CoreStates Invitational, Cat 1.3

USA, June 10, 1997


Race distance - 147.5 kms:

 1. Chann McCrae (Saturn) USA			             3.22.15
 2. Trent Klasna (Comptel-Colorado Cyclist) USA			s.t.
 3. Jonathan Vaughters (Comptel-Colorado Cyclist) USA		0.08 
 4. Piotr Wadecki (Mroz), Poland,				0.27
 5. Peter Rogers (ZVVZ-Giant-AIS), Australia			0.42
 6. Massimillian Mori (Saeco-Cannondale), Italy			s.t.
 7. Andrea Tafi (Mapei GB), Italy				s.t.
 8. Scott McGrory (Die Continentale), Australia			s.t.
 9. Nate Reiss (US Postal Service), Fort Collins, Colo.		s.t.
10. Darren Baker (US Postal Service), Santa Rosa, Calif.	s.t.

Report

Purse was US$15,000. First place received US$2,000 cash. Circuit was 7 miles passing through downtown Lancaster, PA. Beautiful weather, geat crowd, exciting aggressive race. Lots of turns and hills, so the strongest went hard at the gun. A group of about 18 formed early and was never caught, and a few dropped off the pace.

Some riders were no doubt resting for Thursday's race at Trenton N.J. and for Sunday's race: the US Pro Champrionship. With the demise of the Tour DuPont, the US Pro Champrionship in Philadelphia has become the biggest and richest bicycle race in the USA. The race will be 150 miles and the top placed US rider will be crowned national champ.

McRae Wins CoreStates Invitational; Eyes Bigger Prize

Chann McRae (Saturn) posted a major victory Thursday in only his second race on U.S. soil for his new team. McRae, Austin, Texas, out-sprinted Trent Klasna (Comptel-Colorado Cyclist), San Diego, Calif., to the line on Queen Street in downtown Lancaster. McRae launched a last-minute attack from the leading group of three riders with less than a mile to go in the 147.5 km CoreStates Invitational

The event is part of the U.S. National Racing Calendar.

The third member of the break, Jonathan Vaughters (Comptel-Colorado Cyclist), Englewood, Colo., paced Klasna to catch McRae at the end. McRae then came around Klasna in the final 100 yards.

It is McRaes first victory of the year for Saturn, though he won a small race in Germany this year while riding for the Die Continentale squad. Last year, McRae and Vaughters were teammates on the Spanish Santa Clara team which was plagued by financial problems.

"It was great to win," McRae said. "It gave me confidence. But for me, Sundays USPRO Championship is more important."

McRae won the 1992 and 1995 U.S. amateur road race titles.

Australian Scott McGrory, a former teammate of McRaes on the Die Continentale squad, won the sprint competition in the race.

The next event during CoreStates week is Thursdays CoreStates Classic in Trenton, N.J. Chris Horner (La Francaise des Jeux), Lemon Grove, Calif., is the defending champion. He was third in Sundays Thrift Drug Classic.

The CoreStates USPRO Championships are Sunday, June 15, in Philadelphia, Pa.

More Reports

This story was sent to me by Brent and I believe it was written by Cheryl Meyer -Intelligencer Journal Staff, Lancaster Intelligencer Journal and was published on June 6.

As cyclists whizzed by in brightly colored racing suits Tuesday, 85-year-old Helen Dodd sat contentedly on a North Queen Street sidewalk, her eyes peeled for the next bunch of racers.

"I love it," said a smiling Dodd, of Ephrata. "I hollered along with all the others. I'll be hoarse tonight, but that's all right - I had a good time."

Dodd was a mere dot in downtown Lancaster - one of hundreds of spectators who flocked to the sixth annual CoreStates Invitational, the 91-mile cycling event that attracts about 200 racers from around the globe.

Saturn rider Chann McRae of Plano, Texas, took the Lancaster race with a time of three hours, 22 minutes and 15 seconds, edging out Comptel-Colorado cyclist Trent Klasna by less than a second. Jonathan Vaughters was third, with a time of 3:22:23.

