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The 21st edition of the Carrera Ciclista Internacional del la Amistad-2001 was held today in Ciudad Acuna. The race consisted of a 50 km race beginning in Acuna, turning around at the Tlaloc (rain god) Monument on the Amistad Reservoir dam and back to Acuna. Normally the Carrera Ciclista begins in Del Rio and finishes in Acuna, however this year the Mexican racers were not allowed across the border.
The Libre (open) race had 22 starters, mostly Mexican racers from Coahuila and few Texans from Eagle Pass, Del Rio and San Antonio. The race started fast with many accelerations-assisted by a strong tailwind-stretching the small field. There seemed to be a Mexican combine working against the 3 rider contingent from San Antonio. After a few kms, Dan Yoder (Freewheel Racing Team), Jorge Moreno (Coca-Cola Juanito) and Rolando Reyes (Vidrios y Decoraciones Leyva) moved slowly away from the field.
Eduardo Flores & Juan Ramirez (both Alamo Bike Club) countered many moves by the field (for Yoder) until the 1/4 mile steep climb up to the dam, when Flores accelerated half-way up, caught 2 riders who escaped at the bot- tom of the hill, and continued the move over the top. A few meters later when a hard cross-wind hit the riders.
Hector Hugo Rangel, Juan Jose DelaRosa Monsivais (Quimica San Jose) and Victor D. Prieto Martinez (FJR) attacked hard, leaving Flores to chase solo with the rest a few seconds back. The 3 new chasers caught the 3 early breakaways a few kms later and all 5 Mexican racers proceeded to attack lone Texan Yoder.
First Hugo Rangel & Mosivais escaped and then Reyes & Prieto Martinez escaped Yoder's steady counters until only Moreno was left sitting on Yoder's wheel. In the final uphill meters in Acuna, Hugo Rangel sprinted past Monsivais for the win. Reyes disposed of Prieto Martinez and Moreno took 5th from an exhausted and frustrated Yoder. Flores escaped with 3 kms togo with Picasso Franco (Powerade) to take 7th and Marco Antonio Carillo (Powerade) pounced past Ramirez for 9th.
1 Hector Hugo Rangel (Unattached) Saltillo, Coahuila 2 Juan Jose De la Rosa Monsivais (Quimica San Jose) Saltillo 3 Rolando Reyes (Vidrios y Decoraciones Leyva) Monclova, Coahuila 4 Victor Daniel Prieto Martinez (Frente Juvenile Revolucionario) Saltillo 5 Jorge Moreno (Coca-Cola Juanito) Saltillo 6 Dan Yoder (Freewheel Racing Team) San Antonio, Texas 7 Eduardo Flores (Alamo Bike Club) San Antonio Texas 8 Octaviano Picasso Franco (Powerade)-Monclova 9 Marco Antonio Carrillo (Powerade)-Monclova 10 Juan Ramirez (Alamo BC) San Antonio Texas Results and report courtsey of Eduardo Flores