BOULDER, Colorado (VN) — Ryan Trebon (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com) edged Danny Summerhill (Chipotle-First Solar) at the line on Sunday to win the Boulder Cup at Valmont Park.
The race boiled down to a three-man battle on the final lap, with Summerhill up against teammates Trebon and Jamey Driscoll.
Driscoll fired the first shot on bell lap, driving up the long climb just past the start-finish. But Summerhill hung tough.
Then Trebon made his move. Driscoll couldn’t match his speed, but Summerhill clung to the big man’s wheel.
As the two leaders raced around the rolling circuit Driscoll stayed within striking distance, just a few bike lengths behind.
Trebon stayed on the front, out of the saddle, with Summerhill content to wait for his opportunity.
But he waited too long — as the two hit the pavement, Driscoll was on them. Trebon led it out, and Summerhill nearly denied him the win, but the big Cannondale rider just barely took the victory at the line.
“We came around the corner and I didn’t realize the sprint was so short. Luckily I was able to get him,” said Trebon.
Berden blasts off
Ben Berden (Raleigh-Clement) got the hole shot, but then Summerhill came forward and took the lead on the backside of the rolling circuit in Valmont Park.
Summerhill remained out front going into lap two and up the first long hill, dogged by Berden and Tristan Schouten (Optum) and springing a group of seven riders loose from the rest of the field, including Schouten’s teammate Alex Candelario; Mitch Hoke (Clif Bar); and Trebon and Driscoll.
The start of lap three saw Summerhill still doing all the heavy lifting and getting tired of it. He looked around and gestured for assistance, and got it, from Trebon. Summerhill slotted into second with Berden third.
The leaders had a good gap and nobody was committing to a serious effort. Summerhill had the front coming into the finishing stretch and going into lap four. Schouten was next to take the front; Summerhill followed in second wheel with Berden third.
That trio briefly put a bit of daylight between themselves and the others, but Trebon closed the gap going into the second, shallow staircase.
Driscoll drills it
Schouten stayed on the front going through the start-finish, and nobody in the group seemed interested in making a race of it — and then Driscoll lit it up and powered up that first climb for lap five.
Hoke was distanced — Summerhill and Berden were hanging on, as were Trebon and the other Optum rider, but Schouten was starting to look like he’d run out of legs.
Next time through the start-finish it was still a six-man lead group. Berden gave it some stick up the hill, but Summerhill stayed locked to his wheel with Driscoll third, Trebon fourth and the two Optums (15 and 6) behind him.
Berden kept driving, and Summerhill hung tough; the two opened a slight gap on the others but Driscoll shut it down with Trebon in tow. Cnadelario
With two laps to go it was still a six-man race out front. Trebon took the front and led into the climb.
Trebon takes off
The big man floored it, taking Summerhill with him. Driscoll was chasing in third with Berden fourth, and the two Optums cracked.
Driscoll was perhaps three seconds back, and then suddenly Berden was going backward, past the Optums, whether through mechanical or physical.
Trebon kept the pressure on, with Summerhill in his slipstream.
The Chipotle rider took a quick glance over one shoulder, saw Driscoll closing in, and took the lead.
As the leaders approached bell lap Driscoll had regained contact, and Summerhill was looking at some bum odds, as in 2-to-1.
Driscoll launched first, charging up the hill with Summerhill in tow and Trebon third. Then Trebon punched it.
Summmerhill never surrendered, and neither did Driscoll. When the three hit the finishing straight it could’ve been anyone’s race, but Trebon had that little something extra in the tank.
Editor’s note: Stay tuned for more from Boulder.
No comments:
Post a Comment