Elements of a Bike Race - 2011 Tour of Utah

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Jesse Anthony Ends Season in Style, Wins Doylestown Criterium, Spriners Jersey, and Overall at Univest Grand Prix

Release courtesy of Sean Wiede and Univest Grand Prix.

Jesse Anthony of Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth was the catalyst for a relentless Univest Grand Prix Doylestown Criterium, winning the race, the sprinters jersey, and the overall weekend title after attacking, staying away for multiple laps, and taking the sprint out of a decimated field Sunday.

Anthony outsprinted Jackie Simes (Jamis/Sutter Home) and Robin Carpenter (BikeReg.com) for the win on a slightly uphill finishing straight. Simes took a flyer with a lap remaining in the 36-lap, 50-mile race, and only Carpenter and Anthony were able to bridge to him halfway through the bell lap.

"We worked together for a little bit and then I got stuck to lead out," Simes said. "I thought I timed my sprint pretty well. It was an uphill sprint. I jumped at a pretty good time but I was just overpowered at the end."

Anthony, who earlier attacked the field with 18 laps remaining, was eventually joined by his Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth teammate Thomas Soladay, plus Brett Tivers (Garneau Club Chassures) and Johan Landstrom (Cyklecity). The break stayed away from 13 laps to five laps remaining, thanks to a surging group of eight chasers. The front split … [Read more]

Team Set To Finish Season Strong at Univest Grand Prix

Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth Pro Cycling announced a six-man roster today for America's final UCI-ranked race - the Univest Grand Prix in Souderton, PA. Featuring 6,000 feet of climbing through Pennsylvania's countryside, the Univest Grand Prix has transformed from its roots as one of America's top amateur events into an international UCI-ranked event, one of only seven such ranked events on American soil.

"The Univest Grand Prix is a classic American event featuring two unique, challenging courses," said Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth team Performance Director Jonas Carney. "The level of competition gets higher every year, and there is a ton of international talent on the 2011 start list. We are fielding an experienced roster that knows these courses well, and we hope the fitness our riders accumulated abroad in Belgium and France will translate into a positive result this weekend."

The 2011 edition will see 150 racers from two dozen teams tackle the traditional two-day course, featuring Saturday's 100-mile road race in Souderton and a tough 50-mile criterium race in downtown Doylestown. The dual-circuit road race features a twisty, hilly 4.6-mile cloverleaf finishing circuit in Souderton that allows spectators to see the field more than 50 times, and is regarded … [Read more]

Race Report | Europe Campaign Ends With Rain Soaked Tour de Doubs

Crashes and a relentless downpour took its toll on Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth Pro Cycling today in the Tour de Doubs, a 196 km journey from Morteau to Pontarlier. Alex Candealario and Jason Donald were forced to withdraw late in the race, bruised and bloodied after a particularly complicated, rain-soaked descent.

"This is a tough way to end our campaign here in Europe, there's no doubt," said Performance Director Jonas Carney. "Rainfall does not make things easy on such tough descents. Our team races all out, all the time, and that means crashes are always a possibility on a day like today."

Despite the bad luck, Marsh Cooper kicked things off strong for KBS-OptumHealth, bridging across to a three-man breakaway early in the race. The five man break rolled strong for nearly 100 km before they were caught by the peloton, on a tough ascent to the second KOM banner near St. Gorgon Main.

"The recon helped me out a lot today in the early goings," said Cooper. "Knowing the early climbs was critical for me and it seemed my French compatriots in the move knew the course well also. The weather got tough almost right from the blocks, … [Read more]

Alex Candelario Fifth In Field Sprint, Michael Creed Injured in Epic Schaal Sels Race

Alex Candelario finished 5th today in the 86th edition of Schaal Sels (UCI 1.1) in Antwerp, Belgium. Candelario, still fresh after a brutal day in the saddle which saw the team tackle long stretches of cobblestones, vicious crosswinds, and a relentless course layout, lead out a long sprint against some of Europe's toughest athletes. Inches separated the top five sprinters in a race that was won by Aidis Kruopis (landbouwkrediet) at the line in downtown Antwerp. Click here to see a photo gallery of the race.

"This race was intense and a true taste of racing in this part of the world," said Performance Director Jonas Carney. "It was a great experience for the team - to compete on real cobblestones in rural Belgium and battle crosswinds on top of levees in the South of Holland."

The wind and course difficulty took its toll on the team. Michael Creed suffered a broken collarbone after a vicious crash 90 km into the race. He crossed wheels with another rider in a particularly hectic section, toppling into a curb. Creed was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Marsh Cooper, Dan Bowman, Jesse Anthony, and Candelario were bruised and bloodied … [Read more]