Toyota-United's Hilton Clarke Wins Stage 1, Secures 2nd Place Overall at Tour of Elk Grove

News & Results

08/5/2008| 0 comments
by Thomas Valentinsen

Toyota-United's Hilton Clarke Wins Stage 1, Secures 2nd Place Overall at Tour of Elk Grove

With this past weekend’s three wins in US races, The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team broke their previous record of 55 wins for a season set in 2006, the team’s first year. To date, the team has 56 wins with two months remaining of the 2008 season.  “I am so proud of the team this year. I can’t even believe we are on the verge of breaking 60 wins in one season. I know it’s a point of pride to win as many races as we can this year to say thank you to Toyota since they have been such a great sponsor these past three years,” said team owner, Sean Tucker.

With this past weekend’s three wins in US races, The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team broke their previous record of 55 wins for a season set in 2006, the team’s first year. To date, the team has 56 wins with two months remaining of the 2008 season.  “I am so proud of the team this year. I can’t even believe we are on the verge of breaking 60 wins in one season. I know it’s a point of pride to win as many races as we can this year to say thank you to Toyota since they have been such a great sponsor these past three years,” said team owner, Sean Tucker.

The Tour of Elk Grove boasts the largest prize purse of the year at US$170,000. The boys from Toyota-United went into the race weekend with hopes of snatching up as much of that prize purse as possible as did the tough-looking guys from Team Rock Racing.

Friday’s 4.5 mile Prologue didn’t exactly start out how the team had planned with the team’s top GC hopeful, Ben Day breaking a piece of equipment on his bike at the start line, switching to a spare bike, and finishing dead last. The team’s best place riders on the day were Dominique Rollin in 7th place and Hilton Clarke in 21st place, 23 seconds back from race winner, Tom Zirbel (Bissell Pro Cycling Team). Team Rock Racing's Fred Rodriguez finished 15th in the prologue.

However, Stage 1, which consisted of a 150 kilometer dead flat, windy race, showed just how much a team’s fortune can change in a day. After a split in the peloton early in the race, Hilton Clarke found himself over three minutes off the leaders pace in the last group with overall leader, Tom Zirbel, and second place overall Chris Horner (Team Astana). “The race was so bloody hard with guys attacking left and right and the next thing I know, I find myself in a small group of riders that included the first and second place overall riders. We were three minutes back. I felt totally dejected and was about to quit the race, when all of a sudden, Chris Horner went to the front of the group and rode like a madman and single handedly brought us back to the front of the race. Next thing I know, my entire Toyota-United teammates are leading me out in the final kilometer and I win the race…unbelievable!” said Clarke. Team Rock Racing's Fred Rodriguez narrowly avoided a massive pile-up in the final turn of the road race and finished ninth.

The roller coaster ride continued in stage 2 which was the final race on Sunday consisting of a 110 kilometer Gullo Pro criterium. Clarke was nursing a two second lead over 2nd place David Veilleux (Kelly Benefits Strategies/Medifast). With multiple time bonuses on offer during the race and hefty time bonuses for the top three finishers, Toyota-United had their work cut out for them. The team rode at the front of the race to control it, attempting to set Hilton up for the win and maintain his slim overall lead. With Veilleux at 2 seconds, Zirbel at 3 seconds along with four other riders in position to win with time bonus sprints on the line it was a tough task.

A break of six, including Tyler Hamilton (Team Rock Racing), developed immediately, gaining one minute. The boys rode it back to 25 seconds and then kept a break matching time for the next 2 hours and 20 minutes. With two to go they brought the break back and a few teams attempted to lead it out, but Team Kelly Benefits Strategies took control on the last lap and gapped Dominique Rollin and Hilton Clarke in the last corner. Brad Huff (Jelly Belly Pro Cycling) won Sunday's race. Veilleux took 2nd place and the 12 second time bonus and thus, a 10 second win in the final overall rankings over Hilton. Zirbel was able to finish in the group and hold on to his 3rd place on GC. Rock Racing’s Fred Rodriguez' memory of a couple of hard falls earlier this season as well as Team Keyy's way of riding in corners made him opt for a cautious approach in the final stage as the Kelly Benefit-Medifast team again led out the sprint. He finished third in the criterium to place fifth overall. Team Astana's Chris Horner crashed in the final stage but was able to finish the race.

“It’s a criterium, so you expect it to be fast around the corners,” Fred Rodriguez said after the race, “but they (Kelly Benefits) are misjudging how fast you can go around the corners. Yesterday, they lost one of their guys in the crash. The problem is we also get caught in the fire.”

Toyota-United’s UCI B World Road Champion Ivan Stevic will compete on August 8th in the 2008 Olympic Road Race in Beijing, China.

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