Paris-Roubaix outdoes Boulder-Roubaix by all accounts from a cycling competition perspective. It’s more than double the length and 104 years older in running time; the cobbles span fewer kilometers than the Colorado counterpart dirt roads but their uneven surface spawns more fear than rural hardpack.
Finish Paris-Roubaix and a bike racer rightly deserve the distinction of uber tough.
However, Boulder-Roubaix offers each rider a free Boulder Beer after the race. Can Paris-Roubaix match that?
| Paris-Roubaix | Boulder-Roubaix | ||
| First run | 1896 | 1992 | |
| Distance | 257.5 km | 120.4 km | (Pro men, 1, 2) |
| Cobbles / dirt | 51.5 km | 68.6 km | |
| Approx Avg speed | 42 km/hr | 42 km/hr |
Robin Eckmann leads in break near end of lap 1 at 2012 Boulder-Roubaix
Head of the pack chasing break near end lap 1, Boulder-Roubaix
Boulder-Roubaix has crashes too, turn onto feedzone hill
Break heading to feedzone hill on lap 3, Boulder-Roubaix
Frank Pipp checks his lead before the finish at 2012 Boulder-Roubaix
Sprint for second, Sean Sullivan & Robin Eckmann (l to r)
2012 Boulder-Roubaix, women's podium, Kasey Clark 2nd, Alison Powers 1st, Anne Samplonius 3rd
2012 Boulder-Roubaix men's podium Robin Eckmann 2nd, Frank Pipp 1st, Sean Sullivan 3rd
Frank Pipp, Isabelle, and Stephanie Pipp after 2012 Boulder-Roubaix
Tom Danielson started talking about it in December. Chris Baldwin did too; after the presentation of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge host cities in December, he tweeted: “Whispers of a flagstaff finish making my legs hurt already.”
Shawn Hunter thinks it will draw the biggest crowds in cycling history. “It” is stage 6 of the 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge, 103 miles from Golden to Boulder on August 25th, and so far it seems to be the most talked about stage of the entire race.
This week the race arranged tweet-chats with three pro-cyclists who participated in the event last year: Chris Baldwin, Jason McCartney, and Lucas Euser. Rory Sutherland joined the conversation with Lucas Euser and all but challenged him to a duel on Flagstaff.
In a video about the stage, Bob Roll said, “I expect things to be fairly well together as the riders approach Boulder, the town, after that second to last climb, but once we get to the slopes of Flagstaff, it’s going to absolutely blow to smithereens.”
Jason McCartney (r) with Andy Schleck, 2009 Amgen Tour of California (photo by Adam Endicott, adamend, Flickr)
Given the battle that’s bound to get fired up by Boulderites cheering for their favorite local boys, the Boulder Local Organizing Committee might want to think about offering a prize to the best placed Boulder resident pro-cyclist on the stage.
Here’s a selection of Q & A from the @USAProChallenge tweet-chats over the last few days:
Q to Chris Baldwin: Do you think Boulder based riders will work that much harder in Stage 6? Added motivation?
A: Mr Siff, these guys work to their limits every race, but a home town crowd will bring the best out I’m sure! Thanks to you!
Q to Lucas Euser: which stage has your name written on it?
A: Stage 6 Golden-Boulder for sure! Lee Hill and Flagstaff will be a sweet combo.
Rory Sutherland to Lucas Euser: who will win our battle up Flagstaff? It’s on Euser!
A: Oh snap!! It’s on Rory. No doubt we will be the underdogs, but @TeamSpidertech and @UHCProcycling will for sure throw down.
Chris Baldwin casual, December 2011
Q to Chris Baldwin: what is your favorite stage of the 2012 #USAProRoute?
A: last year, the golden to denver stage, but I’m looking forward to the golden to boulder leg.
Q to Chris Baldwin: Of all the climbs in the 2012 #USAProRoute, which do you think will break up the field the most?
Q: for sure flagstaff, but I don’t expect large gaps between top riders. Should be tense until denver!
Lucas Euser and Connie Carpenter-Phinney
Q to Lucas Euser: As a Boulder resident, what are you looking forward to in the Golden to Boulder stage?
A: Adoring fans in Golden, iconic cycling haven of Boulder, Lee Hill/Flagstaff combo. Stage 6 is why cycling exists.
