Anatomy of The Win!

TRP is lucky to be partnered with some of the best bike racers in the World. From Europe to North America, Asia to the Southern Hemisphere TRP riders are racing for victory at every race...but all racing is unique and the elements of success are individual, so let’s look at a couple of BIG wins from this past week....

 

Race: Terrapin (Athens) Twilight Criterium

Team: Mountain Khaki’s

Rider: Luke Keogh

 

 

The Athens Twilight Criterium IS American bike racing. Held on the same course for over 30 years, the race is wicked fast, raucously loud, and thrilling year in and year out. More than a road race, in fact more than most criteriums, start position matters and for this years event Luke Keough had a front row seat thanks to his high overall position in the USA Crits series, of which Athens is a part. As a crit racer in the U.S. this race is one of the top five in prestige and the list of previous winners is prestigous:

 

 

Shot from a cannon this years race offered spectators a spectacle of speed with no real breaks making an impression until two riders went away at 26 laps remaining in the 80 kilometer event. Keough played it cool and waited til the end when he jumped across a small gap to Ivan Dominguez in the closing lap, a perfect demonstration of the savvy that crit riding requires - see an opportunity, take it! That put Luke in position to do what he's best at..sprinting! A narrow victory and a great win for Luke and Team Mountain Khaki's...

 

 

 

 

Race: Tour De Romandie

Team: Saur-Sojasun

Rider: Jonathan Hivert

 

 

Tour De Romandie is one of the big tune up events for Tour de France riders and continually boasts a truly World Class field of contenders. Held primarily in Southern Switzerland, it is the first big stage race after the April run of spring classics. Custom built as a tune up the racing tends to be close and hard fought. This years second stage was no different. In typical fashion a small group - well only 2 riders - was allowed some room on the 149 kilometer stage, peaking at just over ? minutes.  As the field began closing down the gap into the final climb Saur-Sojasun’s fortunes lay in the well timed counter-attack, with Garmin’s Peter Stetina, of Fabrice Jeandesboz who set off to defend his surprise climbers jersey from stage one. 

 

 

The field had a group sprint on its mind and brought the duo back at 4 kilometers to go and here’s where the race gets interesting...Keep an eye on the group and you’ll see various Saur-Sojasun riders helping to keep the pace high and continually position their riders in the churn at the front. Take note around 2.5K’s to go...two Saur riders assist at the front, while two more are waiting in the wings. 1.5K’s and still two riders charging at the front, and though ultimately swarmed they don’t give up. Into the final five hundred meters and suddenly there are NO S-S riders to be seen in the first 10, things look most dire, but watch as they enter the final turns. Garmin is charging, as one drops off another takes over, but the pace has slackened a bit and single file becomes a group (10:19) and Saur is just outside the top 10 on the right side, but its not Hivert, he enters the frame on the left, charging forward from outside the top 15, just as the road veers left, a good angle into the corner that gets him a few critical places into 6th. He then continues the outside line thru the right hand sweeper, taking full wind but setting up perfectly for the race to the narrow left hand bend with the Movistar rider inside the final 50m...a few more pedal strokes and Hivert gets the glory. Here it is: