MetLife in formation on the windy front stretch. Photo credit ©Todd Leister/leister.smugmug.com
As summer turns to fall in the Mid-Atlantic, the respite from torrid days (and shore traffic!) is always accompanied by the running of the Univest Grand Prix, one of the few (13) UCI-ranked bike races in the United States, and by far one of the most difficult amongst them.
This year, in addition to the perennial 100 mile hilly Saturday road course, the organizers added a Stage 1 Team Time Trial and subsequently officially held the event as a UCI Stage Race. Confusingly enough, the weekend as *always* included a technical, challenging criterium Sunday, though the UCI is apparently hesitant to officially recognize this uniquely American épreuve as a “real” bike race.
Along with a healthy collection of International and Domestic Pro teams, as well as several other top Regional outfits, the MetLife squad taking the line for Friday’s TTT included Ryan Fleming, Brad Sheehan, Tim Mitchell, Peter Bell, and Nick Bennette. Notoriously absent was strongman Austin Roach, who despite the weekend’s tailor-made nature, made a last minute call to sit out due to impending hip Surgery. Best of luck on a speedy recovery and return to the bike!
As their 11:22am start time approached, the heavy rain and winds that had rocked Allentown that morning failed to abate. Acutely aware of the treacherous conditions, not to mention the onerous task on hand the following day, the MetLife team took no chances on the 2 laps of the 3.7 mile course. Frustrated, particularly given how fun and fast the parcous could have been under fairer skies, the blue crew bided their time (and matches!) for Saturday.
Team MetLife rolls through the start/finish with 1 to go. Photo credit ©MarcoQuezada.com/NYVelocity
Though the team awoke to reasonably fresh legs, a quick look out the window revealed no improvement in the weather. An intermittent drizzle and overcast skies left the rural roads on which much of the 100 mile road course meanders a soggy mess. The field departed Souderton a little past 11am, and despite being neutralized until outside city limits, a slew of crashes within the first few kilometers put a definite dampener on spirits. Following a prolonged delay at the intended “start” to allow the already battered peleton to regroup, the race was on.
The course – consisting of one “large” 60+ mile loop followed by 11 laps around a downtown Souderton finishing circuit – is anything but flat. The profile reads like an EKG, though a King of the Mountain title was on-hand for the three most notable climbs, which typically shatter the field. Having avoided the periodic wrecks, the MetLife squad survived the first KOM and regrouped. The second climb, however, proved to be the real obstacle, with the last 200m pitched at 20%. Peter and Nick appeared to be the final survivors and endured the winding, undulating terrain leading into the final KOM just 10miles before the entrance onto the circuits.
Unfortunately, a rapidly ramping pace, some vicious inclines immediately following the climb, and an untimely mechanical left Nick alone to face the painful finishing circuits, which included a 400m wall on which KOM points were periodically awarded. Some bad positioning and some hunger knock after not eating (or even relinquishing a death-grip from the handlebars) throughout the terrifying day saw Nick loose contact with the dwindling field on the closing laps, which shredded under the force of a full-on chase by the Amore & Vita team to bring back a late race breakaway,
The stage and race was ultimately won by Amore & Vita’s Ukrainian national champion Volodomyr Starchyk. The MetLife boys will be back in action tomorrow at the Grand Prix of Doylestown Criterium. Full coverage at:
http://www.univestgrandprix.com/
