The First Endurance sponsored BISSELL Pro Cycling Team confirmed its strong form this weekend as the team won the 4 man team time-trial and again when Ben Jacques-Maynes (BISSELL) won the road race in the Merco Cycling Classic Road Race.
BISSELL's time trial quartet included Ben Jacques-Maynes, Jeremy Vennell, Andy Jacques-Maynes, and Rob Britton. The 20 mile out-and-back course covered rolling terrain from the City of Merced with the finishing time based on the 3rd rider across. BISSELL rode a solid pace on the first half of the course and turned on the after-burners for the final 5k. Andy Jacques-Maynes did a massive lead-out heading into the finish before dropping off. The team clocked in at 38:37 and was 1:06 faster than 2nd place team, Giant Strawberry. The team credits their size and power uniformity, and great team coordination for the win.
BISSELL continued to perform well on Saturday's 40mile/50 lap Downtown Grand Prix. Paul Mach and Ian Boswell rounded out BISSELL's squad for the weekend's races. The 6 man team rode a smart crit. BISSELL was a principal team with AJM throwing out the first early moves and BJM challenging in the decisive break of the day. BJM and AJM finished 6th and 8th, respectively.
The team's main focus for the weekend, however, was the Foothills Road Race which consisted of 5, 24 mile rolling loops totaling 120 miles. Thirteen riders successfully broke away on the second lap and held the gap around 2 minutes for most of the day. BJM and Paul Mach represented BISSELL in the break which also hosted riders from the other major teams. The break never eased and the consistent pressure eventually resulted in the group splintering on the last lap. However going into the final climb, 9 riders from the original breakaway reunited and Ben timed his move perfectly. With 200 meters to go, BJM blasted from the group for the win. After drilling the day's break for Ben, Paul finished 8th and AJM put out a great final sprint from the main group for 11th place.
Rounding out BISSELL's racing efforts this weekend was the 3 man team of Kyle Wamsley, Daniel Holloway and Cody O'Reilly who were off at the OCBC Cycle Singapore. The three BISSELL riders rode a smart race in 100 degree temperatures to finish 11th, 13th, and 15th.
These great early results bode well for a strong season and the team will use these results as motivation. 'With this win, we'll bring some confidence in our ability to race together effectively,' says Ben Jacques-Maynes.
photo credits: Wil Matthews www.wilmatthewsphoto.com
