Greenville, S.C. (Sept. 19, 2010) – Benjamin King (North Garden, Va./Trek-Livestrong) pulled off one of the most dramatic wins in the 25-year history of the USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship. The 21-year-old held an early race break to win the 115-mile Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship and become the first rider under the age of 23 to win the event against some of the sport’s top pros.

“We were going pretty hard at the beginning there,” said King. “Once I was solo I had nine minutes; I was thinking about a lot of motivators. I was praying pretty hard after Paris Mountain and my prayers got answered.”

Alex Candelario (Reno, Nev./Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Kiel Reijnen (Boulder, Colo./Jelly Belly p/b Kenda) out sprinted the 12-man chase group 1:34 minutes later to grab the silver and bronze medals respectively.

“I couldn’t believe how slow we were going on the first lap,” said Reijnen. “The fact that Ben King had the Trek-Livestrong colors on I think guys thought the RadioShack team would help with that chase. When one big, strong team isn’t motivated it really demotivates the field. (The finishing circuits) were awesome. Coming through that start/finish line you could hear the roar. Greenville is a great place for nationals.”

King, the current USA Cycling U23 Road Race National Champion, and his breakaway companions Daniel Holloway (Morgan Hill, Calif./Bissell) and Scott Zwizanski (Mill Valley, Calif./Kelly Benefit Strategies) took off in the first of three, eight-mile opening circuits around downtown Greenville. With the peloton content to let the youngsters go so early in the nearly five-hour contest, the trio continued to build the gap to more than 15 minutes mid-way through the race.

It wasn’t until the third of four, 22-mile laps up and around Paris Mountain that the USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Champion Holloway and Zwizanski began to fall off the pace. King, fresh off the Tour of the Future with USA Cycling’s National Development Program, continued solo up the long climb with the powerful peloton bearing down.

Heading into the closing downtown circuits a lead group of around 22 riders, including yesterday’s time trial national champion Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo./Trek-Livestrong), reigning road race national champion and hometown favorite George Hincapie (Greenville, S.C./BMC) and former Tour de France stage winner Levi Leipheimer (Santa Rosa, Calif./RadioShack) mobilized and moved inside three minutes of King. Familiar with the art of staying away, King, who won the USA Cycling U23 Road Race National Championship earlier this summer and the 2007 USA Cycling Juniors Road Race National Championship in similar fashion, dug deep to hold off the advance in the final 12-kilometers.

“L ‘Avenir (Tour of the Future) had everything to do with it,” explained King. “I was riding the front every single day. That’s what I think I’m good at – doing the dirty work.”

King is the first rider under the age of 23 in the event’s 25-year history to win the professional road race national title.

Thousands of fans lined the course for the finish as well as all of the day’s festivities, including 750 charity riders participating in the Stars-and-Stripes Challenge, more than 150 in the kid’s race and dozens contesting the U.S. Handcycling Series criterium.

Following the race USA Cycling announced plans to return the event to the City of Greenville for the next two years.

“We as an organization are committed to finding the best course and best conditions for the riders,” stated USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson. “The riders like it and community support has been remarkable. (Greenville provides a) world-class course with high-quality event management and a wonderful community spirit.”

Visit USA Cycling’s photo gallery to view photos from the event. Photos courtesy USA Cycling/Casey B. Gibson.

USA Cycling Professional Road Race National Championship RESULTS Greenville, S.C. Sept. 19, 2010

