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Sea Otter Classic - E1
Monterey, California, USA, April 10 - 12, 2003
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Stage 3 - April 12: Short Track, Laguna Seca
Short but sweet for Dunlap and Green
By Chris Baldwin
Stage 3 of the Sea Otter Classic, a short track mountain bike race along the grassy hillside overlooking the Laguna Seca Speedway, was lucky to finish before the rain began to fall. Forecasts for Saturday in the Monterey Bay area had been calling for a downpour, but high winds prevailed, pushing the rain away. Carmel Valley to the south, 17-Mile Drive and the Pebble Beach golf courses on the Peninsula, even downtown Cannery Row were all getting significant precipitation while blustery Laguna Seca stayed dry.
Women: Dunlap jumps into lead
Alison Dunlap (Luna Women MTB) finished first in the women's race, taking a time bonus of 20 seconds to jump into the overall lead in GC. Melanie McQuaid (Ford Outfitters) tried to keep up with Dunlap all day, but finished 2nd, losing contact with the leader on the final short climb. McQuaid gapped Dunlap's teammate Katerina Hanusova after the three women had been in a breakaway for half the race.
"I had to cover attacks," said McQuaid. "I was outnumbered out there, so I needed to be smart and conserve, because at one point one of the two of them was going to put the boots to me."
The three riders had a gap of 15 seconds just after the 10-minute mark. McQuaid and the entire field had been following Susan Haywood (Trek-VW) in the early laps, and when Haywood tired, McQuaid attacked. "I didn't feel like I was working too hard at the beginning of the race," said Haywood. "But maybe I was, because I really kind of died in the middle."
Haywood would eventually rise and be born again, racing to a respectable 5th place and podium spot behind Kelli Emmett (Hildenbrand Racing), but the strong head wind in the start-finish straightaway took its toll on everybody.
"Oh my gosh, it felt like we were going nowhere," said Emmett. "But it was good, because it helped split up the group."
Dunlap used the draft of Hanusova in that wind, trading pulls and recovering somewhat. With just two laps to go, Hanusova cracked, and the finish line was left to just a pair of riders. "Since I was going for the time bonus, I just went full throttle," said Dunlap. "Finally Melanie cracked, just at the top of the last hill."
"When Alison went around the last climb, I didn't have enough to stay in contact," said McQuaid. "Whoever went in to the last S-turn first was going to win."
Hanusova finished alone in 3rd, Emmett led her chase group across the line in 4th, Haywood finished 5th. "The plan was to win," said Haywood. "But the podium is good, too. There's still tomorrow."
Men: Frischy dishes it out, but Green on go-go juice
While not an unexpected surprise to the gathered crowds, Roland Green's win in the men's short track was tactically thrilling, particularly in the last three laps. Tripled up with Thomas Frischknecht (Swisspower MTB) and Ryder Hesjedal (Subaru-Gary Fisher), what had been a powerful 7-man break shelled and split open after an attack by Frischknecht and what looked like a controlled shutdown of the chase by his teammate Florian Vogel.
"We did some good teamwork," said Frischknecht. "But so did Ryder and Rollie. Ryder set Rollie up perfectly on the last lap."
On the first hill of the final lap, Green attacked hard, gapping his travelling companions by 20 meters. Respectful of Frischknecht's earlier attack in the same place, Green knew that Hesjedal would not follow, and that Frischknecht was more concerned with the overall GC.
"He was trying to push for a stage win," said Green. "But as soon as the GC 2nd and 3rd guys slipped backwards, he saw the advantage of a time bonus. He's going to move up a lot today."
The final lap had Green finish ahead, winning the stage and taking a substantial time bonus. Going into tomorrow's main XC event, he is the clear favorite. With rain falling in buckets soon after the men crossed the line, and more predicted overnight, Stage 4 will be sloppy, muddy, wet and long.
In the first heat of the men's short track, Adam Craig (Giant Bicycles) won, garnering a time bonus. The 114-man field was too large to run all at once, so riders lower than 52nd place on GC raced early, receiving a pro-rated time relative to the finish of the first group.
