The Big Winner at The Tour of Washington County? Mid-Atlantic Racing.

Firstly, what do we call this thing? I hope the race lasts decades, but the name "The Tour of Washington County" won't make it through the off-season. "Tour of Washington County" has seven syllables - for only 3 stages. Can we find and agree on a suitably shortened version, that's easier to speak and type? "Tour of WACo"? "T.O.W.C"? Maybe "The WashCo" or something? Little help please, or I'll come up with one myself. Joe Jefferson's and Tim Lung's nominations are weighted double, as they're the only ones who have to type the name as often as I do.

Secondly, thanks to AVC for bringing stage racing to MABRA. We're lucky to have you here. Actually, that should probably be Firstly.

Of the 8 separate categories raced at the event, the most convincing victory came in the Pro/1/2/3 event from Pete Cannell of Mock Orange Racing. The former Immediate Mortgage / Artemis Elite racer and reigning Masters 30-34 RR National Champion hit the podium in each stage, with a 2nd place finish behind Josh Frich (Clean Currents p/b Don Beyer Volvo) in the RR, a win by over a minute in the TT (at an g-force inducing average speed of 28.5mph), and third in the criterium. Cannell's closest competitor was Todd Hesel (Hunt Valley Bicycles), some 23 points back in the G.C. The Pro/1/2/3 podium was rounded out by Chris Keane (Preferred Alliance / Team Florida).

Sonja Evers (C3-Sollay.com) missed the winning break in the Road Race, which was won by Erin Silliman of Artemis. Evers' 4th place finish kept her plenty in the hunt though. She picked up her game to win the TT and then solo to victory in the crit on her way to the overall G.C. title. Silliman finished 2nd in the G.C., followed by Diane Grim (C3-Sollay.com) on the third podium step.

Other winners:

• Christopher Clark (NCVC/Inova Health System) came from behind with a win in the crit to catapult him ahead of RR winner Andreas Gutzeit (ABRT - Latitude) in the 40+ event. Andreas crashed in the crit's final corner, adding even more drama to the closely-fought race.
  
• Arthur Brown (ABRT - Latitude) and Bernie Sanders (VanDessel Factory Team) went toe-to-toe all weekend in the 50+. Brown won the RR and took the GC lead. Then Sanders closed the gap with a win in the TT, which put everything on the line in the crit. Brown prevailed with his second win of the weekend, just ahead of 2nd place finishing Sanders, wrapping up the GC by a single point.
• Kevin Young, a Junior racer with Bicycle Place Velo Club, captured the Cat 3 title with a run of remarkable consistency. Going 4/4/2 on the weekend, his 62 GC points placed him 7 points above his nearest rival.
• The Cat 4 race was wide open until the very end, with 6 racers within 12 points from the lead going into the crit. Eventual winner Brigham Lumm (Route 1 Velo / Capitol Hill Bikes) wasn't even one of them, but his 3rd in the crit was enough to leapfrog him over half a dozen rivals to the top GC spot. Heartbreak award goes to Washington County hometown favorite Stephen Wahl (AVC), who finished tied with Lumm on points, but lost the GC victory by finishing one place behind him in the crit.
• Ainhoa Perez-Diaz (NVRC/Cardio Sports Lab) won the Women's 4 handily with a 1st in the RR and 2nd in the TT.
• The Men's Cat 5 race was won by Michael Cohen (This Space Available), who went 2/3 in the RR and TT.
• Complete Results (.xls)

Additional Coverage:

• In the TT, Indy is searching for the balance between aerodynamics and power: "I have a lot to learn with time trialling, but most important, I think, is being disciplined about holding my position and being smooth. I resembled, as my brother would put it, a monkey humping a football. I was all over the place. I was also looking down too much; at my power meter, my pedaling, my gears, whatever. This just puts a nice fairing into the wind to slow you down."
• Women's champ Sonja gives her perspective on all 3 races at Chicks in Black.
• Pics and perspective on the Women's Open from Anna Kelso as well.
• How do you flat in the TT and still win it? You don't. Or rather, Kelly Acres didn't. Or did she?
• VeloChicken has a TT haiku.
• Tough luck and high gas prices make for an Expensive Crit for Von Teity. But it seems to have been worth it.
• And if you still have any unanswered questions about the women's open, try Against The Clock for even more detail.
• I'm pretty sure he's serious when Don't Train Like Me says that his pre-race food at the crit was "a few doughnuts, and Clif bars with my coffee." Hold your snicker. The future member of the Krispy Kreme Factory Team finished 4th.
• Bryan Vaughan battled back from a disappointing road race to strong showings in the TT and Crit en route to 4th place in the GC. But I don't know what "my Six" is.
• After a month and a half of getting all Magnus Backstedt on the trainer after a shoulder injury, RayMan returns. But he's not yet himself. Not only did he fail to finish the crit' he also made it through an entire 3-race entry on Cat 4 events without once saying "sketchy." Guess we'll have to wait for Reston.
• Kicking it Kyle Style.

Comments

[RayMan]

Mike,
Excellent summary of the various blogs recapping a great weekend of racing. Thanks for complimenting me on my non-use of "sketchy" to describe any of the Cat4 races this weekend. To be honest, these were some of the best Cat4 races I've been in. Now, if I were to use the term, it would go something like this. "What an unbelievable weekend of event-free racing with the Cat4s. About the only sketchy stuff going on was my meandering line while hallucinating in the RR and Crit due to an incredible lack of temperature acclimitization."

[Judd]

Not a very creative option, but 'ToWaCo' has a nice balance and ring to it. Consonant, vowel, consonant, vowel, consonant, vowel. 'Toe-wah-coh.' What do you think?

[Mike May]

I like it. Sounds like it could double as the name of a drink. "I'll have a ToWaCo and coke. With Lime."

[Cliff]

check your six means to look behind you...watch your back.

[Mike May]

Thanks Cliff. That explains my unfamiliarity. It's you guys in the front who have to look behind you. Where I normally ride, there's no need.