Results and Reports for February 216th Prueba ChallengeLloret de Mar, Spain, February 19, 2000 Stage 5 (final) - 132 km 1. Michel Van Haecke (Bel) Tönissteiner 3.07.22 (42.270 km/h) 2. Dirk Schumann (Ger) Cologne 3. Bert Hiemstra (Ned) Cologne 4. Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Ville de Charleroi-Newsystems 5. Angel Edo Alsina (Spa) Maia-MSS 6. Van der Wol (Ned) Final classification: 1. Michel Van Haecke (Bel) Tönissteiner 197 pts 2. Paul Van Schalen (Ned) Bankgiroloterij-Batavus 162 3. Orvalho (Ned) 149 4. Kees Jeurissen (Ned) Bankgiroloterij-Batavus 143 5. Renger Ypenburg (Ned) Bankgiroloterij-Batavus 139 Australian Mountain Bike ChampionshipsKooralbyn, February 18-20, 2000 Results Downhill Men 1. Chris Kovarik (Qld) 3.52.04 2. Nathan Rennie (NSW) 1.85 3. Shane Wode (Qld) 6.64 4. Ryan Lennoz (NSW) 12.13 5. Michael Ronning (Qld) 12.84 6. Jared Rando (ACT) 13.39 Downhill women 1. Donna Hadfield (Qld) 5.09.78 2. Shelley Kamevaar (NSW) 00.81 3. Niki Gudex (NSW) 07.10 4. Mami Masuda (Japan) 15.01 5. Kylie Webb (ACT) 22.41 6. Miwa Sakamoto (Japan) 1.19.48 Cross country women 1 Mary Grigson (ACT) 1.32.04 2 Honie Geysen (Qld) 7.48 3 Anna Baylis (Vic) 10.28 4 Dellys Franke (Vic) 12.36 5 Kellie Robinson (ACT) 13.03 6 Jacki Low (SA) 15.58 7 Wendy Walker (NSW) 20.13 8 Kimberly Ball (NSW) 22.31 9 Bronwyn Battersby (Qld) 25.23 10 Sharon Head (Qld) 25.46 Cross country men 1 Paul Rowney (NSW) 1.59.26 2 Luke Stockwell (Qld) 1.53 3 Cadel Evans (NSW) 2.45 4 Craig Gordon (NSW) 3.38 5 Josh Fleming (NSW) 3.58 6 Garth Hennessy (NSW) 4.42 7 Rob Woods (NSW) 6.15 8 Perren Delacour (NSW) 9.16 9 George Visser (Can) 10.12 10 Andrew Wadsworth (GBr) 10.37 McLane Pacific Grand PrixMerced, USA, February 19, 2000 By John Alsedek, cyclingnews.com correspondent Men The U.S. National Racing Calendar season got underway Saturday with the first event of the two-day McLane Pacific Bicycle Classic, the McLane Pacific Grand Prix. Held on an L-shaped, six-corner criterium course around the old courthouse, park, and museum in downtown Merced, California (pop. approx. 175,000), the Grand Prix was blessed with a break in the rainy weather that has plagued the region for the past two weeks....leaving the 120-man starting field to do some storming of their own. The Grand Prix was high-paced from the get-go, the riders being motivated early by three primes in the first three laps totalling $750 (there were 35 primes during the race), and stayed motivated throughout the 45-mile criterium. With just two laps to go, Mercury took over at the front of the field, looking to what they had done so successfully over the past two years; however, with just one to go, they were squeezed out by the Saturn squad, with Frank McCormack was leading the train for U.S. Pro Criterium Champion Antonio Cruz. But Cruz would have to settle for third, as the Navigators team, eleven-strong at Merced, was just too much for the opposition. At the finish it was Todd Littlehales winning the sprint by a nose over new teammate Franky Van Haesebroucke, with another Navigators man, Vassili Davidenko, in fourth. The McLane Pacific Bicycle Classic continues on Sunday with a 120-mile road race. Women Courtesy of Kevin Eccles Saturn's Nicole Reinhart started off the season with a victory by edging out Laura Van Guilder (Charles Schwab) after a textbook leadout by Saturn teammates Dede Demet-Barry and Lyne Bessette. In a field that showecased many new team for the year 2000 (Autotrader.com, Charles Schwab, Proctor and Gamble) Saturn was down to three riders after a crash on the 5th lap that took out Julie Hanson. Demet, Van Guilder, and Marjon Marik (Autotrader.com) tried to get off the front with about 6 laps to go, but the move was caught and on the final lap. Demet and Bessette led Reinhart out for the final sprint victory.
