Prologue in Colorado Springs
Inaugural Race Kicks Off to Enthusiastic Crowds
COLORADO SPRINGS (August 22, 2011) – The inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge started on a high note in Colorado Springs when Patrick Gretsch (GER) of HTC-Highroad bested a world-class field containing the 2011 Tour de France podium finishers and five World Champions to claim victory on a fast, mainly downhill course lined shoulder-to-shoulder with cheering fans. The enthusiastic crowd cheered on the cyclists as they made their way from The Garden of the Gods to downtown Colorado Springs where Gretsch became the first rider ever to wear the Quiznos Leader Jersey in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.
“Winning the Prologue of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge today is a really nice feeling,” said Gretsch. “I put a lot of my focus on the Prologue. I had really good preparation and I felt really good in training this morning. It felt great out there and I’m super happy to get the win. I think all the other teams have to watch out for us.”
Gretsch completed one of the fastest time trials ever in a major professional cycling race on American soil, covering the 5.2-mile (8.3 km) course in 8 minutes and 27 seconds. He will begin day two of the race wearing the yellow Quiznos Leader Jersey when Stage 1 takes the riders from Salida to Mt. Crested Butte, a 99.3-mile (159.8 km) on Tuesday afternoon.
In second place, two seconds behind Gretsch, was Christian Vande Velde (USA) of Team Garmin-Cervelo, followed by Brent Bookwalter (USA) of BMC Racing Team, who came in third, four seconds off the pace. BMC Racing Team became the general team classification leader after the first day of racing with a total time of 25 minutes and 40 seconds.
Featuring a mostly declining profile, the course had cycling fans lined up five-deep in places to see the race action.
“That was about as fun a day as I’ve ever had and it was a spectacular moment of truth,” said Shawn Hunter, co-founder and CEO, USA Pro Cycling Challenge. “It was a phenomenal first day with fans along every corner. I think the riders can feel that enthusiasm and it is only going to build. Colorado Springs set the bar very high.”
Early race favorites finishing in the top-25 included Jens Voigt (GER) of Leopard-Trek, Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Team RadioShack, Cadel Evans (AUS) of BMC Racing Team, Tom Danielson (USA) of Team Garmin-Cervelo, Robert Gesink (NED) of Rabobank, Rory Sutherland (AUS) of UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team, Sergio Luis Henao (COL) of Gobernacion de Antioquia-Indeportes Antiquia and Tejay Van Garderen (USA) of HTC-Highroad.
In a sweep for HTC-Highroad, the team took all the jerseys that were awarded today. The Quiznos Leader Jersey was awarded to Gretsch. The Sheets Best Young Rider’s Jersey was claimed by Van Garderen, who finished at 8 minutes and 35 seconds. The Exergy Most Aggressive Jersey went to Danny Pate (USA). The Smashburger Sprint Jersey and Nissan King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey will be awarded for the first time tomorrow.
