Welcome to Seattle for the American National championships! First up, the time trial!
Levi Leipheimer, Jason Donald, and George Hincapie may feel hopeful of victory, but realistically its going to be a battle between David Zabriskie and Bobby Julich.
Zabriskie led at the first check point, but Julich edged into the lead at the 2nd check point. Who would win? Zabriskie! Julich fails to win the National TT Championships in his retirement year by just 1 second, although at least that means that the US TT Jersey wil be worn in 2009.
1
David Zabriskie
FED-EX
48'33
2
Bobby Julich
LA GAZETTA DELLO SPORT
+ 1
3
Levi Leipheimer
FED-EX
+ 46
4
George Hincapie
AG2R PRÉVOYANCE - RENAULT
+ 50
5
Jason Donald
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 1'08
6
Christian Vande Velde
FERRARI - GUERCIOTTI
+ 1'29
7
Blake Caldwell
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 1'32
8
Tom Danielson
FED-EX
+ 1'39
9
Danny Pate
TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS
+ 1'45
10
Ben Jacques-Maynes
TOYOTA UNITED PRO CYCLING TEAM
s.t.
11
Timothy Duggan
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 1'51
12
Ian McKissick
JELLY BELLY CYCLING TEAM
+ 1'58
13
Steven Cozza
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 2'04
14
Michael Lange
BMC RACING TEAM
+ 2'05
15
Thomas Peterson
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 2'11
16
Anthony Colby
Usa
+ 2'12
17
Bernard Van Ulden
JELLY BELLY CYCLING TEAM
+ 2'17
18
Taylor Phinney
Usa
+ 2'19
19
Roman Kilun
HEALTH NET PRESENTED BY MAXXIS
+ 2'24
20
Phil Zajicek
DRAPAC PORSCHE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
+ 2'25
21
Brad Huff
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 2'31
22
Aaron Olson
COLAVITA - SUTTER HOME PRESENTED BY COOKING LIGHT
s.t.
23
Ryan Miller
BMC RACING TEAM
+ 2'35
24
Jason McCartney
DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM
+ 2'42
25
Nathan Mitchell
BMC RACING TEAM
+ 2'44
26
Craig Lewis
COLAVITA - SUTTER HOME PRESENTED BY COOKING LIGHT
+ 2'45
27
John Murphy
HEALTH NET PRESENTED BY MAXXIS
+ 2'50
28
Tyler Farrar
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 2'52
29
Saul Raisin
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
s.t.
30
Chris Horner
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 3'04
31
Christopher Baldwin
TOYOTA UNITED PRO CYCLING TEAM
+ 3'06
32
Lucas Euser
LANDBOUWKREDIET - TÖNISSTEINER
+ 3'07
33
Mike Friedman
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 3'12
34
Matthew Crane
Usa
+ 3'18
35
Will Frischkorn
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 3'19
36
Burke Swindlehurst
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
s.t.
37
David Talbott
FERRARI - GUERCIOTTI
+ 3'20
38
Andrew Bajadali
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
s.t.
39
Bobby Lea
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 3'28
40
Shawn Milne
JELLY BELLY CYCLING TEAM
+ 3'32
41
Brad Armstrong
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 3'37
42
Justin England
TOYOTA UNITED PRO CYCLING TEAM
+ 3'38
43
Kirk O'Bee
HEALTH NET PRESENTED BY MAXXIS
+ 3'50
44
Bradley White
DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM
+ 3'53
45
Alex Howes
Usa
+ 3'57
46
Jonathan Page
PALMANS COLLSTROP
s.t.
47
Jeremy Powers
DRAPAC PORSCHE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
+ 4'12
48
Chad Hartley
JELLY BELLY CYCLING TEAM
+ 4'13
49
Antonio Cruz
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 4'27
50
Fred Rodriguez
MAGENTA TREFOIL
+ 4'28
51
Alex Candelario
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 4'32
52
Timothy Johnson
SOUTHAUSTRALIA.COM - AIS
+ 4'43
53
Rahsaan Bahati
TOYOTA UNITED PRO CYCLING TEAM
+ 4'44
54
Peter Stetina
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
+ 4'59
55
Jonathan Patrick McCarty
COLAVITA - SUTTER HOME PRESENTED BY COOKING LIGHT
+ 5'16
56
Dadley Corwin
BMC RACING TEAM
+ 5'20
Road Race
The circuit race around Seattle favours the sprinters, and the favourite must be Slipstream's Tyler Farrar, the only American to have won a bunch sprint in 2008. Kirk O'Bee is the leading american points scorer in the Continental rankings and will fancy his chances, as will another of Slipstream's riders, Mike Friedman. Of course there is also the defending champion Lucas Euser, while George Hincapie is the only rider from the ProTour who could have a chance if it comes to a sprint. Back to Slipstream, and perhaps Huff or Candelario could pull off a relative upset.
Maybe a break will win though?
Matt White, Brad Armstrong and Jonathan Page give it their best shot.
But theyre caught with 36km to go.
After that the riders stop riding hard and after 8km of meandering, suddenly some unintended action!
The Slipstream quartet of Candelario, Caldwell, Farrar and Friedman have got a gap! A group of 14 establishes itself in chase, leaving the rest behind to meander to the finish with no hope of victory.
When the Quartet are caught, a group of 16 has now formed (Donald and White slipped back during the chase).
Theyre already a long way ahead of the rest, but all the sprinters are there in the lead group. The team who will be most disappointed is the young american team of Howes, Crane, Colby and Phinney.
Zabriskie, Cruz and then Friedman try to get away but lack enough blue bar to make it.
Caldwell, Peterson and Cozza have now slipped off the group and then Brad Huff literally does slip off as he crashes.
Down to 12 then and one of these 12 will be the new national champion (Unless Euser wins it again). A sprint train starts to form of Murphy, O'Bee, Rodriguez and Farrar but Friedman blocks O'Bee at a turn and O'Bee drops back a metre or so, ending the sprint train.
Nothing else was organised until Friedman moved to the front with just under 4km to go. Fred Rodriguez has his wheel, while Murphy and O'Bee had reorganised beside of them. Farrar is a little way back as is Euser.
Rodriguez is all over the back of Friedman with 1600m to go but doesnt make his move just yet, Farrar meanwhile, has moved himself back into contention.
The final turn is at 1300m to go and O'Bee makes his move, looking to go down the inside.
With 1km to go, Rodriguez finally makes his move and slowly draws alongside Friedman, yet allowing Farrar space in the middle.
Moving closer to the line and it's going to be tight! Rodriguez and Friedman are neck a neck but Farrar is closing in on them both, looking to surge through the middle.
Its going to be a photo finish!
Mike Friedman wins it!!!! Not phased by having to do a long sprint, Friedman delivers for Slipstream.