Results McLane Pacific Classic Criterium Men 1. Todd Littlehales (Navigators) 2. Franky Van Haesebroucke (Navigators) 3. Antonio Cruz (Saturn) 4. Vassili Davidenko 5. Jan Bratkowski (Mercury) 6. Michael Sayers (Mercury) 7. Dave McCook (Shaklee) 8. Jonathon Peters (Mercury) 9. Pelle Kil (Smartalk) 10. Roberto Gaggioli (DeFeet) Women 1. Nicole Reinhart (Saturn) 2. Laura Van Guilder (Charles Schwab) 3. Tina Mayolo (Autotrader.com) 4. Shannon Hutchinson (Autotrader.com) 5. Jen Eyerman (Jane Cosmetics) 6. Lyne Bessette (Saturn) Valley of the Sun Stage racePheonix, USA, February 18-20, 2000 By John Alsedek, cyclingnews.com correspondent Elite Men Showing the great early-season form that saw them win both the individual and team G.C. at the Tour of Langkawi, the Mercury squad won all three stages and had riders place first and second overall in the three-day Valley of the Sun stage race (February 18-20), held in Phoenix, Arizona. Despite a scheduling conflict that saw them competing with the McLane Pacific Bicycle Classic- a National Racing Calendar event- for teams, the Valley of the Sun race still drew riders from Jelly Belly-Lexus, the U.S. National Team, and Saturn (Trent Klasna, a former overall winner). Still, the race boiled down to a battle between Mercury and the 7 UP/Colorado Cyclist squad, competing in their first event of the season. After all but sweeping the top spots in the opening time trial - Mercury had five in the first ten, 7 UP/Colorado Cyclist four - Mercury took control in the 102-mile second stage. The race was held on a rolling circuit that included a half-mile long climb to the start/finish area, also proved to be of relatively little significance in G.C, except to David Zabriskie (7 Up-Colorado Cyclist). When a breakaway group containing Mercury rider Floyd Landis went up the road, the 7 UP/Colorado Cyclist squad chose to let the break dangle off the front, rather than bring them back immediately. It proved to be the wrong move, according to team director Jeff Corbett: "We rode strong, but just didn't have the right game plan today." During the final lap, Zabriskie and Clark Sheehan took the bull by the horns and bridged to the leaders; however, the break splintered near the finish, and both riders missed the winning move by Mercury men Landis and Scott Moninger. While Landis gained only a few seconds on Zabriskie, it was just enough to vault him into second place overall, where he would finish in the final results. The closing criterium was a hard fought duel between 7 UP/Colorado Cyclist and Mercury. After a fast-paced race that saw many unsuccessful breakaways, it came down to the inevitable field sprint. Unfortunately, there was a crash in the next-to-last corner that involved Juan-Carlos Pineda (7 UP), but there were no serious injuries, thankfully. The sprint was won by Mercury man, Gord Fraser, who beat 7 UP's Kevin Monahan and Oscar Pineda to the line. The stage had no effect on G.C., as Gord Fraser won overall from teammate Floyd Landis, with Zabriskie (7 UP) in third. Elite Women If the men's event was pretty much a two-team affair, then the women's race was very much a two-rider affair, and both of them wore the colors of Team Elita. Taking advantage of the absence of the Saturn and Timex squads, Elita racers Erin Carter and Annie Gariepy owned the first two spots on the podium in all three stages, as well as overall. In the stage one time trial, it was Carter edging out Gariepy by a half-second, with their nearest challenger a minute in arrears. Saturday's road race ended with Carter again finishing just ahead of Gariepy, as the duo left the rest of the field nearly five minutes behind. The closing criterium saw Gariepy solo off the front at the midway point, gaining fifteen seconds on the pack. Carter bridged, and the two crossed