Toyota-United Goes 3-4-5-6 At Tour de 'Toona
0 Comments Published by Unknown on Monday, July 30, 2007 at 5:37 PM.
Altoona, Penn. - The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team’s season-long goal of winning the team classification in the National Race Calendar standings took another step forward when the boys in red, white and blue put four riders in the top six on the final classification Sunday at the International Tour de ‘Toona in Pennslyvania.
The seven-day, seven-stage race proved to be a daily battle with the team closest to Toyota-United in the team standings: Health Net presented by Maxxis.
Health Net won the race’s opening time trial by 11 seconds over Toyota-United, then held onto the race leader’s yellow jersey by passing it from Nathan O’Neil to Stage 2 winner Karl Menzies, who went on to win Stage 3 (a result which was later nullified), Stage 5 and Stage 7. The Australian also padded his lead with third place on Stage 6.
“I told our guys we can’t be disappointed,” Toyota-United Team Director Harm Jansen said. “Of course we are used to winning – and we want to win – but we didn’t make mistakes.
“Things went according to plan. There were no mechanicals or crashes. Everyone did their jobs to the best of their abilities. We just didn’t walk away with the win.”
The precious handful of seconds riders like Chris Baldwin, Chris Wherry, Justin England and Burke Swindlehurst needed to make up to climb up the overall classification were thought to be within their grasp during Saturday’s 98.5-mile (158.5 km) Verizon/Debartolo Altoona Blair County Road Race.
But after England, Baldwin and Wherry made a 13-man break over the top of the first of three King of the Mountain climbs with a 25-second lead, it was apparent Health Net would be able to close the gap and the race finished in a bunch sprint.
“They had 25 seconds over the top but they really need 50 seconds,” Jansen said.
Sunday’s final stage, a 30-mile criterium, was seemingly tailor-made for Ivan Dominguez. But the team’s super sprinter retired from the race following Saturday’s stage.
Jansen said the effects of sitting out eight weeks of the season in parts of May and June have made it hard on Dominguez.
“When you come back from an injury as severe as the one Ivan had (back and ribs), it comes with a couple ups and downs,” Jansen said. “I think the Tour de ‘Toona was one of his downs. After this, I think he’s going to be fine.”
On the flip side, Jansen said it was good to see Wherry riding well after battling illness for part of June and July. He finished 15th in Sunday’s final stage, second only on the team to Baldwin – who was ninth.
“Both of those guys are riding particularly strong,” Jansen said. “That’s very promising for the upcoming races.”
Next up on the schedule for Toyota-United are a pair of NRC criteriums in North Carolina. Saturday is the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium in Charlotte, followed by Sunday’s Hanes Park Classic – a fixture in Winston-Salem since 1977.
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