Philly Week antipasto - the Reading Classic

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 12:30 AM EDT in Domestic Racing

The Philly Week amuse-gueule, the Lehigh Classic exploded with speed and gave us a surprising finish. The second stop of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling series, the Reading Classic will be held for the third year in Reading PA on Thursday June 4th.

The men will cover 74 miles riding 10 laps on a challenging circuit through Reading’s streets with three climbs up Mt. Penn. The course begins and ends in Reading where riders will wind through the streets of Reading, climb Walnut Street, pass the Feed Zone on Constitution Boulevard and return on Perkiomen. The final three laps add a tough switchback climb up Mt. Penn before rejoining the circuit.

Starting at 1pm EST (or 10 am PT), WFMZ will stream, for free, the complete men's race. (I recommend turning off the ad blocker). Read and watch a race preview on WFMZ.

In the two previous incarnations, the race was won in the final 500 meters, which has two 90 degree turns, with the final turn at 100 meters to the finish line. In the first race on this course, Greg Henderson, then racing on the Health Net-Maxxis team, won the race by exploding away from a 4-man break and last year Bernard Eisel, then on T-Mobile team, charged away from the peloton, both moves in the final 500 meters. Eisel went on to win the Triple Crown er crown.

This year, Henderson and Eisel race for the same team, High Road, and are definitely riders to watch, but the roster is full of riders to watch. Start with hungry leadout trains who lost control on Tuesday, throw in some opportunistic sprinters, mix in breakaway artists and add a dash of the spicy ProTour teams and you have a recipe for a fast and furious race.

The women will cover 25 miles by racing 14 laps on an eight-corner criterium circuit through Reading’s streets. German Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (High Road) won this race in the two previous years, but she varied her methods. In 2006, Teutenberg bridged up to a solo rider Kat Carroll, and the duo worked together until the finish line when Teutenberg took the one-on-one sprint. Last year, it came down to a bunch sprint which Teutenberg won ahead of Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Verducci Breakaway) and Laura Van Gilder (Cheerwine).

Teutenberg , winner of the Lehigh Classic on Tuesday, will again by riding solo as her team in is Montreal and will definitely be a marked woman. Watch for the sprinters' train to try and leadout Van Gilder and Tina Pic (Colavita/Sutter Home) for the win.

Okay, being daring here, but I'm predicting a Colavita/Sutter Home sweep.

Rosters: Men and Women (incomplete)

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Comments

If Brad Huff continues

he should finish 2nd tomorrow! (4th at CSC, 3rd at Lehigh)

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 12:35 AM EDT 0 recs

could happen - opportunistic sprinter

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 12:37 AM EDT up 0 recs

I'd be happy for him.

After missing the entire early season with the knee, he is doing awesome!

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 12:40 AM EDT 0 recs

Thank you!

by Sui Juris on Jun 5, 2008 7:53 AM EDT 0 recs

Bahati on Lehigh

Have you ever been hit in the head by a baseball bat? Or how about stumping your toe so bad that it starts to bleed?
Yeah hurts huh…I know, that’s how I felt today in the first race of the Triple Crown.

More here, along with a metaphor for the competition you’ll not soon forget and an interesting peek into frustration.

by Sui Juris on Jun 5, 2008 9:02 AM EDT 0 recs

I noticed he said the race speed started out sky high at Lehigh.

I may be mistaken but I’ve read more than once that for Americans going to Europe to race they (Europeans) always noticed that they raced harder from the start. If racing hard from the start is what Americans need to be better prepared for Europe then I hope this trend continues.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. - G. Marx

by flying dog on Jun 5, 2008 9:39 AM EDT up 0 recs

I like his blog - always candid

It would be nice to see him race more to see what he could do. (Once he gets his back and leg issues addressed). Hopefully he will express his desires to his management. He is not the only one on Rock who feels pushed aside by the “superstars”. I have see another vent his frustration as well.

by roadside on Jun 5, 2008 9:48 AM EDT up 0 recs

Thanks for the preview Lyne.

It will be fun to watch another great event in the middle of the afternoon with everyone.

by australopithecine on Jun 5, 2008 10:53 AM EDT 0 recs

Cool!

Thanks for the preview. I’ll try to make the party today :-)

by gavia on Jun 5, 2008 11:28 AM EDT 0 recs

Gavia

While – scanning the official race site, I see they are looking for people like you to volunteer as:

Foreign Language Interpreter
If you can speak another language, you may have the chance to volunteer as a Team Interpreter for one of our international Race teams. You don’t need to be an expert – just feel comfortable in conversation and in helping our foreign guests feel welcome during Race Week. We are particularly interested in those who can speak French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Wow- you could be Benna’s personal interpreter!!!

by roadside on Jun 5, 2008 11:33 AM EDT 0 recs

oh my...

I’d probably be so busy drooling, I wouldn’t be able to say a word :-O~......

by gavia on Jun 5, 2008 11:45 AM EDT up 0 recs

Has a cyclist

ever had to get a restraining order for his own interpreter?

