colorado in mid-April.

“It’s good to see him come out and have a good ride like that,” Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett said.

Toyota-United’s other placers Wednesday were: Burke Swindlehurst, 13th, 2:29 behind; Ivan Stevic, 17th, 2:48 behind; Justin England, 23rd, 3:03 behind; and Jose Manuel-Garcia, 38th, 3:49 behind. In the team standings, Toyota-United is second behind Health Net.

Willett said the cancellation of the Tour of Utah – originally scheduled for a late June start – has bolstered the quality of competition in the 121-rider field.

“This is probably one of the deepest fields that have ever come here,” Willett said. “O’Neil will be very well-supported by his team and he’s been on form since the Tour de Georgia. But this race has so much climbing and wind that anything can happen. We’re optimistic that our guys can climb well and go after stage wins, which would move them up the general classification.”

Two Toyota-United riders who were penciled in on the team’s original eight-man roster for the race did not start Wednesday. New Zealander Heath Blackgrove continues to recover from a leg injury sustained in the Amgen Tour of California while American Chris Wherry was bothered by stomach problems earlier this week, Willett said.

Thursday’s stage is the 94.1-mile (152.3 km) Silver City to Mogollon Road Race, a race that finishes with a grueling 2,100-foot climb.

“The last five kilometers are really steep all the way to the line,” Willett said. “The course itself pretty much goes one direction (northwest). What we don’t know is which way the wind will be blowing. The forecast is for it to be rather windy, so the race could be really wide open early.”

Labels: Burke Swindlehurst, Chris Baldwin, Justin England, Stefano Barberi