(via USA Pro Cycling Challenge)
Flagstaff Mountain Amphitheater entrance sign
The route for the 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge professional cycling stage race will take riders on a heart-pounding journey through the breathtaking Colorado Rockies. After making history in the inaugural year by traveling to the highest elevation of any race in North America or Europe – higher than the most challenging route on the Tour de France – this year’s race will take the riders to an altitude of 12,000 ft. not one, but three separate times and will include a finish on iconic Flagstaff Mountain on the penultimate day. A highly anticipated event on the race calendar, the 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge will test the riders’ strength and endurance.The race will visit 12 official host cities for the starts and finishes of each stage, with varying sizes ranging from towns as small as 250 residents, to cities as large as Denver with a population of more than 600,000. The four new cities joining the 2012 race – Durango, Telluride, Montrose and Boulder – each offer breathtaking scenery, as well as a unique cycling history, that will add to the overall excitement of the race.
With 9 mountain passes, 42,000 feet of combined elevation gain over 7 days, and 683 miles of total racing, the 2012 USA Pro Challenge race route will again demonstrate that THE MOUNTAIN CHANGES EVERYTHING.
Stage 1 — Durango to Telluride
Starting the 2012 USA Pro Challenge with a road race instead of 2011’s Prologue means the competition is wide open starting on the first day. Often an opening road stage can be tame, but this is anything but, with challenges coming nearly right away. Starting with a 5 mile loop that encompasses most of Durango, and the Tour’s first Sprint Line of 2012, the riders head up hill and out of town past Fort Lewis College and toward Telluride. After a second Sprint Line in the town of Dolores, racers will start a gradual canyon climb that lasts more than 30 miles, eventually taking them up and over Lizard Head Pass at 10,222 feet. After the climbers’ first test of the week they take a 15 mile descent into the narrow streets of Telluride to finish stage one and the first 125 miles of the race.
Stage 2 — Montrose to Crested Butte / Mt. Crested Butte
One of the shortest stages of the week, a mix of old and new awaits the racers on this second stage of 99 miles. After starting in Montrose, the first 65 miles has a bit of a sting with the short but challenging climbs over Cerro Summit and Blue Mesa Summit making for early launch pads for the breakaway specialists. Then the cyclists visit familiar territory with a Sprint Line in Gunnison, a second Sprint Line in Crested Butte, and a nasty 2 mile climb to the dramatic finish on Mt. Crested Butte, which proved an exciting moment in 2011. After heading gradually uphill most of the day, cyclists and their fans will witness all the excitement of a huge alpine climb packed into 4 minutes, with the promising roar of the Crested Butte crowd at the finish.
Stage 3 — Gunnison to Aspen
One of the toughest days of racing in the US returns this year – the epic Gunnison to Aspen stage will again feature two of the highest climbs in professional racing. The 131-mile Queen Stage is the longest stage of the entire week, but after last year, the cyclists will know what to expect. After a sprint line in Almont and a moderate climb to Taylor Park Reservoir, cyclists will say goodbye to pavement for 14 miles of dirt climb to the 12,126-foot summit of Cottonwood Pass. While this is the highest point of the entire week, cyclists are not done yet, with a sprint line in Buena Vista followed by another monster 12,000 foot summit on the famed Independence Pass before a wild descent into Aspen.
Stage 4 — Aspen to Beaver Creek
It’s not often that you start with a monster climb, but that’s what the cyclists will find at the beginning of Stage 4 when they head back over Independence Pass for a second time, getting a second look at the thousands of enthusiastic fans lining the road up and down. Then elevation is the name of the game, with much of this 97-mile course above 9000 feet. But it’s downhill from there heading for a sprint in the town of Leadville – the highest incorporated city in the US at 10,152 feet. Then they head over the Continental Divide at Tennessee Pass (10,424’) before descending into Minturn. Finally, the peloton will be faced by a stiff two and a half mile climb that rises almost 1000 feet to the ski resort of Beaver Creek, a difficult finish that could result in the fourth leader change in as many days.
