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The opening stage of the Sequoia Cycling Classic saw a double victory for Team Saturn, with Ina Teutenberg and Mark McCormack winning the women's and men's Rocky Hill road races. Each race was won in solo fashion, with Teutenberg finishing in front of teammate Lynn Bessette and Tina Mayolo (Diet Rite), and McCormack leading home Hilton Clarke (Schroeder) and Gord Fraser (Mercury).
The races were held on a hilly 9.5 mile circuit. On the second lap of the women's race, Teutenberg attacked up the one mile climb and no-one could follow. Although normally known as a sprinter, Teutenberg showed her strength as a time trialist, building a 2 minute gap by the end. Bessette counterattacked on lap 4 and held it over the fifth and final lap to finish 35 seconds clear of Mayolo, who won a two-up sprint for third.
The men's race was far more tactical, with the big teams of Mercury, Saturn, Prime Alliance, and Navigators fighting it out to get the right riders in breakaways. Attacks were constant throughout the 9 lap race, and with 3 laps to go, a large group got away on the first climb and appeared to be the winning move. The mix of riders from each team appeared to be a good one, and the race was on. However, when the gap reached 1'14, the Mercury squad went to the front of the field and began to chase in earnest.
The gap came down as the leading break began to splinter, but on the final one mile climb, Mark McCormack and Harm Jansen (Saturn) and Chris Horner (Prime Alliance) attacked, and were joined by Gord Fraser over the top. As Jansen and McCormack had the numerical superiority, they took turns in attacking the other two, with McCormack getting clear with 5 miles to go to win. The remainder were caught by the bunch with Hilton Clarke surprising Fraser to take the sprint for second.
Men 1 Mark McCormack (Saturn) 2 Hilton Clarke (Schroder Ironworks) 0.10 3 Gord Fraser (Mercury) 4 Ivan Dominguez (Saturn) Women 1 Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Saturn) 2 Lynn Bessette (Saturn) 2.00 3 Tina Mayolo (Diet Rite) 2.35
First Second Third
2001 Mark McCormack (USA) Frank McCormack (USA) Ivan Dominguez (Cub)
2000 Christopher Horner (USA) Scott Moninger (USA) Jan Bratkowski (Ger)
1999 Kirk Willett (USA) Eric Wohlberg (Can) Christian Valenzuela (Mex)
1998 John Peters (USA) Gordon Fraser (Can) Derek Bouchard-Hall (USA)
1997 Chad Gerlach (USA) Brian Walton (Can) Jonathan Vaughters (NZl)
1996 Kirk Willett (USA) Sven Teutenberg (Ger) Mike McCarthy (USA)
1995 Scott Moninger (USA) Darren Baker (USA) Malcolm Elliott (GBr)
1994 Malcolm Elliott (GBr) Esteban Praga (Ecu) Kirk Willett (USA)
1993 Andrzej Mierzejewski (Pol) Bobby Julich (USA) Stephen Swart (NZl)
1992 Chris Huber (USA) James Urbonas (USA) John Tomac (USA)
1991 Roy Knickman (USA) Darren Baker (USA) Steve Hegg (USA)
1990 Randy Whicker (USA) Thurlow Rogers (USA) Steve Tilford (USA)