Jeanson, Blickem win Tucson opener
Geneviève Jeanson (Rona) and Ryan Blickem (Aida’s Bail Bonds) were the fastest on the day as the 19th annual Tucson Bicycle Classic got under way on Friday. The 3-mile Old Tucson McCain Loop time trial on McCain Loop Road in Tucson Mountain Park began with a mile of fast rollers before serving up two miles of 4 to 6 percent climbing to the finish. Blickem covered the course in 7:22, 8 seconds ahead of Michael Jones (Health Net-Maxxis) and a further second up on Scott Blanchard (Eclipse). Jeanson won in a more convincing fashion, finishing in 8:20, 14 seconds ahead of Jeannie Longo and 26
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By VeloNews Interactive
Geneviève Jeanson (Rona) and Ryan Blickem (Aida’s Bail Bonds) were the fastest on the day as the 19th annual Tucson Bicycle Classic got under way on Friday.
The 3-mile Old Tucson McCain Loop time trial on McCain Loop Road in Tucson Mountain Park began with a mile of fast rollers before serving up two miles of 4 to 6 percent climbing to the finish. Blickem covered the course in 7:22, 8 seconds ahead of Michael Jones (Health Net-Maxxis) and a further second up on Scott Blanchard (Eclipse).
Jeanson won in a more convincing fashion, finishing in 8:20, 14 seconds ahead of Jeannie Longo and 26 seconds up on teammate Anna Milkowski.
This year’s TBC is dedicated to Garrett Lemire, the 22-year-old University of California-Los Angeles student who died in a collision with a car while trying to avoid a crash in last year’s second stage. Today’s second stage has been named for him – the Gates Pass-Garrett Lemire Memorial Road Race – and his race number, 148, was permanently retired from the race.
Today’s road race will be held on a 21-mile loop through the desert with rollers, fast flats and a steep climb six miles from the finish, followed by a rapid descent to the start-finish. Men race 84 miles, women 63.
The TBC concludes Sunday with the Artisan Prosthetics Circuit Race, on a 5.6 mile loop with 300 feet of climbing. Men race 50 miles, women 39.
Old Tucson-McCain Loop TT
Men
1. Ryan Blickem (Aida’s Bail Bonds), 3mi in 7:22
2. Michael Jones (Health Net-Maxxis), 7:30
3. Scott Blanchard (Eclipse), 7:31
4. Tim Carolan (Landis-Trek-VW), 7:32
5. Austin King, 7:32
6. Adam Bergman (Jelly Belly-Aramar), 7:33
7. Michael Sayer (Health Net—Maxxis, 7:34
8. Will Steinbrecher (Jelly Belly-Aramar), 7:36
9. Scott Price (Landis-Trek-VW, 7:37
10. Jacob Rublet (Landis-Trek-VW), 7:41
Women
1. Geneviève Jeanson (Rona), 3mi in 8:20
2. Jeannie Longo, 8:34
3. Anna Milkowski (Rona), 8:46
4. Deneen Brown (Landis-Trek-VW), 8:58
5. Emilie Roy (Rona), 9:10
6. Maatje Benassi (Excel Sports), 9:15
7. Heather Woodhouse (Team Kenda Tire), 9:19
8. Sima Trapp (Glody’s-Tamarack), 9:23
9. Chloe Black (Terry Precision), 9:25
10. Rosie Garlapow (Terry Precision), 9:28