A ten-strong BISSELL Pro Cycling Team lined up Sunday morning in Greenville, S.C. under an intermittent cloud-cover, a humid breeze, and only slightly more forgiving 88 degree temperatures from the preceding day’s scorcher.

With several teams numbering ten or more riders and only a handful of full-time Euro Pros lined up, the race was an open affair. Ben Jacques-Maynes had two main goals: work for the team and return to form in time for the Tour of Missouri.  “I’m not quite there yet,” he said Sunday morning prior to the race, “but I’ll be working for everyone today and working toward feeling 100% by the time we line up in Missouri next week.” Jacque-Maynes was one of four in an early break and was instrumental in getting the BISSELL boys to the front in effort to control the breaks throughout the day.

At the half-way mark, a group of 12 including Tom Zirbel [along with TT Champion Dave Zabriskie] began pushing a fierce pace, building a 3:30 gap on the main field.  The third time up Paris Mountain, however, with a blistering pace being set by Garmin-Chipotle, strongman Zirbel began to yo-yo on and off the back until the last set of rollers finally cooked him. Hats off to Zirbel for an incredible team effort on what had to be very heavy time trial legs from the previous day’s efforts!

It was BISSELL who powered to the front to get the main field organized, working to bring down the gap. Looking fresh in the second group were Burke Swindlehurst and Teddy King. With just a little over 20 miles to go, a rider swung over in front of King on a fast descent, causing him to clip the rider’s wheel and landing hard on his right side, forcing him to abandon.* It was now up to Swindlehurst to leave the BISSELL mark on the day’s race. With the lead group together, Swindlehurst was there with good legs, but a series of attacks divided the front group and unfortunately he found himself in a group with Hincapie. No one would allow Hincapie to bridge across leaving a number of rider’s in that group clearly frustrated with the pace and predicament.

At the line it was Tyler Hamilton by .002 seconds, with BISSELL’s Swindlehurst coming across for a top ten spot in 10th at 1:19 back.  It was a tough day on the bike for the entire peloton – with over half DNF’ing -  but an incredible showing from all of Team BISSELL.

*Teddy suffered severe abrasions and road rash from shoulder to toe on his entire right side, but miraculously, suffered no broken bones!  As of Monday morning, he was bandaged, smiling and just about to load himself into his packed car for his move to Boulder, Colorado. “I’m just really happy that my car is already packed,” he said, “I wouldn’t be able to do that right now. I feel okay though actually, and I will definitely be good to go for Missouri.”

**Media notes: Teddy King was on the NBC affiliate WYFF on Friday’s 5 o’clock news. Only BISSELL’s King and George Hincapie were interviewed. King also participated in that day’s press conference, keeping company with Columbia’s Hincapie and Craig Lewis, Garmin-Chipotle’s Christian Vandevelde, and Rock Racing’s Freddie Rodriguez.

**Almost every BISSELL rider was interviewed on stage on at Sunday’s sign-in.

**The BISSELL Clean-Sweep Broom Wagon was out on the course on both Saturday and Sunday, sweeping for wayward riders, the car being driven by the ever-personable Sarah. And throughout each day, BISSELL received a number of sponsorship attributions for their continued support of American cycling.

**Aaron Olson is a featured interview in the next issue of Road Bike Action. Included are images and a full break-down of his Team Issue Pinarello.

**Be sure to check in at www.roadbikeaction.com where Teddy King is a monthly blogger.

Burke before Start		Tom before Start		Tom at Start
Tom		Up Paris Mountain		Climbing Tough
Tom on the Podium		Tom Zirbel at Press Conference		Zirbel and Vandevelde on Time Trial Podium