Results
Men Heat A 1 Roland Green (Trek-Volkswagen) 25.32 2 Thomas Frischknecht (Swisspower Mtb Team) 3 Absalon Julien (Motorex Bianchi) 4 Ryder Hesjedal (Subaru-Gary Fisher) 5 Florian Vogel (Swisspower Mtb Team) 0.10 6 Geoff Kabush (Kona Clarks Factory Team) 7 Andreas Hestler (Rocky Mtn/Crystal Desicions) 8 Seamus Mcgrath (Team Haro Lee Dungarees) 9 Paul Rowney (Sobe Cannondale) 0.32 10 Jose Bonilla (Cota Rica Olympic Team) 11 Chris Sheppard (Team Haro Lee Dungarees) 12 Todd Wells (Hyundai/Mongoose) 13 Carl Decker (Giant Bicycles) 14 Christoph Sauser 15 Karl Platt (Rocky Mtn Crystal Decisions) 16 Jeremy Horgan--Kobelski (Rlx Polo Sport) 17 Steve Tilford 18 Hermida Jose Antonio (Motorex Bianchi) 19 Mathieu Toulouse (Gears Racing) 20 Doug Swanson (Trek/Vw Factory Team) 21 Ryan Trebon 1.02 22 Jimi Mortenson (Specialized) 1.15 23 Deibey Esquiurl (Cota Rica Olympic Team) 1.21 24 Ricky Federau (Gears Racing) 25 Jay Henry (Specialized) 26 Nick Craig (Trek Uk) 27 Frank Mapel (Specialized) 28 Kashi Leuchs (Maxxis-Trek) 29 Ziranda Madrigal (Turbo) 30 Derek Prechtl (Bell's Beer/Trek) 31 Bryson Perry (Healthy Choice/Guru's) 1.46 32 Kris Sneddon (Kona) 33 Carter Hovey 1.50 34 Carl Swenson (Rlx Polo Sport) 35 Roddi Lega (United Cycle) 36 Julian Hine (Gears Racing) 37 Diego Garavito 38 Derek Wilkerson (Hillenbrand Racing) 39 Michael Broderick (Seven Cycling) 2.18 40 Aiden Lefmann Cannondale/Sobe 41 Alan Obye 42 Charles Jenkins (Giant Cytomax Factory Team) 43 Warren Gravely (Dean Bicycles) 44 Drew Mackenzie (Oryx-Procycle) 45 Cameron Brenneman (Kb Home) 46 Jason Tullous (Telcel-Speed Bikes) 47 Phil Spencer ( ) 48 Brian Astell (Independent Fabrication) 49 Neil Shirley (Trek West) 50 Walker Ferguson (Subaru-Gary Fisher) 2.43 51 Jason Sager (Sobe/Cannondale) 2.58 52 David Juarez (Siemens Mobile Cannondale) 3.58 Heat B 1 Adam Craig (Giant Bicycles) 26.34 2 Liam Killeen (Subaru-Gary Fisher) 0.24 3 Jeff Hall (Salsa Cycles) 0.42 4 Travis Brown (Trek-Volkswagen) 5 Brad Vanorden (Ritchey/Nova) 1.36 6 Ortiz Ordonez (Turbo) 7 Peter Wedge (Kona Clarks Factory Team) 8 Jamey Yanik (Giant) 9 Phil Dixon (Trek Uk) 10 Takahiro Ogasawara 11 Barry Wicks (Kona Clarks) 12 Nathan Phillips (Sobe Cannondale) 13 Charles Pendry 14 James Van Toever (Morati - Honeywell) 15 Anthony Slowinski (Trek/Jeffersonville Ccyles) 16 Bart Gillespie (Biogen) 17 Nick Gould (Santa Cruz Bicycles) 18 Christian Navarrete (Morati - Honeywell) 19 Amon Pease (Trek/Vw West-Jbl) 20 Keiichi Tsujiura 21 Duncan Meyers (Soulcraft) 1.58 22 Greg Reain (Gears Racing) 23 Adam Coates (Gears Racing) 2.05 24 Scott Keller (Speed Bikes) 2.11 25 Tim Oliver (Gears Racing) 2.31 26 Fred Hodgson (Oryx / Part One International) 3.26 27 Eric Atwood (Ritchey-K2 Race Team) 28 Raita Suzuki (Bridgestone Anchor) 29 Michael Lee (Trek/Vw/Jbl) 30 Matt Pacocha (Ritchey/K2) 31 Garnet Vertican (Odi/Southridge) 32 Will Routley (Rocky Mtn Bikes) 33 Everett Baker 34 John Salskov 