Haedo and Dominguez: A Bright Spot in Professional Cycling
But even with a great deal of uncertainty looming, the cycling world has had the pleasure in recent months of watching the ongoing fight for first between two teammates, friends and at one time not long ago, roommates.
Over the last six months, J.J. Haedo and Ivan Dominguez have emerged as two of the fastest sprinters in professional cycling as members of Toyota-United, the newest team on the United States Cycling Federation (USCF) circuit since its formation in early 2006.
When it comes time to race though, crossing the finish line first is the least of their concerns.
“It doesn’t matter who wins,” Dominguez said. “It’s going to be the same for us. The victory is going for the win.”
For some teams, recruiting two highly-talented riders, especially two sprinters, can get in the way of winning.
Haedo, on the other hand, perceives his partnership with Dominguez as only an advantage for Toyota-United.
“When you have two sprinters, it’s always a good situation,” Haedo said. “I’m happy to work for Ivan, and he’s happy to work for me. Either way, it’s for the team.”
Dominguez, who has been racing for 14 years, believes that the unselfishness that he and Haedo share has been the key to Toyota-United’s success this year.
“We’re both not selfish,” he said. “There’s no reason to be a selfish teammate. Every time we race we just give everything we got.”
In his first two seasons, Dominguez collected 20 major wins, including a victory over seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong in the 2002 New York City Championships.
The 30-year-old Cuban continued to excel in 2004 with wins at the Bank of America Invitational and Tour of Connecticut and second place stage finishes at the Tour de Georgia behind Armstrong and Italian racing legend, Mario Cipollini.
And with wins at this year’s Walterboro Criterium and Greenwood Criterium, the former Cuban National Champion still has what it takes to win.
But since the Amgen Tour of California in February, it has been Haedo’s moment to shine for Toyota-United.
In just his fourth year on the pro tour, the 25-year-old Argentinean showed just how fast he can be, winning two stages (1 and 4) over the likes of Floyd Landis and David Zabriskie while finishing second just behind German Olaf Pollack in the final stage.
In April, Haedo impressed again at the Tour de Georgia, taking first in the final stage over Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych and Slovakian Janez Brajkovic.
“Everything’s paid off,” he said. “You have to give respect to get respect. It’s like everything in life. It’s one of the nicest feelings to be recognized for what you do and love.”
Recently, Haedo showed at the 45th annual Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix why he has been at the forefront of professional cycling since joining Toyota-United.
Among a record number of fans lining the streets of Live Oak Park, the 25-year-old sprinter for Toyota-United kept everyone holding their breath.
Emerging from the middle of the pack, Haedo made his move on the final lap and held off defending champion Greg Henderson to earn his first win in Manhattan Beach.
“My team put me in a good position for the last corner,” the Argentine said after stepping down from the winner’s podium. “From there it was a drag race to the finish line.
“I’m going through a special situation right now. Every time you win, you gain confidence.”
Known to be one of the longest running bike races in the United States, the Grand Prix drew over 1,000 cyclists from six different continents that battled for the coveted winner’s jersey and a prize of $25,000.
This year race officials estimated that record crowds of more than 10,000 fans lined the streets to witness the Men’s Pro Race.
Viewed as one of the more technical races on this year’s USA Cycling national race calendar, the 1.4-mile circuit featured two long straight-aways, two sweeping 180 degree turns, and 50 feet of inclination per lap.
“They know it’s a tough course,” race director Eric Smith said. “If you’re not in the top five at the end, you don’t have a chance to win the race. It’s all about positioning for that last turn.”
Henderson, who captured first place in 2005 over 22-year-old Cofidis rider Tyler Farrar of Wenatchee, Wa., had a chance in the final 300 meters to catch Haedo but a shortage of manpower from Health Net proved to be costly for the New Zealander.
“The difference today was that they (Toyota-United) had eight riders, and we had five,” the 2004 world champion said. “It all came down to the finish, and I had to use too much energy to get position for the last corner.”
“I’m never going to beat J.J. racing that way.”
Haedo, whose first love was soccer while growing up in Buenos Aires, grants all the credit in the world to his seven other teammates.
“I’m not winning for myself, and I’m not winning by myself,” said Haedo, who began his professional career in 2003 with Colavita Olive Oil. “If I don’t have a team like I have, I wouldn’t be able to win.”
Dominguez, on the other hand, didn’t have as much success as his race partner, finishing fourth behind Health Net rider Kyle Gritters, one spot off his third-place finish in 2005.
Nevertheless, the win by the four-time Argentinean National Champion was another notch on Toyota-United’s recent list of accomplishments.
“Absolutely a great start,” Toyota-United director Harm Jansen said. “It was very difficult to get these guys to believe in our program. To get world-class riders on the team took some serious convincing.”
Yet there were other issues on the table besides Haedo’s late push to victory, particularly the two urine tests from Floyd Landis that showed a noticeable increase in testosterone during the Tour de France’s final stage.
The ongoing doping allegations that have plagued the cycling world in recent months and even weeks had many riders searching for a solution to rid the sport of its latest blemishes.
“It’s sad,” Henderson admitted. “Cycling has a bad name right now. It’s going to take a massive crackdown on drugs.”
Jansen, on the other hand, offered reassurance that cycling in the United States can remain separate from what has transpired overseas.
“It’s on the other side of a big ocean,” he said. “We have shown that cycling in the U.S. is heading in a positive way. I think we’ve been very successful doing that.”
