7th Tour LeFleur - 1.4USA, May 18, 20001999 Results Results Past Winners Rider reports: John Lieswyn Anna Wilson Pam Schuster Karen Kurreck Is there a method in madness?By John Alsedek, cyclingnews.com correspondent For decades, there's been an ongoing debate over what the best way to prepare for a major time trial: do a hard but balanced program of racing, and count on a high level of fitness to offset any minor technical deficiencies; or go the specialist route, constantly thinking of new ways to cheat the wind and the clock, and using most of the racing calendar merely as preparation for 'the race of truth'. Well, it's a debate that will have to be settled some other day, as both methods netted championships today in the Tour LeFleur National Time Trial Championships, held in Jackson, Mississippi, where all-rounder Mari Holden (Timex) and specialist Adham Sbeih (Navigators) emerged victorious. Now in its seventh year, the Tour LeFleur has gone largely with a road race/criterium weekend format. However, when they earned both UCI status (Category 1.4) and the cache of being the U.S. Olympic Trials, promoter Bo Bourne and company made some major changes - and they haven't all gone smoothly. The women's event is both a national championship and a Saturn U.S. Pro Tour stop: only U.S. citizens are eligible for the former, but the latter is open to all professional/elite riders. This led to a rather confusing situation in which Saturn's Anna Wilson and Susy Pryde were permitted to enter, but foreign women from several other teams were unable to enter. The men's race was even more confusing. Not only was it the National Time Trial Championship and a Saturn U.S. Pro Tour stop (both held under USCF rules), but it was also a UCI event that had to comply with UCI regulations. As a result, U.S. elite amateur men were eligible for the national title (riding under USCF rules only) foreign pros were eligible for the Pro Tour and UCI points (under UCI regs), and U.S. professionals were eligible for all three (and had to comply with both sets). It was a situation that led to several formal complaints, and to the fastest ride of the day being nullified before it even began, putting a bit of tarnish on an otherwise well-run event. In the women's championship, Charles Schwab's Sandra Kolb set the early mark to beat, covering the slightly rolling 40-kilometer course along the Natchez Trace in 59:16, a time that stood up until Susan Laoretti (Florida Outdoors) knocked 16 seconds off it and moved into first place. After that, the time began dropping quickly: AutoTrader's Tina Mayolo came in at 57:59, only to be eclipsed by her own teammate, Pam Schuster, who probably surprised herself at bit with a mark of 56:28. And then came the heavy hitters: Karen Kurreck (Alto Velo), Elizabeth Emery (Charles Schwab), and Holden. While Kurreck set a new benchmark time of 55:55, it didn't stand up for long, as Holden explained afterwards: "With the wind blowing so much, I didn't know exactly how I was doing, but then I saw Elizabeth, and I thought, 'Okay, I going all right', and I just tried to push it." Her effort was good enough to allow her to pass Emery and close to within thirty seconds of former world champion Kurreck, giving Holden a winning time of 54:24....giving the U.S. Olympic Team selectors just one more thing to think about. If the women's championship was pretty much cut-and-dry, the men's was anything but. With over 120 pros and elite riders competing in one or both events, it came as a bit of a surprise to find a pair of amateurs - Kissena's John Kelly and Cameron Williams of Nutra Fig - continuing to hold down the top two spots ahead of the likes of Scott Moninger (Mercury) and Trent Klasna (Saturn). Then came Sbeih, putting his track pursuiting experience to good use as he rode a 56x12 fixed gear ("I was worried because it was so windy - if I got bogged down, I'd be history!") to a new best time of 49:56. Despite a great challenge by Shaklee's John Lieswyn, who toughed out a pulled hamstring with five kilometers to record 50:06, Sbeih's time stood up right until the very end. Well, sort of. Shaklee strongman, Eric Wohlberg continued to show the great form that won him the Tour of the Gila, slicing nearly a minute off of Sbeih's time. As a Canadian, he was ineligible for the national title, and he turned out to be ineligible for the UCI event as well. According to Dave Butler of Cervelo (Wolberg rides a Cervelo P3 bike), in the pre-race bike check, it was discovered that Wohlberg's wheel was too close to his frame, and therefore did not meet specific UCI regulations. He moved the wheel, and was given the thumbs up by one if the commissaires and set off on his winning ride. After his ride however, the commissaires dq'd Eric after taking another look at his bike. This