Photo Finish

Philadelphia, USA, June 8, 2003

2003 Champion: Stefano Zanini (Ita) Saeco 251kms (156 miles) in 5h56’21” (42.09 km/h)
2003 US National Champion: (4th) Mark McCormack (USA)

The 19th edition of Philadelphia’s USPRO Championship attracted an “A” list of America’s best pro teams.  The goal was to win the coveted “Star and Stripes” jersey for the National Road Race championships.  Philly is also known as America’s premier one-day cycling event and six of Europe’s best teams came to compete for the prestigious victory at the Wachovia USPRO Championship race.

.The race started under cooler than normal temperatures and cloudy skies.  The day’s first serious breakaway came early on the first lap.  Prime Alliance’s Jonathan Vaughters, CSC’s Tristan Hoffman, Trent Klasna from Saturn, and Siro Camponogara of Navigators set the tone of the race by opening a six minute lead and stayed away for eight of the 10 laps before Team CSC and US Postal ended the breakaway.

(R to L) the early breakaway Trent Klasna, Jonathan Vaughters, Siro Camponogara, and Tristan Hoffman

A later and dangerous breakaway (R to L) David Clinger, Freddy Rodriguez, Geert Van Bondt, and John Lieswyn

After multiple unsuccessful attacks the peloton headed down Benjamin Franklin Parkway and into the closing three “Lemom Loops”.  The final attack had promise when 2001 champion Freddy Rodriguez, CSC’s Geert Van Bondt, John Lieswyn, David Clinger, and Matt White escaped on the next to last climb of Lemon Hill.  But the power in the peloton closed down the breakaway and Team Saeco started the lead out train under the 1 km to go banner. 

Coming around the traffic circle at Logan Square Saeco’s Igor Astarloa, winner of Fleche Wallone, delivered sprinter Stefano Zanini to 200 meters and a chance at the victory.  The very fast Slovenian sprinter Uros Murn, Julian Dean, and Saturn’s Mark McCormack jockeyed for position behind Zanini.  The final drive to the line had Murn closing very quickly.  It took a close look at the photo finish to award the win to Saeco’s Stefano Zanini.

A second photo finish had Julian Dean edging out Mark McCormack for third place, but as the first American McCormack’s fourth place would earn him the “Star and Stripes” jersey as the USPRO champion.

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