Less than a week after signing with the French-based Pro-Tour team Cofidis, Health Net’s Tyler Farrar scored the biggest win of his domestic career, winning the USPRO criterium championships in Downers Grove, Illinois.

“I’m on cloud nine right now,” Farrar said after the podium presentation. “I’ve been up there since I signed a couple of days ago and this just adds to it.”

At the helm of fastest leadout train in the domestic peloton, Farrar rode the wheel of Kiwi world track champion Greg Henderson through the final 90-degree turn before launching his sprint with 150 meters to go. But hot on Farrar’s wheel was Jelly Belly’s sprinter Dave McCook, whose well-timed bike throw at the finish sent officials running to consult the finish-line camera image. Nearly five minutes after the racers crossed the finish line, Farrar was declared the winner.

“I told Hendy to punch it around the last turn and almost dropped me off of his wheel,” Farrar said. “He swung wide for me and I put my head down and just went for it. I saw McCook under my arm and he gave me a really good run at the line. I had a feeling that I had gotten it though.”

The photo finish came after a day of breakaways in the men’s race. Solo attempts by Tim Johnson (Jittery Joes-Kalahari), Curtis Gunn (Seasilver) and Glen Mitchell (Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada) each lasted several laps before the surging peloton absorbed the single riders.

With 12 laps to go, the day’s most promising move rolled away, and former USPRO crit winner Kirk O’Bee (Navigators Insurance), John Lieswyn (Health Net-Maxxis) and Ben Jacques-Maynes (Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada) soon held a 30-second advantage on the field. Repeated attempts to chase the trio down by Colavita/Sutter Home proved fruitless, and with seven laps remaining it appeared the breakaway might stand.

But with six laps to go, the three visibly gassed riders were finally caught, and the jockeying for the final positioning began.

Farrar is heading to the big leagues

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

Absent from the final bunch were two riders expected to challenge Farrar for the win. Colavita’s Juan Jose Haedo, who won the Bank of America Criterium on August 8, crashed midway through the race and abandoned soon after. Jelly Belly’s Alex Candelario, who pulled out of the previous day’s Pro-Am Challenge to rest for the championship event, went into a barrier around the final lap and also left the event. Medical updates on each athlete were not immediately available.

The victory was sweet for Farrar, who narrowly lost last year’s event to Jelly Belly’s now-retired Jonas Carney. The 21-year old Farrar now heads back to Belgium to finish his season out with the US U-23 national team at the 10-stage Tour de l’Avenir in France (September 1-10) and the espoir world championships in Madrid (September 21-25).

“This is my last race in America for a while,” he said. “It’s a wonderful way to finish it up.”

Pic nails it
Winning the women’s national criterium championship for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year was Tina Pic (Quark), whose powerful sprint through the final three turns was simply too fast for any of her rivals to follow.

Pic goes early....

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

After her teammates Laura Van Gilder and Sarah Uhl nearly escaped to the line in a five-rider breakaway with six laps remaining, Pic found herself at the head of the peloton with two laps remaining. Instead of waiting for the last left hand turn to launch her winning sprint, Pic gunned it unusually early, well before the third-to last turn.

“There were girls coming on either side of me and I got really nervous and just went,” Pic said. “I think I caught some people off guard. I think I waited a little too long yesterday and decided to jump early.”

Although Nicole Freedman (Ford-Basis) jumped on Pic’s wheel through the final turn, the 2001 national champ could not come around the Quark rider at the line.

“Tina was awesome,” said Freedman. “She took a chance and I was right on her wheel. She was a leadout for me and I still couldn’t get her.”

Van Gilder and Freeman

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

Freedman’s revenge came during the podium presentation, when a splash from her champagne bottle accidentally doused Pic in the eyes.

“I couldn’t get the top off of mine and then all of a sudden I have champagne in my eyes,” Pic said. “I was a mess.”MEN
1. Tyler Farrar, Health Net-Maxxis
2. Dave McCook, Jelly Belly-PoolGel
3. Kyle Wamsley, Snow Valley-SealOn
4. Dan Schmatz, Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada
5. Mark McCormack, Colavita-Sutter HomeWOMEN
1. Tina Pic, Quark
2. Nicole Freedman, Ford-Basis
3. Jen McRae, Aaron’s Corporate Furnishings
4. Shannon Hutchinson, Aaron’s Corporate Furnishings
5. Magen Long, the Bicycle Store
6. Kimberly Cunningham, Morgan Stanley
7. Mackenzie Dickey, Team Lipton
8. Kori Seehafer, T-Mobile
9. Brenda Lyons, Victory Brewing
10. Mindi Martin, Mercy Cycling