was somewhat of a surprise to Eric and Cervelo, as the same type of frame had been used in the women's Tour de L'Aude last week, as well as being ridden by two others in the Tour Le Fleur. However, that shouldn't take away from Sbeih's accomplishment: after a largely unmemorable 1999 campaign with Saturn, Sbeih was picked up by the Navigators squad, which has been very supportive of his efforts to qualify for the Olympic team in either the individual pursuit or the time trial: "Navigators has put its money behind me...they give me the okay to do what I think is best for a special event, and I think the result speaks for itself," said Sbeih afterwards. The trials continue May 20th, with the Olympic Trials road races, held in nearby Natchez. The two winners will be automatic selections for the Sydney Olympics. Gently rolling to flat smooth 2 lane road parallel to the Reservoir, 20mph winds, 91 degrees and humid. I planned on using the time trial to open my systems up for Saturday's Olympic Trials Road Race. Based on my history in the time trial this year (30th at Redlands, 14th at Willamette, 10th at Gila) I was hoping for a top ten finish. I've been working on my Marin TT bike position the last few weeks. Colby helped me dial in my seat position last night. Working in my favor was my lack of nervousness about this race. I couldn't seem to get myself going for a super warmup, so the first 5km were pretty slow. I have a 201 max HR (same as when I was 23!) My heart rate target was 186 but it took 10k to get to 175. At 20k and 184 bpm I could see my minute man, Steve Speaks (7UP) and I started to believe in myself a bit more. I passed him before the turnaround ard found myself closing on my 2 minute man, Mark McCormack (Saturn). I ended up catching 5 guys and averaging 188 bpm on the way back. 5km from the finish I could see that I was heading for a sub 50 minute time so I went up to 192 bpm. With an uphill headwind to battle I felt a twinge in my hamstring and had to back it down to 188 again. End result? 50:06. Adam Sbeih (Navigators) turned a 49:57 to win the US title. I have to be really happy with 2nd as I wasn't expecting such a ride from myself, but it is harder to lose by 9 sec than by 90. You end up thinking about all the places you could have picked up 9 seconds. Laurent Fignon had it much worse, I guess! Our Canadian Eric Wohlberg actually won with a 48:56, fully a minute faster than Adam. When he was climbing the podium to the start, an official stopped him and said there was a problem with his rear tire being too close to the seat tube. Eric wasn't even aware of such a UCI regulation. He bent down, adjusted the wheel in the dropouts, and asked if that was better. Given the nod of the official, he set off to blister the course. After the event officials roped him in immediately to check the bike. They couldn't pass a card between the concave seat tube and his tire, so they disqualified him. A real shame that such an ill-conceived rule was enforced so harshly, especially after Eric went to such lengths to get this custom frame to work over the past week. It's one thing to disqualify a rider for drug use or a body position on the bike that exceeds UCI standards, but tire clearance to the frame? The amount of effort it takes to win such an event and win it so convincingly is tremendous. The selective enforcement by the officials was quite costly. While as a Canadian he wasn't eligible for the US title, he would have won $1500 for 1st, $1000 for the fastest 20k split, and a titanium Festina watch. One of Eric's nicknames amongst the team is "little angry man" and now it has never been more accurate. Today I raced the US National Time Trial in Mississippi. A bit of a weird thing for an Australian to do but the event was also part of the US ProTour which is a series of races sponsored by Saturn, so I was out to score points for that series - not to become US National Champion!! We raced over a 40km out and back course. It was a pretty fast course with no hills - just gentle undulations. But 40km is a LONG way. Mari Holden totally blitzed the field to win in a time of 54 mins 24 seconds. Karen Kurreck was 2nd in 55:55, Pam Schuster 3rd in 56:29, Dede Demet 4th in 56:49, Elizabeth Emery 5th in 57:40, and myself 6th in 57:50. I was happy enough to be 6th but not very happy to be beaten by 3 and a half minutes by Mari! I certainly don't want to repeat that performance in September. Anyway, I am now going to take a couple of days rest after all the racing I have done in the past few weeks. I am going to stay in Mississippi for another couple of days and watch the US National Road Race championships on Saturday. The winner of that race gets an automatic spot in the US Olympic team so I want to check out who my opposition is going to be in September!
