U.S. Racing This Week: Hanson hitting out in Tulsa, Keough and crew to D.C.

It’s a double weekend for the National Racing Calendar with the U.S. Air Force Classic and Tulsa Tough and the top American sprinter in Philadelphia last weekend is headed west. Ken Hanson and Jelly Belly-Kenda appear to be coming around after a rough May; they’ll be hunting prize money and NRC points in Oklahoma starting Friday night and you can watch it live at VeloNews.com/live.

Jelly Belly has come on strong after an Amgen Tour of California that their director Danny Van Haute called “disappointing.” Between Alex Hagman’s $1,100 KOM prize and Ken Hanson’s fourth-place sprint finish, the beans were the top domestic team at the TD Bank International Championships in Philadelphia Sunday. A week earlier, Hanson returned from a hard crash coming off Paris Mountain in the first lap to finish seventh at the U.S. pro road championship.

“I had a tough start for the first couple sprint stages in California,” said Hanson. “I definitely came around and my fitness and form started really coming good.”

Hanson is one of eight new arrivals to the 15-man Jelly Belly roster in 2011. Despite solid results with Team Type 1 a year ago, including a stage win in the 95-mile Menomonie Road Race at the Nature Valley Grand Prix and a narrow miss in stage 2 of the Volta do Rio de Janeiro, the 29-year-old was on the outs last fall. At the U.S. pro championships in September he was disappointed to miss Team Type 1’s jump to Europe.

Nine months later that disappointment is gone and the taste of a new level of speed is left.

“It was just fast. The last 500 meters was fast. I was in my hardest gear and spun out,” said Hanson of his sprint against Alex Rasmussen, Peter Sagan, Robert Förster and others in Philadelphia. “It’s a little different speed you’re racing at with those guys.”

That little different speed was new to Hanson. He’s won the Roswell and Boise criteriums and a stage in the Tour of Korea, but Philadelphia was the first time Hanson was in position to truly go head-to-head with ProTeam sprinters for a win. He admitted a couple of mistakes in coming out of Sagan’s draft too early and not throwing his bike for third against Förster.

“That was the first time racing against those caliber guys where I’m in the position that if I execute right and have a really good sprint, the way things unfold I’ve got a shot at doing really well and possibly winning,” he said. “I have just a massive lack of experience (racing against ProTeam sprinters). It’s knowing how to play, how to time and position your sprint against them.”

With a thin summer of racing ahead for Hanson after next week’s Nature Valley Grand Prix, he’ll take confidence and motivation into Tulsa this weekend. The Santa Barbara, California, based rider will team up with three Jelly Bellies, including two-time defending Tulsa champ Brad Huff.

The Missourian sprinter has been in a tough spot since his win at the Dana Point Grand Prix. An intestinal issue has required two rounds of antibiotics. Side effects of the second round Ciproxin treatment have kept Huff sun sheltered in leg warmers and a hat riding near 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Missouri. According to Hanson, tendon rupture is a potential side effect and Huff has been keeping his training mellow. Still, Hanson’s first priority this weekend is guiding his teammate to his third straight Tulsa Tough title.

“I would love nothing more for him to win it again this year. If he’s on and feeling good and is the Brad Huff he can be, we want to get him that win,” said Hanson.

Van Haute said the Hanson/Huff combination would be potent, but race wins, not repeats, are what he is after. “The combination of Ken and Brad is going to be really awesome this year I think; both of them could do well there,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if Brad three-peats, but we want to win the race. They put on a great show, a great race, and that’s why we go there every year”

Saint Francis Tulsa Tough

Tulsa, Oklahoma
$50,000 purse (men) / $30,000 purse (women)
*Streaming live at VeloNews.com/live

Blue Dome Criterium
Friday June 10 7:10 p.m. (women) / 9:15 p.m. (men)
55 min. (women) / 70 min. (men)

Brady Village Criterium
Saturday June 11 6:35 p.m. (women) / 9:00 p.m. (men)
60 min. (women) / 80 min. (men)

Riverview Criterium
Sunday June 12 2:10 p.m. (women) / 4:25 p.m. (men)
60 min. (women) / 80 min. (men)

U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic

Arlington, Virginia
$25,000 purse (men) / $13,000 purse (women)

Clarendon Cup
Saturday June 11 9:55 a.m. (women) / 12:00 p.m. (men)
80 min. (women) / 135 min. (men)
*National Racing Calendar

Crystal Cup
Sunday June 12 11:40 a.m. (men) / 1:25 p.m. (women)
95 min. (men) / 75 min. (women)

While Jelly Belly will be mixing it up in Tulsa, the majority of the country’s top sprinters are headed for the nation’s capital. The two-day omnium will feature names that include second-place on the NRC Jake Keough (UnitedHealthcare), Jonathan Cantwell (V Australia) and U.S. criterium champ Daniel Holloway (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth).