;-)

"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated."

by Drew... on Jun 5, 2008 12:51 PM EDT up 0 recs

Ina Teutenberg of Germany wins for the women today

by roadside on Jun 5, 2008 12:39 PM EDT 0 recs

she is a stud

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 12:44 PM EDT up 0 recs

Two Additonal links

From WEEU
See links under the men’s elite results
http://www.readingclassic.com/2008raceresults.htm

by roadside on Jun 5, 2008 12:49 PM EDT 0 recs

Is the feed up yet?

... all I’m getting is a news items saying that it’s GOING to go live at 1PM EST.

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 12:56 PM EDT 0 recs

of the link I just posted, the audio simulcast is up

and working well

lots of buffering on the other link (the video) I listed

by roadside on Jun 5, 2008 1:00 PM EDT up 0 recs

who are the commentators on this audio?

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:01 PM EDT up 0 recs

One is a cyclist from the area -Jake Burnes -mainly a track cyclist

I guess he announced for this last year. The woman I think is from the radio station.
He is doing a good job

by roadside on Jun 5, 2008 1:09 PM EDT up 0 recs

some of the comments were um interesting

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:11 PM EDT up 0 recs

wfmz feed is now live

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:00 PM EDT 0 recs

Did you know....

... that Boskov’s has all the latest styles?

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:03 PM EDT 0 recs

Looks like it's a pre-race show still

70 degrees F on Penn Street in Allentown. Very humid.

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:04 PM EDT 0 recs

Very cool that local media is covering this race

Doesn’t happen for every race

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:05 PM EDT 0 recs

They seem VERY excited about it - the community is really into the race

by roadside on Jun 5, 2008 1:10 PM EDT up 0 recs

Apparently, the Europeans are going to Melt In The Heat.

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:06 PM EDT 0 recs

Hey did you guys know

that professional cyclists know how to ride a bike?

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 1:08 PM EDT 0 recs

I see you survived last night's weather

good.

wait he’s going to start gushing about the Italians soon I’m sure

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:09 PM EDT 0 recs

It was brutal.

I’m not sure what my girls hated more, the lightening, thunder, wind, or hail?
Today it seems like the line of storms is staying just north of me. I think my grass grew 3 inches overnight.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 1:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

The video news feed is up

Which audio are we going to use today?

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 1:10 PM EDT 0 recs

sticking with wfmz, the other one was already buffering for me

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

agreed

the audio link I listed is back-up

by roadside on Jun 5, 2008 1:14 PM EDT up 0 recs

too much buffering for me on that audio

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:17 PM EDT up 0 recs

Allow me to say...

@%$#$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

Damn Dan.

I hadn’t clicked on this earlier. That is some shitty weather. Have you added a floatation device to the bike yet?

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 7:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

Tell me about it... I've had to delay the departure another week...

... and since my grandmother’s 90th birthday party (Yeah Oma!) is on the 21st in Sacramento, that means I have to scrap the entire route and start over from scratch. Pfui! So, instead of Yellowstone / Grand Tetons / Glacier I’m going to excise Montan and Wyomin entirely from the route and start off with a Rundfahrt of Northern California: Lassen Volcanic / Lava Beds / maaayyybe Crater Lake… then head back down along the Klamath to ride through the Trinity Alps and down to Sac for the first week. Then… I have NO idea what I’m going to do for the second week. I’ve also got ex on the brain which is befuddling my planning circuitry.

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 7:38 PM EDT up 0 recs

Shit. That bites.

Ex on the brain? Are you not feeling enough love from us here?

Are you now planning on ending the trip in Scaramento now? Any way you can do a couple large loops and circle down and hook up at the party?

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 7:46 PM EDT up 0 recs

The problem is...

... that the party is now smack dab in the middle of the two week vacation. I could push it all back ANOTHER week and then just start off in Sacramento and head out… but I don’t want to wind up riding through Nevada in late June / July… hotter than Hades. So I have to find some route that takes me up and leaves me in striking distance of Sacramento after 5 days of riding, which I think I’ve got. The problem is what to do AFTER that while avoiding multiple 600 / 700 mile days. I thought about riding down through Yosemite / King’s Canyon / Sequoia but that’s territory most recently traveled with said ex and, being the sentimental sort, I can live without the reminders.

Ahhh screw it all… i think I’m going to go to PF Changs and toss back a couple of Kirin (Ichiban!!!!) and then go see Crystal Skull.

And me… I got mad love for all my crazy Café hooligans.

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 8:11 PM EDT up 0 recs

PF Changs was the place with the hot waitress right?

See, you’re getting a clearer head already. LOL :-)

I drove from Vegas to Chula Vista a couple years ago. There was some awesome driving that way. Can you do the first week and then do the 2nd week over near the coast? You can’t cancel the whole thing. You’ve been looking way to forward to this.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 8:36 PM EDT up 0 recs

Went to a different bar... Chang's was full...