Leopards Watering and Feeding in Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, pre-UPCC 2011 Prologue Recon (Mary Topping)
Stage 5 — Breckenridge to Colorado Springs
Stage 5 will be a good day for two kinds of riders – sprinters and opportunists. A daunting 10 mile climb up Hoosier Pass to 11,500 feet makes for a rude awakening, but if the sprinters and breakaway specialists can make it over that, they have a good chance to go for a stage win. After the single summit of the day and a fast descent into Fairplay, the high mountains are left behind. Descending into Woodland Park, the racers may hit their fastest speeds of the week at the downhill Sprint Line, then continue downhill to Colorado Springs through the shadow of Pikes Peak. A technical uphill run through Garden of the Gods Park lets the cyclists revisit the roads of last year’s prologue before finishing with high-speed circuits through downtown Colorado Springs.
Stage 6 — Golden to Boulder
Stage 6 brings top-level professional racing back to one of the hotbeds of American cycling; there likely isn’t an American in the peloton who hasn’t trained on these roads. After two laps in downtown cycling-crazed Golden, which hosted one of the race’s largest crowds during the 2011 race, the field will head toward Boulder and through the first sprint line of the day near the Pearl Street Mall and the race’s expo area. Next comes the arduous 15 mile climb up Boulder Canyon to the town of Nederland, then the cyclists travel along the gorgeous Peak to Peak Highway, descending to another sprint line in Lyons, and on to the well-known climb up Left Hand Canyon and Lee Hill Road. Nedfest in Nederland and the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Lyons happening simultaneously on this day will make for a festive atmosphere in each of these enthusiastic towns. A quick passage back through downtown begins the gradual climb through “The Hill” neighborhood. From here the riders make a final 3.5 mile climb to the historic Sunrise Amphitheater on Flagstaff Mountain. This well-known stretch and its 1200’ elevation gain should be the deciding factor in the day’s racing – and possibly the whole week’s competition.
Stage 7 — Denver, Time Trial
After a week of tough racing over mountains at altitude, this flat and fast time trial course in downtown Denver will have those looking to win the overall competition facing a tough individual test. Using many of the same roads as the final Denver finish circuits of 2011, the course will provide a challenge for the riders and fantastic viewing opportunities for race fans. Starting at one minute intervals near the State Capitol Building in Denver’s Civic Center Park, the riders will first face a familiar out and back section along Speer Boulevard and Colfax Avenue – with a slight detour through the entertainment district along Larimer Street. Then the individual riders will turn north to 17th Avenue for a short but technical run in City Park before racing back to the finish line on Broadway, adjacent to Civic Center Park.
USA Pro Cycling Challenge, overall podium (Mary Topping)
There is Classics racing in-between the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, and it’s called Scheldeprijs, 202 km of flat racing from Antwerp to Schoten in Belgium that’s made for a sprinter’s win. Scheldeprijs started in 1907.
With Mark Cavendish sitting this one out and Boonen stating he’s conserving energy for Paris-Roubaix, it will be interesting to see which other sprinters will mix it up for the win. Marcel Kittel for the newly-named Argos-Shimano team? Jake Keough of UnitedHealthcare has been on a strong season so far, with multiple top-10 results in the Tour of Langkawi, not to mention the Langkawi sprint king, Andrea Guardini of Farnese Vini – Selle Italia, who won six stages in that tour. Garmin-Barracuda’s Tyler Farrar looks free to ride for himself with Sep Vanmarcke no longer on the startlist, presumably due to illness.
Tune in on April 4th and find out who prevails. Live coverage options.
Last ten Scheldeprijs winners:
| 2011 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) |
| 2010 | Tyler Farrar (USA) |
| 2009 | Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) |
| 2008 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) |
| 2007 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) |
| 2006 | Tom Boonen (Bel) |
| 2005 | Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) |
| 2004 | Tom Boonen (Bel) |
| 2003 | Ludovic Capelle (Bel) |
| 2002 | Robbie McEwen (Aus) |
When the USA Pro Cycling Challenge (UPCC) greets Aspen, Colorado on August 22nd and 23rd for a stage finish and start, it visits a place where locals and celebrities delight in nature’s fortune much as Native Americans and pioneering miners did before them.
Defined by nature
For hundreds of years the Ute Native Americans lived in the Aspen area which they called “Shining Mountains.” The name reflects the geography and the precious metal that attracted fortune hunters. The Elk Mountains, Collegiate Peaks and White River National Forest enfold Aspen, where miners who settled the valley discovered a 1,840 pound silver nugget (reported weights of the nugget vary). Mining investors renamed Ute City Aspen in 1880.
The same investors built the first road over Independence Pass in the early 1880’s. UPCC spectators who watch the race this August on Independence Pass will stand on a former toll road that follows 19th century mule train trails.
