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Fitchburg Longsjo Classic
July 3-6, 2008
Fitchburg, MA
Race Report by Kirsten Robbins
Kyle Wamsley of the Colavita/Sutter Home Men’s Cycling Team presented by Cooking Light
Wins 49th Annual Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic
Kristin McGrath Takes Second Overall in the Women’s Race
Workers’ Credit Union Downtown Criterium (July 6, 2008): After a stunning four day performance full of stage wins and leader's jerseys, the stellar Colavita/Sutter Home squad delivered one final astounding performance in the final stage of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic, the 55-lap downtown criterium with a total of 55 miles from start to finish. The bulletproof train absorbed attack after attack from teams vying to move ahead of Kyle Wamsley, who held the overall lead since his victory in stage two’s Wachusett Mountain Road Race. Winning stage three’s circuit race further solidified Kyle’s lead. “My team worked at the front of the race for the last three stages,” said Kyle about his first NRC stage race win. “They did a phenomenal ride for me and I really could not have done this without them. I had an outstanding week of racing but it’s a real team effort. My Colavita/Sutter Home teammates were riding so strong the whole week and this race goes out to them.” Alejandro Borrajo raced to a podium-worthy third place finish, followed by Kyle in seventh and Davide Frattini in eighth.
Kyle Wamsley
In the women's race, the Colavita/Sutter Home Women’s Cycling Team had their hands full as opposing teams worked hard to exhaust Tina Pic and the legendary Colavita/Sutter Home lead-out train before the last lap of the 25-lap, 25-mile downtown criterium. But the six-rider squad brought back all the breakaways with one lap to go and lined up behind Jamaican National Champion Iona Wynter Parks for their impressive lead-out. Tina sat in second wheel rounding the last corner and jumped ahead of her competitors with 200 meters to go, gaining more than a bike length at the line. "My teammates did a great job being represented in the breakaways and in the last lap lead-out for me,” said Tina. “But it’s great to have a team like Cheerwine out there racing so hard. It makes racing exciting!” Tina’s Colavita/Sutter Home teammate Kristin McGrath followed in 4th place for the stage and second in the final classification.
Kristin McGrath---------------------------------------------------------------
Fitchburg State College Circuit Race (July 5, 2008): Colavita/Sutter Home’s Kyle Wamsley wins the Fitchburg State College Circuit Race, the third stage of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic. Riding well-protected behind the Colavita/Sutter Home pace-setting squad, Kyle said, “The guys kept it together for the entire 2.5-hour race. Anytime there was even a small gap on us, they brought it back.” Kyle’s eight-rider freight train included Gustavo Artacho, Luis Amaran, Davide Frattini, Andy Guptill, Alejandro Borrajo, Anthony Colby and Tyler Wren. The leading team proved their overall unity and strength when they absorbed attack after attack over the 75-mile circuit race. “They gave me an incredible lead-out coming into the finish,” Kyle said proudly of his team’s effort. “I believe in my team and their strength. I have to hand it to the Colavita/Sutter Home guys -- they’re the ones who won the race today.”
In the women’s race, guest rider Anna McLoon, a recruit from Colavita/Sutter Home’s New England amateur team, initiated a two-rider break that survived to the finish line where she showed her strength among the NRC field for a second place podium finish. US National Criterium Champion Tina Pic won the field sprint for third place. Kristin McGrath maintains her 2nd place in the overall classification.---------------------------------------------------------------
Stage 2 (Wachusett Mountain Road Race, July 4, 2008): Colavita/Sutter Home sprinter Kyle Wamsley ends the stage as overall leader of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic. Kyle and his Colavita/Sutter Home teammates took control of the 104-mile, nine-lap event to bring back a threatening early break away that gained nearly five minutes on the 140-rider field. The squad led climbers Tyler Wren and Anthony Colby into the final three kilometer climb to fight their way against the multiple attacks towards the top. Kyle emerged atop Mount Wachusett to take second place in the stage and a five-second time bonus that moved him into the leader’s jersey. After covering several attacks over the climb, Anthony Colby hung onto the leading group for a 5th place. “I’m psyched to have the leaders jersey after a stage like today,” said Kyle. “When the team works as hard as they did, you have to dig in and give it everything you got.”
In the women’s race, Colavita/Sutter Home’s Kristin McGrath climbed into 2nd place atop Mount Wachusett after a valiant effort to fight for the overall race lead. Teammates Andrea Dvorak and Tina Pic followed in fourth and fifth, respectively. The women’s team rode into multiple breaks during the last lap of the women’s 69-mile race. However, a threatening separation forced the Colavita/Sutter Home women’s squad into a mad chase before the final climb to the final three kilometer summit.The Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams presented by Cooking Light dispatched strong squads to the 49th annual Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic. Representing the women’s team are Kristin McGrath, Iona Wynter Parks, Tina Pic, Andrea Dvorak, and Nichole Wangsgard. The men’s squad includes Luis Amaran, Alejandro Borrajo, Davide Frattini, Kyle Wamsley, Gustavo Artacho, Tyler Wren, Anthony Colby, and Andy Guptill.Best Western Royal Plaza / Rindge Road Time Trial (July 3, 2008): Colavita/Sutter Home’s Kristin McGrath wins the opening Fitchburg Longsjo Classic time trial and takes the yellow jersey. The 10-kilometer route rolls predominantly upward from Fitchburg to the small town of Ashby via Ridge Rd. "I tried to cover as much ground as possible as fast as possible," said Kristin. As the men's race progressed, the weather became more severe as the rain began to pour during the uphill time trial. Nevertheless, Luis Amaran prevailed to finish 3rd with teammate Kyle Wamsley following in 6th.
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