Results:
1 Benjamin KING 4:44:56.9 Trek Livestrong
2 Alex CANDELARIO 4:46:30.9 Kelly Benefit Strategies
3 Kiel REIJNEN 4:46:31.0 Jelly Belly presented by Kenda
4 Christopher HORNER 4:46:31.2 RadioShack
5 George HINCAPIE 4:46:31.3 BMC
6 Shawn MILNE 4:46:31.7 Team Type 1
7 Matthew BUSCHE 4:46:31.9 RadioShack
8 Taylor PHINNEY 4:46:32.8 Trek Livestrong
9 Andy GUPTILL 4:46:35.2 Jamis/SutterHome presented by C
10 Craig LEWIS 4:46:35.2 Columbia High Road
11 Lucas EUSER 4:46:35.2 SpiderTech presented by Planet
12 Jacob RYTLEWSKI 4:46:35.5 Kenda presented by Geargrinder
13 Scott STEWART 4:46:35.5 Team Type 1
14 Brent BOOKWALTER 4:46:35.9 BMC
15 Chris BALDWIN 4:46:36.0 UnitedHealthcare presented by M
16 Maxim JENKINS 4:46:36.1 UnitedHealthcare presented by M
17 Neil SHIRLEY 4:46:36.2 Kelly Benefit Strategies
18 Jason MCCARTNEY 4:46:36.5 RadioShack
19 Andrew TALANSKY 4:46:36.5 Garmin Slipstream
20 Levi LEIPHEIMER 4:46:37.0 RadioShack
21 Carter JONES 4:46:37.4 Jelly Belly presented by Kenda
22 Christopher BUTLER 4:46:37.7 BMC
23 Chris JONES 4:46:50.4 Team Type 1
24 Timothy DUGGAN 4:49:33.9 Garmin Slipstream
25 Oscar CLARK 4:53:06.3 Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte
26 Tim FARNHAM 4:53:10.3 Adageo Energy
27 Joey ROSSKOPF 4:53:10.6 Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte
28 MAYNES Andy JACQUES 4:53:12.4 Bissell Pro Cycling
29 Ted KING 4:53:12.5 Cervelo
30 Tyler WREN 4:53:12.6 Jamis/SutterHome presented by C
31 Adrian HEGEVARY 4:53:13.6 UnitedHealthcare presented by M
32 Frank PIPP 4:53:13.6 Bissell Pro Cycling
33 Paul MACH 4:53:59.4 Bissell Pro Cycling
34 Philip GAIMON 4:53:59.5 Kenda presented by Geargrinder
35 Matthew COOKE 4:53:59.5 Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte
36 Jesse ANTHONY 4:55:22.1 Kelly Benefit Strategies
37 James DRISCOLL 4:57:02.9 Jamis/SutterHome presented by C
38 Bradley WHITE 4:57:02.9 UnitedHealthcare presented by M
39 Jeffry LOUDER 4:57:02.9 BMC
40 Phil ZAJICEK 4:57:03.0 Fly V Australia
41 Peter STETINA 4:58:58.0 Garmin Slipstream
42 Morgan SCHMITT 4:58:58.0 UnitedHealthcare presented by M
43 Ian BOSWELL 4:58:58.0 Bissell Pro Cycling
44 Jeremy POWERS 4:58:58.0 Jelly Belly presented by Kenda
DNF Chad BEYER BMC
DNF Bjorn SELANDER RadioShack
DNF Steven COZZA Garmin Slipstream
DNF Caleb FAIRLY Garmin Slipstream
DNF Danny PATE Garmin Slipstream
DNF Daniel HOLLOWAY Bissell Pro Cycling
DNF MAYNES Ben JACQUES Bissell Pro Cycling
DNF REILLY Cody O Bissell Pro Cycling
DNF Kyle WAMSLEY Bissell Pro Cycling
DNF David WILLIAMS Bissell Pro Cycling
DNF Nicholas FREY Jamis/SutterHome presented by C
DNF John SIMES Jamis/SutterHome presented by C
DNF Frank TRAVIESO Jamis/SutterHome presented by C
DNF Sergio HERNANDEZ Jelly Belly presented by Kenda
DNF Brad HUFF Jelly Belly presented by Kenda
DNF Sean MAZICH Jelly Belly presented by Kenda
DNF ULDEN Bernard VAN Jelly Belly presented by Kenda
DNF Dan BOWMAN Kelly Benefit Strategies
DNF Guy EAST Kelly Benefit Strategies
DNF Reid MUMFORD Kelly Benefit Strategies
DNF Scott ZWIZANSKI Kelly Benefit Strategies
DNF Robert BUSH Kenda presented by Geargrinder
DNF Chris MONTELEONE Kenda presented by Geargrinder
DNF Nicholas WAITE Kenda presented by Geargrinder
DNF Scottie WEISS Kenda presented by Geargrinder
DNF Andrew BAKER Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte
DNF Thomas BROWN Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte
DNF Mark HEKMAN Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte
DNF William HOFFARTH Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte
DNF Eric SCHILDGE Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte
DNF Scott TIETZEL Mountain Khakis fueled by Jitte
DNF Alex BOWDEN Team Type 1
DNF William DUGAN Team Type 1
DNF Ken HANSON Team Type 1
DNF Eric BENNETT Adageo Energy
DNF Adam CARR Adageo Energy

Photos courtesy USA Cycling/Casey B. Gibson.