the finish line hand in hand, with the stage win going to Gariepy. Erin Carter took the overall win, followed by, yes, Annie Gariepy, giving the Elita squad a formidable 1-2 sweep of the entire weekend. Results Stage One - Time Trial 1. Gord Fraser (Mercury) 2. David Zabriskie (7 UP/Colorado Cyclist) 3. Floyd Landis (Mercury) Stage Two - 102 mile Road Race 1. Scott Moninger (Mercury) 2. Floyd Landis (Mercury) 3. Bill Innes (Kissena) Stage Three - Criterium 1. Gord Fraser (Mercury) 2. Kevin Monahan (7 UP/Colorado Cyclist) 3. Oscar Pineda (7 UP/Colorado Cyclist) Final Overall 1. Gord Fraser (Mercury) 2. Floyd Landis (Mercury) 3. David Zabriskie (7 UP/Colorado Cyclist) 4. Scott Moninger (Mercury) 5. Clark Sheehan (7 UP/Colorado Cyclist) New Zealand MTB Championships - Final roundRotorua, New Zealand, February 19, 2000 Courtesy of Craig Munro Elite Men The final round of the 2000 Cross-Country National Mountainbike Championship Series was held in Rotorua this weekend under overcast skies. Several hundred people flocked to the Redwoods' acclaimed mountainbike tracks to spectate or compete on one of the best mountainbike race tracks in the country. Two weeks previuosly, Rotorua local, Paul Bishop (Diamondback) set up a three way tussle for the mens Pro-Elite national title race by taking a hard fought win over Taupo's Jeremy Houltham (Taupo Cycleworld), who, along with Wellington rider, Wayne Hiscock (Raceline), would battle it out over five 9km laps of the Redwood forest, to find out which one of the three would be the new New Zealand Pro-Elite men's champion. By lap one, it looked like Houltham was the hungriest for the title, as he rounded the first lap in second place behind Volvo-Cannondale rider, Kashi Leuchs. However, both Bishop and Hiscock were adrift by more than 30-seconds, sitting in 5 and eight respectively. Leuchs led most of the race until nearing the end of the fourth lap when Houltham appeared from the forest well in the lead by almost a minute. Knowing he needed a win to take the title, he would continue to press hard to take a well earned victory and his first ever Pro-Elite National Title. Back in the pack, team managers waited anxiously to see what positions Bishop and Hiscock would finish in. If Hiscock managed third or better on points, he would hold onto second overall, with Bishop requiring second on points (and a poor placing by Hiscock), to be 2000 runner-up. Leuchs eventually finished second on the day (but was not eligible for National Series points). Paul Bishop was first to appear behind him, taking third on the day, but second place points. It was now a waiting game to see where Hiscock would place.... Fourth place swept into the race village. It was Taupo's Dean Hill (Taupo Cycle World) however, shortly followed by Jeremy Houlthams brother, Stuart (Taupo Cycle World). Hiscock was next to cross the line, but failed to earn enough points to take second overall in the series, finishing 1 point adrift of Bishop. Results - Men Race placings: 1 Jeremy Houltham 2.08.35 2 Kashi Leuchs 1.56 3 Paul Bishop 3.09 4 Dean Hill 3.52 5 Stuart Houltham 4.36 6 Wayne Hiscock 5.39 7 Steven Pearson 6.57 8 Andrew Chung 7.29 9 Julian Mitchell 8.20 10 Gareth Davis 8.27 11 Tim Vincent 10.19 12 Duncan Palmer 10.26 13 Kris Snow 10.30 14 Andrew East 10.43 15 Michael Anderson 11.15 16 Steve Bale 11.40 17 Kevin Laskey 16.49 18 Ben Powell 17.32 19 Jon Hume 17.36 20 Adam Marshment 17.39 21 Paul Kelly Lapped 22 Mark Leishman Lapped DNF Andrew Reid DNF Alastair Stewart DNF Bryce Shapley DNF Laurence Mote DNF Clinton Jackson DNF Paul Struthers Overall: 1 J Houltham 2 P Bishop 3 W Hiscock 4 S Houltham 5 D Hill Overall U23 P/Elite: 1 J Houltham 2 S Houltham 3 D HillElite Women The womens Pro-Elite race for the title had been wrapped up in Taupo by Susy Pryde (Avanti), and second place by Sadie Parker (Specialized). However, on a more technical course, Parker was expected to be in with more of a chance against her Avanti rival. Parker led out the womens pack onto the first lap having completed the short start loop, with Diamondback rider, Lisa Savage, hard on her back wheel. Parker eventually finished the first lap some thirty seconds ahead of Pryde, and it looked possible that she may be able to take a second win in the series. However, it was not to be, as the thirty second lead proved too small a gap to defend from NZ's top road and mountain cyclist. Pryde eventually opened up more than a minutes gap over Parker to take her fourth win in as many races. Sadie would finish the race in a position that is all too familiar every time she races against Pryde - second place, although clearly in a league of her own as well, as she too has dominated over the other female riders. Third place in the series was up for grabs between Lisa Savage, and Brenda Clapp (Gary Fisher), but the race for this position ended on the third of the womens four laps, as Clapp retired from the race. Third place on the day and in the Championship would belong to Lisa Savage. Results - Women Race Placings: 1 Susy Pryde 2.00.24 2 Sadie Parker 2.08 3 Lisa Savage 6.15 4 Sharon Harris 9.28 5 Sarah King 11.20 6 Robyn Wong 11.51 7 Patricia Wrigley 14.23 8 Myra Moller 17.15 9 Phillipa Corbett 18.06 10 Tracy Clark 19.13 11 Christina Sergeant 19.19 12 Nic Kelly 21.36 13 Kirsty Robb Lapped DNF Brenda Clapp Lapped Overalls: 1 S Pryde 2 S Parker 3 L Savage 4 B Clapp 5 S Harris Overall U23 Women P/Elite 1 Myra Moller 2 Christina Sergeant 3 Kirsty RobbRider of the Series: Rider of The Series is an award that is given out to the rider that the NZMBA race officials consider to have ridden in an outstanding manner, and epitomise values of fair-play and hard-work. The 2000 Cross-Country Rider of The Series was awarded to: Simone Rowe, Junior Women (U19) Expert Class
Carnegie-Caulfield Cycling ClubMelbourne, Australia, February 20, 2000 Courtesy of Mark Chadwick 127 riders assembled under extremely threatening skies at Glenvale Crescent in Mulgrave to contest the Sunday morning criteriums. Fortunately the rain stayed away, resulting in disproportionately large A & B grade fields as they start later. Conditions were very humid and warm, the much anticipated cool change failing to have much impact after a week of over 30C temperatures. The top class A grade bunch of 26 men and one woman (Swiss Priska Doppman of Master-Molteni) set a cracking pace early. With the field being regularly lined out it was a matter of time until a wheel was dropped and a group got away, and what a group! Former World Pro Sprint Champion Stephen Pate (Fitzroy Cycles), Victorian Road and Crit Champion Robert Tighello for Ashburton, BJ McIntosh (VIS) waiting for the call from Italy, Herald-Sun Tour veteran Matthew Jackson for Giramondo, and Footscray’s Colin McEvoy and Murray Fenwick. Together they gained a maximum lead of 35 seconds at the half hour which was reduced to 13 sec by ten minutes to go due to some solid chasing from the unexpected quarters of James Taylor (Ashburton) and one of Pate’s training mates Hilton Clarke jnr. Back in sight on the 1000m circuit, the escapees were caught with a scant five minutes remaining. Agostino Giramondo attempted the Ekimov maneuver with two laps to go with Hilton Clarke jnr and Jamie Cornelius in hot pursuit; Clarke attacking again as the bell rang. Leading out of the final corner with 250m left was Robert Tighello, hugging the right-hand gutter and going balls out. As the line came closer the nuggety form of Stephen Pate muscled it’s way to the front and launched at the line with another Clarke, Troy, firmly in his wheel to take second place. Tighello held on