Over the years, ABD’s elite riders have been counted on for a few things. Among them, tactical excellence and precision, especially when presented with the complication of riders going up a lap. For another, they reliably take the Winfield weekend very, very seriously.

Such was the case this weekend when the boys of the ABD-powered Verizon u25 got Mike Sherer across the finish line first on both days. At Saturday’s twilight criterium it came in a sprint, and in Sunday’s ABR national champiionship it came after Sherer and a fully recovered Ryan Freund lapped the field

— this barely a month after Freund broke his collarbone during Superweek —

with teammates Will Nowak and Hogan Sills cleaning up 3rd and 4th behind them.

A 1-2-3-4 at Winfield is not without precedent: ABD did it in 2006, and its top riders have won this race ever since, a nifty five-year run.

Coming a week after his win at Glencoe, this makes three in a row for Sherer, who says he now hangs up the road shoes for the year to focus on cross and fishing

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and hopefully sorting through professional offers for 2011.

Another ABD sweep came compliments of Jessi Prinner, who won the elite women’s race both days.

Kyle Selph (Tower Racing) justified his recent upgrade by winning the 3’s race Sunday, slipping away late with Tim Speciale (Psimet) and overcoming him in a long drag race to the line.

Speciale had a good weekend, also hitting the podium in the 2/3’s Saturday after winner Todd Metz (Unattached) and Dave Stone (Verizon Wireless) got down the road. This is the first time I’ve seen Metz’s name in the results this year

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a belated but outstanding way to open a season, I’d say.

The next day, Stone and Dave Polin (WDT/Allvoi) broke free of the combined 30+/40+ field to take the 40+ honors. Keith McMahon (Comma-Van Wagner) then earned the 30+ championship by finishing 2nd in the field sprint behind Marek Serafin (PACT/Dish Network), 4th overall.

Saturday results. Sunday results.

Saturday reports
Tim Speciale (Psimet; 2/3): “As quietly as I could I clicked two gears down. We made the turn, I stood up and hit it.”

Verizon u25 (1/2): “Diving into the technical downhill the team had their man Mike Sherer right where they wanted him.”

Sunday reports
Tim Speciale (Psimet; 3): “I sprinted … and sprinted … and sprinted … and sprinted.  I looked down and he was gaining on me. I sprinted some more, then some more.”

Mark Swartzendruber (Verizon Wireless; 30+, 1/2): “By the time I hit the finish line on Lap 1, I had 20 seconds and I’ll be damned if I wasn’t determined to spend the entire 40-mile race off the front solo.”

Verizon u25 (1/2): “It looked possible that the strong veterans could ride away with the race.”

Sunday photos
Von Buzard