Tour of the Gila - NE

USA, May 3-7, 2000

Stage 2 - May 4: Silver City-Mogollan Road Race, 92 miles/70 miles (m/w)

Men

John Lieswyn's report

90 degrees, dry, mostly headwinds today

With Eric's lead we decided to try and let a break go early to neutralize attacks from the field. Then we'd set our sizable team on the front and "feather" the gap. On the initial descent out of Silver City, two riders including Roy Knickman (Mercury) got away and quickly built a 4-minute lead by the time we got to the bottom. During the two laps of the Gila Cliff Dwellings we were doing 24mph average while Roy built his lead to 6 minutes.

Eventually his breakaway partner fell off the pace and our efforts paid off. We caught Roy near Glenwood with about 12mi to go. At this point I got a rear flat tire, which was a good thing because the spare wheel I received had a 23 instead of the 21 cog I'd started with. I would end up really needing the easier gear!

The previously complacent pack saw we were down to 3 riders (Sylvain, Eric & I) and the attacks came one after the other. Sylvain and I did our best to contain things but we couldn't follow a move with one Saturn, one Mercury, and one Jelly Belly. As we made the right turn off the highway onto the final 5mi of climbing, I went to the front and set a fast enough pace that we wouldn't lose too much time to the 3 leaders. They were caught by a flurry of attacks on the first pitch.

Saturn took over on the flat before the final steep 3 miles. Starting this grade in 30th I could see Eric was well positioned at the front. That would be the last time I'd see him. I would pass guys all the way up to an eventual 13th place finish :48 sec down. Eric rode awesome, finishing 2nd in a sprint with DBH.

Results

1. Derek Bouchard-Hall (USA) Mercury              3.57.08
2. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Shaklee-Marin                 0.02
3. Arquimedes Lam Zamora (Mex) Tecos                 0.09
4. Damon Kluck (USA) Spokesman                       0.18
5. Jimi Killen (USA) Boulder CHAOS                   0.19
6. Scott Price (USA) Landis Cyclery-WMRC             0.21
7. Bart Bowen (USA) Saturn                           0.26
8. Eddy Gragus (USA) Jelly Belly                     0.27
9. Jose Luis Castel Lej (Mex) Tecos                  0.35
10. Florencio Ramos Torres (Mex) Tecos               0.36

General classification after stage 2:

1. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Shaklee-Marin              4.32.00
2. Derek Bouchard-Hall (USA) Mercury                 1.33
3. Eddy Gragus (USA) Jelly Belly                     1.37
4. Clark Sheehan (USA) 7 UP-Colorado Cyclist         1.47
5. Bart Bowen (USA) Saturn                           2.09
6. Doug Ziewacz (USA) 7 UP-Colorado Cyclist          2.40
7. John Lieswyn (USA) Shaklee-Marin                  3.14
8. Scott Price (USA) Landis Cyclery-WMRC             3.30
9. Ron Schmeer (USA) Nutra Fig-Noni                  
10. Phil Zajicek (USA) Mercury Jets                  4.05

Women

Ideal conditions were encountered today: light winds, clear skies and warm southwest temperatures.

The race started out calmly at a moderate tempo. There were two bonus time sprints, one at 19 miles the second at 36. Andrea Ratkowic (Autotrader.com) countered Tina Mayolo's (Autotrader.com) attack on the last sprint and went clear with Odessa Gunn (Timex), Lysle Wilhelm (800.com), Sara Ulmer (Elita), and Nicole Freedman and Gale Longnecker bridged up quickly.

The pack was content to let them go and sat up, and the break quickly gained time on the slowly moving peloton. The break was working hard, save for Freedman according to reports.

At the bottom of the final climb the breakaway had accumulated 4 minutes, however Radkowic punctured 3 miles before the bottom of the climb but managed to chase back. Upon catching the group she then attacked the group with Freedman on her wheel. Radkowic let Freedman do the turn up the last steep three mile section of the finishing climb, attacking her in the last mile, finishing solo for the victory.

Courtesy of Mike Neel, racereport@vcnet.com

Results

1. Andrea Ratkovic (USA) AutoTrader.com             3.34.08
2. Sarah Ulmer (NZL) Elita                             0.46
3. Lysle Wilhelmi (USA) 800.COM                        0.54
4. Jeannie Longo (Fra) Ebly                            1.04
5. Nicole Freedman (USA) Charles Schwab                1.29
6. Odessa Gunn (Can) Timex                             1.49
7. Mari Holden (USA) Timex                             2.16
8. Julie Hanson (USA) Saturn                           2.18
9. Laura Shuford (USA) AutoTrader.com                 
10. Kimberly Bruckner (USA) AutoTrader.com             2.42

General classification after stage 2:

1. Jeannie Longo (Fra) Ebly                         4.14.26
2. Mari Holden (USA) Timex                             1.16
3. Andrea Ratkovic (USA) AutoTrader.com                3.07
4. Julie Hanson (USA) Saturn                           3.46
5. Sarah Ulmer (NZL) Elita                             3.51
6. Odessa Gunn (Can) Timex                             4.43
7. Kimberly Bruckner (USA) AutoTrader.com              5.06
8. Katrina Berger (USA) Charles Schwab                 5.14
9. Lysle Wilhelmi (USA) 800.COM                        5.32
10. Catherine Cardwell (USA) Charles Schwab            5.51
15. Kim Smith (USA) Timex
19. Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex