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Sea Otter Classic - D2
Monterey, California, USA, April 15-18, 2004
Stage 1 - April 15: Super XC, 90/75 min (M/W)
Frischknecht and Dunlap take the lead
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World Marathon MTB Champion Thomas Frischknecht (Swiss Power) and Alison Dunlap (Luna Women) took the first stage of the Sony Playstation MTB stage race today on a course that was called the super cross country and consisted of part off road and part road on the Laguna Seca Raceway. The race was long and the course was tough with tactical decisions to ride slicks or nobbies a big factor. It was also a challenging course with short steep climbs wearing on the legs.
In the women's race, the riders were fairly conservative and a bunch of 30 riders stuck together for most of the race. At one stage Kerry Barnholt (Subaru Gary Fisher) attacked and was able to stay away for most of a lap, but was reeled back in.
Finally the race came down to a sprint and the Luna Women led out the sprint for Dunlap. Dunlap was able to take the win from Chrissy Redden (Subaru Gary Fisher) and Melanie McQuaid (Ford Cycling). Dunlap was happy with her result, which adds to her many good results already this season. "I had a super good lead out for the sprint today," she said. "It was fun to have some team work going because we rarely get the chance to do lead outs in mountain biking."
As for the conservative tactics of the race, Dunlap said the whole bunch was holding back, knowing it was a hard course and a long weekend. "It was long enough and windy enough to prevent people being too aggressive. I was suffering on the hills up there, everyone was."
Dunlap has been forced to head to Europe early this year chasing UCI points to try and make the Olympics team later in the year. This weekend is her eighth weekend of racing in a row. "Honestly, every race I got to at the moment my only goal is to win. I have to get as many points as possible."
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At the same time, Dunlap refuses to get too worried about counting the points at this stage. "If I get obsessed about the points, I'd go crazy. It's stressful talking about it all the time, you just have to deal with it."
Dunlap feels that she has good form for this year, basically because she has to. "It has to be the best year of my life, but I still have a lot of work to do. By June I have to be flying. That will be the pinnacle of my season. Then if I do make the team, I'm really not going to have had the ideal preparation."
Redden was also happy with the way her form is coming along after having surgery three times on her wrist this winter. Redden broke her wrist at the World Championships last year and says she has had to be mentally strong to come back into form. "I really had to question if I really wanted it enough to come back," she said. "It's a hard job sometimes. You really just have to sleep, eat and train and give up your social life. I was so happy to see people at the first race this year, that I got exhausted from smiling and talking so much."
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In the men's race, things were a little more aggressive and the race split up early. Roland Green (Trek Volkwagen) went out solo for a while gaining at least 30 seconds on the bunch. Another time he found himself in a break with the active Frischknecht, but they too were reeled in, predominantly by Filip Meirhaeghe (Specialized).
On the finish line after 90 minutes of racing, Frischknecht took the sprint from young German rider Karl Platt (Rocky Mountain) and Meirhaeghe.
Frischknecht was happy with his result and enjoyed the road/off road mixed format of the race. "In a MTB tour over four days, you really don't want the whole thing to be off road, because it shakes you up so much. Having it like this made it a tactical race because you needed to ride up the front on all the technical sections."
Frischknecht rode semi slick tyres, which he said was a good choice. "Filipe [Meirhaeghe] lost it on the [off road] descents because he had skinny tyres on and each time he had to make up the gap after."
Of his break away attempt with Green, Frischknecht though it was a good one. "It had a good chance of staying away,"he said, but Filip was very active in chasing it down."
Meirhaeghe was trying to decide after the race whether his choice to ride skinny tyres was a mistake or not. "I thought it was going to be more of a group race so I rode skinny tyres. It started really fast from the beginning. Roland was pushing the pace and straight away I was having trouble with the off-road. The guys who had MTB tyres were trying to attack on the off-road and I was thinking that I made the wrong decision. But in the end it came down to a sprint between a few of us anyway."
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Third placed rider, Platt, was just happy that he was able to ride with the top guys this season. "Last year in races, I was sitting back in 15th or so. This year I am having a good start to my season and usually that means I will have a good year."
Photography
Images by Kristy Scrymgeour/Cyclingnews
- Alison Dunlap (Luna Women) leads the race women into the dirt section
- Alison Dunlap (Luna Women)
- Kim Anderson (T-Mobile) looks pink in the face
- Dunlap (Luna) and Melanie McQuaid (Ford Cycling) probably not taking in the view from the top
- Katerina Hanusova (Luna) at the top of the course
- Riders strung out on the dirt climb
- Women's MTB podium (L to R) Chrissie Redden, Alison Dunlap (Luna Women) and Melanie McQuaid (Ford Cycling)
- Women's full podium (Lto R - Wendy Simms (Frontrunners), Chrissie Redden, Alison Dunlap (Luna Women), Melanie McQuaid (Ford Cycling) and Kelli Emmett (Specialized)
- Filip Meirhaeghe (Specialized) and Roland Green (Trek Volkswagen) line up to start
- The race splits up very early on
- A small chase group going into the steep road climb
- The lead group mid way through
- The feed zone
- Jeremy Horgan Kobelski (RLX Ralph Lauren) leads a chase group
- Another chase group nearing the climb
- Roland Green (Trek Volkswagen) goes it alone
- Filip Meirhaeghe (Specialized) and Karl Platt (Rocky Mountain) in chase of Green
- Meirhaeghe leads a small group with a lap remaning
- Thomas Frischknecht (Swiss Power) takes the sprint
- Foreigners make up the MTB podium
Results
Men 1 Thomas Frischknecht (Swi) 1.26.48 2 Karl Platt (Can) Team Rocky Mountain In 3 Filip Meirhaeghe (Bel) Specialized MTB Team 4 Roland Green (Can) Trek-Volkswagen 5 Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis 6 Seamus McGrath (Can) Haro/Adidas 7 Andreas Hestler (Can) Rocky Mountain-Business Objects 0.33 8 Todd Wells (USA) Gt/Hyundai 9 Barry Wicks CAB Kona Clarks Les Gets 10 Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Rlx Ralph Lauren 1.12 11 Liam Killeen (GBr) Subaru-Gary Fisher 12 Max Plaxton (Can) Rocky Mountain-Business Objects 1.23 13 Derek Wilkerson (USA) Specialized 14 Sam Schultz (USA) U23 National Team 15 Christoph Sauser (Swi) 16 Travis Brown (USA) Trek-Volkswagen 17 Mathieu Toulouse (Can) Gearsracing 18 Alan Obye (USA) U23 National Team 19 Carter Hovey (Can) Brodie Bikes/Sugoi/Rider's Cycles 20 Chris Sheppard (Can) Haro/Adidas 1.59 21 John Devine (USA) U23 National Team 2.57 22 Jay Henry (USA) Specialized 23 Carlos Gennero (Mex) Scott Mexico 24 Jeff Hall (USA) Salsa Cycles 25 Carl Swenson (USA) Rlx Ralph Lauren 26 Paul Rowney (Aus) Yeti Factory 27 Phil Dixon (GBr) 28 Frank Mapel (USA) Specialized 29 Roddi Lega (Can) United Cycle 30 Ryan Trebon (USA) Kona Clarks Les Gets 31 Brent Miller (USA) Bianchi 32 Nick Waite (USA) U23 National Team 3.09 33 Ricky Federau (Can) Gearsracing 3.20 34 Andy Jacques-Maynes (USA) Specialized 4.00 35 Peter Wedge (Can) Kona Clarks Les Gets 4.22 36 Eric Batty (USA) 37 Mark Weir (USA) Wtb/Santa Cruz 38 Jesse Jakomait (Can) Gearsracing 39 Trent Lowe (Aus) Factory Yeti 40 Cale Redpath (USA) Hassle Free Sports 41 Cameron Brenneman (USA) Team Monex 42 Jeremiah Bishop (USA) Trek-Volkswagen 43 Adam Craig (USA) Giant Pearl Izumi 44 Jimi Mortenson (USA) Specialized 45 Michael Lee (USA) Trek/Vw Westcoast 4.48 46 Carl Decker (USA) Giant Pearl Izumi 5.08 47 Charles