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Photo Courtesy of Dane Mehl USA Cycling Professional Road Championships were contested Sunday for the third year in Greenville, South Carolina where a field of hopeful champions lined up to race for the honor of wearing the prestigious Stars and Stripes jersey signifying US Pro Champion. Meet Your 2008 US Pro Road Racing Champion
With last year’s champion Levi Leipheimer racing for teammate Alberto Contador in the tour of Spain, the field was wide open to crown a new American king of cycling. And with only three Pro-Tour riders in the race (George Hincapie, John Devine and Craig Lewis of Team Columbia) chances were good that a rider from a domestic team would step up to claim the top USA cycling prize. And such a rider did just that, as 2004 Olympic TT gold medalist Tyler Hamilton of Rock Racing took the victory in a stunning photo finish with 23-year old Blake Caldwell (Garmin-Chipotle) as he edged out the much younger rider by the narrowest of margins. Perhaps too close for comfort for some, in his first season back after serving a two-year racing suspension, any gap at all is most assuredly fine for 37-year old Hamilton as he claimed one of the top prizes of his 13-year career. Hot, muggy conditions greeted the peloton for a 110 mile course that included four times over the tough climb of Paris Mountain, a climb that eventually wore down the peloton and left only the strongest to battle to the line. With 91 miles to go a group of 10 formed that was heavy on Garmin riders. This group developed a gap of three-and-a-half minutes as the course took its toll on riders unable to stay in contention. By the third time up the climb the break was starting to fall apart and was finally caught on the descent. The peloton was all together but not for long and the overall number of remaining riders was very small indeed. Soon a new group formed that included Jeff Louder (BMC), Danny Pate, Lucas Euser and Blake Caldwell (all of Garmin) and Hamilton. Behind this group another small group chased that included even more Garmin riders, but the two groups never rejoined and the five leaders held their gap until the final 3 circuits. Hamilton and Caldwell attacked their group and gave it full gas while Louder tried to bridge across the small gap. But this was a day of experience and perhaps of redemption for Hamilton, who led Caldwell as they flew under the red kite signifying 1000 meters to go. Playing a little cat and mouse as they approached the line Hamilton forced Caldwell to the front and with less than 50 meters to go came around to sprint for the finish. To the naked eye it was dead even, but the photo finish showed it was Hamilton by a whisper and the Rock rider will enjoy a year in the Stars and Stripes….with perhaps a skull or two thrown in to signify who he’s riding for. If one ignores the hyperbole and truly listens to Rock Racing team owner Michael Ball talk about his passion for the sport and dedication to his riders, one cannot help but come away with the impression that his smile must indeed be wide on this day as one of his riders took his second chance in racing and turned it into a victory that will be talked about for season’s to come. US Pro Road Racing Championships Results - Tyler Hamilton (USA) Rock Racing -- 4.38.19 (38.163 km/h)
- Blake Caldwell (USA) Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O
- Danny Pate (USA) Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O 0.04
- Lucas Euser (USA) Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O 0.05
- Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Pro Cycling Team 0.06
- Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O 1.05
- Andrew Bajadali (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
- Christopher Jones (USA) Team Type 1 1.09
- Craig Lewis (USA) Team Columbia 1.11
- Burke Swindlehurst (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team 1.19
- Justin England (USA) Toyota-United 2.45
- Jared Barrilleaux (USA) Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Team 3.12
- Frank Pipp (USA) Team Health Net p/b Maxxis 3.42
- Thomas Peterson (USA) Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O 3.43
- Anthony Colby (USA) Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
- Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Pro Cycling Team 3.44
- Kiel Reijnen (USA) Jelly Belly
- Michael Grabinger (USA) Successful Living p/b Parkpre
- Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC Pro Cycling Team
- Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota-United 3.45
- Alex Hagman (USA) TOSHIBA-Santo p/b Herbalife
- George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia 3.47
- Christian Vandevelde (USA) Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O 3.48
