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NRC for Sutherland - Health Net Presented by Maxxis for the fourth time strongest NRC team

The Health Net squad won the NRC Team tilte for the 4th time (picture: Team Health Nett p/b Maxxis)

At the final race on the NRC calendar – the Atlanta 100 km Classic – Karl Menzies crossed the line 2nd to Emile Abraham (Priority Health/Bissell), but well ahead of Ivan Stevic of Toyota-United, the only team close enough to potentially unseat Health Net Presented by Maxxis at the top of the NRC standings.

Menzies’ high placing ensured the crown would stay with Health Net Presented by Maxxis. To top it off, Rory Sutherland of Health Net Presented by Maxxis finished 8th, giving him the necessary points to leap-frog Ben Jacques-Maynes and land atop the individual NRC standings as well.

“Everyone rode well, as always,” Sutherland said. “We covered the moves we had to and made sure we were in position at the end for the sprint.”

The race finished with an unusual sprint, as well, with the line positioned at the bottom of a steep descent and speeds well over 50 mph. “Karl was using a 56 x 11 set up as his top gear,” Sutherland said. “I had a 55 x 11 and I was spun out.”

In a twist on a very successful formula of recent weeks, it was actually Menzies working to lead out Sutherland in the end, trying to get the Aussie in position for the high placing that would earn him the individual title.

“I wouldn’t say it was necessarily payback for all the lead-outs I did for him,” Sutherland said, “but Karl got me into the right position. He might have even sacrificed his chances for the win to help me.”

Sutherland noted that Menzies’ selfless work was emblematic of the team as a whole. “This team works as a team, instead of working for individual results,” he said. “We go to races to win. It’s what we want. It’s what we try to do. And when we win, we all share in that. The guys who did the work know they are a part of that win. The guy who wins knows that everyone else shares in that win, as well. I know that I didn’t win the individual NRC title, we won the individual NRC title.

“And if you do well enough as a team we can win a lot of races,” adding that, “you can do something like win the overall NRC team title in the process.”

The title shows how close the riders are, he noted. “We took a little while to get to know one another the early part of the season, and once we did, you can see the results.”

A month-to-month look at the team’s results supports Sutherland’s observation. The team started to hit its stride in May, delivering overall wins at the Tour of the Gila and the Joe Martin Stage race, as well as multiple stage wins in the process. But in June, the team really started to heat up. Nathan O’Neill clinched the overall at the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, then the team reeled off five straight stage wins at the Nature Valley Grand Prix, and this without Menzies, who won the overall title of that race in 2006.

When Menzies returned to action in July at the International Tour de Toona, he did so with a vengeance he’s maintained ever since. The big Tasmanian stormed to three individual stage wins (with a fourth negated), served as one of the driving forces for a fourth stage win in the team time trial, and secured the overall title.

“I’ve never seen anyone ride as motivated as he is right now,” Sutherland said. “Even at this late stage of the season, and he’s been going since January as well. He’s super motivated for the Tour of Missouri next week.”

Notes
In addition to the four NRC team titles, Sutherland’s individual title marks the second time in those four years one of the team’s riders has secured that crown. Scott Moninger won the individual points title in 2005. Karl Menzies was 2nd in 2006, just 17 points behind Floyd Landis (Phonak).

Atlanta 100 km Classic Results
1. Emile Abraham (T&T) Priority Health-Bissell
2. Karl Menzies (TAS) Health Net Presented by Maxxis
3. Dave McCook (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies

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