Jenkins (USA) Cytomax/Specialized Racing 5.16 48 Mark Webster (Can) Bianchi-The Bike Shop 6.09 49 David Juarez (USA) 6.47 50 Drew Mackenzie (Can) Peyto/Oak Bay 6.50 51 Eric Atwood (USA) Benaroya Research Insitute 52 Dave Wiens (USA) Rlx Ralph Lauren 53 Charles Pendry (USA) Btd Racing 54 Steve Carwile (USA) Lindsey Wilson College 7.06 55 Ariel Lindsley (USA) 7.17 56 Justin Robinson (USA) 7.44 57 Brendan Macintosh (Can) 7.50 58 Perry Paolini (USA) Balance Bar/Devo 10.41 59 Alexander Soto (Mex) Scott Mexico 10.49 One lap behind 60 Adam Snyder (USA) Team Devo 61 Damon Roberson (USA) Nema-Delivery Solutions 62 Brandon Ott (USA) Tailwind 63 Bart Brentjens (Ned) 64 Brian Astell (USA) Independent Fabrications Two laps behind 65 Matt Patterson (Can) Gearsracing 66 Scott Wingo (USA) 67 Warren Gravely (USA) Dean Bicycles 68 Jesse Rients (USA) Nature Valley/Penn Cycle 69 Thomas Skinner (Can) Pacific Sport 70 Andre Sutton (Can) Hardcore Bikes 71 Duncan Meyers (USA) Soulcraft 72 Nick Ranno (USA) Trek Factory Team 73 Troy Wells (USA) Hille Grande Specialized 74 Walker Ferguson (USA) Giant 75 Jason Jablonski (USA) Arlberg Sports/Golds Gym 76 Earl Bradley (USA) Trek Vw/Jbl Southeast Us 77 John Foley (USA) Bike Alley 78 Lucas Livermon (USA) Colarodo Altitude Traing 79 Patrick Bush (USA) Clif Bar/Trek 80 Billy Holmes (USA) Intense Cycles 81 Hal Helbock (USA) Cytomax/Specialized 82 Forrest Huisman (USA) Team Easty-Bicycle Warehouse 83 Jeff Blair (Can) 84 Steve Martins (Can) Hardcore/Fiore/Schwalbe Three laps behind 85 Scott Keller (USA) Speedbikes 86 Andy Schultz (USA) DNF Andrew Watson (Can) Gearsracing DNF Reain Greg (Can) Gearsracing DNF Robert Johnston (USA) Krystal/Nccc DNF Amon Pease (USA) Intense Cycles DNF Eric Jones (USA) Biogen Idec DNF Sandro Spaeth (Swi) Papival Raiffeisen Bmc DNF Roccaro, Thomas (USA) DNF Bryn Atkinson (Aus) Iron Horse / Mad Catz women 1 Alison Dunlap (USA) Luna Women's MTB Team 1.13.16 2 Chrissy Redden (Can) Subaru-Gary Fisher 3 Melanie McQuaid (Can) Ford Cycling 4 Wendy Simms (Can) Frontrunners/Steed Cycles 5 Kelli Emmett (USA) Specialized 6 Barbara Blatter (Swi) Specialized MTB Team 6 Willow Koerber (USA) Rlx Ralph Lauren 6 Jimena Florit (Arg) Rlx Ralph Lauren 6 Kiara Bisaro (Can) Gearsracing 6 Trish Sinclair (Can) Gearsracing 6 Julie Emmerman (USA) Epic Roots/Pearl Izumi 6 Kathy Sherwin (USA) 6 Katerina Hanusova (Cze) Luna Women's MTB Team 6 Shonny Vanlandingham (USA) Luna Women's MTB Team 6 Gretchen Reeves (USA) Rocky Mtn/Business Objects 6 Dara Marks-Marino (USA) Ford Cycling Team 6 Sara Bresnick (USA) Minuteman Road Club 6 Dorothy Wong (USA) Kelly Bike Company 6 Kim Anderson (USA) Team T-Mobile 6 Josie Beggs (USA) Starbucks Coffee Company 6 Melodie Metzger (USA) Velo Bella 6 Rhonda Quick (USA) 6 Barbara Howe (USA) Velo Bella 6 Kerry Barnholt (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 6 Alisha Engel (USA) Bear Valley Bikes 6 Sarah Noble (Can) Rocky Mountain Bicycles 27 Melissa Thomas (USA) 0.15 28 Annemarie Huisman (USA) Cannondale Mountain Bike Team 0.25 29 Sue Haywood (USA) Trek-Volkswagen 30 Danelle Kabush (Can) Gearsracing 1.20 