'He's pulling a Chris Froome' - Powless forced to run with bike at Maryland Classic

After podium finishes in the previous two editions of the race, Neilson Powless was among the favourites to win the Maryland Cycling Classic, but the EF Education-EasyPost rider’s challenge was ruined by a mechanical issue on the final lap of the race.

Powless endured a long wait for a replacement bike after sustaining a rear wheel puncture. By the time a neutral service bike had been procured, he spotted his team car a couple of hundred metres ahead of him.

Rather than ride on the neutral bike, Thomas opted to take his own bike – minus its rear wheel – on his shoulder and run with it to his team car. There were, as co-commentator Taylor Phinney noted, mild shades of Chris Froome’s desperate run on the slopes of Mont Ventoux on the 2016 Tour de France. 

Powless then climbed aboard his spare bike and resumed the race, though his chances of victory had long since evaporated. The American eventually came home in 18th place, 5:33 down on surprise winner Sandy Dujardin (TotalEnergies).

A severe thunderstorm made for a tumultuous afternoon in Baltimore, with the men’s race marked by crashes and punctures and the Lidl-Trek duo of Quinn Simmons and Mattias Skjelmose were among the abandons.

Brandon McNulty was aggressive in the finale, but the race came down to a seven-man sprint, with Dujardin taking the win ahead of Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), Marius Mayrhofer (Tudor) and McNulty.

The inaugural women’s race at the Maryland Classic was won by Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka (Canyon//Sram zondacrypto) ahead of Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly) and Emma Langley (Aegis).