Rocking Harlem Classic With Bahati’s Runner-Up Finish

As 53rd Tooth reported (see comments), the winner of the 35th annual Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic "threw the bike across the finish line and put his rig and his face on the pavement immediately thereafter."

"Throwing" may seem very simplistic on the surface but its a technique that needs practicing, even if you're in the professional ranks.

Afterall, winning should never feel oh so...OUCH!

[And if you've never seen what real panic looks like, just click to enlarge the photos below to view the facial expressions of the riders immediately behind the crash].

Harlem, N.Y. — Rock Racing’s Rahsaan Bahati was edged at the line by Erik Barlevav (TIME Pro Cycling) in an exciting finish to the 35th annual Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic presented by Rock Racing.

Barlevav lost control of his bicycle and sprawled to the pavement after a successful bike throw at the end of the 55-lap criterium. A little shaken, but smiling, the first-year professional managed to get up unassisted and take a victory lap with a bouquet of flowers.


Before the race, Rock Racing Team Owner Michael Ball addressed the crowd and saluted promoter John Eustice for breathing new life into the event.

“This was a great day for Harlem and great day for New York,” Ball said. “This race is a diamond-in-the-rough and we’re going to help turn it into one of the premier races in the United States.”

The World Championship Sports Network (WCSN) provided live coverage on the afternoon of racing that included a bike messenger “mania” race. But it was the pro race that was the featured event on Father’s Day when Barlevav snuck through to play the spoiler.

“I felt Bahati coming up on my left and threw my bike as hard as I could,” Barlevav said. “Being such a humid day, my hands just slipped off the bars. I guess I should have been wearing gloves”

Rock Racing rode prominently throughout the race around East Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park. Tyler Hamilton controlled the front of the 100-strong peloton for the better part of the final 10 laps and helped set up the Rock Racing lead-out train the delivered Fred Rodriguez first to the final corner, about 300 meters from the finish line.

But Rodriguez had Bahati tucked in his slipstream and the winner of this year’s Athens Twilight Criterium appeared to have secured his second win in the third race of the USA CRITS series.

“The plan was for Freddie to get me to the last corner,” Bahati said. “But I lost his wheel to Ivan Dominguez and Alejandro Barrajo – one went right and one went left. So I had to come from too far back. If I had maybe three more meters, I would have won.”

Jake Keough (CRCA/Sakonnet Technology) finished third.

In front of a crowd of several thousand, a number of riders made ill-fated attempts to break away on the flat, four-corner, eight-tenths-of-a-mile course, including Toyota-United’s Ivan Dominguez – who last won on the streets of New York against Lance Armstrong in 2002 at the New York City Cycling Championship.

Photos: Vero Image