35 Menno Hubregtse 36 Martin Lazarski (Gears Racing) 37 Jacob Stechmann ( ) 38 Earl Bradley (South Eastern Trek/Vw/Jbl) 39 Yoshito Tsuji (Oakbay Bicycle) 3.41 40 David Binker (Ritchey-Nova) 41 John Foley (Harpoon) 42 Frederic Bussieres (Gears Racing) 3.56 43 Ty West (Rocky Mtn Bicycles/Harbour Air) 44 Robert Johnston 45 Zak Toogood (Trek Uk) 46 Eli Owenby (Ritchie/Nova) 47 Michael Dennis (Gears Racing) 4.11 48 Kip Biese (Giant/Pearl Izumi) 49 Alejandro Estrada (Sandiegobiker.Com) 4.26 50 Adam Snyder General classification after stage 3 1 Roland Green (Trek-Volkswagen) 27.57 2 Absalon Julien (Motorex Bianchi) 0.38 3 Ryder Hesjedal (Subaru-Gary Fisher) 0.40 4 Thomas Frischknecht (Swisspower Mtb Team) 0.50 5 Geoff Kabush (Kona Clarks Factory Team) 0.51 6 Seamus Mcgrath (Team Haro Lee Dungarees) 0.52 7 Chris Sheppard (Team Haro Lee Dungarees) 0.57 8 Andreas Hestler (Rocky Mtn/Crystal Desicions) 0.59 9 Florian Vogel (Swisspower Mtb Team) 1.10 10 Mathieu Toulouse (Gears Racing) 1.26 11 Hermida Jose Antonio (Motorex Bianchi) 1.32 12 Paul Rowney (Sobe Cannondale) 1.35 13 Jose Bonilla (Cota Rica Olympic Team) 1.41 14 Todd Wells (Hyundai/Mongoose) 1.43 15 Jeremy Horgan--Kobelski (Rlx Polo Sport) 1.44 16 Doug Swanson (Trek/Vw Factory Team) 1.46 17 Karl Platt (Rocky Mtn Crystal Decisions) 2.03 18 Ryan Trebon 2.14 19 Steve Tilford 2.18 20 Christoph Sauser 2.31 21 Ziranda Madrigal (Turbo) 2.39 22 Jimi Mortenson (Specialized) 2.45 23 Carl Decker (Giant Bicycles) 24 Frank Mapel (Specialized) 2.59 25 Kashi Leuchs (Maxxis-Trek) 26 Nick Craig (Trek Uk) 3.01 27 Ricky Federau (Gears Racing) 3.03 28 Derek Wilkerson (Hillenbrand Racing) 3.09 29 Jay Henry (Specialized) 3.13 30 Diego Garavito 3.17 31 Derek Prechtl (Bell's Beer/Trek) 3.18 32 Deibey Esquiurl (Cota Rica Olympic Team) 3.29 33 Kris Sneddon (Kona) 3.30 34 Carl Swenson (Rlx Polo Sport) 3.35 35 Jason Tullous (Telcel-Speed Bikes) 3.38 36 Alan Obye 3.39 37 Carter Hovey 3.41 38 Julian Hine (Gears Racing) 3.42 39 Bryson Perry (Healthy Choice/Guru's) 3.46 40 Adam Craig (Giant Bicycles) 3.56 41 Travis Brown (Trek-Volkswagen) 4.07 42 Roddi Lega (United Cycle) 4.10 43 Warren Gravely (Dean Bicycles) 4.13 44 Walker Ferguson (Subaru-Gary Fisher) 4.14 45 Neil Shirley (Trek West) 4.16 46 Charles Jenkins (Giant Cytomax Factory Team) 4.18 47 Cameron Brenneman (Kb Home) 4.21 48 Jeff Hall (Salsa Cycles) 4.22 49 Phil Spencer 4.24 50 Michael Broderick (Seven Cycling) 4.26 51 Drew Mackenzie (Oryx-Procycle) 4.27 52 Brian Astell (Independent Fabrication) 4.34 53 Aiden Lefmann (Cannondale/Sobe) 4.35 54 Christian Navarrete (Morati - Honeywell) 5.03 55 Phil Dixon (Trek Uk) 5.04 56 Takahiro Ogasawara 5.15 57 Bart Gillespie (Biogen) 5.18 58 Amon Pease (Trek/Vw West-Jbl) 59 Jamey Yanik (Giant) 60 Jason Sager (Sobe/Cannondale) 5.20 61 Charles Pendry 62 Barry Wicks (Kona Clarks) 5.28 63 Nathan Phillips (Sobe Cannondale) 5.32 64 David Juarez (Siemens Mobile Cannondale) 5.35 