Overland Park, Kan. – Big Shark Racings’ Jeff Hartman of Boulder, Colo., survived triple-digit temperatures to win the Overland Park Grand Prix Sunday at the Tour of Kansas City, while Brian Jensen of Jelly Belly became the race’s first repeat overall champion since Scott Moninger in the late 90s.
Hartman and Jensen were among a group of nine riders who broke from the pack halfway through the 75-minutes-plus-five-laps criterium. The pair eventally escaped from their breakaway companions, though somewhat reluctantly, on a day when the mercury soared to 103 degrees on a shadeless course featuring newly-paved blacktop roads.
"I had to stay conservative because it was so hot out here," Jensen said. "If I worked too hard I would have blown up. So that was the most dangerous thing out here today. I tried not to go with too many moves, only the ones that were really dangerous."
Mercy Cycling’s Chad Cagle, who joined teammate Alexander Welch in the decisive break, said their game plan was to put Jensen on the defensive.
"But he (Jensen) is so strong," Cagle said. "We couldn’t take advantage of the fact that he didn’t have any teammates because he’s a team all by himself."
Jensen couldn’t go with Hartman, though,
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when the 33-year-old accelerated with three laps to go. Behind them, the chase group – as well as the pack – had shattered under the sizzling conditions. Even Team Mack’s Clark Priebe, who finished second at Saturday’s Cliff Drive Classic, called it a day early. He pulled out a third of the way through the race, collapsing into a chair in the wheel pit.
"This was just too much," Priebe said. "I did two hard races yesterday (Pro-I-II and Masters 40+), plus this one. Usually I’d take a few days off after racing as hard as we did yesterday."
Overland Park Grand Prix
At Overland Park, Kan.
Results Sunday
USCF Pro-I-II: 1, Jeff Hartman, Big Shark Racing, Boulder, Colo. 2, Brian Jensen, Jelly Belly, Lawrence, Kan. 3, Chad Cagle, Mercy Cycling, Tulsa, Okla.
Pro-I-II Overall: 1, Jensen, 39 points. 2, Cagle, 36 points. 3, Welch, 34 points.
Cat. III Men: 1, Ryan Halloran, Cow Town Cycling Team, Kansas City, Mo. 2, David Lippold, Cyclone Cycling, Des Moines, Iowa. 3, Tige Lamb, Cow Town Cycling, Lenexa, Kan.
Cat. IV-V Men: 1, Richard Hu, SKC Racing, Kansas City, Mo. 2, Ryan French, Central Iowa Cycling, Ames, Iowa. 3, Stephen Johnson, GP Velotek, Lenexa, Kan.
Cat. III-IV Women: 1, Sydney Brown, Lincoln Plating-Lemond, Lincoln, Neb. 2, Shari Woiwood, Billy Goat Midwest Summit, Lee’s Summit, Mo. 3, Christine Roettger, Team Revolution, St. Louis, Mo.
Cat. I-II-III Women: 1, Melissa Cox, Mercy Cycling, Springfield, Mo. 2, Stacey Bertsch, Mercy Cycling Team, Billings, Mo. 3, Megan Hottman, MRRC-Trek-VW Midwest, Mission, Kan.
Juniors (10-18): 1, John Shipman, GP Velotek, Kansas City, Mo. 2, Christian Griffin, Trek Bicycle of Kansas City/localcycling.com, Kansas City, Mo. 3, Logan Von Bokel, Dent Wizard/Maplewood, Belleville, Ill.
Masters 40+: 1, Jay Hawkins, River City Racing, Buhler, Kan.. 2, Thomas Price, Trek Bicycle of Kansas City/localcycling.com, Overland, Park, Kan. 3, Mark Hunsaker, St. Louis Cyclones, St. Louis, Mo.
Masters 50+: 1, Bruce Tanner, Kansas City Bicycle Club, Kansas City, Mo. 2, Harold (Dean) Parker, Team X Cycling, Lenexa, Kan. 3, Lonnie Kennedy, Mesa Cycles Racing Team, Florissant, Mo.