"I felt confident, but I was with two Comptel guys and they're real strong riders - and I knew it would be close," said McRae, 25, as he chugged water after the race.

It was McRae's second victory of the year, after winning a small race in Germany. He beat last year's winning time of 3:28:25, posted by California's Chris Horner. This year Horner failed to place among the top 20 riders, all of whom receive part of the $15,000 purse.

CoreStates, a major sponsor of the race, gave McRae $2,000 for his efforts.

The Lancaster race is part of the CoreStates series, which includes competitions this week in Trenton, N.J., and in Philadelphia Sunday. The 156-mile CoreStates USPRO Cycling Championship carries a total purse of $117,816.

McRae broke from the pack with about three laps remaining, and Klasna and Vaughters followed shortly thereafter. The threesome alternated leadership positions throughout the rest of the 13-lap course until McRae made his move on the final hill. He outsprinted Klasna in the last 120 meters for the victory.

Later, McRae praised Klasna's racing strength, saying the Californian was his biggest fear.

"I love this course," said Klasna, who twice has placed 10th in the CoreStates Invitational. "This is my favorite course of all of the series. I just love how it's up and down all the time. It's just enough rest to recover. Some day maybe I'll win it."

McRae said the Lancaster course, which winds down Duke Street and through Lancaster County Central Park, suits his riding abilities.

"It's a very good course for me. There is not much recovery, and it's up and down - and I tend to do well on these types of courses," he said. McRae raced with a radio transmitter in his ear so he could hear the time gaps between him and the other cyclists.

Vaughters called himself a "diesel engine" and not a sprinter, and found the course a bit more daunting.

"It kept the pressure on all the time, which breaks your legs," said the 24-year-old, a top-15 finisher in Tour Du Pont last year. He called Tuesday's race "very aggressive," noting the importance of breaking early from the main pack to more easily navigate through the course's sharp and narrow turns.

Throughout the race, riders averaged about 30 miles per hour.

As cyclists circled Lancaster's neighborhoods, spectators enjoyed music, commentary, food and warm temperatures - a welcome change from last year's race, held during a torrential thunderstorm.

Ken Harding - a k a Mr. Clown - entertained eventgoers on his bright yellow bicycle.

"There are a couple clowns around here but I think I'm the only one in the race unofficially," he said, his red nose beaming in the sun.

Mayor Janice Stork said fewer people were complaining of traffic hang-ups this year as a result of the race.

And Larry Delp, president of the Keystone Market for CoreStates, said the race affirms CoreStates' commitment to the city.

"The whole idea of this is to bring an event to the city that has an international flavor, and to allow people to see what downtown Lancaster is all about," he said.

"The race goes through the different neighborhoods in town and clearly traverses into the many cultures here in Lancaster itself."

Even more reporting

Chann McRae, 25, from Austin, TX, scored the best victory of his young professional career yesterday when he outsprinted Trent Klasna to the line in Queen Street, downtown Lancaster. McRae had launched a last minute attack from the leading group of three riders with less than a mile to go.

The third member of the breakaway, Jonathan Vaughters, from Englewood, CO., riding for the same Comptel- Colorado Cyclist team as Klasna managed to pace his colleague to catch the flying Texan. Despite his last gasp effort, McRae still had enough strength to come around Klasna in the last 100 yards, punching his arms high in victory.

It was McRae's second victory of the year, after winning a small race in Germany earlier this season. His career has been dogged by misfortune, after joining a Spanish team that disbanded last year he was left searching for a contract, his win in Lancaster could well put the Saturn rider back on the high road again.

More valuable than the $2000 first prize was the confidence boost that his win gave him. "It was great to win, it gave me confidence. But for me Sunday's USPRO Championships is more important," McRae said after winning. He certainly knows about winning at that level -- he has previously garnered two amateur US road racing titles.

Australian Scott McGrory, a former World championships track medalist, took the King of the Sprints competition. Meanwhile for Darren Baker, Santa Rosa, CA, riding for the US Postal Service, consistency gave him the overall lead on the Tour of America competition after three events. The next stop on the Tour of America will be at Trenton, New Jersey on Thursday.