for third with Taylor lunging home for fourth. The hour yielded over 48km, testament to the condition of the riders given the weather. B grade fielded 48 riders with Tadich, Barrow, Smalley, Mactier and Freshwater representing the ladies all looking for form in the run up to the Tour de Snowy. After a quick start B grade also saw an escape with a couple of familiar faces showing up again in the form of Dave Sturt, Nick Sheard and Leo DiMartino joined by Lincoln Brown. The break went out to 30sec at one point only to be reabsorbed by the hard charging bunch despite some inspired slow riding from two or three who preferred to see the break succeed. As the escapees returned ‘64 Olympian Mick Hollingworth jumped hard on the opposite side of the road with Liz Tadich (VIS) desperately trying to get on his wheel. No joy on that occasion but Mick's a determined tactician and he went again after a brief spell among the wheels. Dave Sturt showed his strength to bridge after riding hard in the earlier break taking Tadich and Sally Smalley (Giramondo) along too. The small gap faded within a lap and Sturt tried once more. With only three laps remaining Sturt was in the company of Matt Bennet, Tom Jepson and recent graduate from C grade Stuart Campbell and a gap of twenty metres. As the bell rang Chris Boone leapt from the pursuing bunch with Chris "Snake" Salisbury glued to the wheel, the bridge was completed inside of 50m and a field sprint ensued. Four abreast as the line was crossed, the judges had to decide the placings where a scant half metre covered the total difference between first and fourth. Victory was awarded to Glen Harvey who appeared at the front seemingly from nowhere. Trackie Mal Sawford took second with Salisbury third and Guy Green fourth. A reasonable field of 27 in C grade went flat out at the start and rarely slowed. Ken Ford made a strong attempt at a long solo with out success, recaptured after expending a great deal of energy in the steamy conditions. A few more little attacks came to naught before a bunch sprint that saw Peter Costello win over Mick Gibson, Vic Bateman and Matt Dowling. Glen Gibson won the D grade race in a fine sprint in only his third race. His victory came after the 15 starters managed to drop one third of the bunch by simply riding hard through every corner. The survivors rocked ‘n rolled from 150m out with Brett "YoYo" Barnard second after missing a shift and trying to muscle too big a gear, through to C grade without a win! Lyndon White took third with John Groves collecting on behalf of the vet’s. News from Belgium that Matt Tuck (mtuck1@hotmail.com) is causing some amusement with his early starts at 6am in freezing weather, 70 quick km followed by a feed, a nap and then another 70km before lunch has the Belgians wondering how he will fill the rest of his days. Tuck is hoping to maintain some of his form leading up to the start of racing in nine days time, difficult to arrive in zero temperatures straight from an Aussie summer! The opposite problem for Doppman’s Master-Molteni teammates who arrive in Sydney tomorrow direct from the snow and ice of Switzerland! Finishing among the wheels in A grade today, Doppman expressed quiet confidence in her chances for Olympic selection as a result of her visit allowing good form to come in the lead up to the Tour de Snowy and, more importantly for her, the World Cup opener in Canberra. Results A GRADE 37 Starters 60 minutes + 3 laps 1 Stephen Pate 2 Troy Clarke 3 Robert Tighello 4 James Taylor B GRADE 48 Starters 60 minutes + 3 laps 1 Glen Harvey 2 Mal Sawford 3 Chris Salisbury 4 Guy Green C GRADE 27 Starters 40 minutes + 3 laps 1 Peter Costello 2 Mick Gibson 3 Vic Bateman 4 Matt Dowling D GRADE 15 Starters 35 minutes + 3 laps 1 Glen Gibson 2 Brett Barnard 3 Lyndon White 4 John Groves |