Ben King wins USA Cycling Professional Road Race National Championship
September 20, 2010
GREENVILLE,SC – September 19, 2010 – Benjamin King (North Garden,Va./Trek-Livestrong) pulled off one of the most dramatic wins in the25-year history of the USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship.The 21-year-old held an early race break to win the 115-mile GreenvilleHospital System USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship andbecome the first rider under the age of 23 to win the event against someof the sport’s top pros.
“We were going pretty hard at the beginning there,” said King. “Once Iwas solo I had nine minutes; I was thinking about a lot of motivators. Iwas praying pretty hard after Paris Mountain and my prayers gotanswered.”
Alex Candelario (Reno, Nev./Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Kiel Reijnen(Boulder, Colo./Jelly Belly p/b Kenda) outsprinted the 12-man chasegroup 1:34 minutes later to grab the silver and bronze medalsrespectively.
“I couldn’t believe how slow we were going on the first lap,” saidReijnen. “The fact that Ben King had the Trek-Livestrong colors on Ithink guys thought the RadioShack team would help with that chase. Whenone big, strong team isn’t motivated it really demotivates the field.(The finishing circuits) were awesome. Coming through that start/finishline you could hear the roar. Greenville is a great place fornationals.”
King, the current USA Cycling U23 Road Race National Champion, and hisbreakaway companions Daniel Holloway (Morgan Hill, Calif./Bissell) andScott Zwizanski (Mill Valley, Calif./Kelly Benefit Strategies) took offin the first of three, eight-mile opening circuits around downtownGreenville. With the peloton content to let the youngsters go so earlyin the nearly five-hour contest, the trio continued to build the gap tomore than 15 minutes mid-way through the race.
It wasn’t until the third of four, 22-mile laps up and around ParisMountain that the USA Cycling Professional Criterium National ChampionHolloway and Zwizanski began to fall off the pace. King, fresh off theTour of the Future with USA Cycling’s National Development Program,continued solo up the long climb with the powerful peloton bearing down.
Heading into the closing downtown circuits a lead group of around 22riders, including yesterday’s time trial national champion TaylorPhinney (Boulder, Colo./Trek-Livestrong), reigning road race nationalchampion and hometown favorite George Hincapie(Greenville, S.C./BMC) andformer Tour de France stage winner Levi Leipheimer (Santa Rosa,Calif./RadioShack) mobilized and moved inside three minutes of King.Familiar with the art of staying away, King, who won the USA Cycling U23Road Race National Championship earlier this summer and the 2007 USACycling Juniors Road Race National Championship in similar fashion, dugdeep to hold off the advance in the final 12-kilometers.
L ‘Avenir (Tour of the Future) had everything to do with it,” explainedKing. “I was riding the front every single day. That’s what I think I’mgood at – doing the dirty work.
King is the first rider under the age of 23 in the event’s 25-year history to win the professional road race national title.
Thousands of fans lined the course for the finish as well as all of theday’s festivities, including 750 charity riders participating in theStars-and-Stripes Challenge, more than 150 in the kid’s race and dozenscontesting the U.S. Handcycling Series criterium.
Following the race USA Cycling announced plans to return the event to the City of Greenville for the next two years.
“We as an organization are committed to finding the best course and bestconditions for the riders,” stated USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson. “Theriders like it and community support has been remarkable. (Greenvilleprovides a) world-class course with high-quality event management and awonderful community spirit.”
Visit USA Cycling’s photo gallery to view photos from the event. Photos courtesy USA Cycling/Casey B. Gibson.
| Men – Pro | ||||||||
| Place | Points | Name | City, State | Time | Bib | Team | ||
| 1 | 0 | Benjamin KING | 4:44:56.9 | 131 | Trek Livestrong | |||
| 2 | 0 | Alex CANDELARIO | 4:46:30.9 | 64 | Kelly Benefit Strategies | |||
| 3 | 0 | Kiel REIJNEN | 4:46:31.0 | 56 | Jelly Belly presented by Kenda | |||
| 4 | 0 | Christopher HORNER | 4:46:31.2 | 15 | RadioShack | |||
| 5 | 0 | George HINCAPIE | 4:46:31.3 | 1 | BMC | |||
| 6 | 0 | Shawn MILNE | 4:46:31.7 | 105 | Team Type 1 | |||
| 7 | 0 | Matthew BUSCHE | 4:46:31.9 | 14 | RadioShack | |||
| 8 | 0 | Taylor PHINNEY | 4:46:32.8 | 132 | Trek Livestrong | |||
| 9 | 0 | Andy GUPTILL | 4:46:35.2 | 44 | Jamis/SutterHome presented by C | |||
| 10 | 0 | Craig LEWIS | 4:46:35.2 | 142 | Columbia High Road | |||
| 11 | 0 | Lucas EUSER | 4:46:35.2 | 144 | SpiderTech presented by Planet | |||
| 12 | 0 | Jacob RYTLEWSKI | 4:46:35.5 | 74 | Kenda presented by Geargrinder | |||
| 13 | 0 | Scott STEWART | 4:46:35.5 | 106 | Team Type 1 | |||
| 14 | 0 | Brent BOOKWALTER | 4:46:35.9 | 6 | BMC | |||
| 15 | 0 | Chris BALDWIN | 4:46:36.0 | 111 | UnitedHealthcare presented by M | |||
| 16 | 0 | Maxim JENKINS | 4:46:36.1 | 114 | UnitedHealthcare presented by M | |||
| 17 | 0 | Neil SHIRLEY | 4:46:36.2 | 68 | Kelly Benefit Strategies | |||
| 18 | 0 | Jason MCCARTNEY | 4:46:36.5 | 12 | RadioShack | |||
| 19 | 0 | Andrew TALANSKY | 4:46:36.5 | 26 | Garmin Slipstream | |||
