CoreStates USPRO Championships, Cat 1.2

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US Pro Cycling Champions to Italy's Massimiliano Lelli

``I jumped on the last lap, because it was my last chance,'' said Lelli, who edged Scott McGrory of Australia by 11 seconds. ``Essentially the Americans have their own interest in the race in becoming the national champion. That makes it a little bit easier for the Europeans.''

Lelli broke the race mark of 6:01.54 set by Paolo Cimini in 1990.

Lelli's victory was overshadowed by the controversial disqualification of third-place finisher George Hincapie, more than 30 minutes after the American was awarded the jersey symbolic of the national championship.

``George Hincapie had a flat tire somewhere on the last two laps,'' head commissaire Shawn Farrell said. ``He motorpaced behind his team car for an extended period. The penalty carried for that is disqualification.''

``It was observed by two officials. By the time we could get together and decide that, George was already up on the podium. It was the case of them not heeding a warning. He was warned repeatedly to stop and didn't.''

U.S. Postal Service team manager Mark Gorski disputed Farrell's explanation, saying he intended to file an appeal with the Union Cycliste Internationale in Lausanne, Switzerland.

``On the second warning we pulled off,'' Gorski said. ``He said he gave us six warnings. There was no physical way that was possible. To me George is the U.S. Champion. To overturn a victory like that is just absurd to me.''

As a result of Hincapie's disqualification, the national title goes to Bart Bowen, the 1993 winner who finished eighth Sunday.

``I don't really know what to say,'' Bowen said. ``I can't really say I'm excited, because this is not the way I wanted to win the jersey. Maybe this year the jersey will stay in Philadelphia. It's pretty hard to put that thing on when you know it's a tainted situation.''

Hours before Lelli crossed the line, Edita Pucinskaite of Lithuania won the women's 58-mile (93.3-kilometer) Liberty Classic in 2:27.43.

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The race was completed in a record time of 4 hours 54 minutes, beating the 5 hour barrier for the first time. Lelli's win brought his Saeco-Cannondale team the lion's share of the $117,000 prize list. Afterwards, he compared the crowd and atmosphere at the race to a stage of the Tour de France and was visibly delighted with his win.

The two top American teams had pushed each other to the limit in a bid to take the National title which is awarded to the first American to cross the line. Lelli crossed the line alone not knowing what was happening behind. In a dramatic sprint for second place, Aussie Scott McGrory, Die Continentale, beat American George Hincapie, Charlotte, NC, from U.S. Postal Service.

Initially Hincapie was awarded third place and the USPRO title, However, minutes after Hincapie had left the stage, he was informed by the judges that he had been disqualified for drafting behind a vehicle after suffering a flat tire. The disqualification allowed Bart Bowen, Team Saturn, who finished eighth, to receive the USPRO Championship title.

Bowen, who was also awarded the Coors Silver Bullet Most Aggressive Rider award, appeared shocked by the decision, saying, "I'm stunned, it doesn't seem like I won. I finished behind George and had no idea of what had gone on before. It feels strange but the judges are the one's who keep the rules."

The Polish riders of Team MROZ continued their successful week, with Piotr Wadecki claiming the Saturn Team Work challenge. Norm Alvis, Team Saturn retained the Tour of America jersey. The final event of the Tour of America series is the Fresca Invitational in Seattle in July.

CoreStates U.S. Pro Cycling Championships - 156 miles

 1. Massimiliano Lelli, Italy			     5.54.50
 2. Scott McGrory Australia Die Contentale		0.11
 3. Angel Canzonieri, Italy
 4. Andrea Tafi, Italy
 5. Thomas Konecny, Czech Republic
 6. Gilberto Zattoni, Italy
 7. Cezary Zamana, Poland
 8. Bart Bowen, United States
 9. Frank McCormack, United States
10. Jonathan Vaughters, United States
11. Norm Alvis, United States
12. Nate Reiss, United States				
13. Chris Vandevelde, United States			0.34
14. Sven Teutenberg, Germany				0.37
15. Darren Baker, United States				0.58
16. Scott Fortner, United States			s.t.
17. Chris Horner, United States				1.16
18. Fred Rodriguez, United States			1.32
19. Rajmundas Rumsas, Lithuania				2.07
20. Jacek Mickiewicz, Poland				2.07

Women's Liberty Classic, 58 miles

 1. Edita Pucinskaite, Lithuania 		2.27.43
 2. Rasa Polikeviecuite, Lithuania
 3. Karren Kurreck, United States
 4. Kendra Wenzel, United States
 5. Dede Demet, United States
 6. Diana Ziluite, Lithuania
 7. Zulfia Zabirova, Lithuania
 8. Karen Livingston Bliss, United States	2:29.03
 9. Viola Paulitz Muller, Germany	
10. Susy Pryde, New Zealand	
11. Pam Schuster, United States	
12. Jolanda Polikeviecuite, Lithuania	
13. Emily Robbins, United States	
14. Paula McNamara, United States
15. Katie Compton, United States
16. Sophie St. Jacques, Canada
17. Julie Young, United States
18. Sue Palmer, Canada
19. Louisa Jenkins, United States
20. Julie Hudetz, United States			all s.t.