The Olympic Trials in my mind are the Olympics. I get really particular about things. I shave my arms, slick my hair into my helmet, and take off all my jewelry. I even sew my number to my skin suit. I got super excited when our precision mechanic Kevin Grove told me I had the special 15mm tires on my Zipp wheels. All this effort probably didn't reduce my drag much but mentally it was worth at least a minute knowing everything that could be done to be aerodynamic was. We visited Madison elementary school yesterday where they were studying Aerodynamics so I took some notes. Today's out and back flat but windy course was a mind battle against the clock. I only recall one episode of attention deficit disorder which is good for me having been a child diagnosed victim The course was laid out nicely with total road closure and markers every 5K to tell you where you were. You definitely felt like you were out there forever and the markers didn't seem to pass by quick when you compared it to the effort you were shelling out. We have great team support to thank for my being able to perform our best. Hall of Famer, Mike Neel our fearless leader has been treating us like Queens all week and now it was time to pay back AutoTrader.com and sponsors by giving our all. Today was the Olympic Trials/National Time Trial championships. Actually, since there are no automatic Olympic spots awarded for the race, they have been calling it nationals, not Olympic trials. The course was a relatively flat out and back on a wide Parkway. Both men and women did 40km which was unusual. The Olympic and World Championship distance for women is 25-30km and nationals have been shortened to match since '95. It seems the promotors wanted us to do 40 km since that is what the national record is for. Given the slight rolling hills and all the wind today, it was pretty much guaranteed the records wouldn't fall and they didn't! The heat and humidity that everyone was expecting turned out to not be much of a factor. I heard the temperature hit 90, but it was not particularly humid, so it didn't seem bad to me at all. It was nothing like Cincinnati of the last 2 years! 40km is a long way to time trial - I haven't raced that distance in years and I was cursing those last 10km out on the course! It was the same for everyone though. We had a tailwind on the way out and headwind on the way back which makes pacing harder. I tried to save something on the way out because I knew the way back would be hard and it was! I saw lots of struggling riders coming back as I went out. It seemed my legs hurt more than they should have on the way out, but then your legs are supposed to hurt on a TT! The turnaround was the first time I had any indication to how I was doing relative to anyone else. I started 3rd to last with Elizabeth Emery and Mari Holden behind me. It was a relief to turn around and see the road clear behind me. When Mari and Elizabeth did come by the other way, I could see that Mari had passed Elizabeth and was gaining on me but I was gaining on Elizabeth. I could tell I was really fading in the 2nd half. We raced along a big reservoir and part of the course was lined with trees which blocked the wind a bit but when it opened up and the wind came in over the water I felt like I was crawling. My stomach was on the verge of cramping. I saw a mileage marker and I was hoping it was 10km to go but unfortunately it was 15km to go! I was almost expecting Mari to come by me at any time but she didn't. Then I passed Kim Bruckner who started 2 min. ahead of me so I knew I wasn't doing quite as badly as I thought. I ended up 2nd behind Mari who won by a large margin. Pam Schuster was 3rd. Pam Schuster's and Karen Kurreck's reports courtesy of racereport@vcnet.com