| 20 | 0 | Levi LEIPHEIMER | 4:46:37.0 | 11 | RadioShack | |||
| 21 | 0 | Carter JONES | 4:46:37.4 | 53 | Jelly Belly presented by Kenda | |||
| 22 | 0 | Christopher BUTLER | 4:46:37.7 | 7 | BMC | |||
| 23 | 0 | Chris JONES | 4:46:50.4 | 104 | Team Type 1 | |||
| 24 | 0 | Timothy DUGGAN | 4:49:33.9 | 23 | Garmin Slipstream | |||
| 25 | 0 | Oscar CLARK | 4:53:06.3 | 84 | Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte | |||
| 26 | 0 | Tim FARNHAM | 4:53:10.3 | 123 | Adageo Energy | |||
| 27 | 0 | Joey ROSSKOPF | 4:53:10.6 | 88 | Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte | |||
| 28 | 0 | MAYNES Andy JACQUES | 4:53:12.4 | 33 | Bissell Pro Cycling | |||
| 29 | 0 | Ted KING | 4:53:12.5 | 141 | Cervelo | |||
| 30 | 0 | Tyler WREN | 4:53:12.6 | 47 | Jamis/SutterHome presented by C | |||
| 31 | 0 | Adrian HEGEVARY | 4:53:13.6 | 113 | UnitedHealthcare presented by M | |||
| 32 | 0 | Frank PIPP | 4:53:13.6 | 37 | Bissell Pro Cycling | |||
| 33 | 0 | Paul MACH | 4:53:59.4 | 35 | Bissell Pro Cycling | |||
| 34 | 0 | Philip GAIMON | 4:53:59.5 | 72 | Kenda presented by Geargrinder | |||
| 35 | 0 | Matthew COOKE | 4:53:59.5 | 85 | Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte | |||
| 36 | 0 | Jesse ANTHONY | 4:55:22.1 | 61 | Kelly Benefit Strategies | |||
| 37 | 0 | James DRISCOLL | 4:57:02.9 | 42 | Jamis/SutterHome presented by C | |||
| 38 | 0 | Bradley WHITE | 4:57:02.9 | 116 | UnitedHealthcare presented by M | |||
| 39 | 0 | Jeffry LOUDER | 4:57:02.9 | 2 | BMC | |||
| 40 | 0 | Phil ZAJICEK | 4:57:03.0 | 143 | Fly V Australia | |||
| 41 | 0 | Peter STETINA | 4:58:58.0 | 21 | Garmin Slipstream | |||
| 42 | 0 | Morgan SCHMITT | 4:58:58.0 | 115 | UnitedHealthcare presented by M | |||
| 43 | 0 | Ian BOSWELL | 4:58:58.0 | 31 | Bissell Pro Cycling | |||
| 44 | 0 | Jeremy POWERS | 4:58:58.0 | 55 | Jelly Belly presented by Kenda | |||
| DNF | 0 | Chad BEYER | 5 | BMC | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Bjorn SELANDER | 13 | RadioShack | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Steven COZZA | 22 | Garmin Slipstream | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Caleb FAIRLY | 24 | Garmin Slipstream | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Danny PATE | 25 | Garmin Slipstream | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Daniel HOLLOWAY | 32 | Bissell Pro Cycling | ||||
| DNF | 0 | MAYNES Ben JACQUES | 34 | Bissell Pro Cycling | ||||
| DNF | 0 | REILLY Cody O | 36 | Bissell Pro Cycling | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Kyle WAMSLEY | 38 | Bissell Pro Cycling | ||||
| DNF | 0 | David WILLIAMS | 39 | Bissell Pro Cycling | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Nicholas FREY | 43 | Jamis/SutterHome presented by C | ||||
| DNF | 0 | John SIMES | 45 | Jamis/SutterHome presented by C | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Frank TRAVIESO | 46 | Jamis/SutterHome presented by C | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Sergio HERNANDEZ | 51 | Jelly Belly presented by Kenda | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Brad HUFF | 52 | Jelly Belly presented by Kenda | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Sean MAZICH | 54 | Jelly Belly presented by Kenda | ||||
| DNF | 0 | ULDEN Bernard VAN | 57 | Jelly Belly presented by Kenda | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Dan BOWMAN | 63 | Kelly Benefit Strategies | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Guy EAST | 65 | Kelly Benefit Strategies | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Reid MUMFORD | 67 | Kelly Benefit Strategies | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Scott ZWIZANSKI | 69 | Kelly Benefit Strategies | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Robert BUSH | 71 | Kenda presented by Geargrinder | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Chris MONTELEONE | 73 | Kenda presented by Geargrinder | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Nicholas WAITE | 75 | Kenda presented by Geargrinder | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Scottie WEISS | 76 | Kenda presented by Geargrinder | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Andrew BAKER | 81 | Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Thomas BROWN | 83 | Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Mark HEKMAN | 86 | Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte | ||||
| DNF | 0 | William HOFFARTH | 87 | Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Eric SCHILDGE | 89 | Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Scott TIETZEL | 90 | Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Alex BOWDEN | 101 | Team Type 1 | ||||
| DNF | 0 | William DUGAN | 102 | Team Type 1 | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Ken HANSON | 103 | Team Type 1 | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Eric BENNETT | 121 | Adageo Energy | ||||
| DNF | 0 | Adam CARR | 122 | Adageo Energy | ||||
Find more information on the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships on the event’s official web site at www.usacyclingchampionships.com.
About USA Cycling
Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling comprises 66,500+ licensees; 2,200 clubs and teams; and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions 2,650 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the U.S. each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org.
