On a day that featured many sprint finishes, the men’s 40-44 criterium was decided by a well-timed attack and tremendous endurance to hold it through the finish line. Matthew Gates(Lyons, Colo./Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers Cycling Team) launched the final attack of a race that was very animated with several attacks. Gates broke free from the field with 10 laps remaining and steadily grew his advantage to just under 20 seconds before coasting to victory.
“I've been racing on and off since I was a junior,” Gates, who also earned that group’s Best All-Around Rider, said. “It's only taken me 24 years to win a jersey. I can't say enough about my teammates. They set it up. When I had six, seven or eight to go, I thought there was no way this would stick. They called 15 or 20 with three to go and all of a sudden it started to sink in and the pain went away a little bit. It is still sinking in.”
Gates won the criterium, placed fourth in the time trial and sixth in the road race.
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