ResultsMen 1 Adham Sbeih (USA) Navigators 49.56.54 (48.43 km-h) 2 John Lieswyn (USA) Shaklee-Marin 0.09.83 3 Steve Hegg (USA) Jelly Belly 0.14.64 4 Cameron Williams (USA) Nutra-Fig 0.50.18 5 John Kelly (USA) Kissena Cycling Club 1.40.60 6 Eddy Gragus (USA) Jelly Belly 1.58.81 7 Scottie Weiss (USA) Zaxby's 2.02.42 8 Chris Pic (USA) Mercury Cycling Team 2.02.80 9 Will Frischkorn (USA) Mercury Cycling Team 2.15.50 10 Trent Klasna (USA) Saturn 2.19.15 11 Anton Villatoro (USA) 7up-Colorado Cyclist 2.25.89 12 Christopher Harkey (USA) De-Feet-Lemond-Evergreen 2.27.40 13 Brian Lemke (USA) Landis Cyclery 2.36.21 14 Danny Pate (USA) Saeco-Valli-Valli 2.43.02 15 Antonio Cruz (USA) Saturn 2.52.84 16 Paul Martin (USA) Navigators 2.55.07 17 Thomas Mccallion (USA) Greenville Spinners 2.59.91 18 Scott Moninger (USA) Mercury Cycling Team 3.00.77 19 Joshua Frick (USA) Team Snow Valley 3.06.30 20 Edward Beamon (USA) Navigators 3.08.44 21 Robert Dapice (USA) Wheelworks-Cannondale 3.12.62 22 Ryan Lane (USA) Net Zero Cycling Team 3.20.22 23 Kenny Williams (USA) Nutrafig 3.29.17 24 Dan Larson (USA) Cyclescience.Com 3.30.66 25 Dale Sedgwick (USA) Grand Performance 3.33.48 26 Ken Zimmerman (USA) Ihighway.Net 3.33.60 27 Ryan Peterson (USA) Mercy Cycling 3.35.58 28 Clark Sheehan (USA) 7up-Colorado Cyclist 3.43.29 29 Jack E. Ditt Jr (USA) Herring Gas 3.47.71 30 John Cipolla (USA) Jamis - Columbus Group 3.47.70 31 Jeff Corbett (USA) 7up-Colorado Cyclist 3.49.87 32 Mike Creed (USA) 7up-Colorado Cyclist 3.50.59 33 Mark Mccormack (USA) Saturn 3.53.57 34 Michael Sayers (USA) Mercury Cycling Team 3.55.35 35 John Walrod (USA) L'equipe Cheval 4.07.38 36 Chad Patterson (USA) Ron Bell & Associates 4.14.99 37 Floyd Landis (USA) Mercury Cycling Team 4.18.43 38 Sandy Perrins (USA) Excite-Smartfuel 4.25.13 39 Charles A. Schelberg (USA) Nmbra-Team Ochsner 4.25.73 40 Steven Mlujeak (USA) Jamis - Columbus Group 4.30.62 41 Ryan Cady (USA) Jane Cosmetics 4.30.76 42 Lane Packwood (USA) Us Army 4.33.38 43 Jonathan Dechau (USA) Breakaway Fitness-Guys 4.35.79 44 Paul Collins (USA) 7up-Colorado Cyclist 4.39.97 45 Donovan Lynch (USA) Unattached 4.43.43 46 Matthew Svatek (USA) Unattached 5.04.98 47 Chris Foster (USA) Av Metro 5.06.54 48 Kirk Albers (USA) Jelly Belly 5.06.54 49 Brandon Lovick (USA) Defeet-Evergreen 5.07.89 50 William Nehr (USA) Ochsner 5.08.74 51 Shane Thellman (USA) Mercy Cycling 5.08.89 52 Jonathan Wirsing (USA) Team Snow Valley 5.19.22 53 Tim Noakes (USA) Marathon Racing Team 5.37.92 54 Timothy Carolan (USA) Bianchi -Grand Performance 5.40.26 55 Jacob Hess (USA) V Spokesman 5.49.99 56 Damon Kluck (USA) The Spokesman 5.53.95 57 Brian Fagan (USA) Mercy Cycling 6.06.37 58 Philip Booth (USA) Team Texas 6.09.46 59 Colby Pearce (USA) Shaklee-Marin 6.18.17 60 Justin Peschka (USA) Landis Cyclery 6.19.05 61 John Peters (USA) Mercury Cycling Team 6.24.38 62 Abel Eisentraut (USA) L'equipe Cheval 6.34.85 63 Brian Stangel (USA) Ochsner 6.41.12 64 Shawn Cronkhite (USA) Netzero Cycling Team 6.44.17 65 Dale Suttle (USA) Mercy Cycling 6.59.27 66 Russel Miller (USA) Zaxby's 7.01.97 67 Steve Speaks (USA) 7up-Colorado Cyclist 7.06.01 68 Matthew Gates (USA) Super Team Racing 7.15.02 69 Joseph Miller (USA) Tokyo Joes-Pepsi 7.21.28 70 Earendel Fingerson (USA) City Scape-Higher Gear 7.30.46 71 Amos Brumble Iv (USA) Ccb-Volkswagon 7.32.17 72 Kenny York (USA) Bicycle World USA 7.40.06 73 Kurt Gensheimer (USA) Team Tortuga 7.49.98 74 Steve Cate (USA) Mercy Cycling 7.52.71 75 Ernie Lechuga (USA) Mercury Cycing Team 7.54.15 76 Christain Davenport (USA) River City Racing Club 7.57.02 77 Jose Drapeau (USA) Benevito