65 Duncan Meyers (Soulcraft) 5.42 66 James Van Toever (Morati - Honeywell) 5.49 67 Scott Keller (Speed Bikes) 5.57 68 Greg Reain (Gears Racing) 6.07 69 Peter Wedge (Kona Clarks Factory Team) 6.26 70 Eric Atwood (Ritchey-K2 Race Team) 6.58 71 Adam Coates (Gears Racing) 7.01 72 Raita Suzuki (Bridgestone Anchor) 7.06 73 Liam Killeen (Subaru-Gary Fisher) 7.07 74 Michael Lee (Trek/Vw/Jbl) 7.12 75 John Salskov 7.29 76 Fred Hodgson (Oryx / Part One International) 7.32 77 Jacob Stechmann 7.33 78 Earl Bradley (South Eastern Trek/Vw/Jbl) 7.49 79 Frederic Bussieres (Gears Racing) 7.52 80 Martin Lazarski (Gears Racing) 7.57 81 Will Routley (Rocky Mtn Bikes) 7.58 82 Menno Hubregtse 7.59 83 Everett Baker 8.05 84 Zak Toogood (Trek Uk) 8.13 85 Ty West (Rocky Mtn Bicycles/Harbour Air) 8.15 86 Brad Vanorden (Ritchey/Nova) 8.16 87 Yoshito Tsuji (Oakbay Bicycle) 8.19 88 David Binker (Ritchey-Nova) 8.53 89 Nick Gould (Santa Cruz Bicycles) 9.07 90 Kip Biese (Giant/Pearl Izumi) 9.13 91 Michael Dennis (Gears Racing) 9.21 92 Tim Oliver (Gears Racing) 9.57 93 Robert Johnston 10.08 94 Matt Pacocha (Ritchey/K2) 10.09 95 Anthony Slowinski (Trek/Jeffersonville Ccyles) 10.11 96 Keiichi Tsujiura 10.18 97 Garnet Vertican (Odi/Southridge) 10.39 98 John Foley (Harpoon) 10.45 99 Ortiz Ordonez (Turbo) 11.06 100 Adam Snyder 14.28 101 Eli Owenby (Ritchie/Nova) 15.08 102 Alejandro Estrada (Sandiegobiker.Com) 17.43 Women 1 Alison Dunlap (Luna Women's Mtb Team) 27.08 2 Melanie Mcquaid (Ford Outfitters) 0.02 3 Katerina Hanusova (Luna Women's Mtb Team) 0.13 4 Kelli Emmett (Hillenbrand Racing) 0.26 5 Susan Haywood (Trek-Volkswagen) 0.26 6 Barbara Blatter (Specialized) 0.26 7 Dara Marks (Sobe/Cannondale) 0.26 8 Susy Pryde (Specialized) 0.26 9 Mary Mcconneloug (Seven Cycles) 0.26 10 Shelly Whisenhant (Velo Bella) 0.26 11 Rhonda Quick (Trek/Clif Bar) 0.26 12 Willow Koerber (Rlx Polo Sport) 0.26 13 Kiara Bisaro (Gears Racing) 0.26 14 Christina Redden (Subaru/Gary Fisher) 0.51 15 Kerry Barnholt (Sobe Cannondale) 1.29 16 Alison Sydor (Trek-Volkswagen) 1.29 17 Shari Kain (Rlx Polo Sport) 1.29 18 Magen Long (The Bicycle Store) 1.35 19 Mary (Lanie) Mason (Cane Creek) 1.35 20 Lesley Tomlinson (Rocky Mountain/Crystal Decisions) 1.39 21 Trish Sinclair (Gears Racing) 1.39 22 Karen Matamoros (Costa Rica) 1.47 23 Gretchen Reeves 1.49 24 Kathy Sherwin 1.49 25 Alice Pennington (Desalvo) 2.12 26 Jennifer Wilson 2.20 27 Wendy Simms (Steed Cycles) 2.28 28 Jody Koch (Ford Outfitters) 2.52 29 Eron Chorney (Rocky Mountain Bicycles) 2.52 30 Sally Warner (Biogen) 2.52 31 Stella Carey (Kelly Bike Company) 3.22 32 Nina Baum 3.22 33 Jennifer Todd (Sobe /Cannondale) 3.37 34 Kristin Johnson (T-Mobile/Us National) 3.37 35 Sara Bresnick (California Dried Plums/Orbitz.Com) 3.37 36 Nichole Wangsgard (La Florza) 3.37 37 Julie Emmerman (Ritchey) 3.37 38 Abigail Hippely (Maverick American) 3.37 39 Leah Trapp 3.37 40 Amy Hunter-Dillinger (Sobe Cannondale) 3.37 