Chong, Estevez claim Tour of Somerville titles
Jessica Chong (Bike Works p/b Fred Beans) and Danny Estevez (Miami Blazers) emerged as the winners of the annual Tour of Somerville presented by Unity Bank on Memorial Day in New Jersey.
The race is one of the longest-running cycling events in US history, having started in 1940 by Fred Kugler. The race remembers Kugler and the 1942 winner Carl Anderson, both of whom were killed in action during World War II.
The event attracts thousands of spectators who line the course for the flat and fast criterium and is also popular with riders who chase after generous cash primes on various laps, and for bragging rights to have their names inked in a race palmares that includes past champions such as Steve Bauer, Davis Phinney, Human Powered Health coach and director Jonas Carney and Eric Wohlberg, Juan and Lucas Haedo, and Hilton Clarke, and women's winners Tina Pic, Ruth Winder, five-time winner Laura van Gilder and Maggie Coles-Lyster.
Because of blustery conditions, no breakaway could stick in the Mildred Kluger Women's Race for Pro and category 1-3 riders, despite numerous attempts. However, a crash on the final lap split the bunch and only five riders were left to sprint for the victory.
Chong proved fastest, taking the title over Emily Flynn (LA Sweat) and Leah Goldberg (CRCA).
The men's race was equally fast and furious, with a single breakaway gaining significant time. Tim Mitchell (CCB), Sam Smith (BikeWorks PA) and Alex Carmona had a lead of 20 seconds before organisers had to neutralize the race due to a large crash with four laps.
After the restart, the Automatic ABUS team came to the front to shut down the trio, but not before Mitchell claimed the $1,000 prime on the third-to-last lap.
Mitchell kept going as the peloton reabsorbed his two companions. He was reeled in with one lap to go as the Miami Blazers' lead-out train deftly delivered Estevez to the victory over Cesare Marte (Road Kings) and 2017 winner Noah Granigan (Denver Disruptors).
Britton, Smith master inaugural BWR Canada
Rob Britton (Factor-Ovrlnd) rode solo for the overall victory at the Belgian Waffle Ride Canada on Victoria Island, while Haley Smith (Maxxis Factory Racing) took a dominant win for the elite women. Both Canadian riders next line up at Unbound Gravel 200 in Emporia, Kansas, where they are part of the year-long competition of the Life Time Grand Prix series.
“Belgian Waffle Ride Vancouver Island had all the best bits of every kind of bike racing. Pretty stoked to come away with the win after a monster of a day,” Smith posted to Instagram after the win. She won the overall Grand Prix series title and is currently third in the 2023 series standings headed to Unbound.
Britton echoed the sentiment on his social media, saying, “Winning is special, winning at home that’s very special.”
Britton left the front of the field with over 100km to go and never looked back. He finished the ride in 6:57:40, more than nine minutes faster than second-placed Nicolas Roche (NR GRVL). Evan Russell (Saint Piran) was third, another minute back.
Also in the men’s field were USA’s Geoff Kabush, Australian Nathan Haas, who was eighth and Canadian cyclocross star Michael Van Den Ham in ninth.
Smith distanced all the elite women by more than 19 minutes, posting a time of 7:39:22. On the podium in second and third, respectively, were a pair of US riders, Austin Killops (nice bikes) and Rebecca Fahringer (Kona Maxxis Shimano). Katerina Nash finished fourth and Flavia Oliveira Parks was fifth.
Grotts, Sturm take wins at Iron Horse Bicycle Classic
At the three-day Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Durango, Colorado, Sarah Sturm won the gravel 95-mile long course event on Sunday, a day after finishing second in the women’s road race to Kira Payer. The women’s omnium title went to Michaela Thompson, who was third in the road race and rode away from the field to win the women’s mountain bike race.
Howard Grotts earned a solo victory in the Subaru Mountain Bike Race on the final day and secured the men’s omnium title. He was second to Caleb Classen in the men’s road race and finished third in the short track MTB event.
For Sturm, the Durango-based road race has been the only on-road competition she has done for many years, opting for mountain biking and off-road pursuits. She posted on social media that she remembered “walking up the first climb” in her first attempt at the 50-mile race.
This time on the road, she was in the break on Coal Bank Pass with Payer, which soured when she dropped a chain and allowed Payer to surge ahead by more than a minute for the win.
Both Sturm and Grotts will compete at Unbound Gravel 200 in Emporia, Kansas, Sturm in fourth place for women in the early standings of the Life Time Grand Prix and Grotts in seventh for men.
