Karl Menzies wins 2013 Global Imports Sandy Spring Cycling Challenge and Team UnitedHealthcare Sweeps Top 3 Spots Overall in 2013 Speedweek

SANDY SPRINGS, GA – Karl Menzies sprinted to victory on Sunday, May 5, in Sandy Springs, Georgia, capturing not only the race win for Team UnitedHealthcare at the 2013 Global Imports Sandy Springs Challenge, but also solidifying the Team’s overall podium sweep of the 2013 Speedweek Series. Teammate Carlos Alzate took 1^st in the Speedweek overall, with Hilton Clarke in 2^nd and Menzies in 3^rdto round out the series sweep.

The win in Sandy Springs extends the UnitedHealthcare Blue Train’s consecutive podium streak in U.S. racing to 17 consecutive races, including all five stages of the Tour of the Gila, which Teammate Philip Deignan won the overall and the Team won the overall Team GC earlier on Sunday, May 5.

Sandy Springs represented the final stop of the seven races in 10 days series. En route to the race win in Georgia, Menzies went off the front with Frank Travieso of Team SmartStop/Mountain Khakis and was able to outsprint him on the slight uphill finish to earn the win in the Speedweek finale. Travieso’s teammate, Thomas Brown, took 3^rd place. Team UnitedHealthcare worked together throughout the race, executing its race strategy as planned. Danny Summerhill, Carlos Alzate and Hilton Clarke, finished in 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th place, respectively, and Brad White finished in 13^th.

Saturday’s wins and second place finishes pushed the Blue Train’s impressive podium streak in the U.S. to 15 consecutive races, including four of the five stages thus far at Tour of the Gila. During this current stretch, the Team has emerged victorious 12 times and has placed a total of 29 riders on the podium steps (including two steps allotted for Team GC win at Gila and Team Overall win at Speedweek. The versatility and depth the 2013 edition of this Pro Continental unit has shown is evidenced by the fact 10different riders have produced a Top 3 result in the U.S.