41 Alicia Mayer (Coppercanyonresorts/Orbea) 3.37 42 Linda Robichaud (Norco Performance Bikes) 3.37 43 Alexandra Robinette (Bicycle Sport Shop) 3.37 44 Dorothy Wong (Kelly Bike Co) 3.52 45 Tiffany Kenny (Ford Outfitters) 3.52 46 Annemarie Huisman (Sobe/Cannondale) 3.52 47 Heather King (Gears Racing) 3.52 48 Megan Harrod (Spot Brand Components) 3.52 49 Shenna Fitzgerald (Spot) 3.52 50 Rebecca Blay (Dean Ultimate Bikes) 3.52 51 Simone Otto (Titus Cycles) 3.52 52 Joan Orgeldinger (Redhook/Turin) 3.52 53 Shari Hausbeck (Trek-Vw/ Rocky Mountain) 3.52 54 Lisa Peck (Biogen) 3.52 55 Alisha Engel (Central Coast Cycling) 3.52 56 Mary Grigson (Subaru/Gary Fisher) 3.52 57 Cristina Begy 4.07 General classification after stage 3 1 Alison Dunlap (Luna Women's Mtb Team) 40.30 2 Melanie Mcquaid (Ford Outfitters) 0.18 3 Susan Haywood (Trek-Volkswagen) 0.30 4 Katerina Hanusova (Luna Women's Mtb Team) 5 Barbara Blatter (Specialized) 0.39 6 Shelly Whisenhant (Velo Bella) 0.45 7 Willow Koerber (Rlx Polo Sport) 0.46 8 Mary Mcconneloug (Seven Cycles) 0.53 9 Kelli Emmett (Hillenbrand Racing) 0.54 10 Christina Redden (Subaru/Gary Fisher) 0.55 11 Dara Marks (Sobe/Cannondale) 0.59 12 Rhonda Quick (Trek/Clif Bar) 1.24 13 Susy Pryde (Specialized) 1.46 14 Kiara Bisaro (Gears Racing) 1.47 15 Kerry Barnholt (Sobe Cannondale) 2.21 16 Alison Sydor (Trek-Volkswagen) 2.35 17 Mary (Lanie) Mason (Cane Creek) 3.00 18 Magen Long (The Bicycle Store) 3.13 19 Gretchen Reeves 3.15 20 Trish Sinclair (Gears Racing) 3.19 21 Lesley Tomlinson (Rocky Mountain/Crystal Decisions) 3.25 22 Kathy Sherwin 3.49 23 Shari Kain (Rlx Polo Sport) 3.50 24 Wendy Simms (Steed Cycles) 3.54 25 Jennifer Wilson 4.10 26 Alice Pennington (Desalvo) 4.30 27 Mary Grigson (Subaru/Gary Fisher) 4.36 28 Karen Matamoros (Costa Rica) 4.39 29 Nina Baum 5.16 30 Eron Chorney (Rocky Mountain Bicycles) 5.17 31 Stella Carey (Kelly Bike Company) 5.18 32 Jody Koch (Ford Outfitters) 5.39 33 Sally Warner (Biogen) 5.55 34 Kristin Johnson (T-Mobile/Us National) 6.04 35 Jennifer Todd (Sobe /Cannondale) 6.08 36 Leah Trapp 6.11 37 Linda Robichaud (Norco Performance Bikes) 6.14 38 Amy Hunter-Dillinger (Sobe Cannondale) 6.20 39 Nichole Wangsgard (La Florza) 6.25 40 Julie Emmerman (Ritchey) 6.34 41 Sara Bresnick (California Dried Plums/Orbitz.Com) 6.37 42 Alisha Engel (Central Coast Cycling) 6.41 43 Alexandra Robinette (Bicycle Sport Shop) 6.45 44 Dorothy Wong (Kelly Bike Co) 6.59 45 Annemarie Huisman (Sobe/Cannondale) 46 Rebecca Blay (Dean Ultimate Bikes) 7.15 47 Joan Orgeldinger (Redhook/Turin) 7.17 48 Tiffany Kenny (Ford Outfitters) 7.26 49 Simone Otto (Titus Cycles) 7.38 50 Alicia Mayer (Coppercanyonresorts/Orbea) 7.47 51 Lisa Peck (Biogen) 7.54 52 Shari Hausbeck (Trek-Vw/ Rocky Mountain) 7.56 53 Heather King (Gears Racing) 9.12 54 Megan Harrod (Spot Brand Components) 9.14 55 Shenna Fitzgerald (Spot) 9.45 56 Abigail Hippely (Maverick American) 10.29 57 Cristina Begy 13.02
