After a highly successful season of victories and podiums all across the United States, Hilton Clarke took the victory in the 2015 men’s individual standings for the USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar (NCC), amassing 869 points to finish the season. Clarke’s teammate Carlos Alzate was leading the category going into the final races, but missed the final weekend of racing to participate in the UCI World Championship Team Time Trial event in Richmond, Virginia for Team UnitedHealthcare. Alzate held onto 2nd in the category, with 822 points on the year. The teammates raced strategically together in criterium all season, hunting points and podiums from coast to coast. With consistent success and podium appearances throughout the entire season, the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team criterium squad dominated the team standings, amassing nearly twice the points of the 2nd place team.
The final racing weekend on the National Criterium Calendar included the TD Bank Mayor’s Cup, in Boston, MA on Saturday, followed by the Connecticut Cycling Festival criterium in Hartford, CT. With riders from the usual criterium squad participating in the team time trial World Championship, the UnitedHealthcare Blue Train had the opportunity to work new riders into the criterium rotation. Stage and road race specialists Tanner Putt, Davide Frattini, and Jonny Clarke joined Hilton Clarke, Ken Hanson, and Luke Keough for the two criterium races. Focusing always on teamwork and executing a clear plan, the squad didn’t miss a beat. Hilton Clarke sprinted to 3rd place in the TD Mayor’s Cup, followed on Sunday by another 3rd place for Clarke, with Ken Hanson one place better in 2nd.
The accumulation of points launched Clarke into the NCC lead, and padded the UnitedHealthcare Blue Train’s lead in the team category. General Manager Mike Tamayo commented, “The criterium races in the United States have always been a staple for this team and something we like to support. It’s nice to walk away with the win for the series once again for both the team and individual, as it shows the team’s consistency and dedication to the series.” The women’s UnitedHealthcare Blue Train criterium squad took 2nd place in the team standings, with 1524 points in the 2015 season.
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