Alejandro Borrajo of the Jamis/Sutter Home Men’s Cycling Team presented by Colavita Finishes 4th in Philadelphia International Championship

Now in its 26th year, the TD Bank Philadelphia International Championship race is one of the largest and most prestigious in the US.  Its short, steep climbs and grueling 156-mile length make it a challenge to even finish, and a strong international field makes the race exceptionally competitive. The Jamis/Sutter Home Men’s Team presented by Colavita was up for the challenge, with a powerful, experienced squad consisting of Luis Amaran, Alejandro Borrajo, Jamey Driscoll, Ivan Dominguez, Guido Palma, Tyler Wren, Andy Guptill, and Ignacio Pereyra.

With Luis Amaran and Alejandro Borrajo riding so well, Jamis/Sutter Home’s plan was to allow them to conserve energy and the rest of the squad would work from the start and make sure the team was represented in any breakaways.  Temperatures were already high and the air extremely humid even at the 9am start, so everyone knew the day would be especially exhausting.  Attacks flew right from the gun, and Guido, Jamey, and Andy were right there to cover them.  The field stayed more or less intact until the first steep climb, when a larger group of 40+ riders managed to break away including Tyler, Ignacio, and Jamey.  The break was too large to work together efficiently, and just as it was about to be absorbed by the peloton, Jamey and Ignacio managed to escape with a more manageable group of 18 riders, forming the day’s key breakaway.

As the race wore on and the miles, heat, and humidity took their toll, the breakaway shrunk to just eight riders but still included Jamey and Ignacio.  The peloton was slowly losing riders as well, but Alejandro and Luis were sitting comfortably near the front while Ivan, Guido, Tyler and Andy made sure they had all the food and water they needed.  The breakaway was reeled in with just 15 miles to go, but not before a group of four very strong riders were able to escape off the front.  Wanting the race to come down to a sprint for Alejandro, Jamis/Sutter Home went to work to bring the riders back.  Andy hit the front and was soon joined by Tyler, Jamey, and Ignacio, and a handful of riders from other teams to wind up the pace and start the chase.  Over the next 10 miles, Jamis/Sutter Home was able to bring the gap down from 45 seconds to just 20 seconds.  Heading into the final three-mile lap of the race, Luis Amaran took the front and put in a tremendous effort to make a field sprint inevitable.  Alejandro then did what he does best, fighting his way to the front and was in great position going into the finishing stretch.  The dash to the line in Philadelphia is long and often dangerous as riders make desperate maneuvers, but Alejandro held his ground and launched an incredible sprint against the best in the world to finish just inches off the podium, crossing the line in 4th place!

It was a great day for the Jamis/Sutter Home Men’s team presented by Colavita as they were represented in the day’s major breakaway, and then on the front of the field, in full view of the TV cameras and thousands of spectators, in the closing miles.  Jamis/Sutter Home was frequently mentioned over the loudspeakers around the course throughout the day as the team showed its strength.  Directeur Sportif Sebastian Alexandre could not have been more pleased with the team’s performance. “This was one of the best races in team history,” he said. “Jamis/Sutter Home rode at the level of the Pro Tour teams -- in the breakaway and then we rode to the line.  The very best way to finish would have been a podium, but it was so close.”