Hilton Clarke wins Beaufort Memorial Classic; Blue Train continues to dominate Speed Week

Beaufort, SC – Hilton Clarke powered through the finish line ahead of Luca Damiani (Kenda/5-Hour Energy Pro Cycling) and Carlos Alzate (Team Exergy) tonight to emerge victorious in the Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic on a windy night in Beaufort, South Carolina. His win tonight gives the Team its fourth overall on the season, 14th podium appearance and 32nd top 10 finish this year.

Clarke, who finished second behind Teammate Jake Keough in the Historic Roswell Criterium on Sunday night, took his turn on atop the podium tonight as the all too familiar Blue Train of the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team controlled the majority of the 75-lap 1km course this evening.

“That was some aggressive racing,” Clarke said. “This win was by no means a solo effort. I have some great Teammates and it was a great feeling to lap the field with them. Karl (Menzies) and Adrian (Hegyvary) got me around and sacrificed their finish for me to win. You can’t say enough about how selfless this Team is.”

Having recently returned from racing in Europe, the USA Crits Speed Week is the Team’s first block of racing back on US soil this year. General Manager and Team Director, Mike Tamayo, said of his squad’s performance in Beaufort, “The Team was excellent. We’re happy Hilton pulled it off and the overall effort the guys put into protecting him and putting him a position to win was outstanding.”

Tamayo continued, “The guys are training in the mornings to get ready for the Amgen Tour of California, and it’s absolutely helping. Tonight, they rode the front for more than 35 laps of the race. We plan on continuing to build on this momentum as we head into the Amgen Tour of California in just under two weeks.”

TEAM NOTES

Earlier in the day, the Team paid a visit to the students of Riverview Charter School in Beaufort where they talked to the children about exercise and bike safety. The Team’s continued commitment to the kids and giving back to the community proved to be a huge hit, as the riders shared stories, life lessons and laughs with the Beaufort youngsters.

The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Roster for the Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic:
Karl Menzies (AUS)
Jake Keough (USA)
Andrew Pinfold (CAN)
Boy Van Poppel (NED)
Brad White (USA)
Adrian Hegyvary (USA)
Hilton Clarke (AUS)
Jonny Clarke (AUS)
General Manager/Team Director: Mike Tamayo