STAGE CLASSIFICATION 0
Distance: 8,300 km
Leader’s time: 08’27″46
Average: 58,935 km/h
Colorado Springs Prologue
MONDAY, 22, 2011
Pl Bib Name First Name Team Nat Time P Split Pl Bib Name First Name Team Nat Time P Split
1 43 GRETSCH Patrick THR GER 08’27″46 00″
2 36 VANDEVELDE Christian GRM USA 08’29″17 02″
3 3 BOOKWALTER Brent BMC USA 08’31″27 04″
4 83 FÖRSTER Robert UHC GER 08’32″51 05″
5 27 VOIGT Jens LEO GER 08’34″19 07″
6 2 HINCAPIE George BMC USA 08’34″48 ‘ ‘
7 11 LEIPHEIMER Levi RSH USA 08’35″17 08″
8 41 *VAN GARDEREN Tejay THR USA 08’35″31 ‘ ‘
9 1 EVANS Cadel BMC AUS 08’35″85 ‘ ‘
10 118 ROTH Ryan CSM CAN 08’37″56 10″
11 44 PATE Danny THR USA 08’38″14 11″
12 5 LOUDER Jeffry BMC USA 08’38″89 ‘ ‘
13 132 ALZATE ESCOBAR Carlos XRG COL 08’40″69 13″
14 85 HEGYVARY Adrian UHC USA 08’41″47 14″
15 81 SUTHERLAND Rory UHC AUS 08’42″20 15″
16 37 ZABRISKIE David GRM USA 08’42″75 ‘ ‘
17 15 *KING Benjamin RSH USA 08’43″74 16″
18 72 CLEMENT Stef RAB NED 08’43″82 ‘ ‘
19 116 PARISIEN Francois CSM CAN 08’44″05 17″
20 31 DANIELSON Tom GRM USA 08’44″50 ‘ ‘
21 71 GESINK Robert RAB NED 08’45″16 18″
22 18 HERMANS Ben RSH BEL 08’47″33 20″
23 88 ZWIZANSKI Scott UHC USA 08’47″85 ‘ ‘
24 64 LARSSON Gustav SBS SWE 08’48″67 21″
25 38 *SUMMERHILL Daniel GRM USA 08’48″73 ‘ ‘
26 17 ROVNY Ivan RSH RUS 08’49″22 22″
27 35 STETINA Peter GRM USA 08’49″59 ‘ ‘
28 127 THOMSON Jay Robert BPC RSA 08’50″57 23″
29 32 HESJEDAL Ryder GRM CAN 08’50″96 ‘ ‘
30 82 CLARKE Jonathan UHC AUS 08’51″50 24″
31 122 PIPP Frank BPC USA 08’53″24 26″
32 55 OSS Daniel LIQ ITA 08’53″33 ‘ ‘
33 114 *BOILY David CSM CAN 08’53″89 ‘ ‘
34 125 BRITTON Rob BPC CAN 08’53″96 ‘ ‘
35 117 RANDELL Andrew CSM CAN 08’54″90 27″
36 156 OSPINA Carlos GOB COL 08’55″25 28″
37 48 NORRIS Lachlan THR AUS 08’56″57 29″
38 46 ROULSTON Hayden THR NZL 08’57″75 30″
39 65 MORKOV Michael SBS DEN 08’58″19 31″
40 87 WHITE Bradley UHC USA 08’58″78 ‘ ‘
41 104 OOSTLANDER Sander SKS NED 08’59″22 32″
42 152 SEVILLA RIBIERO Oscar GOB ESP 08’59″63 ‘ ‘
43 123 VENNELL Jeremy BPC NZL 08’59″70 ‘ ‘
44 161 BAEZ Giovany EPM COL 09’00″29 33″
45 23 DENIFL Stefan LEO AUT 09’00″30 ‘ ‘
46 162 SUAREZ Juan Pablo EPM COL 09’00″33 ‘ ‘
47 4 *BARTON Chris BMC USA 09’00″53 ‘ ‘
48 25 MORTENSEN Martin LEO DEN 09’00″91 ‘ ‘
49 54 KING Edward LIQ USA 09’00″96 ‘ ‘
50 93 BERTOGLIATI Rubens TT1 SUI 09’01″53 34″
51 12 MURAVYEV Dmitriy RSH KAZ 09’01″87 ‘ ‘
52 144 DICKESON William JBC AUS 09’02″15 35″
53 148 HAMLTON Nic JBC CAN 09’02″69 ‘ ‘
54 52 *CIMOLAI Davide LIQ ITA 09’02″75 ‘ ‘
55 57 SZMYD Sylvester LIQ POL 09’03″47 36″
56 133 RODRIGUEZ Fred XRG USA 09’03″69 ‘ ‘
57 21 SCHLECK Andy LEO LUX 09’03″90 ‘ ‘
58 128 JACQUES-MAYNES Ben BPC USA 09’04″08 37″
59 14 DEIGNAN Philip RSH IRL 09’04″42 ‘ ‘
60 22 SCHLECK Frank LEO LUX 09’04″88 ‘ ‘
61 58 *VIVIANI Elia LIQ ITA 09’04″92 ‘ ‘
62 47 VELITS Peter THR SVK 09’05″19 38″
63 13 *BENNETT George RSH NZL 09’05″37 ‘ ‘
64 143 VAN ULDEN Bernard JBC USA 09’05″47 ‘ ‘
65 135 JOHNSON Sam XRG USA 09’05″69 ‘ ‘
