Tour de Taiwan 2009 ECV – bred Jesse Anthony & Team Type I visit Taiwan Seven Stages – March 8th through the 14th Race Website - http://www.khhtri.org.tw/tourdetaiwan/ Stage 1
- Stage 1 Video #1 - "Tour of Taiwan 2009, Kaohsiung" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETd_dPTbays&hl=es
- Stage 1 Video #2 - "2009 Tour de Taiwan" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvKr_F63rh8 (Jesse leading break at 1:30 into clip)
Taichung City, Taiwan – Just when it was time to get down to business, Phil Southerland found himself getting up off the ground.
For the second time in the first three days of the Tour de Taiwan, the founder of Team Type 1 was involved in a crash. This time, the pile-up came late in the 54-mile (88 km) criterium in Taichung City.
As Southerland describes in a post on his blog, he was getting ready to help set up Team Type 1's lead-out train in the final laps:
"So I pop into a harder gear and start moving up the left side. Then I see a crash, and about 20 some odd guys piled up, as I am doing 30+ mph. I slammed the brakes only to hit a guy, and fly over the bars AGAIN."
In a crash on Sunday's opening stage, Southerland also went over the handlebars of his Orbea bicycle, landing squarely on his tailbone.
Moments after his mishap Tuesday, Southerland noticed teammate Ken Hanson was also involved in the crash. The two wasted little time getting back into the race to help the team's designated sprinter, Aldo Ino Ilesic, line up for the dash to the line.
"Ken went straight into lead-out mode, and he and Jesse (Anthony) got Aldo into a good position," Southerland said. "Aldo got boxed, and then - without sprinting - was able to get fifth or sixth." (Editor's note: sixth)
Team Type 1 Assistant Director Gord Fraser said bad luck aside, the improvement of the team's lead-out execution is evident and encouraging.
"Team Type 1's game plan remains unchanged, with a focus on intermediate sprints for our Slovenian speedster," he said.
Wednesday's fourth stage is a 86-mile (139 km) race that features the only categorized climb of the day in the first 10 miles.
Stage 3 – Second of Three Crits
- Jezowski Krzysztof (Meridan Europe Team) wins Stage 3
- while Team Type 1's Aldo Ino Ilesic is sixth.
Anthony (pictured at left) narrowly missed out on wearing the King of the Mountains jersey when he was the second rider over the only categorized climb of the race through the first four days. The Beverly, Mass., native will get one more chance to go after the jersey on Friday's sixth stage that includes the only other two categorized climbs of the seven-day race.
In scoring Team Type 1's third top 10 finish of the race, Anthony also made a significant climb in the overall standings: from 47th to 28th place.
"Jesse was impressive on the 600-meter climb to the finish line," Team Type 1 Assistant Director Gord Fraser said. "And Ken (Hanson) did yeoman's work returning from an ill-timed flat tire to position Jesse as far forward as possible before the finish climb."
Hanson and Aldo Ino Ilesic saw their fortunes reversed on Wednesday's 85-mile (138 km) stage. Hanson shot from 78th to 22nd in the overall standings while Ilesic dropped from sixth to 86th. The Slovenian sprint star, who was suffering from a fever, lost 26 minutes, but remains one of 90 riders still in the race.
"Aldo really gutted it out to finish and fight another day," Fraser said. "Hopefully, he can still get a stage win now that his GC hopes are over."
Team Type 1 co-founders Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge were two of 17 riders who did not finish Wednesday's stage after falling outside the time limit that was imposed on the road.
"Phil had some shoe issues from the previous day's crash that complicated his ascent," Fraser said. "This was a very serious day of racing, with strong winds and a threatening break that tested the strength of the Kazakhstan team."
The race leader's yellow jersey changed hands, with Australian national road champion Peter McDonald (Drapac Porsche Cycling Team) assuming the overall lead from Roman Zhiyentayev (Kazakhstan National Team).
Thursday's Stage 5 is a 91-mile (148 km) circuit race along a flat, 16-mile (27 km) course that winds its way through the streets of the high-tech Hsinchu City. There are three intermediate sprints: on laps three, five and seven of the eight-lap race.
Stage 4 Results
1, Shinri Suzuki, Shimano Racing Team, 3:09:04. 2, Taiji Nishitani, AISAN Racing Team, same time. 3, Ahmad Haidar Anuawar, Malaysian National Team, same time. Team Type 1 finishers: 5, Jesse Anthony, at three seconds. 40, Ken Hanson, at 23 seconds. 86, Aldo Ino Ilesic, 26:29 behind. Did not finish: Phil Southerland, Joe Eldridge.
Stage 6 - Anthony Is Mountains King Taipei County, Taiwan (March 13) – While Jesse Anthony was scoring his second top 10 finish of the Tour de Taiwan on Friday, an even bigger prize awaited the Team Type 1 rider at the finish line in Taipei County.
Anthony (pictured at left) donned the King of the Mountains jersey after being first to crest the opening climb of the 88-mile (142 km) race and adding a third place finish on the second mountain. Because there are no categorized climbs on Saturday's final stage, Anthony needs only to finish the race to clinch the King of the Mountain title.
Last year, Team Type 1 earned King of the Mountain titles five times: Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic (Moises Aldape), Tour of Ireland (Matt Wilson), Jayco Herald Sun Tour (Wilson), Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah (Glen Chadwick) and Tour de Beauce (Chadwick).
Anthony is a 23-year-old, fourth-year professional from Beverly, Mass., who is 17th overall, 1:18 behind overall leader Peter McDonald (Drapac Porsche Cycling Team). Ken Hanson, the only other remaining rider for Team Type 1 still in the race, is 31st overall, 1:52 behind.
Anthony from Stage 6 - http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.php?id=/photos/2009/mar09/taiwan09/taiwan096/7196 Team Type 1's Jesse Anthony earned the King of the Mountain jersey and finished eighth on Stage 6 of the Tour de Taiwan. He is 17th overall Stage 7 - Anthony Is Mountains King Team Type 1's Jesse Anthony wins the King of the Mountains jersey as Ken Hanson finishes sixth on the final stage at the Tour de Taiwan. King of Mountain- Polka Dot Jersey-Team Type 1-ANTHONY Jesse; Jesse stays at 17th overall ++++++++ Read about Team Type I and their mission at: http://www.teamtype1.org/index.shtml
Great report Joe - thanks for posting!
-paul