May 29, 2007 (Somerville, NJ) — The oldest one-day bicycle race in the United States took place yesterday at the Tour of Somerville. The race was the second round of the US Criterium Series and the lion’s share of North America’s premier criterium riders were in attendance (the biggest exception was Tina Pic, who was at Pan Am Championships where she won the women’s road race).

The large four-corner course, which this year reverted to the old course from the 1950’s, lent itself to blazing fast average speeds, making it nearly impossible for breakaways to escape from the motivated teams of the sprinters.

A large number of Canadian men were in attendance with full squads from Jetfuel, Calyon and Spin12 all present. The men’s 80km (50-mile race) was dominated by the powerful Navigators squad who put together a near perfect lead-out for Aussie Hilton Clark (2006 Tour de Gastown winner) fresh off a win at the Bike Jam race two days earlier.

Raleigh Twightlight winner, Alejandro Borrajo (Rite Aid Pro Cycling), managed to squeeze between a Navigators sandwich, Clark and Oleg Grichkine, for second.

The top Canadian in the race was Calyon/Litespeed’s Eric Lyman in 15th followed by his team mate Maxime Vives in 20th and Daniele De Franceschi (Jet Fuel Coffee) in 21st.

The 32km (20-mile) women’s race was won by reigning US criterium champion Theresa Cliff-Ryan, ahead of track world champion Kate Bates (T-Mobile) and Canadian Jenny Trew (Vitesse). Cliff-Ryan has been absent so far from the American race scene this season as she spent the winter in Australia.

Australia had a distinct presence at the race with T-Mobile’s Kate Bates — in the U.S. visiting her boyfriend Richard England (Priority Health sprinter) – coming second in the drag race sprint finale edging out Trew.

The race was a breakthrough ride for Trew who earlier in the week placed 12th at the Raleigh Twilight Criterium and 8th at the Bike Jam race, both NRC events.

Pro Women

1. Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Verducci/Breakaway Racing)
2. Katherine Bate (T-Mobile)
3. Jenny Trew (Vitesse Cycling)
4. Nichole Wangsgard (Vitesse Cycling)
5. Mackenzie Dickey (Colavita-Sutter Home)
6. Shontell Gauthier (Team Ultralink)
7. Lara Kroepsch (Team Lipton)
8. Jenette Williams (Hub Racing )
9. Brenda Lyons (Team Lipton)
10. Sarah Caravella (Aaron’s Pro Cycling Team)
11. Marjan Huizing (Team Kendra Tire)
12. Laura VanGilder (Uci Wptcheerwine)
13. Shannon Hutchinson-Krupat (Aaron’s Pro Cycling)
14. Laura Bowles (Advil Chapstick)
15. Heather Labance (Advil Chapstick)
16. Nina Santiago (Targetraining Womens Team)
17. Veronica Martinez (Orbea Argentina)
18. Kele Murdin (Team Ultralink)
19. Kathryne Carr (Cl Noonan)
20. Sarah Tillotson (Colavita-Sutter Home)
44. Kirsten Robbins (Advil Chapstick)

Pro Men

1. Hilton Clarke (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team)
2. Alejandro Borrajo (Rite Aid Pro Cycling)
3. Oleg Grichkine (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team)
4. Cody O’Reilly (Kodak Gallery P/B Sierra Nevada)
5. Emile Abraham (Priority Health)
6. Alejandro Acton (Colavita-Sutter Home)
7. Lisban Quintero (Crca / Empire Cycling Team)
8. Cody Stevenson (Jittery Joe’s )
9. Adam Hodges Myerson (Nerac Pro Cycling)
10. Wendy Cruz (Caico)
11. Mark Hekman (A&F Pro Development Cycling Team)
12. Yosarng Falcon (Aeg-Toshiba-Jetnetwork)
13. Alberto blanco (Gs Mengoni)
14. Brandon Gavic (A&F Pro Development Cycling Team)
15. Erik Lyman (Calyon / Litespeed Pro Cycling Team)
16. Craig Dodson (Nature’s Path Cycling)
17. Luca Damiana (Colavita-Sutter Home)
18. Michael Muller (Kane Bikes/Nc Cycling.Com)
19. Stephan Kincaid (Rite Aid Pro Cycling)
20. Maxime Vives (Calyon / Litespeed Pro Cycling Team)
21. Daniele De Franceschi (Jet Fuel Coffee)
57. Greg Reain (Calyon / Litespeed Pro Cycling Team)
70. Matthew Guse (Calyon / Litespeed Pro Cycling Team)
77. Zack Morris (Jet Fuel Coffee Pro Cycling Team)
103. Brooke Boocock (Calyon/Litespeed Pro Cycling)
109. Ian Manning (Team Spin12)
113. Philipp Cortes (Calyon / Litespeed Pro Cycling)
137. JeanSebastie Perron (Calyon/Litespeed Pro Cycling)
138. Charly Vives (Calyon/Litespeed Pro Cycling Team)