UnitedHealthcare Wins Again at Nature Valley Grand Prix In Uptown

In front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Uptown Minneapolis Criterium, the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team delivered a second straight stage win for Robert Förster, as well as the team’s fourth victory at the Nature Valley Grand Prix and its second win in two years at the Uptown Minneapolis Criterium.

(c) Matthew Moses

UnitedHealthcare took over the front of the field with two laps to go and capably delivered Förster to the line to increase his overall lead to 18 seconds on his teammate and defending champion Rory Sutherland. The podium result was identical to that of Stage 3: UnitedHealthcare’s Jake Keough was second and Ken Hanson (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda) was third.

Förster said despite his team’s string of success to this point, the race is far from decided.

“Today is today and tomorrow is tomorrow,” he said. “We have a hard 160 kilometers ahead of us. The key is this is a team and the one thing we will continue to do here is work hard for one another. Tonight, the guys worked hard and we just do what we need to do to help each other.”

Last year, it was Hilton Clarke who scored the win for UnitedHealthcare in the streets of Uptown. But a separated shoulder suffered in a crash on Stage 3 Thursday knocked him out of the race and reduced UnitedHealthcare to seven riders. It didn’t seem to make a difference.

When five riders jumped off the front early in the 40-lap race around a flat, six-corner course, it was the yellow jersey wearer himself who bridged across.

“We wanted to control the race from the beginning.” Förster explained. “For me, it’s easier to jump to the group and stay there so the boys in the back have it a bit easier first 10 laps.”

The first five to make the escape – Nick Frey (Jamis/Sutter Home), Andy Jacques-Maynes (BISSELL Pro Cycling), Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly), Reid Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth) and Matt Cooke (Team Exergy) – were joined by Förster, who had Carlos Alzate (Team Exergy) tagging along.

Frey said he knew UnitedHealthcare would give an early break some room.

“The problem was that Förster went with us,” he said. “We could have tried counter-attacking him, but he’s got such a fast jump, he can just jump right on anything.”

With more riders trying to bridge up, cooperation in the break ceased and the field was back together a few laps later. But not for long. Four different riders (Kyle Wamsley of BISSELL Pro Cycling, Eric Schlidge of Jamis/Sutter Home, Andy Bajadali of Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth and Andres Diaz of Team Exergy) managed to escape the UnitedHealthcare juggernaut. They worked well together, rotating through to try and stay away.

“We were rolling pretty good I think,” Sports Beans King Hills jersey wearer Wamsley said. “Bajadali and Diaz were going for the time bonuses. I was saving it for tomorrow, trying to seal up the mountain’s jersey because it’s good for BISSELL and it’s important to the team.”

Behind them, the blue train controlled the front of the field, working to keep the gap below 23 seconds. The situation remained the same until UnitedHealthcare upped the already fast pace in the closing laps. Luis Amaran (Jamis/Sutter Home) launched a counter-attack when the four were reeled in at 10 laps to go, but the strung-out field was back together two laps later.

Jelly Belly then took over the front with three laps to go. But a lap later, it was all blue at the head of the field again as UnitedHealthcare set up its 16th win of the season.

“Jelly Belly tried it again with two laps to go, but we have strong riders and the boys know exactly what to do. They are not nervous.” Förster said.

With his back-to-back stage victories, Förster takes over the Wheaties FUEL Sprint Competition. Chad Haga (Team Rio Grande) keeps his green jersey as the Nature Valley Top Amateur and Joey Rosskopf (Team Type 1-Development) remains the TRIA Orthopaedic Center Best Young Rider.

Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptuHhealth) was awarded the red Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider jersey for taking a solo flyer with five laps to go.

Racing continues Saturday with the 101-mile Menomonie Road Race. The brutal course with twists and turns can allow a breakaway to get out of sight and out of mind. There are four Sports Beans King of the Hills lines before four laps of a relatively flat, three-mile finishing circuit make the race complete.