Celebrity space
Cycling fans know Lance Armstrong has an Aspen home, and many can name Kevin Costner, Jack Nicholson, Mariah Carey, Melanie Griffith, Don Henley, and others as current or former residents. But what about the Beatles and Snoopy?
Poke around Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass, and you’ll find over fifty shrines to famous folks including Elvis and Jerry Garcia, as well as venerable sports teams and their homes, like the Red Sox and Fenway Park.
Those honored in these shrines reside in Aspen at a bargain price. To purchase a trailer home in Aspen requires what many consider a celebrity budget; one real estate agent calls it the most affordable option in town at $560,000. Aspen’s one place where saying you live in a “double-wide” elicits envy.
Find locals here
Some say that when the Utes were pushed out of Colorado and into Utah they cursed the land they were forced to leave, so that those living on it afterwards would never find happiness there, or go crazy trying. Thankfully visitors don’t have to go nutty to enjoy Aspen. They just need to study the Aspen Times Local’s Choice Awards results.
Big Wrap on E. Durant Avenue won the favorite cheap eats award; it serves a “Pesto Wrapture” for about $7.00.
Perusing the Local’s Choice Awards reveals options for burning calories too: the difficult Ute Trail on Aspen Mountain won favorite view of Aspen and Maroon Creek Road won favorite bike ride.
Before leaving for your next stop on the UPCC trail, peruse the racks at Suzie’s Consignment, the locals’ favorite second-hand store, so you can spectate in style at Beaver Creek or Breckenridge.
Independence Pass ascent view from 1K to top (Mary Topping)
International visitors should feel welcome; Aspen is sister to six cities: New Zealand’s Queenstown, Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany, Shimukappu in Japan, France’s Chamonix, San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina, and Davos, Switzerland.
See also:
USA Pro Cycling Challenge host city, Durango: facts and fables
USA Pro Cycling Challenge host city, Telluride: facts and fables
USA Pro Cycling Challenge host city, Montrose: facts and fables
USA Pro Cycling Challenge host city, Mount / Crested Butte: facts and fables
USA Pro Cycling Challenge host city, Gunnison: facts and fables
USA Pro Cycling Challenge host city, Beaver Creek: facts and fables
Ascending the Col de Peyresourde, 2008 Tour de France (photo by Mary Topping)
Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France race director, said the race organization aspired in 2011 to reinvigorate French presence and success in the TDF. Afterall, France last enjoyed first place in the Tour with Bernard Hinault in 1985.
Prudhomme succeeded. Thomas Voeckler finished fourth overall and wore the yellow jersey for ten days, reinforcing the hero status he earned based on his 2004 TDF performance when he embraced the yellow jersey for ten days as well before losing it to Lance Armstrong. The four wildcard teams invited in 2011 were Voeckler’s Europcar, Cofidis, FDJ, and Saur-Sojasun.
Prudhomme called filling the wildcard slots with French teams a one-time event, not necessarily to be repeated for 2012. Now the cycling world awaits the Amaury Sports Organization’s (A.S.O.) announcement of the four wildcard teams to participate in the 2012 Tour. The announcement is expected soon, and many are speculating on the potential outcome.
Assuming a total team count of 22 for the Tour, the A.S.O. only selects four wildcard teams. All 18 World Tour teams receive automatic invites based up the agreement Prudhomme and other Grand Tour organizers struck with the UCI in December, 2010. In that agreement, all World Tour teams obtain automatic entry to all World Tour events. The 18 World Tour teams are Ag2r, Astana, BMC, Euskaltel-Euskadi, FDJ-Big Mat, Garmin-Barracuda, GreenEDGE, Katusha, Lampre-ISD, Liquigas-Cannondale, Lotto Belisol, Movistar, Omega Pharma-QuickStep, Rabobank, Radioshack-Nissan, Sky, Saxo Bank and Vacansoleil-DCM.
The wildcard selection process seems to lie entirely within the A.S.O.’s discretion. In the past many assumed the criteria included a team’s success in early season races and ability to contribute excitement to the race. The 2011 selection demonstrated a slightly different, though not mutually exclusive, focus.