2011 Air Force Cycling Classic – Start Lists

Men’s Pro Invitational

• 1. Hilton Clarke, United Healthcare P/b Maxxis
• 2. Jake Keough, United Healthcare P/b Maxxis
• 3. Jonny Clarke, United Healthcare P/b Maxxis
• 4. Robert Forster, United Healthcare P/b Maxxis
• 5. Karl Menzies, United Healthcare P/b Maxxis
• 6. Andrew Pinfold, United Healthcare P/b Maxxis
• 7. Boy Van Poppel, United Healthcare P/b Maxxis
• 8. Scott Zwizanski, United Healthcare P/b Maxxis
• 11. Jamey Driscoll, Jamis-Sutter Home
• 12. Nick Frey, Jamis-Sutter Home
• 13. Andy Guptill, Jamis-Sutter Home
• 14. Eric Schildge, Jamis-Sutter Home
• 15. Jackie Simes, Jamis-Sutter Home
• 21. Louis Crosby, Pure Black
• 22. Taylor Gunman, Pure Black
• 23. Mark Langlands, Pure Black
• 24. James Mccoy, Pure Black
• 25. Roman Van Uden, Pure Black
• 31. Kyle Wamsley, Bissell
• 32. Patrick Bevin, Bissell
• 33. Shane Kline, Bissell
• 34. David Williams, Bissell
• 41. Daniel Holloway, Kelly Benefit Strategies
• 42. Marsh Cooper, Kelly Benefit Strategies
• 43. Reid Mumford, Kelly Benefit Strategies
• 44. Tom Soladay, Kelly Benefit Strategies
• 51. Alex Bowden, Team Type I
• 52. Charles Joseph Eldridge, Team Type I
• 53. Andrea Grendene, Team Type I
• 54. Aldo Ino Ilesic, Team Type I
• 55. Alexey Shmidt, Team Type I
• 56. Martijn Vershoor, Team Type I
• 61. Carlos Alzate, Team Exergy
• 62. Kai Applequist, Team Exergy
• 63. Fred Rodriguez, Team Exergy
• 64. Andres Diaz, Team Exergy
• 65. Matt Cooke, Team Exergy
• 66. Sam Johnson, Team Exergy
• 67. Remi Mcmanus, Team Exergy
• 68. Erik Slack, Team Exergy
• 71. Hayden Brooks, Fly-V
• 72. Johnathon Cantwell, Fly-V
• 73. Zackariah Davies, Fly-V
• 74. Ben Kersten, Fly-V
• 75. Scott Law, Fly-V
• 76. Cameron Peterson, Fly-V
• 77. Sean Sullivan, Fly-V
• 78. Chris Winn, Fly-V
• 81. Neil Bezdek, Mountain Khakis
• 82. Thomas Brown, Mountain Khakis
• 83. Jon Hamblen, Mountain Khakis
• 84. Luke Keough, Mountain Khakis
• 85. Travis Livermon, Mountain Khakis
• 86. Adam Myerson, Mountain Khakis
• 87. Jerome Townsend, Mountain Khakis
• 88. Benjamin Zawacki, Mountain Khakis
• 91. Volodymyr Bileka, Amore-Vita
• 92. Vladislav Borisov, Amore-Vita
• 93. Sergiy Grechyn, Amore-Vita
• 94. Andrei Klyuew, Amore-Vita
• 95. Phillip Mamos, Amore-Vita
• 96. Nicholas Sanderson, Amore-Vita
• 101. Lenni Andersen, Denmark National Team
• 102. Nichlas Eberhardt, Denmark National Team
• 103. Jonas Fredborg, Denmark National Team
• 104. Stig Hemmingsen, Denmark National Team
• 105. John Kronborg Ebsen, Denmark National Team
• 106. Søren Petersen, Denmark National Team
• 107. Danny Skovgren, Denmark National Team
• 108. Mical Smit Larsen, Denmark National Team
• 111. Francisco Mancebo, Realcyclist.com
• 112. Matt Crane, Realcyclist.com
• 113. Yosvany Falcon, Realcyclist.com
• 114. Cesar Grajales, Realcyclist.com
• 115. Cole House, Realcyclist.com
• 116. Tommy Nankervis, Realcyclist.com
• 117. Thomas Rabou, Realcyclist.com
• 118. Frank Travieso, Realcyclist.com
• 121. Christian Bertilsson, Cyclecity
• 122. Robert Pölder, Cyclecity
• 123. Philip Lindau, Cyclecity
• 124. Mike Chauner, Cyclecity
• 131. Keck Baker, X/o Communications Battley Harley-Davidson
• 132. Tim Brown, X/o Communications Battley Harley-Davidson
• 133. Ryan Dewald, X/o Communications Battley Harley-Davidson
• 134. Charles Hutcheson, X/o Communications Battley Harley-Davidson
• 135. Russ Langley, X/o Communications Battley Harley-Davidson
• 136. Jared Nieters, X/o Communications Battley Harley-Davidson
• 137. Tim Rugg, X/o Communications Battley Harley-Davidson
• 138. Adam Switters, X/o Communications Battley Harley-Davidson
• 141. Josh Dillon, Bikereg.com/Cannondale
• 142. Max Korus, Bikereg.com/Cannondale
• 143. Peter Hurst, Bikereg.com/Cannondale
• 144. Robin Carpenter, Bikereg.com/Cannondale
• 145. Evan Burkhart, Bikereg.com/Cannondale
• 151. Gavriel Epstein, Chipotle Development Team
• 152. Thacker Reeves, Chipotle Development Team
• 153. Elliott Craddock, Chipotle Development Team
• 161. Blair Berbert, Kelly Benefit Strategies/lateral Stress Velo
• 162. Todd Hesel, Kelly Benefit Strategies/lateral Stress Velo
• 163. Jacob Mueller, Kelly Benefit Strategies/lateral Stress Velo
• 164. Kevin Gottlieb, Kelly Benefit Strategies/lateral Stress Velo

