Menzies takes win at Superweek

While the stage race squad is mixing it up in Oregon, Karl Menzies is getting warmed up for the next round of national criteriums by racing the final week of the International Cycling Classic, also known as Superweek, in Wisconsin and Illinois.

Menzies took the win in today’s 150km Lake Front Road Race in a two up sprint, seconds ahead of the remnants of a 12-rider break he had attacked a couple miles before the finish of the race.

“The race had a strange dynamic,” he said. “A big group would get off the front and come back, then another would go. It was hard to figure out which would be the one that stuck.”

He guessed right, joining a group of 12 that formed out of an already split field that saw a front group of 35 riders form about mid-race. With 2.5 laps to go, Menzies attacked with Sean Sullivan but that move was caught with a lap to go. Menzies attacked again with a couple miles remaining. Heath Blackgrove (Hotel San Jose) tried to bridge and joined Menzies with just under 1 km to go.

“We worked a bit together right when he caught me,” Menzies said. “I didn’t want to just time trial to the line with him on my wheel. But with a downhill, tailwind finish, the sprint started from over 200 meters out, and Menzies was able to hold off Blackgrove, as well as the remnants of the break, who were only a couple seconds behind.

“I’ve been here a couple days,” he said. “I’m starting to feel good but this is the first result I’ve gotten here. It’s good to get the win.”

Menzies will race the next couple days of Superweek before taking on the Chicago Criterium Sunday with John Murphy and Bobby Lea. Jonathan Chodroff has been with him for a couple races during Superweek, gaining more experience in the criteriums.