Pez Cyclingnews, Edmond Hood, 0 0000
Nork aipatua: Bitossi

The biggest race on the US calendar at the weekend was the Air Force Association Cycling Classic, Clarendon Cup in Arlington, Virginia. The race is this longest criterium on the US calendar at 100 kilometres and Saturday was the 16th edition of an event which has seen the likes of Gent-Wevelgem winner, Lars Michaelsen and ‘crit kings’ Rahsaan Bahati and Ivan Dominguez stand atop the podium. The UnitedHealthcare ‘Blue Train’ took their fourth straight win in the event, with 28 year-old Slovenian strong man Aldo Ino Ilesic lapping the field as part of an eight man break to take his first win of the year. Aldo has been a regular on PEZ through the years and we caught up with him at home in Slovenia as he took a little well earned down time before flying off to China to ride the Qinghai Lakes. The tall man from Ptuj first caught the eye in 2003 with a stage win in the Tour de Slovenia. In 2004 he turned pro with well respected Slovenian team Perutnina Ptuj and took a stage in the super fast Olympia Tour of Holland. The following season, a stage win in the Paths of King Nikola stage race in Croatia was the high light. The Giro delle Regione gave him a stage win in 2006; but it was 2008 when he really found his feet – with eight wins, from Croatia to Charlotte, North Carolina in the colours of Slovenian squad, Slava.

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Loturak: Aldo Ino Ilesic