31 Catharine Pendrel (Can) 32 Georgia Gould (USA) Yeti Cycles 33 Abigail Hippely (USA) Klein Maverick 34 Joan Orgeldinger (USA) Redhook / Turin 1.40 35 Judy Freeman (USA) Cannondale 2.54 36 Amy Hunter-Dillinger (USA) Cannondale 37 Joan Davies (USA) Tds-Schwalbe 38 Heather Svahn (USA) 39 Nina Baum (USA) Titus 40 Julie Hudetz (USA) Team Dean 41 Sarah Kerlin (USA) Another Bike Shop Velo Bella 42 Alice Pennington (USA) 43 Jennifer Todd (USA) Cannondale 44 Ruby Evans (USA) Helens Cannondale 3.06 45 Rebecca Blay (USA) Team Dean 5.06 46 Lisa Matlock (USA) Ford Cycling 5.42 47 Dj Morisette (USA) Ellsworth Copperchase 5.59 48 Niki Gudex (Aus) Intense Cycles 6.10 49 Cristina Begy (USA) Maverick/Spot 6.47 50 Celine Foreht (Can) 7.14 51 Caitlyn Tuel (USA) Trek Vw East Coast Factory Team 52 Jessica Runyon (USA) Velobella DNF Leslie Gilmore (USA) Soulcraft General classification after stage 1 Men 1 Thomas Frischknecht (Swi) 1.26.28 2 Karl Platt (Can) Team Rocky Mountain In 0.10 3 Filip Meirhaeghe (Bel) Specialized MTB Team 0.15 4 Roland Green (Can) Trek-Volkswagen 0.20 5 Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis 6 Seamus McGrath (Can) Haro/Adidas 7 Andreas Hestler (Can) Rocky Mountain-Business Objects 0.53 8 Todd Wells (USA) Gt/Hyundai 9 Barry Wicks CAB Kona Clarks Les Gets 10 Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Rlx Ralph Lauren 1.32 11 Liam Killeen (GBr) Subaru-Gary Fisher 12 Max Plaxton (Can) Rocky Mountain-Business Objects 1.43 13 Derek Wilkerson (USA) Specialized 14 Sam Schultz (USA) U23 National Team 15 Christoph Sauser (Swi) 16 Travis Brown (USA) Trek-Volkswagen 17 Mathieu Toulouse (Can) Gearsracing 18 Alan Obye (USA) U23 National Team 19 Carter Hovey (Can) Brodie Bikes/Sugoi/Rider's Cycles 20 Chris Sheppard (Can) Haro/Adidas 2.19 21 John Devine (USA) U23 National Team 3.17 22 Jay Henry (USA) Specialized 23 Carlos Gennero (Mex) Scott Mexico 24 Jeff Hall (USA) Salsa Cycles 25 Carl Swenson (USA) Rlx Ralph Lauren 26 Paul Rowney (Aus) Yeti Factory 27 Phil Dixon (GBr) 28 Frank Mapel (USA) Specialized 29 Roddi Lega (Can) United Cycle 30 Ryan Trebon (USA) Kona Clarks Les Gets 31 Brent Miller (USA) 32 Nick Waite (USA) U23 National Team 3.29 33 Ricky Federau (Can) Gearsracing 3.40 34 Andy Jacques-Maynes (USA) Specialized 4.20 35 Peter Wedge (Can) Kona Clarks Les Gets 4.42 36 Eric Batty (USA) 37 Mark Weir (USA) Wtb/Santa Cruz 38 Jesse Jakomait (Can) Gearsracing 39 Trent Lowe (Aus) Factory Yeti 40 Cale Redpath (USA) Hassle Free Sports 41 Cameron Brenneman (USA) Team Monex 42 Jeremiah Bishop (USA) Trek-Volkswagen 43 Adam Craig (USA) Giant Pearl Izumi 44 Jimi Mortenson (USA) Specialized 45 Michael Lee (USA) Trek/Vw Westcoast 5.08 46 Carl Decker (USA) Giant Pearl Izumi 5.28 47 Charles Jenkins (USA) Cytomax/Specialized Racing 5.36 48 Mark Webster (Can) Bianchi-The Bike Shop 6.29 49 David Juarez (USA) 7.07 50 Drew Mackenzie (Can) Peyto/Oak Bay 7.10 51 Eric Atwood (USA) Benaroya Research Insitute 52 Dave Wiens (USA) Rlx Ralph Lauren 53 Charles Pendry (USA) Btd Racing 54 Steve Carwile (USA) Lindsey Wilson College 7.26 55 Ariel Lindsley (USA) 7.37 56 Justin