After the A.S.O. named the 2011 wildcard teams, John Wilcockson postulated an opinion shared by others regarding the wildcard selection process. He wrote that when the A.S.O. selects wildcard teams for the TDF, it shuts out teams whose riders or directors had previously brought embarrassment upon the Tour, namely by positive doping findings during the race.
In 2006 when Operation Puerto unfolded as the Tour was about to get underway, a number of implicated riders pulled out of the race the day before it started, including Ullrich, Basso, and Mancebo among others. So many Astana riders were involved the team withdrew from the race because it couldn’t meet the required minimum six riders.
Today cycling news outlets reported that judges overseeing the Mantova doping investigation may indict up to 32 riders and staff in the next few months; Damiano Cunego and several Lampre-ISD staff appear on the list of 32 which includes riders and staff on several teams.
Protecting the Tour from any association with doping, whether alleged or settled by a ruling body, appears to take top priority for the A.S.O. Is it possible the UCI will permit the A.S.O. to bend the rules in 2012, and disinvite Lampre-ISD on the basis of multiple pending or delivered Mantova indictments, or even Saxo Bank because Contador tested positive at last year’s Tour and was subsequently suspended?
While the latter seems less likely as the alleged doping violation by Contador was announced after the Tour unlike the 2008 Ricco scandal that colored the Tour for days, it doesn’t seem far-fetched to imagine the World Tour team invites could dwindle to fewer than eighteen on account of older, ongoing, or yet to emerge events, thus opening the door to more than four teams for a wildcard slot in 2012.
Such an outcome would permit four French teams to collect invites (Cofidis, Bretagne-Schuller, Saur-Sojasun, and Europcar) as well as an offer or offers to non-French teams who dream of their golden chances.
The 2012 Tour de France begins on June 30th, 2012, just 94 days from today. The race brings out artists across the country who design outdoor displays to catch the attention of the helicopters and land 5 seconds of coverage on the live video.
Here’s one display from 2008, the last time I visited the Tour, on the road from Luchon up to the Col de Peyresourde in the Pyrénées. In case the angle obscures the shape…it’s a heart.
2008 Tour de France road art
Chris Baldwin at the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Vail (photo by Roxanne King, Flickr)
In what sporting profession are Midwestern values — like hard work and lending a helping hand — essential? Here’s a hint: Chris Baldwin on the BISSELL Pro Cycling Team knows the answer. It’s a career he’s dedicated twelve years to and counting — professional cycling.
Add to that list of values humility, stability, and love of family, and together with a pair of killer blue eyes you’ve got Baldwin, who was born in Chicago and grew up in Michigan. He currently lives in Boulder, Colorado.
- Humility: in an interview before the 2011 USA Pro Challenge prologue in the Garden of the Gods, Baldwin said in reply to a question about his objectives for the race, “You have to be humble about your objectives. For me at my level if the moons align and I have the best ride I can possibly do, that’s a top 10 at these races, top 15 is probably more realistic.” He finished 15th in the GC in Colorado, ahead of Andy Schleck and Robert Gesink.
- Stability: Baldwin has been a pillar of the American domestic racing scene since he turned professional in 1999, a solid performer overall without pretension.
- Love of family: one look at a photo of Baldwin with his wife Kimberly says it all — she matters to him, more than anything. In an interview with Road Magazine, Baldwin said, “She is my biggest fan and where most of my support comes from.”
Chris Baldwin casual, December 2011
Baldwin has brought that stability and experience to BISSELL, where he is “the elder statesman” on the team. ProVeloPassion hopes Baldwin considers his age an asset and will continue his career to mentor young talent, like Patrick Bevin, a teammate who just won Stage 1 on March 23rd at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, where Baldwin is also racing.
Does Baldwin seek out a “man-cave” at home, or carry a good luck charm to races? Get to know Baldwin better with this Off the Beaten Road set of “not your usual interview questions” that follow an update from him in-between racing at the San Dimas Stage Race and Redlands Bicycle Classic.
Q: How would you compare San Dimas and Redlands in terms of what you enjoy about each race?
“San Dimas is a nice ‘warm up’ for Redlands, where the competition is deeper and the stages more challenging. They are similar in the combination of a good short TT and gaining or eliminating time bonuses are the keys to victory. Redlands is not a race that suits me other than that I work hard every off season, and am usually fairly fit.”
Q: You go into San Dimas having won that uphill TT before. What would be a great performance for you at San Dimas?
