Junior Road World Championships Conclude in Belgium
source USA Cycling
posted 2006-08-13

Barton, Shirock Top Finishers as U.S. Shut out of Medal Count

Spa Francorchamps, Belgium (August 13, 2006)—The United States Cycling Team closed out the 2006 UCI Junior Road and Track World Championships Sunday in Belgium, leaving the event with no medals after mixing it up with the world’s best 17 and 18-year-old riders in the road race.

The weeklong event concluded Sunday with the junior men’s and women’s road races. Current U.S. junior national champion in both the road race and the cross country discipline of mountain biking, Chris Barton (Ojai, Calif./Bicycles of Ojai), was the top finisher for Team USA in the 122.4-kilometer junior men’s road race. Barton placed 81st, 1 minute, 37 seconds off the pace of winner Diego Ulissi of Italy.

Racing nine laps of a 13.6-kilometer circuit that included five significant climbs, only 123 riders in the 174-rider peloton finished the race. Of the 51 riders that retired, three were Americans as Bjorn Selander (Hudson, Wis./Alan Factory), Benjamin Bradshaw (Winchester, Calif./IE Bikes Racing) and Peter Salon (Brooklyn, N.Y./GS Mengoni) did not finish.

The final U.S. competitor, national time trial champion Tejay Van Garderen (Fort Collins, Colo./5280-eSoles), finished 99th, 7:16 off the pace.

The junior women raced five laps of the same circuit for a total of 68 kilometers. Lauren Shirock (Emmaus, Pa./South Mountain Cycles) was the top U.S. finisher, placing 45th, 3:13 behind winner Rasa Leleivyte of Lithuania. Jacquelyn Crowell (Maitland, Fla.Colavita) placed 60th, 4:24 back and Arielle Filiberti (Worcester, Mass./Hot Tubes Development) finished 71st, 16:02 down.

At the end of the week’s competition, the best American performance was a sixth-place effort courtesy of Shane Kline (Bally, Pa./Team Fuji) in the men’s 10-kilometer scratch race on the track last Saturday.

2006 UCI Junior Road World Championships
Spa Francorchamps, Belgium
August 13, 2006

Junior Women’s Road Race
1. Rasa Leleivyte (LTU) 2:01.16
2. Marini Romoli (ITA) s.t.
3. Eleonora Patuzzo (ITA) s.t.
45. Lauren Shirock (Emmaus, Pa./South Mountain Cycles) +3:13
60. Jacquelyn Crowell (Maitland, Fla.Colavita) +4:24
71. Arielle Filiberti (Worcester, Mass./Hot Tubes Development) +16:02

Junior Men’s Road Race
1. Diego Ulissi (ITA) 3:08.50
2. Niki Ostergaard (DEN) +0:09
3. Tony Gallopin (FRA) +0:09
81. Chris Barton (Ojai, Calif./Bicycles of Ojai) +1:37
99. Tejay Van Garderen (Fort Collins, Colo./5280-eSoles) +7:16
DNF. Bjorn Selander (Hudson, Wis./Alan Factory)
DNF. Benjamin Bradshaw (Winchester, Calif./IE Bikes Racing)
DNF. Peter Salon (Brooklyn, N.Y./GS Mengoni)

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