Robinson (USA) 8.04 57 Brendan Macintosh (Can) 8.10 58 Perry Paolini (USA) Balance Bar/Devo 11.01 59 Alexander Soto (Mex) Scott Mexico 11.09 60 Scott Wingo (USA) 13.53 61 Matt Patterson (Can) Gearsracing 62 Brian Astell (USA) Independent Fabrications 14.07 63 Brentjens, Bart (Ned) 15.25 64 Brandon Ott (USA) Tailwind 15.32 65 Damon Roberson (USA) Nema-Delivery Solutions 15.46 66 Adam Snyder (USA) Team Devo 67 Walker Ferguson (USA) Giant 17.29 68 Troy Wells (USA) Hille Grande Specialized 17.52 69 Nick Ranno (USA) Trek Factory Team 17.59 70 Duncan Meyers (USA) Soulcraft 18.14 71 Andre Sutton (Can) Hardcore Bikes 72 Thomas Skinner (Can) Pacific Sport 18.22 73 Jesse Rients (USA) Nature Valley/Penn Cycle 74 Warren Gravely (USA) Dean Bicycles 75 Jeff Blair (Can) 20.42 76 Forrest Huisman (USA) Team Easty-Bicycle Warehouse 21.06 77 Hal Helbock (USA) Cytomax/Specialized 22.02 78 Billy Holmes (USA) Intense Cycles 22.27 79 Patrick Bush (USA) Clif Bar/Trek 22.35 80 Lucas Livermon (USA) Colarodo Altitude Traing Women 1 Alison Dunlap (USA) Luna Women's MTB Team 1.12.56 2 Chrissy Redden (Can) Subaru-Gary Fisher 0.10 3 Melanie McQuaid (Can) Ford Cycling 0.15 4 Wendy Simms (Can) Frontrunners/Steed Cycles 0.20 5 Kelli Emmett (USA) Specialized 6 Barbara Blatter (Swi) Specialized MTB Team 7 Willow Koerber (USA) Rlx Ralph Lauren 8 Jimena Florit (Arg) Rlx Ralph Lauren 9 Kiara Bisaro (Can) Gearsracing 10 Trish Sinclair (Can) Gearsracing 11 Julie Emmerman (USA) Epic Roots/Pearl Izumi 12 Kathy Sherwin (USA) 13 Katerina Hanusova (Cze) Luna Women's MTB Team 14 Shonny Vanlandingham (USA) Luna Women's MTB Team 15 Gretchen Reeves (USA) Rocky Mtn/Business Objects 16 Dara Marks-Marino (USA) Ford Cycling Team 17 Sara Bresnick (USA) Minuteman Road Club 18 Dorothy Wong (USA) Kelly Bike Company 19 Kim Anderson (USA) Team T-Mobile 20 Josie Beggs (USA) Starbucks Coffee Company 21 Melodie Metzger (USA) Velo Bella 22 Rhonda Quick (USA) 23 Barbara Howe (USA) Velo Bella 24 Kerry Barnholt (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 25 Alisha Engel (USA) Bear Valley Bikes 26 Sarah Noble (Can) Rocky Mountain Bicycles 27 Melissa Thomas (USA) 0.35 28 Annemarie Huisman (USA) Cannondale Mountain Bike Team 0.45 29 Sue Haywood (USA) Trek-Volkswagen 30 Danelle Kabush (Can) Gearsracing 1.40 31 Catharine Pendrel (Can) 32 Georgia Gould (USA) Yeti Cycles 33 Abigail Hippely (USA) Klein Maverick 34 Joan Orgeldinger (USA) Redhook / Turin 2.00 35 Judy Freeman (USA) Cannondale 3.14 36 Amy Hunter-Dillinger (USA) Cannondale 37 Joan Davies (USA) Tds-Schwalbe 38 Heather Svahn (USA) 39 Nina Baum (USA) Titus 40 Julie Hudetz (USA) Team Dean 41 Sarah Kerlin (USA) Another Bike Shop Velo Bella 42 Alice Pennington (USA) 43 Jennifer Todd (USA) Cannondale 44 Ruby Evans (USA) Helens Cannondale 3.26 45 Rebecca Blay (USA) Team Dean 5.26 46 Lisa Matlock (USA) Ford Cycling 6.02 47 Dj Morisette (USA) Ellsworth Copperchase 6.19 48 Niki Gudex (Aus) Intense Cycles 6.30 49 Cristina Begy (USA) Maverick/Spot 7.07 50 Celine Foreht (Can) 7.34 51 Caitlyn Tuel (USA) Trek Vw East Coast Factory Team 14.59 52 Jessica Runyon (USA) Velobella