Mapei 8.35.43 78 Adam Livingston (USA) Jelly Belly 8.43.46 79 Jacob Fetty (USA) Gomart-West Virginia 8.43.51 80 Mason Rickard (USA) Planet Outdoors.Com 8.46.32 81 Joseph Curro (USA) Jmc 9.20.95 82 Joe Cline (USA) Av Metro-Snapdragon 9.37.35 83 John Slover (USA) L'equipe Cheval 10.00.94 84 Brett Faulk (USA) Sir Speedy 10.08.73 85 David Edwards (USA) Domino's Inc 12.41.95 86 David Anthony (USA) Independent 14.40.31 87 Greg Krisko (USA) Bbc-Jetworks 15.10.63 88 Antoine Bodwin (USA) Tokyo Joe's Pepsi 23.08.40 Women 1. Mari Holden (USA) Timex 54.24.6 (48.05 km/h) 2. Karen Kurreck (USA) Alto Velo 1.30.95 3. Pam Schuster (USA) autotrader.com 2.04.13 4. Dede Demet-Barry (USA) Saturn 2.24.60 5. Elizabeth Emery (USA) Charles Schwab 3.14.90 6. Tina Mayolo (USA) autotrader.com 3.34.77 7. Kimberley Bruckner (USA) autotrader.com 3.37.30 8. Heather Albert (USA) Charles Schwab 3.38.49 9. Julie Hanson (USA) Saturn 4.32.14 10. Susan Laoretti (USA) Florida Outdoors 4.36.16 11. Sandra Kolb (USA) Charles Schwab 4.54.16 12. Sara Graham (USA) 4.54.61 13. Charmain Breon (USA) Altoona Cycling Club 4.55.62 14. Catherine Cardwell (USA) Charles Schwab 5.05.03 15. Mary Georgetti (USA) Conn. 5.10.81 16. Katrina Berger (USA) Charles Schwab 5.17.78 17. Kim Smith (USA) Timex 5.21.10 18. Wendy Webb (USA) ABP Velo Racing 5.21.22 19. Andrea Ratkovic (USA) autotrader.com 5.22.51 20. Kathleen Scullyweiner (USA) La'Sport 5.26.94 21. Mina Pizzini (USA) Team Procter & Gamble 5.38.59 22. Suzanne Sonye (USA) Saturn 5.44.37 23. Kimberly Smith-Carlson (USA) Simple Green-Mazda 6.46.53 24. Marjon Marik (USA) autotrader.com 6.47.54 25. Shannon Hutchison (USA) autotrader.com 7.07.18 26. Leah Toffolon (USA) North Jersey Bicycle Club 7.08.11 27. Jennifer Maxwell (USA) ABRC Cane Creek 7.17.36 28. Janell Batt-Bolen (USA) Landis Cyclery 7.33.06 29. Tina Skelley (USA) Altoona Cycling Team 7.40.92 30. Kathleen Gleason (USA) Tri-Cyclist BRC 8.19.23 31. Janine Verstraeten (USA) Trek 8.25.38 32. Heidi Stamm (USA) 8.29.39 33. Jacqui Lockwood (USA) International Christian Cycling 9.59.99 34. Sue Latshaw (USA) 10.22.52 35. Kate Farrell (USA) Trek 10.47.58 36. Jolene Wilkinson (USA) 11.15.34 37. Elizabeth Morse (USA) Team Ameritech 11.45.99 38. Aimee Gould (USA) 11.58.60 39. Liz Begosh (USA) Trek 13.46.60 40. Kristine Oesterling (USA) Altoona Cycling Team 14.30.08 Other comeptitors, ineligible for National Title: Anna Wilson (USA) Saturn 57.50.64 Sandra Smith (USA) Shaklee 59.39.22 PreviewThe 2000 edition of the Tour Le Fleur is designated as the US National Time Trial Championship for men and women. It is also ranked 1.4 on the UCI calendar, making it one of six such UCI classed events in the States. The course is a total of 40 kilometres, out and back, on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Although amateurs are allowed to compete in the Tour Le Fleur time trial, they may not earn UCI points. On Saturday 20, the US Olympic Team Trials will be also be held in Jackson, Mississippi. Olympic hopefuls will compete in a circuit style road race, with the winners earing berths on the US Olympic team. Past WinnersMen
Criterium Road Race Points Total
1994 Bill Oyster - -
1995 Malcolm Elliot Thomas Craven -
1996 Malcolm Elliot John Peters -
1997 Malcolm Elliot Levi Leipheimer -
1998 Julian Dean Kirk Willett Julian Dean
1999 Gord Fraser Gord Fraser Gord Fraser
Women
Criterium Road Race Points Total
1994 Liesel Miller - -
1995 Karen Bliss-Livingston Carmen Richardson -
1996 Karen Bliss-Livingston Karen Bliss-Livingston -
1997 Giana Roberge Kendra Wenzel -
1998 Nicole Freedman Julie Hanson Laura Van Gilder
1999 Susy Pryde - Anna Wilson
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