“Well, with San Dimas in the rearview mirror, personally it would be hard to call it anything but a disappointment. I like the 5km climbing TT to gauge the winter’s training and check the form. I was pretty far back! Team-wise, Bissell rode a fantastic race with the highlight 1st and 3rd in the criterium.”
Q: What are your passions outside of the bike and bike racing and why do you enjoy them?
“I am a pretty simple dude. I really enjoy relaxing with my wife, cooking or going out to dinner. We are both pretty into delicious, healthy food. We are currently searching the islands of Hawaii for the best fish tacos! I also like wood working (building furniture and home improvements). And I love to downhill ski, but I have put a bit of a hold on it during my career!
“I enjoy these things because….well because I enjoy them! I definitely feel a sense of acomplishment if I build or fix something myself. And eating and flying down a ski hill, well that’s just fun!”
Q: I’ve read that you cross-train by hiking; if this is still right, what are some of your favorite places to hike?
“To be honest, I don’t cross train much. I lift weights and ride my bike a lot. I have always felt riding a bike is the best training for riding a bike. I do enjoy hiking though, and Boulder is full of great hikes. The coolest hike I’ve ever done by far is the Napali coast in Kaui, Hawaii.”
Q: You often mention you love racing with the best in the sport. If we could create a cycling nirvana where you could race against three pros who rode before your time, who would they be and why?
“Lemond (stories about an American breaking through a Euro sport), Indurain (always seemed like a crazy nice guy), and Ullrich (I enjoy hearing the stories from the Eastern Block, those are tough dudes).”
Q: What are your favorite beers?
“I love beer….all of it! I like a Dos Equis Amber or Easy Street Wheat (Odell Brewing) if it’s hot out. I like Fin du Monde from Canada or Chimay Grande Reserve from Belgium if I’ve had a bad day. I also like Ellies Brown, and Ranger from New Belgium. Oh and Oberon from Bells in my home state of Michigan. And I can’t lie, my neighbor got me into Bud Light Lime….it’s like crack.”
Q: What kinds of things make you absolutely nutty?
“Any action or person who acts like they are the only person in the world with no regard for those around them. You know, the driver that sits at an intersection without a turn signal on so you can’t go because you don’t know what they will do, that sort of thing. Or motorists who think it’s ‘their’ road.”
Q: How would you describe riding on the trainer during a snowstorm in Boulder?
“Work.”
Q: When I was a kid, I liked to ________ .
“Haul ass on my Big Wheel.”
Q: Do you have a good luck charm that you wear or carry to races?
“I usually bring a note my wife wrote me when I won a national championship. It reminds me how lucky I am to have the support that I do.”
Q: If you were alone on a deserted island and only got one thing to eat, what would it be?
“Large fig and prosciutto pizza from the Secret Stash in Crested Butte Colorado. But don’t tell anyone about this place, I don’t like to wait!” [sorry for sharing this, Chris; maybe fans will get you one in August during the USA Pro Challenge.]
Q: Do you have a “man-cave” at home and if yes, when do you go there?
“Not really, but we have an “L” couch and Kimberly is nice enough to give me the sweet spot on ‘er.”
Q: What’s the happiest moment you have ever experienced off the bike?
“Wedding day.”
Look for Baldwin at his next races, the Tour of the Gila and the Amgen Tour of California in May.
