Americans Abroad: Top 5s at Energiewacht

U.S. riders had mixed results over the last week, with the women earning multiple top 5s at the Energiewacht Tour.

April 11, 2016 Alex Doyle

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Welcome to Americans Abroad, our weekly check-in with the American professionals in the European peloton. Velonews will publish these updates every Monday throughout the season.

The American women racing the Energiewacht Tour showed dominance during the race by picking up multiple top-5 stage finishes.

Allie Dragoo won stage 3, a 131.8-kilometer route. She won the day out of a breakaway, and finished 2 minutes ahead of then race leader Chantel Blaak of Bols – Dolmans. Second place on the day went to Hitec Products rider Julie Leth, who was 2 seconds behind Dragoo. American Gretchen Stumhofer, riding for Team USA, rounded out the podium.

Tayler Wiles claimed the third step of the podium after the stage 1 team time trial, with her Orica – AIS squad finishing 21 seconds behind the dominant Bols – Dolmans team. Wiles followed up her team’s TTT performance with a fourth place finish in stage 4b’s individual time trial, 57 seconds behind the stage and race winner Ellen Van Dijk. Allie Dragoo was seventh in the TT.

Lawson Craddock (Cannondale)

Craddock raced the Tour of the Basque Country in Spain. He was the top-placed American, finishing ninth overall behind the likes of winner Alberto Contador, Sergio Henao, and Nairo Quintana, among others. Craddock was 2:52 behind Contador and had his best performance of the race on stage 4, where he finished ninth. Craddock’s next event will be stateside, the Amgen Tour of California.

Caleb Fairly (Giant – Alpecin)

Fairly was in Spain for the Tour of the Basque Country. He finished 97th on GC and was 92nd in the stage 6 individual time trial.

Tyler Farrar (Dimension Data)

Farrar rode Scheldeprijs for Mark Cavendish, who finished half a wheel behind winner Marcel Kittel of Etixx – Quick-Step. Farrar finished 60th. He started Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix but did not finish.

Phil Gaimon (Cannondale)

Phil Gaimon was told late last week he was one of Cannondale’s men for Paris-Roubaix. Though he did not finish, Gaimon was happy to race in northern France. After He tweeted afterward:

Ripping the cobbles in a Scoda now with these legends. #ParisRoubaix is just as cruel and beautiful as I’d hoped. https://t.co/72CZ27wwS6

— Phil Gaimon (@philgaimon) April 10, 2016

Katie Hall (UnitedHealthcare)

Katie Hall rode the Energiewacht Tour in Belgium. She was unable to finish stage 2 and abandoned the race.

Chad Haga (Giant – Alpecin)

Chad Haga raced for only the second time of the season at Scheldeprijs and finished 148th, 7:56 behind Kittel.

Alex Howes (Cannondale)

Howes was one of the helpers for Craddock at the Tour of the Basque Country. He was 91st overall and spent a day in the breakaway. His best stage finish was 85th in the stage 6 time trial.

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Carter Jones (Giant – Alpecin)

Jones was a part of the Giant – Alpecin squad for the Basque Country. He withdrew before stage 5. His best finish was 96th in stage 1.

Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing)

Phinney raced his first Paris-Roubaix since his injury in 2014. He finished 49th overall, 14:23 behind winner Mathew Hayman.

Kiel Reijnen (Trek – Segafredo)

Like many other Americans, Kiel Reijnen raced in the Basque Country tour. He withdrew during stage 4.

Coryn Rivera (UniteHealthcare)

Rivera joined Hall and the UHC team at the Energiewacht Tour. Like Hall and many others, Rivera was also unable to finish stage 2.

Joey Rosskopf (BMC Racing)

Rosskopf rode for BMC leader Sammy Sanchez in the Tour of the Basque Country. His best stage finish was 78th in the stage 6 TT.

Alexis Ryan (Canyon – SRAM)

Ryan was the second-best American finisher in the Energiewacht Tour, taking 17th overall. She finished second in both stage 1 (TTT) and the best young rider classification.

Peter Stetina (Trek – Segafredo)

Peter Stetina raced in the Basque Country and finished 78th overall. He was 46th in stage 2.

Team USA

Allie Dragoo, Gretchen Stumhofer, Aliya Traficante, Allison Arensman Madeleine Boutet, and Holly Breck all competed in the Energiewacht Tour. Dragoo, Stumhofer, and Breck finished every stage. Allie Dragoo won stage 3 and was 53rd overall. Stumhofer finished 76th overall and Breck was 69th overall.

Larry Warbasse (IAM Cycling)

Larry Warbasse also had difficulty in the Basque Country, withdrawing during stage 5. His best finish was 75th in stage 1.

Tayler Wiles (Orica – AIS)

Wiles was the top American finisher in the Energiewacht Tour, at 16th overall. She was 5:26 behind race winner Ellen Van Dijk of Bols – Dolmans.