April 8, 2007 (Richmond, VA) — Canada’s Svein Tuft (Symmetrics) scored the biggest win of his career yesterday winning the inaugural 2007 U.S. Open Cycling Championships in Richmond, Virginia as he soloed in for the victory after a day of many surprises. Pat McCarty (USA) Slipstream-Chipotle finished second against a charging field that left the final chase too late to catch Tuft and McCarty who were away on their own for the final 20 kms.

On the final climb up the cobbles of Libby Hill Tuft attacked but McCarty could not respond, and the recent winner of the Tour of Cuba (February 13-25) and 2006 Canadian ITT champ (3rd consecutive), pulled away to add another win to his growing list of victories.

Freezing temperatures, snow, and a bone-chilling headwind were three unexpected ingredients in yesterday’s inaugural 2007 U.S. Open Cycling Championships. On what should have been a mild spring morning, some 141 cyclists suffered mightily for more than four hours while the elements conspired against them.

After a delayed start in colonial Williamsburg, the men braved the bitter cold, unable to appreciate the historic countryside through Jamestown and various civil war battlefields along the way to Richmond.

“It was brutal, icy cold headwinds the whole time,” said winner Tuft (Can) of Team Symmetrics. The peloton arrived in Richmond to complete eight 8.8km (5.5 mile) circuits including the climb up the cobbled historic Libby Hill where Tuft made his move on the final lap. He opened a gap against 2nd placed McCarty that held all the way to the line, as Tuft finished 41 seconds ahead of McCarty.

The chase groups behind were in disarray and indecisive in running down the two leaders until it was too late. Star sprinter Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota-United was in the closest group of chasers but could not get them to rally as all were aware that in a final sprint Dominguez would likely prevail.

In the end the peloton caught the chase groups and several riders tried to launch a final attempt to catch Tuft and McCarty but all was in vain. At the finish Team Rite Aid rider Alejandro Barrajo, hot on the heels of a suffering McCarty, took the 3rd spot on podium.

It was an emotional ending to a long day of racing and an unexpected, yet well-earned win, by Tuft who commented, “It’s awesome man, I’m so happy.” At the end of the day 54 of 141 riders suffered the winter conditions to finish the race in Richmond with the support of a cheering crowd including the controversial 2006 Tour de France winner, Floyd Landis.

Results

1. Svein Tuft (Can) Symmetrics 4:19:10
2. Pat McCarty (USA) Slipstream-Chipotle 0:41
3. Alejandro Borrajo (Arg) Rite Aid
4. Russell Downing (GB) Health Net p/b Maxxis
5. Andrew Pinfold (Can) Symmetrics
6. John Fredy Parra Celada (Col) Tecos 00:58
7. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s
8. Viktor Rapinski (Blr) Navigators Insurance
9. Alex Candelario (USA) Jelly Belly
10. Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance
11. Kirk Obee (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 1:02
12. Henk Vogels (Aus) Toyota-United
13. Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance
14. Lucas Euser (USA) Slipstream-Chipotle
15. Tim Johnson (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
16. Evan Elken (USA) Jittery Joe’s 1:16
17. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing 1:37
18. Sean Sullivan (Aus) Toyota-United 1:46
19. Gregorio Ladino Vega (Col) Tecos 2:29
20. Ken Hanson (USA) BMC Racing
21. Chad Hartley (USA) BMC Racing
22. Jake Rytlewski (USA) Rite Aid
23. Dominique Rollin (Can) Kodak Gallery-Sierra Nevada
24. Davide Frattini (I) Colavita-Sutter Home
25. Alessandro Bazzana (I) Team Successful Living
26. Shawn Milne (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
27. Ivan Stevic (Serb) Toyota-United 3:09
28. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota-United 3:28
29. Caleb Manion (Aus) Toyota-United 4:18
30. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) (USA) Cycling Nional Development Team 4:32
31. Charles Dionne (Can) Colavita-Sutter Home
32. Daniel Bowman (USA) Kelly Benefit/Medifast Cycling
33. Jacob Rosenbarger (USA) BMC Racing
34. Dan Timmerman (USA) Kodak Gallery-Sierra Nevada
35. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Priority Health-Bissell 4:40
36. Yosvany Falcon (Cub) AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork
37. Jason Donald (USA) Slipstream-Chipotle
38. Frank Pipp (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
39. Cameron Evans (Can) Symmetrics
40. David Mccann (Irl) Colavita-Sutter Home
41. Garrett Peltonen (USA) Priority Health-Bissell
42. Timmy Duggan (USA) Slipstream-Chipotle
43. Emile Abraham TRI Priority Health-Bissell
44. Justin England (USA) Toyota-United
45. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Symmetrics
46. Cody Stevenson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s
47. Glen Chadwick (NZ) Navigators Insurance
48. Andrew Randell (Can) Symmetrics
49. Craig Lewis (USA) Slipstream-Chipotle 4:47
50. Ryan Roth (Can) Kelly Benefit/Medifast Cycling
51. Frank Travieso (Cub) AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork 7:43
52. Mike Lange (USA) Slipstream-Chipotle 8:51
53. Jonathan Mumford (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling 13:44
54. Waite Nicholas (USA) Kelly Benefit/Medifast Cycling 18:57
DQ Jesse Anthony (USA) Kodak Gallery-Sierra Nevada