Teams
2011 to present — BISSELL Pro Cycling Team
2010 — UnitedHealthCare p/b Maxxis
2009 — Rock Racing, Ouch p/b Maxxis
2006 — 2008 – Team Toyota United Pro
1999 — 2005 – Team Navigator Insurance
Career Highlights
- USPRO Time Trial Championships, 3rd 2002, 1st 2003, 1st 2005, 2nd 2006, 8th 2007
- Pan Am Games Time Trial, 2nd 2003
- 2011 — 2nd overall, 2nd stage 2, Tour de Toona; 2nd stage 3 and 6th overall, Cascade Classic; 3rd overall, Redlands Bicycle Classic; 15th overall, USA Pro Cycling Challenge
- 2010 — 1st stage 1, 2nd stage 2, Steamboat Springs Stage Race; 6th stage 1, San Dimas Stage Race
- 2009 — 1st, Mike Horgan Hill Climb; 1st stage 2, 2nd overall, Mt. Hood Cycling Classic; 2nd stage 1, 3rd overall, San Dimas Stage Race; 2nd KOM, 4th prologue, 7th overall, Redlands Bicycle Classic
- 2008 — 1st, Bannock Criterium; 1st race 6, 1st race 7, 2nd overall, Boulder Time Trial Series; 2nd stage 1, Cascade Cycling Classic; 2nd overall, 6th stage 1, 7th prologue, Redlands Bicycle Classic; 6th stage 1, San Dimas Stage Race; 6th overall, Tour of Utah
- 2007 — 2nd stage 1, TTT International Tour de Toona;2nd stage 1, 2nd stage 2, 2nd overall, Cascade Cycling Classic; 2nd overall, Tri-Peaks Challenge; 2nd overall, Tour of the Gila; 3rd overall, Joe Martin Stage Race; 3rd overall, NRC individual Points Standing
- 2006 — 1st stage 5, Tour of Utah; 1st stage 1, 1st overall, Tour of the Gila; 1st, Boulder Roubaix Road Race; 1st stage 1, 2nd overall San Dimas Stage Race; 2nd overall, International Tour de Toona; 2nd stage 2, 2nd overall Redlands Bicycle Classic; 9th overall, Tour de Georgia; 26th, World Time Trial Championships
- 2005 — 1st stage 1, 1st stage 3, 2nd overall Boulder Stage Race; 1st stage 1, Nature Valley Grand Prix; 3rd stage 3, Dodge Tour de Georgia
- 2004 — 1st stage 3, Cascade Classic Stage Race; 1st, Boulder Roubaix Road Race; 1st prologue, 2nd stages 3 & 4, Colorado Classic Stage Race
- 2003 — 1st stage 1, Fitchburg Longsjo Classic; 2nd overall, G.P. Cycliste de Beauce; 3rd overall, International Tour de Toona
[With gratitude to Roxanne King, for sharing her wonderful photography skills.]
Many of the teams and riders that raced in San Dimas will start in the Redlands Bicycle Classic on March 22nd. While Redlands is a tougher race and deemed more important since it carries National Racing Calendar points, San Dimas results inform what to expect as Redlands unfolds later this week.
- Beware of blue and white. Joseph Schmalz of the ELBOWZ Racing team left San Dimas with a nice set of accomplishments: best young rider jersey (which he also won in 2011), a Stage 2 win, and second overall on GC. He won a couple of road races earlier in 2012, and a handful of cyclocross races in 2011. This kid is fit and could either be a GC threat in Redlands or fade under a longer, harder race. He slotted into 25th place in GC at Redlands last year following a 12th place GC result at San Dimas.
- Team Exergy, BISSELL Pro Cycling, and Kenda/5hr Energy p/b Geargrinder duked it out in San Dimas. Expect them to fight hard in Redlands.
- Clara Hughes on Specialized Lululemon delivered the second best performance among the pro-women at San Dimas and rode aggressively. With Exergy Twenty12’s Kristin Armstrong not on the women’s registration list, Clara could produce a great result at Redlands or provide strong support to help her teammate Amber Neben defend her overall title from last year.
[Updated, 3/18/2012]
At 6:50 p.m. yesterday, 27 year-old Morgan Schmitt talked about the tactics that had, unofficially, earned him the race leader’s jersey after stage 2 of the 2012 San Dimas Stage Race (SDSR). How he bridged to the break because he knew it would be the one to win. How he weighed the strengths of his break-away companions and formulated scenarios of how the race would play out. Wearing the leader’s jersey through the end of the SDSR would be a huge achievement for Schmitt – his first stage race overall win. The yellow felt real.
A few hours later, Schmitt’s unofficial overall lead washed away with the day’s heavy rain and significant numbers of men and women who didn’t finish the races. The Commissaires had assessed Schmitt of Team Exergy with a twenty second penalty for sheltering behind a vehicle “for some time.” This knocked Schmitt down into 6th place in the general classification, 19 seconds behind the new overall leader, Andy Jacques-Maynes on Kenda/5hr Energy p/b Geargrinder.
Chaotic women’s race
Exergy TWENTY12’s Kristin Armstrong won stage 2 during the worst of the day’s storm. Three or four laps into the race staff stripped banners from barriers near the start/finish line after thirty-plus mile-an-hour winds leveled several barriers. The weather conditions led to multiple crashes, created chaos in the field, and made it difficult to call the action.