66 53 DUGGAN Timothy LIQ USA 09’05″93 ‘ ‘
67 33 LLOYD Daniel GRM GBR 09’05″99 ‘ ‘
68 63 NAVARRO GARCIA Daniel SBS ESP 09’06″44 39″
69 142 *LOUTIT Alastair JBC AUS 09’06″47 ‘ ‘
70 165 INFANTINO ABREU Rafael EPM COL 09’07″56 40″
71 121 BALDWIN Christopher BPC USA 09’08″24 41″
72 95 MEGIAS LEAL Javier TT1 ESP 09’08″27 ‘ ‘
73 113 MCCARTY Jonathan Patrick CSM USA 09’08″73 ‘ ‘
74 16 MCCARTNEY Jason RSH USA 09’08″82 ‘ ‘
75 126 MACH Paul BPC USA 09’09″33 42″
76 134 COOKE Matt XRG USA 09’09″75 ‘ ‘
77 84 FRATTINI Davide UHC ITA 09’09″83 ‘ ‘
78 66 DIDIER Laurent SBS LUX 09’10″28 43″
79 115 LANGLOIS Bruno CSM CAN 09’10″36 ‘ ‘
80 34 PETERSON Thomas GRM USA 09’11″03 44″
81 94 KOBZARENKO Valeryi TT1 UKR 09’11″90 ‘ ‘
82 147 HAGMAN Alex JBC USA 09’11″99 ‘ ‘
83 131 DÍAZ Andrés Miguel XRG COL 09’12″44 45″
84 151 HENAO MONTOYA Sergio GOB COL 09’12″51 ‘ ‘
85 62 VANDBORG BACH Brian SBS DEN 09’14″48 47″
86 86 JONES Christopher UHC USA 09’14″58 ‘ ‘
87 24 LUND Anders LEO DEN 09’15″57 48″
88 166 PIAMONTE Carlos EPM COL 09’16″46 49″
89 146 POWERS Jeremy JBC USA 09’16″92 ‘ ‘
90 138 APPLEQUIST Kai XRG USA 09’17″33 50″
91 45 LEWIS Craig THR USA 09’17″39 ‘ ‘
92 61 STEENSEN André SBS DEN 09’18″54 51″
93 42 FAIRLY Caleb THR USA 09’18″67 ‘ ‘
94 153 ACEVEDO CALLE Janier GOB COL 09’18″99 ‘ ‘
95 74 TEN DAM Laurens RAB NED 09’19″20 52″
96 7 *ROE Timothy BMC AUS 09’19″26 ‘ ‘
97 51 BASSO Ivan LIQ ITA 09’19″35 ‘ ‘
98 56 *SAGAN Juraj LIQ SVK 09’19″82 ‘ ‘
99 111 EUSER Lucas CSM USA 09’20″10 53″
100 26 PIRES Bruno LEO POR 09’21″26 54″
101 168 CASTANEDA Jaime EPM COL 09’21″61 ‘ ‘
102 91 EFIMKIN Alexander TT1 RUS 09’22″13 55″
103 8 *BUTLER Christopher BMC USA 09’22″33 ‘ ‘
104 97 DUGAN William TT1 USA 09’23″12 56″
105 145 HANSON Kenneth JBC USA 09’23″33 ‘ ‘
106 105 *LUDVIGSSON Tobias SKS SWE 09’24″56 57″
107 167 *BELTRAN SUAREZ Eduard EPM COL 09’25″49 58″
108 98 CALABRIA Fabio TT1 AUS 09’25″97 ‘ ‘
109 124 *DAHLHEIM Andrew BPC USA 09’26″12 59″
110 164 ORTIZ CARO Edwar Stiber EPM COL 09’26″68 ‘ ‘
111 112 *DE LUNA Flavio CSM MEX 09’26″79 ‘ ‘
112 101 VAN HUMMEL Kenny Robert SKS NED 09’28″50 01’01”
113 141 HERNANDEZ Sergio JBC USA 09’28″73 ‘ ‘
114 157 ALVAREZ Oscar GOB COL 09’28″75 ‘ ‘
115 92 EFIMKIN Vladimir TT1 RUS 09’28″76 ‘ ‘
116 73 NIERMANN Grischa RAB GER 09’28″82 ‘ ‘
117 155 MONTIEL Rafael Anibal GOB COL 09’29″00 01’02”
118 136 SALAS Sébastien XRG CAN 09’30″60 01’03”
119 6 BEYER Chad BMC USA 09’31″11 01’04”
120 107 HUPOND Thierry SKS FRA 09’35″85 01’08”
121 75 WEENING Pieter RAB NED 09’37″41 01’10”
122 106 *RIES Philipp SKS GER 09’40″49 01’13”
123 137 *SLACK Erik XRG USA 09’41″48 01’14”
124 163 PEDRAZA MORALES Walter EPM COL 09’42″33 01’15”
125 76 VAN WINDEN Dennis RAB NED 09’46″30 01’19”
126 154 RAMIREZ Alejandro GOB COL 09’46″92 ‘ ‘
127 96 CALLEGARIN Daniele TT1 ITA 09’47″18 01’20”
128 158 *MONTOYA Cristhian GOB COL 09’51″10 01’24”
129 103 REIMER Martin SKS GER 09’55″89 01’28”
130 102 *BONNIN Thomas SKS FRA 10’31″62 02’04”
22/08/2011 – 15:42:31
Timing – Photo Finish – Results : MATSPORT TIMING 04.76.52.53.60 – http://www.matsport.fr
