THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Teutenberg repeats in Reading
Ina-Yoko Teutenberg is making the most of her time in America. In the span of three days, the German High Road rider has won a pair of Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling criteriums, gotten her hair done and purchased new shoes.
“Things are cheap here to begin with,” said Teutenberg of her weeklong stay in southeastern Pennsylvania that included a day of shopping on Wednesday. “Throw in the strength of the Euro and it’s even better.”
Indeed, the only thing stronger than the European currency may well be Teutenberg herself. With Thursday’s triumph at the Reading Classic criterium, she’s now won five straight Triple Crown races, two this year and all three in 2007 including the prestigious Liberty Classic.
In Reading, Teutenberg was part of a five-rider group that broke away from the field about halfway through the 25-mile race that traced a 1.8-mile circuit through the city’s downtown. On the final lap Teutenberg punched the accelerator with 200 meters to go, easily out-gunning Team Tibco’s Joanne Kiesanowski. Cheerwine’s Laura Van Gilder was third in the 1:01:23 race.
“No way,” answered Teutenberg when asked if winning ever gets old. “Each one is a little different, so you appreciate them all.”
So exactly how many of those unique wins have there been?
“How many?” Teutenberg asked back. “I have no idea. A lot?”
Fair enough.
Unlike on Tuesday when Teutenberg had to bury herself to make a solo bridge across to the decisive breakaway, this time she was part of the key selection that was initiated by Kristin Armstrong, team leader of the Swiss-based Cervelo-Lifeforce squad and a U.S. Olympic hopeful. Only Teutenberg, Joanne Kiesanowski, Laura Van Gilder and Alison Powers
(Colavita-Sutter Home) could respond to the 2006 world time trial champion’s move, quickly making the race a five-rider affair.
“Kristin went with Ina on her wheel,” explain Kiesanowski, who is married to former Tour de France rider Jeff Pierce. “It was clear that was going to be the big break of the day.”
What wasn’t clear is how to beat Teutenberg. Despite doing the bulk of the work in the break, the two time Liberty Classic winner (2007 and 2005) had little trouble taking the sprint at the end.
“No one was really working that hard in the break so the time came down a lot on the last lap,” explained Teutenberg of a gap that was cropped from 60 seconds to just 13 by the finish. “I came into the final straightaway on Alison Power’s wheel and then just had a go. It was a bit of an uphill to the finish so it was better to start my sprint from a ways out because there’s less of a draft.”
Teutenberg’s final burst generated a 950 watts reading on her SRM power meter. She says 1200 is about her max.
Next up for the women is Sunday’s Liberty Classic, a 56.7-mile race run on the same circuit as the men’s Philadelphia International Championship.
In both cases competition begins and ends on Philadelphia’s historic Benjamin Franklin Parkway. In between, the women will turn four laps of the main 14.4-mile circuit that includes the infamous Manayunk Wall and its precipitous grades in excess of 17 percent. At stake in the women’s three-race series is a $27,200 prize purse that includes $5000 for the overall winner. The weather report is calling for high humidity and temperatures in the high 90s.
“It’s going to be a whole different ball game,” predicted Teutenberg. “They will be even more good bike riders there so it won’t be so easy.”
Of course among those new bike riders will be Teutenberg’s High Road teammates, who up to this point have been in Quebec contesting Le Tour du Grand Montreal. Following that race’s conclusion Thursday, they’ll make the trip south to Philadelphia.
Safe to say Teutenberg’s time in the States could get even better.