Kristin Armstrong before SDSR stage 2 (photo by Nicola Cranmer)
Nicola Cranmer, General Manager for Exergy TWENTY12, reported that Clara Huges of Specialized Lululemon and three other riders stole off the front early on, with Exergy TWENTY12 trying to reel them back. Armstrong made it to the break and a little over half-way through the eight lap race Armstrong emerged from the thick veil of wind and rain with Huges, Joelle Numainville of Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits, and Alison Powers of Now and Novartis for MS in a lead group of four. They rode the remainder of the race together to the finish.
The chaos continued as race officials decided to cut one lap from the women’s race due to weather conditions, but were unable to notify the four leaders who pedaled over the finish line thinking one lap remained. Officials decided to handle this by combining the stage finish time bonuses and points and dividing them equally among the four leaders. Just two-thirds of the women on the original start list should line up for stage 3.
Armstrong said, “Weather conditions made it a tough, tough day. By the end of the race my fingers and toes were frozen. The Exergy TWENTY12 girls did a great job of helping me get to the break.” Her position looks solid as she goes into stage 3 with a 35 second lead over Hughes who holds second place.
Break-away winner for men’s race
Rain continued to pelt the field when the men’s race began at 1:15 p.m. “It was similar to training and racing in Seattle where I’m used to rain, but more windy than usual, which had an extra chilling effect on the body,” Schmitt said yesterday evening after the race.
Multiple breaks formed, the peloton chasing and reabsorbing each of them until the winning break got away and succeeded in building a gap to the chasing group that extended to at most about two and one-half minutes. Schmitt described how he inserted himself into the winning break: “I was happy we were represented in all the breaks except when another one got off with seven to eight guys. We were all really tired, but none of our guys were in it, and I thought this could be the winning break. I had to jump across 20 seconds to get into it.”
The eight man group included Heath Blackgrove and Joe Schmalz of ELBOWZ Racing, Cameron Peterson of RBS Morgans-ATS, Landis/Trek’s Thomas Jondall, Chad Beyer on Competitive Cyclist, Andy Jacques-Maynes, and Ben Jacques-Maynes of BISSELL.
Morgan Schmitt (photo via Team Exergy website)
Schmitt and others thought he had become the virtual leader on the road. He assessed which riders in the break could threaten that lead. Andy Jacques-Maynes and Ben Jacques-Maynes both sat on the break, Schmitt said, which concerned him because he knew Andy packs a decent sprint and wouldn’t pull in the break with his teammate Phil Gaimon wearing the leader’s jersey. “I was concerned he could be fresh when I’m worked over at the end of the race and get the ten second time bonus. So I knew I couldn’t count him out. I thought Ben could gang up with Andy. I wanted to work with the break but at the same time I needed to keep an eye on these guys,” Schmitt said. Schmitt classifies himself as a climber. The Jacques-Maynes’ are brothers and Schmitt has been their teammate in the past.
As the laps counted down and the peloton ate away at their gap, Schmitt knew yellow jersey threats and stage hunters also lurked in the following bunch. “With two and one-half laps to go and the gap coming down, all of us in the break hit the panic button because we had thought we would stay away and duke it out. Then I thought, ‘oh God if we get caught, all scenarios go out the window.’”
By the last climb, two riders had slipped off the back of the break-away, leaving five guys for Schmitt to work out tactics against. “Into the finish I wanted to stay with them, but was more concerned about staying away from the peloton because I knew there were good sprinters in it. I wanted to ride for the leader’s jersey instead of going for the win.”
Schmalz won a three-up sprint against Jondall and Andy Jacques-Maynes. Ben Jacques-Maynes took fourth place four seconds ahead of Schmitt. “I didn’t know Schmalz was that close [in GC] until after the race. I would have played the scenarios differently had I known. He’s a rider with a team I’d never raced with, so he came out of the blue,” Schmitt said.
Back at it
Competitive cyclists will get penalties during their careers because they’ll take risks and there’s a lot at stake. Wins are rare. Not winning and feeling victories slip through their fingers like running water again and again is as sure as the passing of time.
It’s not clear if the Commissaires’ decision and penalty on Schmitt could be deemed “fair.” But in the end it doesn’t matter. Showing up race after race is what matters, suffering, and coming back for more like it’s manna from heaven – or in Schmitt’s case, like it’s another chance for a yellow jersey.
ProVéloPassion 