Tour de Nez Stage 1 -
Bissell’s Steven Howard Foils 2007 winner Alex Candelario’s Solo Bid for Victory.

By Briggs Heaney

Under clear skies and breezy summer conditions in Reno, Nevada, seventy five top professional cyclists embarked on a five stage, four day journey, starting at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, with a seventy five minute timed criterium race around the parking lot of the casino resort.

Unlike previous years when the race was an omnium, based on individual points earned in each stage, this season’s race is a true stage race, where the overall winner is the rider with the lowest total time combined for the five stages.

The criterium course was contested over a 1.04 mile loop around the parking lot of the Grand Sierra resort, with a slightly uphill finish to complete the first leg of the “Coolest Race in America.” And from the opening gun, the action was fast and furious as the BMC team attacked, first with Jackson Stewart and then with Mike Sayers, looking to push the pace and stretch the field. They were never able to gain a significant gap, as the Bissell team made sure to contain any breakaways. Riding at the front, sometimes as many as five strong, Bissell put both the peloton and the audience on notice that they would be a force to be reckoned with throughout the five stage race.

The field remained largely together for the first sixty minutes of the race, but as the time continued to tick down, multiple attacks went off the front. Steven Cozza of the Slipstream-Chipotle team went away with Aaron Olson of Bissell, but was pulled back by BMC, who were trying to set up the sprint for their designated rider Taylor Tolleson.

Alex 'Wolfman' Candelario launches a blistering attack.
Photos Courtesy of Larry Rosa

Finally, in a surprise move with five laps to go in the race, local favorite Alex Candelario went off on his own in an attempt at a solo victory.

Candelario explained his attack to the media after the race. “I probably went a little bit too early, but we were just trying to mix it up and make it a fun race. Next thing I knew, I had a pretty big gap and decided to keep it going. Bissell had twice as many guys as everyone else though so they brought it back pretty easily.” Candelario still has a lot of fight left in him, and will target the downtown Truckee criterium, a race he won last year, tomorrow. With confidence typical of a top-flight sprinter, Candelario stated about tomorrow’s race, “I’m gonna win tomorrow. Yeah, I got it.”

As Candelario powered away from the field, the Bissell team once again came to the front and began the chase. The Reno resident was able to hold the field at bay for four laps, but he was caught on the back stretch of the final lap, setting up the bunch sprint.

Bissell in force on the front stringing out the peloton. Photos Courtesy of Larry Rosa

Bissell continued to keep the pace high, discouraging any attacks, as a large crowd gathered around the finish line area to see the finish.

As they approached the finish line, the field was spread out ten wide on the finishing straight. Bissell began their lead out at about three hundred meters for young Steven Howard. Rocketing away from the field, the American completed the perfect day for his Bissell team, taking the win by more than a bike length ahead of Riccardo Escuela of the Successful Living squad and Eric Wohlberg of the Canadian Symmetrics team.

Bissell's Howard wins as Ricardo Escuela of Successful Living follows, Erik Wholberg in the yellow jersey of Symmetric 3rd. Photos Courtesy of Larry Rosa

In the fight for the overall, Howard takes the race’s first overall leader’s jersey, as well as the best sprinter title. The best young rider jersey went to Roman Van Uden of Team Rubicon-Orbea. Racing for Lance Armstrong’s cancer foundation, the jersey will make a good prize for the small team as they look to raise awareness and money for cancer research.

Racing continues tomorrow with a 2.75 mile mountain time trial to the Village at Northstar resort in north Lake Tahoe, and then a timed seventy five minute evening criterium in downtown Truckee. The morning time trial should provide for a major shift in the GC standings, while the evening criterium will provide another chance for the fast finishers to shine.

Steven Howard (Bissell) enjoys the fruits of victory
Photos Courtesy of Larry Rosa

