Good time had by Wall

CYCLING IS often viewed as an individual sport. Just a rider, a frame, two wheels, and the personal will to win.

Yesterday, the Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic showed that cycling is indeed a team sport when 188 men and 113 women took to the streets of Philadelphia on a hot and humid day.

There were 25 men's teams and 21 women's teams.

In the men's race, Kiel Reijnen, of Boulder, Colo., riding for United Healthcare, pushed past the finish line on top of the Manayunk Wall first, just a day after his 27th birthday. His present: $5,000.

He finished the 120-mile race in 4 hours, 35 minutes and 39 seconds, 7 seconds ahead of Jesse Anthony, of Beverly, Mass., of team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies. Hincapie Development's Joey Rosskopf, of Athens, Ga., took home the bronze, finishing 11 seconds behind Reijnen, thus making it a sweep for the United States.

Reijnen credited his teammates for the win.

"It was just a super team effort," said Reijnen, who was competing for the fifth time in Philadelphia. "These guys are just awesome. They are unreal.

"They sacrificed so that I could win the race. It's always a team effort, and today was a really good example of that. Without my teammates out in the front in those last few kilometers, the break wouldn't have come back, and we would have been fighting for second place. I wouldn't have had the chance to shine without those guys working their butts off for me. I'll be very happy to return the favor for them in the next couple months."

The men's Best Young Rider of the Year award went to Zac Noonan, of Kutztown. The King of the Mountain award, that goes to the cyclist that climbs the hills with the most efficiency, went to Dion Smith, of New Zealand. He finished sixth. And, the sprint title went to Sebastian Salas, of Canada.

The women's race was tight throughout, especially at the finish.

Evelyn Stevens, of Acton, Mass., riding for the Specialized-lululemon team, won the 60-mile race in 2:33:27, just a millisecond ahead of Montreal's Joelle Numainville, of Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies. Claudia Hausler, of Germany, finished third.

"I closed my eyes," said Stevens, who received $5,000 for the win. "When I was going up [the hill], I was thinking how much I sucked last week, and how much my teammates did for me today, and I thought I had to deliver. I actually did not know if I had won because my eyes were closed when I crossed."

"I thought I had it," said Numainville. "I guess I didn't have it. I think she passed me a little bit with 50 meters to go. I'm really happy still."

Like Reijnen, Stevens credited her teammates for her victory.

"I told Tayler [Wiles], 'We're gambling, don't go to the front,' " Stevens said. "We had to gamble. We stuck to our plan and I think that's why we won today. We had one team strategy and we executed it perfectly, and that's why we won. Everyone is going to do different things, but if you stick to your plan, it usually works out."

Alison Powers, of Pinecliffe, Colo., held about a 30-second lead for much of the last lap, but she was caught by the field, and failed to make the podium. She did take home the Sprint title, which netted her $2,500. Ruth Winder, of Lafayette, Calif., took home the title of Best Young Rider, which goes to the best finish from a rider who is 23 years old or younger.