UHC, TIBCO Top Podiums
6/18/2012Team UnitedHealthcare’s Rory Sutherland and Jake Keough each took victories at weekend races, while Team TIBCO’s Megan Guarnier won the final stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Sutherland took first place at the Tour de Beauce, held June 12-17 in Quebec, Canada, while Keough won the Harlem Skyscraper Classic, held June 17 in New York City, and Guarnier won the Stillwater Criterium, the sixth Stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix held in Stillwater, Minnesota.
Sutherland won the GC by 19 seconds. He first gained the yellow jersey with a second place finish in the Stage 4 individual time trial, and aided by teamwork from the Blue Train, never relinquished it. “These were six hard days of racing,” he commented later. “The team did a fantastic job, stayed on task and everyone did what needed to be done. The guys actually did more than expected. This was a great end to a hard week of racing. The competition was outstanding, and the teams here really did a great job. This is an amazing and beautiful part of the world and the people here have supported the race so well. We are really proud to be invited to come and race here.” Sutherland won the GC at another major race, the Tour of the Gila, last month.
Teamwork was also a factor in Keough’s win, according to UHC General Manager Mike Tamayo: “Just an amazing race here today in Harlem. The crowd and the energy were simply incredible. The course was fast, and the race was electric. It all adds to a great day, the kind of day that fuels the riders. Our lead-out was perfect. The team just continues to come together week after week, race hard and put it on the line for one another. And today was a day where we were able to harness that and come away with a win.”
Guarnier’s win concluded a week of full-on competition, as she won the Most Aggressive Rider jersey for the last three stages of the race. She rode away from the field in the eighth lap, increasing her margin to 17 seconds by the end of the race. “The whole team raced very aggressively all week,” said TIBCO European Directeur Sportif Angela van Smoorenberg. “This is one of the biggest races of the year, and the field is always strong, and we tried to make every stage hard. Megan’s win to close out the race is a great reward for the team’s efforts."
Maxxis congratulates Rory Sutherland, Jake Keough and Megan Guarnier on their victories, and thanks all of its riders for their fine performances.
