August 21, 2005 – This evening’s warm-up race for the USPRO Criterium National Championship, being held tomorrow on the same course, was all about the non-U.S. riders. The 50Km. race is usually a barnburner as the Pros use the event to open up their travel legs, and the Amateurs try to make their mark in front of the slew of Team Directeurs on hand.

12-seconds was the largest gap gained by the brave riders that attempted to get away, although many tried. As the final laps approached, Navigators Insurance rider Vassili Davidenko went on a solo attack, which kept the field strung out single-file. The group was all together with 5-to-go and the speed increased dramatically as the sprinter’s trains tried to mass at the front. Coming out of the final turn it was full gas with Ivan Dominguez (HealthNet) hitting the line first, just in front of Navigators’ Siro Camponogara and J.J. Haedo (Colavita), for an all-international podium; Cuba, Italy and Argentina, respectively.

The big racing action is tomorrow with the 100Km USPRO Criterium National Championship, one of the most coveted titles on the domestic calendar.