Eduard Prades gave Caja Rural Seguros-RGA their second consecutive victory at the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic. The Spaniard sprinted to the victory atop Manayunk Wall ahead of Travis McCabe (Holowesko-Citadel) and Marco Canola (UnitedHealthcare).
"I knew coming into the last lap that I could win this race," said Prades, whose teammate Carlos Barbero won the race last year. "When we caught the breakaway, I had my teammates at the front and I told them that I knew that I could do this today. I needed to be in the top 10 going into the climb; I was, and I knew that I could win."
On the last lap, race veteran Danny Pate (Rally Cycling) launched a solo attack and carried his weight as a course expert along Kelly Drive to build a 15-second advantage. At the same time, the event’s other veteran, Chris Horner (Lupus), who had previously been in the day’s breakaway, waved his arm in the air as he lost ground due to a mechanical off the back of the bunch. It was a stark contrast to the breakaway they companioned in 2005, along with eventual race winner Chris Wherry, in a heated battle for the US Pro Championship victory on Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
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Although Pate has been second and third in Philadelphia in past years, and many would have enjoyed watching him finally get the victory on Manayunk Wall, it wasn’t meant to be. He was caught by the field on the run-in to Main Street Manayunk, and teams set up their designated punchy climbers for the victory.
UnitedHealthcare led the field along the long uphill drag through Main Street Manayunk, catching Pate, and into the decisive chicane before the base of the final 17 per cent climb up Manayunk Wall. The team was overtaken by Rally Cycling and then Holowesko-Citadel, vying for their local rider Robin Carpenter and McCabe, who had also been in the day's breakaway and helped his teammate Robbie Squire win the KOM jersey.
Carpenter and McCabe hit the bottom of the climb in third wheel, perfect position. McCabe started his sprint early and was caught by Canola partway up. But both were passed by Prades, who made the victory look easy, winning by more than a few metres.
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