Dominguez dramatically chased down Martin Gilbert (Kelly Benefit Strategies presented by Medifast) on the final lap, then outsprinted him to the line after the final turn to win the World Criterium Championship Thursday night under the lights in Las Vegas. The victory was Dominguez’s 15th of the season – a career-best – and the 38th of the season for Toyota-United.

"This feels great," Dominguez told the estimated crowd of 20,000 that gathered under the lights to watch the inaugural edition of the race. "All the guys are very happy. This has been a great year."

But before the 60 km (37-mile) race outside the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, Dominguez was downplaying his chances.

"Before today, [I considered] the Tour of Missouri my last ride,” he said. “I was sitting at home, doing nothing. Then I went to the show [Interbike] today and a lot of people were saying they put money on me. I said, ‘Dude, you should ask for your money back because I don’t think I’m going to win.’ This is a very dangerous race."

The danger of racing 60 laps on a flat and sweeping, six-turn course that was set up in a parking lot was illustrated several times Thursday night. In the Bicycling Magazine Industry Cup race that preceded the pro men’s event, a massive pile-up disrupted the final lap. About a half-hour later, the pro men’s race became a crash-fest, with Toyota-United’s Jose Manuel “Chepe” Garcia one of the victims on the opening lap. The first turn was particularly treacherous, with more than a half-dozen separate crashes.

Dominguez, though, avoided the mayhem and was in position to follow Gilbert when attacked through the start/finish line with a lap to go. Behind them, an immediate gap opened up when a rider crashed in the first turn.

"I thought I would wait because he [Gilbert] was taking too many chances in the turns and I preferred to keep it safe,” Dominguez said. “Coming into the second-to-last turn, I caught him and he took me to the finish. He was tired."

Dominguez didn’t even have to get out of the saddle while Gilbert held on to finish second, just ahead of his teammate, Dave McCook. Besides Dominguez, only two of Toyota-United’s six racers finished the race: Justin England was 41st and Heath Blackgrove was 61st.

"We were fortunate today," Toyota-United Team Director Harm Jansen said. "It was a one-man show tonight, but it was the result of one season of hard work by everyone on the team. We all share in the win."

Farewell gifts for Willet and Jansen

Ivan Dominguez made sure Team Directors Harm Jansen and Kirk Willett each went out a winner.

In early August, Dominguez won the Hanes Park Classic Criterium in Winston-Salem, N.C., in Willett’s final race with Toyota-United. The 37-year-old is now pursuing a career in medicine at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.

Jansen announced Monday that Thursday’s race would be his last for Toyota-United. Len Pettyjohn will take over as the team’s director in 2008.

"Going out like this makes it harder – and easier,” Jansen said. “It’s easier because I can’t go out any better. And it’s harder because it is that great. These are the great moments you work for."

Results

1 Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United Pro Cycling)                    
2 Martin Gilbert (Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Team)   
3 David McCook (Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Team)     
4 Kayle Leogrande (Rock Racing)                                 
5 Adam Hodges Myerson (Nerac Pro Cycling)                       
6 Pete Lopinto (Kodak Gallery P/B Sierra Nevada)                
7 Rahsaan Bahati (Rock Racing)                                  
8 Jesse Anthony (Kodak Gallery P/B Sierra Nevada)               
9 Jake Hollenbach (CCB/Volkswagen)                              
10 Hayden Godfrey (Colavita Sutter Home P/b Cooking Light)