Henk Vogels won final stage of Central Valley classic

Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team’s Henk Vogels won his first race in nearly four years Sunday when he captured the third and final stage of the Bentley’s Central Valley Classic Stage Race in Fresno, CA.

Vogels easily won the field sprint at the end of the 80-minute Tower District Criterium to give Toyota-United its fifth victory of the season and its second in two weeks in a National Race Calendar event. Last year, Toyota-United won 24 NRC races and scored 55 victories overall.

“It was a big relief to be able to throw my hands in the air and finally get that monkey off my back,” Vogels said. “I’ve been pretty much working for other sprinters the past couple years so it was nice to get back in the winner’s circle.”

Vogels had not tasted victory since winning the Stage 1, 136-mile road race from Augusta to Macon in the inaugural Tour de Georgia on April 23, 2003. Later that year, he nearly died following a high speed crash in the third stage of the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic. Descending at more than 60 mph, Vogels made contact with a rider in front of him and crashed horrifically. He suffered severe head, spine, and ankle injuries and was unable to walk for more than two months.

“This is a huge win for Henk,” Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett said. “He’s had other top 10 finishes since his major accident, but to get to the top step of the podium after what he’s gone through is just a great day for him.”

Vogels’ win slightly overshadowed an outstanding performance by teammate Chris Baldwin, who finished third overall. Baldwin placed sixth in Friday’s opening 102-mile (163 km) road race and fifth in Saturday’s 16.5-mile (26.4 km) individual time trial. His time trial moved him into third place behind Ben Jacques-Maynes (Priority Health Cycling Team) and Rory Sutherland (Health Net presented by Maxxis) heading into Sunday’s final stage, which had no effect on the final three places overall.

“I think justice was served,” Baldwin said. “The two strongest guys in the race got first and second.”

Toyota-United, which stood second in the National Race Calendar team standings heading into the event, had five riders in the top 20 overall after the first two stages of the race.

“The guys are riding really well,” Willett said. “We’re off to a great start. It’s a long season, but we need to chip away every week at our season-long goals.”

Unselfishness was the name of the game all weekend for Toyota-United as rider after rider sacrificed their own chances to help Baldwin – and later Vogels – succeed. In Friday’s road race, Jose Manuel “Chepe” Garcia, Chris Wherry, Burke Swindlehurst, Caleb Manion and Stefano Barberi each took turns chasing down breakaways.

But the spectacular teamwork was most evident in Sunday’s criterium. Several times, Manion covered breakaways up front while his Toyota-United teammates joined with Priority Health behind to make sure the race would end in a field sprint. When it came time for the final lap, Wherry ramped up the speed to string the peloton out into single file. Stevic took over the pacemaking with two corners to go and guided Vogels through the chicane that led into the finishing straight.

Vogels passed Stevic (who finished fifth himself) and won by enough of a margin that he had time to give the traditional two-arm victory salute. Vogels said he thought of something Stevic had said Saturday night as he crossed the finish line.

“I had mentioned to him (Stevic) that I had not won in three years and that I was very motivated for today’s race,” Vogels said. “The idea was to have him come around me in the last corner. But Ivan told me after the race that he sacrificed for me so I could win.”

More Toyota news

Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team’s Bobby Lea will be out of competitive cycling for at least six weeks after undergoing surgery Thursday, March 8, to repair arteries in his leg.

Meanwhile Toyota United's Sean Sullivan and Ivan Dominguez were two of the more than 5,000 cyclists to participate in the 25th Annual Solvang Century Ride on Saturday, March 10th. The ride is a fundraiser for Specialized Coronary Outpatient  Rehabilitation (SCOR), a recreational bike club that promotes cycling as a method of rehabilitative therapy for heart-related conditions. SCOR uses money raised from the ride to sponsor two summer camps for children with heart problems.

Sullivan and Dominguez completed their 100-mile ride in a little more than six hours, then signed autographs for fans.

Lefevere want riders to sue Het Laatste Nieuws

Quick-Step Team Manager Patrick Lefevere has asked the thirty riders on his team to sue the Belgian daily newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, which had accused Lefevere of 30 years of doping.

Lefevere announced earlier this month that he will sue the newspaper for 20.5 million euro and Quickstep team doctor Yvan van Mol is suing Het Laatste News demanding 2 Million euro.

The "30 years of doping" story in Het Laatste Nieuws was based partially on interviews with a rider who is currently with the team, but who remained anonymous. According to Sportwereld.be, Lefevere spoke with his riders over the weekend, and the eight riders currently racing in Paris-Nice agreed to sue Het Laatste Nieuws.

"I do not require them to do this, I merely ask them to," Lefevere told Sportwereld.be yesterday. "But whoever doesn't do it makes themselves suspicious as being the one who spoke as an anonymous source to Het Laatste Nieuws. I can assume that no one would be so stupid as to file a complaint against themselves."

Lefevere thinks all 30 riders will sue the Belgian newspaper.