Bensenville, Ill. — When the three riders in front of Rahsaan Bahati went left Tuesday night, Rock Racing’s star sprinter rolled right.
The result was an easy victory for Bahati at the Ray Basso Bensenville Criterium on the fifth day of the Point Premium Root Beer International Cycling Classic.
“They didn’t even know I was in front of them until it was too late,” Bahati said, noting that he even had time to post at two-arm victory salute.
The impressive finish at the end of the 80-lap, 62-mile (100 km) race resulted in Rock Racing’s third win of the series and moved Bahati into second place overall behind teammate Sterling Magnell. Bahati won Saturday night in Blue Island, Ill., while Magnell took the series opener Friday night in Chicago.
“Sterling has the yellow jersey on so he pretty much can’t go anywhere,” Bahati said. “But now that I have moved up to second, not only do they have to watch him, they have to watch me.”
Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling Team) finished second in Tuesday’s race and Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies presented by Medifast) was third. The two were part of a nine-man break that lapped the field on the three-quarters-of-a-mile course.
In the overall standings of the 17-day series, Magnell has 64 points to Bahati’s 59. Adrian Gerrits (Kahala-LaGrange) and Chad Hartley (Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team) are tied for third with 48.
In the Bianchi Sprints Competition, Bahati holds a one-point lead over Hartley.
Bahati’s victory was his eighth of the season and the 24th for Rock Racing this year. The team is also racing in the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China, where Oscar Sevilla is in fourth overall and Tyler Hamilton in seventh after five of 10 stages.
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