Women’s Pro 1/2

• 201. Meredith Miller, Tibco
• 202. Megan Guarnier, Tibco
• 203. Jo Jo Kiesanowski, Tibco
• 204. Emma Mackie, Tibco
• 205. Joelle Numainville, Tibco
• 206. Samantha Schneider, Tibco
• 207. Carmen Small, Tibco
• 208. Tara Whitten, Tibco
• 211. Cath Cheatley, Colavita Forno D’asolo Pro Cycling Team
• 212. Modesta Vzesniauskaite, Colavita Forno D’asolo Pro Cycling Team
• 213. Andrea Dvorak, Colavita Forno D’asolo Pro Cycling Team
• 214. Lauren Hall, Colavita Forno D’asolo Pro Cycling Team
• 215. Kristin Sanders, Colavita Forno D’asolo Pro Cycling Team
• 216. Kelly Benjamin, Colavita Forno D’asolo Pro Cycling Team
• 217. Rushlee Buchanan, Colavita Forno D’asolo Pro Cycling Team
• 218. Janel Holcomb, Colavita Forno D’asolo Pro Cycling Team
• 221. Sara Clafferty, Annapolis Bike Racing Team
• 222. Jocelyn Setter, Cawes P/b Specialized
• 223. Arley Kemmerer, Cawes P/b Specialized
• 224. Sarah Iepson, Cawes P/b Specialized
• 225. Kyleanne Hunter, Cawes P/b Specialized
• 226. Robin Meidhof, Cawes P/b Specialized
• 227. Kaitlyn Lawrence, Mvp Health Care Cycling
• 228. Colleen Hayduk, Pure Energy Cycling-Proairhfa
• 229. Kacey Manderfield, Pure Energy Cycling-Proairhfa
• 230. Lindsey Kriete, Team Kenda Presented By Geargrinder
• 231. Marni Harker, Team Kenda Presented By Geargrinder
• 232. Jennifer Maxwell, Team Kenda Presented By Geargrinder
• 233. Jennifer Rasmusson, Team Kenda Presented By Geargrinder
• 234. Brenna Hosang, Tripower
• 235. Julie Kuliecza, Va Asset Group P/b Artemis/trek
• 236. Erin Silliman, Va Asset Group P/b Artemis/trek
• 237. Monika Sattler, X/O Communications/Battley Harley-Davidson
• 238. Lindsay Honaker, X/O Communications/Battley Harley-Davidson