- Jonathan Patrick Mc Carty (USA) Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O
- Corney Collier (USA) Team Health Net p/b Maxxis 11.07
- Daniel Holt (USA) Team Type 1
- Timothy Johnson (USA) Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
- Michael Sayers (USA) BMC Pro Cycling Team
- Neil Shirley (USA) Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Team
- Chris Wherry (USA) Toyota-United
- Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Rock Racing
- Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
- Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Pro Cycling Team
- Andy Guptill (USA) Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
- Aaron Olson (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team
- Thad Dulin (USA) DLP Racing
- Macgregor Ian (USA) Team Type 1
- Shawn Milne (USA) Team Type 1
- Matt Cooke (USA) Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
- Daniel Ramsey (USA) TIME Pro Cycling
- Justin Spinelli (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
- Scott Jackson (USA) DLP Racing
- Michael Norton (USA) Calyon Pro Cycling Team 11.08
- Roman Kilun (USA) Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
- DNF John Devine (USA) Team Columbia
- DNF Graham Howard (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Garrett Peltonen (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Omer Kem (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Edward King (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Morgan Schmitt (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Antonio Cruz (USA) BMC Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Nathan Miller (USA) BMC Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Ian Mckissick (USA) BMC Pro Cycling Team
- DNF David Galvin (USA) BMC Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Kyle Wamsley (USA) Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
- DNF Joseph Coddington (USA) DLP Racing
- DNF Boyd Johnson (USA) DLP Racing
- DNF Charles Pendry (USA) DLP Racing
- DNF Owen Nielsen (USA) DLP Racing
- DNF Matthew Howe (USA) DLP Racing
- DNF Spencer Beamer (USA) DLP Racing
- DNF David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O
- DNF Steven Cozza (USA) Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O
- DNF Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O
- DNF Charles Bradley Huff (USA) Jelly Belly
- DNF Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly
- DNF Nick Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly
- DNF Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly
- DNF Evan Elken (USA) Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Matt Shriver (USA) Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Timothy Henry (USA) Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Ben Kneller (USA) Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Team
- DNF Jonathan Sundt (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
- DNF Alex Candelario (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
- DNF Benjamin King (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
- DNF Reid Mumford (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
- DNF Dan Bowman (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
- DNF Nick Waite (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
- DNF Jake Rytlewski (USA) Rite Aid pb Shebell & Shebell
- DNF Robbie King (USA) Rite Aid pb Shebell & Shebell
- DNF Erdelyi Jonathan (USA) Rite Aid pb Shebell & Shebell
- DNF Clayton Barrows (USA) Rite Aid pb Shebell & Shebell
- DNF Fred Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing
- DNF Kayle Leogrande (USA) Rock Racing
- DNF Michael Creed (USA) Rock Racing
- DNF Jeremiah Wiscovitch (USA) Rock Racing
- DNF Sergio Hernandez (USA) Rock Racing
- DNF Adam Switters (USA) Rock Racing
- DNF Matthew Crane (USA) Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
- DNF Kirk O'bee (USA) Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
- DNF Phil Zajicek (USA) Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
- DNF Kyle Gritters (USA) Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
- DNF John Murphy (USA) Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
- DNF Joe Eldridge (USA) Team Type 1
- DNF Phil Southerland (USA) Team Type 1
- DNF Jonathan Hamblen (USA) TIME Pro Cycling
- DNF Thomas Soladay (USA) TIME Pro Cycling
- DNF Michael Stoop (USA) TIME Pro Cycling
- DNF Andy Baker (USA) TIME Pro Cycling
- DNF Nick Frey (USA) TIME Pro Cycling
- DNF Mark Hekman (USA) TOSHIBA-Santo p/b Herbalife
- DNF Daniel Vaillancourt (USA) TOSHIBA-Santo p/b Herbalife
- DNF Robert Sweeting (USA) TOSHIBA-Santo p/b Herbalife
- DNF Eric Bennett (USA) Successful Living p/b Parkpre
- DNF Bradley White (USA) Successful Living p/b Parkpre
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