... forgot about the bartender at Chang’s too. I screwed up my language in there a couple weeks ago and tried to say that my day was boring the shit out of me… but I was nervous and the words that came out of my mouth said something to the effect that SHE was boring the shit out of me… epic fail; there has been little point in going back.

I thought about doing the coast, but I have been up and down between Sacramento and Los Angeles on the coast… down the middle… along the Sierras, on the Sierras, east of the Sierras, in the Coastal ranges so… many… times… that those roads hold no charm for me at this point. Hopefully inspiration will strike tomorrow…

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 11:56 PM EDT up 0 recs

Maybe you'll wake up in the morning

and the weather will be awesome and you can run on Saturday as planned. Maybe today was just a weather man’s cruel joke on you…. lol!

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 6, 2008 12:08 AM EDT up 0 recs

Two weeks of solid rain and snow

on 1200 miles of my route isn’t a cruel joke… it’s a sign! On the positive side, my bestest friend at work gave notice last week and if I left on Saturday, I’d miss her last day at work and her happy hour… AND… there’s a dinner on Thursday at a Churrascaria. So I delay my trip by one more week… but I gain a happy hour, get to say goodbye to J and consume a dinner comprised primarily of waiters bringing me serving after serving of skewered meat while drinking Caipirinhas.

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 6, 2008 1:36 AM EDT up 0 recs

And we're getting ready.

The guys look ready to take off!

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 1:14 PM EDT 0 recs

They tried to start the race early?

That’s got to piss the guys off that roll in at the last minute.

News that Fast Freddie was in a crash before even starting.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 1:15 PM EDT 0 recs

CN is live as well...

13:07 EDT
To add to the confusion, there is a crash. A bunch of riders went down in the pack.

13:10 EDT
Five riders went down: Ryan Sullivan (Jittery Joes), Alberto Curtolo (Liquigas)
Martyn Irvine (Pezula Racing), Ryan Sullivan (Jittery Joes), and Fred Rodriguez (Rock Racing). Needless to say, between the confusion of the start and the crash, the riders aren’t happy.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 1:21 PM EDT up 0 recs

The doodle bops!

Let’s go!

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 1:16 PM EDT 0 recs

Okay I just realized it's channel 69.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 1:19 PM EDT 0 recs

Can't watch at work today

but will be following along, so thanks in advance for all the posts.

by Katiek on Jun 5, 2008 1:19 PM EDT 0 recs

Someone tell that camera guy to zoom in!

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:27 PM EDT 0 recs

Attacks to try and create the break, nothing working so far

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:28 PM EDT 0 recs

HealthNet and Symetrics up in front...

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:31 PM EDT 0 recs

sheesh you'd think they would do their homework and at least know the national champions racing

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:32 PM EDT 0 recs

another HealthNet joins the front with...

... Slippy, JitteryJoe, Toshiba and another dude… looks like a string of other riders joining up from the back… in fact… it’s Gruppo Compatto.

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:32 PM EDT 0 recs

How do you say "Gruppo Compatto" in English?

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:33 PM EDT 0 recs

All sucked back in

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 1:33 PM EDT up 0 recs

there is an english word for this?

by gavia on Jun 5, 2008 2:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

More craziness off the front...

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:33 PM EDT 0 recs

Uh... what the hell is that?

A Mascot race????

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:34 PM EDT 0 recs

Somes got a wee bit of a gap up that climb.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 1:35 PM EDT 0 recs

A wee man in red kit.

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:36 PM EDT up 0 recs

looks like Tecos

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:35 PM EDT 0 recs

Bernardo Colex from Tecos-Trek...

Off the front… powering his way to Tinkoff status.

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:37 PM EDT 0 recs

And we're going to take a wee break...

... go to cycling TV dot com slash the innertube and provide us with your comments and predictions…

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:40 PM EDT 0 recs

Smiles :-)

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 1:43 PM EDT up 0 recs

I love the hand gestures from the cameran

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:42 PM EDT 0 recs

Wow... Colex is WAAyyyyyy up in front...

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:43 PM EDT 0 recs

They can't find him.

He took a short cut and will meet ya back at the start!

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 5, 2008 1:43 PM EDT 0 recs

lol

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:44 PM EDT up 0 recs

Well... it is Siesta time...

... he had to make a sharp right to go get some Enchiladas a la Tampiquena and a Dos Equis.

Stuart O’Grady, the Australian quintiplegic, was seen still climbing to the finish line… using his lips alone.

by crashdan on Jun 5, 2008 1:44 PM EDT up 0 recs

Tecos guy- one minute gap already

by roadside on Jun 5, 2008 1:44 PM EDT 0 recs

for those following at home, the camera was following Eric Barlevav who is trying to bridge

and then decided to go and find Bernardo Colex who out in front, solo in a break, and it took a while or the camera to find him while we were treated to a race on the course

by lyne on Jun 5, 2008 1:45 PM EDT 0 recs