Menzies, Armstrong wrap up Toona titles
Karl Menzies (Health Net-Maxxis) took his third stage win of the 2007 Tour de Toona at Sunday’s stage 7 criterium, out-kicking Canadian Charles Dionne (Colavita Sutter Home) and Martin Gilbert (Kelly Benefits) in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania.
The victory capped off a week of dominance by the big Australian and his Health Net team, as Menzies and his teammate Rory Sutherland took the top two spots in the final general classification.
American Laura Van Gilder (Cheerwine) took the women’s victory, out sprinting Canadian Gina Grain (Expresscopy.com) and Lauren Franges (Lipton).
It was Saturday’s hilly 98.5-mile Altoona/Blair County road race that proved to be decisive in the seven-stage race, Pennsylvania’s largest multiple-day cycling race. The stage sent riders over the Blue Knob climb, which provided the winning split in the women’s race. Armstrong, whose Lipton teammate Kori Seehafer came into the sixth stage with the lead, followed an attack by newly crowned U.S. national road champ Mara Abbott (Webcor builders).
The Lipton rider, who was out-kicked by Abbott at the 2007 USA Cycling national road championships, let Abbott pull the duo for 30 miles. But coming into the last set of climbs, Armstrong, the reigning world time-trial champ attacked Abbott and charged on for the win. The 21-year-old Abbott finished two minutes in arrears, to grab the second spot on GC.
The stage featured three major ascents, with the first climb up Blue Knob being the longest and most selective. However organizers decided this year to cut the opening climb short by leaving out the ascent to a nearby ski resort. The decision helped Health Net preserve Menzies's small lead in GC.
But the Health-Net team wasn’t without a fight — Toyota-United occupied the third through sixth spots on GC, and attacked over Blue Knob with third-place rider Chris Baldwin. The move drew out a 13-man break that included Toytoa-United riders Chris Wherry and Justin England, but only managed to gain 25 seconds on the chasing group.
Health Net’s talented team captain Tim Johnson and Australian time-trialist Nathan O’Neill paced their man up to the front group, setting up a sprint finish that was won by Slipstream-Chipotle’s strongman Taylor Tolleson. Menzies finished third.
The success put Menzies in a comfortable position heading into the final criterium, and with Sutherland as a lead-out man, Menzies, who hails from Tazmania, took his third win of the week.
The victory was Menzies’s first stage-race win of the season. Sutherland’s second-place finish will likely vault him into first place in the NRC men’s rankings ahead of Ben Jacques-Maynes (Priority Health).
Menzies recently returned from visiting his father, who has terminal cancer, in his native Tasmania.
"When I say I'm motivated, people don't necessarily understand what I mean," Menzies said. "He told me, ‘I don't want you sitting here watching me die. I want you back racing and winning.’”
2007 Tour de Toona
July 23-29,2007Stage 7: Downtown Altoona Criterium
Men
1. Karl Menzies (Aus), Health Net-Maxxis, 1:02:35
2. Charles Dionne (Can), Colavita-Sutter Home
3. Martin Gilbert, Kelly Benefits
3. Ben Raby, Kodakgallery.com-Sierra Nevada
5. David Frattini, Colavita-Sutter Home, all at s.t.Women
1. Laura Van Gilder, Cheerwine, 1:09:31
2. Gina Grain (Can), Expresscopy.com
3. Lauren Franges, Lipton 4. Brooke Miller, TIBCO
5. Alex Wrubleski (Can), Colavita-Sutter Home, all at s.t.
Final General Classification
Men
1. Karl Menzies (Aus), Health Net-Maxxis, 15:51:59
2. Rory Sutherland (Aus), Health Net-Maxxis, at 0:20
3. Chris Baldwin, Toyota-United, at 0:29
4. Chris Wherry, Toyota-United, at 0:31
5. Justin England, Toyota-United
6. Burke Swindlehurst, Toyota-United, at s.t.
7. Darren Lill (SA), Navigator’s Insurance, at 0:34
8. Ben Day (Aus), Navigator’s Insurance, at 0:38
9. Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr), at s.t.
10. Ian MacGregor, Slipstream-Chipotle, at 0:53Women
1. Kristin Armstrong, Lipton, 18:24:56
2. Mara Abbott, Webcor Builders, at 2:02
3. Kori Seehafer, Lipton, at 2:30
4. Felicia Gomez, Aaron’s, at 3:47
5. Lauren Franges, Lipton, at 4:15
6. Katheryn Curi, Webcor Builders, at 4:17
7. Chrissy Ruitler, Cheerwine, at 4:25
8. Annette Beutler (Swi), Colavita-Sutter Home, at 4:52
9. Kristin Sanders, Aaron’s, at 5:33
10. Amber Rais, Webcor Builders, at 5:42
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