FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                 Contact: Rick Scott 310.306.0375

19 April 2010                                                                greatscottproductions@earthlink.net

The Aussies invade Alabama and Fly away

with the Sunny King Criterium win

Anniston, AL: An Australian invasion flew through the streets of Anniston, Alabama Saturday night (April 17) as cyclists from Down Under finished 1^st, 2^nd and 5^th at the Sunny King Criterium with the powerhouse Fly V australia team placing riders in 1^st and 3^rd in the men’s pro race.  Ben Kersten (Fly V australia) piloted to victory after Utah native Nicky Wangsgard (Roosters) won the women’s pro event from a three-rider break. 

The third of twenty-five races that comprise the National Racing Calendar (NRC), the Sunny King Criterium was held under near perfect weather conditions in front of more than 4,000 spectators that lined the flat four-corner, .7-mile rectangular downtown circuit that included a slight uphill rise before the finish.  Amateur races were held throughout the day prior to the men’s and women’s marquee events that featured international fields boasting some of the fastest sprinters in the domestic peloton.  Entry fees were donated to Relay For Life, a local chapter of the American Cancer Society.  For the first time, the Sunny King Criterium was streamed live on the official race website, which was viewed by cycling fans around the globe.          

The sun was still shining brilliantly when the pro women rolled off for their one-hour race and finished at twilight.  Colavita/Baci presented by Cooking Light, Team Vera Bradley Foundation and Team Type 1 along with a sole rider from Team TIBCO, U.S. U-23 (under age 23) criterium champion Samantha Schneider, animated the race by launching frequent attacks that spawned short-lived moves in addition to pocketing primes along the way.  With ten laps to go, a three- rider break – Wangsgard, Carla Swart (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) and Jackie Crowell (Team Type 1) – escaped the field and were not to be seen again.  With five laps remaining, Team Vera Bradley Foundation tenaciously blocked any pursuers.  Having missed the move, Colavita/Baci led the chase with three laps left.  Two riders from the field, including Schneider, tried desperately to catch the trio ahead with two laps to go, but it was not to be.  Wangsgard made the first move into the final turn.  Swart reacted and nearly nailed back a fading Wangsgard, who was able to hold on for the win.  Crowell completed the podium.    

The men’s sixty-lap race took place under the lights with solo attacks starting after the opening lap, but never getting far from attentive squads including Bahati Foundation, Kenda presented by Gear Grinder, Jamis/Sutter Home presented by Colavita, Team Type 1 and the Fly V australia unit, the latter of which has dominated the early season results.  After a number of solo attempts failed, five riders got a gap and were bolstered by four more men around twenty laps into the race, but they were reabsorbed.  Another break formed a couple laps later containing last year’s Sunny King Crit  winner, Karl Menzies (United Healthcare presented by Maxxis), but it shattered during a prime lap as did the field.  The break reshuffled after riders accessed who was in the move and a revitalized group marched on.  Further back, the pack seemed uninterested in the chase.  Even though more than half the race remained, with all the major teams represented in the reformed fifteen-rider break, the gap doubled from twenty-five seconds to fifty seconds. 

Luis Amaran (Jamis/Sutter Home) and Alessandro Bazzana (Fly V australia) leapt from the break with twenty-four laps remaining and lapped the field with twenty-one laps to go.  The rest of the break caught the field a lap later.  Although Amaran & Bazzana went off the front again, they were hauled in.  Kenda presented by Gear Grinder’s Chris Monteleone opened a gap and dangled in front of the field for nearly ten laps while his team manned the front.  Mercifully, he was reeled in with eight laps left.  Slight gaps would open, but they were swiftly negated. 

With three laps to go, Ivan Dominguez took monster pulls for Amaran, his Jamis/Sutter Home teammate.  Again Dominguez was on the front sacrificing himself when the bell rang signaling the final lap.  During the ensuing pack gallop, Kersten received a perfect lead-out from Bazzana to take the win ahead of 2008 Sunny King Crit winner Hilton Clarke (Bahati Foundation).  Bazzana managed to hold on for the show position.   

“Once we took the lap, I was motivated for a sprint finish and Baz (Bazzana) and I worked well together to ensure we arrived with the group.  In a testament to how well Baz is riding right now was that not only did he lead me out perfectly, but he also held on to finish third,” said Kersten.  “There was a great atmosphere and I loved racing here.  I’ll definitely come back.”

The Alabama Department of Tourism & Travel selected the Sunny King Criterium as a top 10 event for the state of Alabama for 2010.  In addition to being an NRC event, the race is part of the Southeast Women’s Cycling Series, Alabama Cycling Association Points Series and The Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Road Series.  Additional information is available at www.sunnykingcriterium.com.

Men’s Pro/Category 1 results:

1. Ben Kersten (AUS, Fly V australia)
2. Hilton Clarke (AUS, Bahati Foundation)
3. Alessandro Bazzana (ITA, Fly V australia)
4. Chad Burdilauskas (USA, Kenda presented by Gear Grinder)
5. Karl Menzies (AUS, United Healthcare presented by Maxxis)

Women’s Pro/Category 1 & 2 results:

1. Nicky Wangsgard (USA, Roosters)
2. Carla Swart (RSA, Team Vera Bradley Foundation)
3. Jackie Crowell (USA, Team Type 1)

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