On a sunny, but windy, day, Prime Alliance’s Jonas Carney and Saturn’s Laura Van Gilder overcame 30-mile-per-hour gusts and formidable competition to claim the Clarendon Cup, the latest round of the National Racing Calendar.

Van Gilder, known for her speed in bunch sprints, drew on some lesser known time trialing skills to solo away from the field early in the women’s race, despite strong and constantly shifting winds on the .6 mile course. Though Van Gilder is no breakaway artist, she could be comfortable knowing that if she faltered, Saturn had its bases covered with 2001 and 2002 Clarendon winner Ina Teutenberg sitting safely in the bunch.

While much of the bunch struggled in the wind, Diet Rite, working for sprinter Tina Mayolo-Pic, took up the chase, sending Cybil DiGuistini, Jo Kiesanowski and Tania Duff-Miller to try to bring Van Gilder back. While the concerted effort briefly held the gap steady at around 15 seconds, Van Gilder soon worked her way out of sight, where she quickly brought her lead past the 30 second mark.

With 23 laps remaining, any sign of a chase had dissolved, and 10 laps later Van Gilder had reconnected with the bunch, sealing up the win for Saturn. Like clockwork, Teutenberg put the second half of the Saturn plan into action, attacking off the front and taking only 18-year-old mountain biker turned roadie Magen Long with her. With Teutenberg playing the locomotive, the pair held their gap through the finish, with Long coming up just short in her effort to come around the German. Behind, Saturn sealed fourth place up as well, with Sarah Uhl just nipping Mayolo-Pic in the field sprint.

Jonas Carney completed the sprinter’s sweep at Clarendon, but took a far more traditional approach by holding off Victor Rapinski (Saturn) and Hayden Godfrey (7-Up-Maxxis) in a bunch sprint contested by the race’s 27 surviving riders.

Saturn’s Trent Klasna and Victor Rapinski were the aggressors on the day, with both riders attacking the front early on, creating a series of revolving door breaks during the first half of the race. Slightly after the halfway point, a stabilized break had formed containing Klasna and Rapinski along with Siro Camponogara (Navigators), Danny Pate (Prime Alliance), Dan Schmatz (7-Up-Maxxis), David O’Laughlin (Ofoto-Lombardi Sports), and Mike Tillman (Schroeder Iron).

The break powered its way to within 15 seconds of lapping the field, but when Schmatz dropped off the pace and his 7-Up-Maxxis team joined in the chase, the head of the field began to gain ground while the rear shattered in the winds. With a slew of teammates including sprinter Ivan Dominguez, Chris Horner, and Phil Zajicek in the diminished group behind, Klasna and Rapinski ceased to work and sealed the break’s fate.

With the break back in the fold, the jostle for wheels began as Prime Alliance’s Svein Tuft, Alex Candalario and Danny Pate kept the pace high. With two and a half laps remaining, the competition for the sprint was reduced again when a pile up on the back half of the course took out Dominguez and 2002 Clarendon winner Vasily Davidenko (Navigators).

While Pate rushed teammate Carney and the field through the last half lap, Godfrey managed to make his way in between Carney and his leadout man, but the veteran Carney had little difficulty coming around for the win. Rapinski rounded out an aggressive day by powering into second place, while Godfrey hung on for the final podium spot.

Clarendon Cup
Arlington, VA, June 1
Men
1. Jonas Carney, Prime Alliance, 1:58:22
2. Victor Rapinski (R), Saturn
3. Hayden Godfrey (NZL), 7-Up-Maxxis
4. Danny Pate, Prime Alliance
5. Siro Camponogara (I), Navigators
6. Greg Henderson (NZL), 7-Up-Maxxis
7. Trent Klasna, Saturn
8. John Lieswyn, 7-Up-Maxxis
9. Jackson Stewart, Ofoto-Lombardi Sports
10. Greg Wolf, Colavita-Bolla, all s.t.

Carney and Van Gilder tops at Clarendon Cup

Women
1. Laura Van Gilder, Saturn, 1:05:22
2. Ina Teutenberg (G), Saturn
3. Magen Long, Oklahoma Bicycle
4. Sarah Uhl, Saturn
5. Tina Mayolo-Pic, Diet Rite
6. Julia Oh, Independent Fabrications
7. Lynn Gaggioli, Velo Bella
8. Tania Duff-Miller (NZL), Diet Rite
9. Charmain Breon, Freddie Fu
10. Jo Kiesanowski, Diet Rite