Northstar Tour de Nez
Stage 1 Reno Criterium Results
and General Classification
1 23 HOWARD, Steven BIS" 1:15:42 0:00:00
2 18 ESCUELA, Ricardo SUC" 1:15:46 0:00:04
3 97 WOHLBERG, Eric SYM" 1:15:48 0:00:06
4 5   BAJADALI, Andrew KEL" 1:15:52 0:00:10
5 3  BUCHHOLZ, Brian KEL" 1:15:52 0:00:10
6 100 KILUN, Roman HEA" 1:15:52 0:00:10
7 14 STEWART, Jackson BMC" 1:15:52 0:00:10
8 11 SAYERS, michael BMC" 1:15:52 0:00:10
9 79 AYALA, Victor KAH" 1:15:52 0:00:10
10 95 COZZA, Steven SLI" 1:15:52 0:00:10
11 19 RABY, Ben SRM" 1:15:52 0:00:10
12 35 VIGUS, Devon CAL" 1:15:52 0:00:10
13 60 BAKER, Jonathan VIT" 1:15:52 0:00:10
14 4 BOWMAN, Daniel KEL" 1:15:52 0:00:10
15 8 HOLT, Ian US " 1:15:52 0:00:10
16 54 VAN UDEN, Roman ROR" 1:15:52 0:00:10
17 32 JACQUES-MAYNES, Andy CAL" 1:15:52 0:00:10
18 89 KERR, Justin LIQ" 1:15:52 0:00:10
19 61 PINKERTON, Joseph VIT" 1:15:52 0:00:10
20 92 GIL, Andres PAC" 1:15:52 0:00:10
21 40 BORDINE, Karl TEA" 1:15:52 0:00:10
22 25 " USAC0054612 OLSON, Aaron BIS" 1:15:52 0:00:10
23 85 COLLIER, Corey HEA" 1:15:52 0:00:10
24 7 ENGLAND, Justin TOY" 1:15:52 0:00:10
25 90 KOKE, Kris LIQ" 1:15:52 0:00:10
26 78 BRADSHAW, Ben KAH" 1:15:52 0:00:10
27 83 CLARK, dylan BPG" 1:15:52 0:00:10
28 81 COOKE, matthew HEA" 1:15:52 0:00:10
29 42 LIVINGSTON, Adam 5SW" 1:15:52 0:00:10
30 13 NYDAM, scott BMC" 1:15:52 0:00:10
31 10 MCKISSICK, Ian BMC" 1:15:52 0:00:10
32 20 ZIRBEL, Tom BIS" 1:15:52 0:00:10
33 52 MILLER, Carson ROR" 1:15:52 0:00:10
34 71 MACH, Paul ZTE" 1:15:52 0:00:10
35 41 GRITTERS, Brandon TEA" 1:15:52 0:00:10
36 63 FRIEL, Dirk VIT" 1:15:52 0:00:10
37 27 SWINDLEHURST, Burke BIS" 1:15:52 0:00:10
38 45 DEMARCHI, Chris 5SW" 1:15:52 0:00:10
39 34 MOORE, Jesse CAL" 1:15:52 0:00:10
40 51 HUNN, Logan ROR" 1:15:52 0:00:10
41 2 SPINELLI, Justin KEL" 1:15:52 0:00:10
42 70 KEARNEY, Christian ZTE" 1:15:52 0:00:10
43 26 SCHMITT, Morgan BIS" 1:15:52 0:00:10
44 46 DEIBLER, Nathaniel 5SW" 1:15:52 0:00:10
45 94 SWITTERS, Adam ROC" 1:15:52 0:00:10
46 62 REICHARDT, Randy VIT" 1:15:52 0:00:10
47 1 CANDELARIO, Alex KEL" 1:15:52 0:00:10
48 53 MORRIS, Shaun ROR" 1:15:52 0:00:10
49 96 BENNETT, Eric SLP" 1:16:32 0:00:50
50 76 " MEX19880313 PARRA, Edgar KAH" 1:16:32 0:00:50
51 17 WHITE, Bradley SUC" 1:16:43 0:01:01
52 44 CHE, Paul 5SW" 1:17:40 0:01:58
53 88 HOROWITZ, Josh LIQ" 1:17:58 0:02:16
54 50 BARTLETT, Joshua ROR" 1:17:58 0:02:16
55 15 " USA19720916 COYLE, Chuck SUC" 1:18:56 0:03:14
56 87 " KNELLAR, Ben JIT" 1:19:10 0:03:28
57 22 HOWARD, Graham BIS" 1:19:10 0:03:28
58 31 HUNT, John CAL" 1:19:10 0:03:28
59 33 MATTIS, James CAL" 1:19:10 0:03:28
60 99 SRENASKI, Tim TOK" 1:19:18 0:03:36
61 24 KEM, Omer BIS" 1:19:20 0:03:38
62 21 CORREIA, Joao BIS" 1:19:20 0:03:38
63 82 LOADER, logan BPG" 1:19:20 0:03:38
64 98 FARNHAM, Timothy NBS" 1:19:54 0:04:12
65 84 JACQUES, Michael GRE" 1:20:01 0:04:19
66 77 SEAGRAVE, Matthew KAH" 1:20:01 0:04:19
67 80 BESTWICK, Andy ALL" 1:20:16 0:04:34
68 43 GUNN-WILKINSON, James 5SW" 1:21:55 0:06:13
69 9 COULTER, Jonathan WEB" 1:22:55 0:07:13
70 72 SWAN, Chris ZTE" 1:22:55 0:07:13
71 91 KWON, Eddy MOB" 1:23:17 0:07:35

U-23 Classification
1  23-HOWARD, Steven BIS  1:15:42 0:00:00
2  54-VAN UDEN, Roman ROR 1:15:52 0:00:10
3  78-BRADSHAW, Ben KAH" 1:15:52 0:00:10
4  52-MILLER, Carson ROR" 1:15:52 0:00:10
5  51-HUNN, Logan ROR" 1:15:52 0:00:10
6  4-SWITTERS, Adam ROC" 1:15:52 0:00:10
7  53-MORRIS, Shaun ROR" 1:15:52 0:00:10
8  96-BENNETT, Eric SLP" 1:16:32 0:00:50
9  76 - MEX19880313 PARRA, Edgar KAH" 1:16:32 0:00:50
10 82-LOADER, logan BPG" 1:19:20 0:03:38

Sprint Preem 1
1 11 SAYERS, michael BMC 3
2 23 HOWARD, Steven BIS 2
3 98 FARNHAM, Timothy NBS 1

Sprint Preem 2
1 95 COZZA, Steven SLI 3
2 25 " USAC0054612 OLSON, Aaron BIS 2
3 10 MCKISSICK, Ian BMC 1

Sprint Points General
1 23 HOWARD, Steven BIS 17
2 18 ESCUELA, Ricardo SUC 12
3 97 WOHLBERG, Eric SYM 10
4 5 " USA19730501 BAJADALI, Andrew KEL 8
5 11 SAYERS, michael BMC 6
6 3 " USA19751224 BUCHHOLZ, Brian KEL 6
7 100 KILUN, Roman HEA 5
8 95 COZZA, Steven SLI 4
9 14 STEWART, Jackson BMC 4
10 25 " USAC0054612 OLSON, Aaron BIS 2
11 79 AYALA, Victor KAH 2
12 10 MCKISSICK, Ian BMC 1
13 98 FARNHAM, Timothy NBS 1

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