Starters:

US Postal

Eddy Gragus
Darren Baker
Sven Tuetenburg
Anton Villatoro
Nate Reiss
Scott Mercier
Tomasz Brozyna
George Hincapie
Remi Lupekis

Saturn

Steve Hegg
Bart Bowen
Frank McCormick
Mike McCarthy
Brian Walton
Fred Rodriguez
Mariano Friedick
Chris Wherry

Comptel\Colorado Cyclist

Malcolm Elliott
Trent Klasna
Mike Sayers
Andy Bishop
Levi Leipheimer
John Peters
Jonathan Vaughters
Chris Walker
Kirk Willett

Shaklee

Kent Bostick
Derek Bouchard-Hall
J-Me Carney
Jonas Carney
Scott Mercer
Julian Dean
Matt Koshara
Colby Pearce
Patrick Eyk
Eric Wahlberg

Navigators

Mike Engleman
Phil Cable
Scott Moninger
Rob Ventura
Skip Spangenburg
Chris Waskevich
Brian Dykes
Todd Littlehales
Chad Gurlach

Plymouth

Roberto Gaggioli
Dylan Casey
Harm Jensen
Greg Oravetz
Steve Speaks
Dave MCCook

Mapei GB

Jan Svorada
Bart Leysen
Andrea Tafi
Zenon Jaskula
Stefano Zanini

Francaise Des Jeux

Chris Horner
Simone Rebellin
Jean Patrick Nazon

Saeco Cannondale

Alessio DiBasco
Riccardo Faverio
Massimiliano Lelli
Eddy Mazzoleni
Massimiliano Mori
Angelo Canzonieri

Cantina Tollo

Fabrizio Arzilli
Stefano Dante
Stefano Cembali
Franco Maragno
Mauizio Frizzo
Yuri Recanati

Amore & Vita

Maurizio De Pasquale
Michele Ferti
Gilberto Zattoni
Simone Zucchi
Tim Jones
Luca Maggioni

ZVVZ AIS Giant (Australia)

Brett Dennis
Nick Gates
Damian McDonald
Peter Rogers
Jay Sweet
Matt White
Jens Voigt
Tom Konecny
Miloslav Kejval
Tom Sadlacacek

MROZ (Poland)

Cezary Zemano
Rajmundas Rumsas
Pawel Rychlicki
Piotr Wadecki
Jacek Micklewicz
Grzegorz Rosolinski
Andrezej Sypytkowski
Dariusz Wojciechowski

Village Peddler

Jim Freyer
Matt Anand
Chris Fisher
Chris Elke
Derby Pattengill
Esteban Fraga
Nathen Dalberg
Oliver Starr
Nestor Schasse

Hincapie's U.S. title lasts hour, then he's disqualified

George Hincapie's championship year lasted less than one hour.

After being awarded the Stars and Stripes jersey as the U.S. champion after the CoreStates USPRO Cycling Championship, Hincapie, of the U.S. Postal Service team, was disqualified from the race and stripped of his title.

What Hincapie had thought was a key comeback from a flat tire, leading to his third-place overall finish in the 156-mile bicycle marathon, became his undoing when a race official claimed that Hincapie drafted behind a team car to catch up to the race leaders. Whereas riders are allowed to ride in the draft of fellow cyclists (which lessens wind resistance), they cannot use any other vehicle on the course in a similar way.

``Somewhere in the final three laps, Hincapie motorpaced behind his team car,'' said head race referee Shawn Farrell. ``It was observed by two different officials as it happened and he has been disqualified.''

And with that, Team Saturn's Bart Bowen, who had finished in eighth place, became the first American finisher and this year's USPRO cycling champion.

``I don't know what to say,'' said Bowen, who had won the Core-States race outright in 1992. ``I just became the champion an hour ago. I can't say I'm very excited because this is not the way I wanted to win the jersey.''

According to Farrell, Hincapie suffered a flat tire in the final stages of the race and received assistance from a team car that was following the pack with spare tires. It was Hincapie's second flat of the day and an accident he was proud of having overcome.

But after getting back on his bicycle and setting off after the lead group of riders, the team car stayed in front of Hincapie.

Farrell said the car was radioed to stop and that the driver was also warned to stop by an official on a motorcycle, but the car kept going. Race officials met while Hincapie participated in the awards ceremony.

Hincapie received the winner's shirt and attended a postrace press conference unaware his new title was about to be stripped. Asked about the flat, he said: ``I knew if I could catch up I would be all right. This means everything to me.

``Having the jersey for a year makes a proud year.''

Following the press conference, Hincapie was told of his disqualification. Afterward, he was unavailable for comment. But as he was driven away in a team car he was heard to say repeatedly, ``They can't do this. They can't do this.''

U.S. Postal Service team manager Mark Gorski said the team would appeal to international bicycle racing officials. Gorski said he was in the team car involved in the infraction and said they stopped when instructed.

``As soon as we were warned, we pulled over,'' Gorski said. ``I was in the car, I was in the middle of it and George is the U.S. champion. We did what we had the right to do.''

Further News

The first American to finish was disqualified for cheating.

The first Italian who raised his arms in jubilation -- mistakenly, since there were still nine miles left -- wound up sixth.

Two Australians and a dozen others were injured in a pileup on Kelly Drive.

The winner of the women's race mistook a crosswalk for the finish line, slowed to celebrate, and nearly gave away her victory.

The best American team promised a formal complaint to the world governing body.

And you thought bicycle racing was just going around in circles.

On one of the most beautiful days of the year -- the blue sky was clear and the temperature a breezy 70 -- the 13th CoreStates U.S. Pro Cycling Championship finished ugly yesterday.

The bizarre race pitted Americans against one another for the national title instead of against Europeans for the victor's bouquet. At one point, a tree fell on Kelly Drive and had to be hauled off by spectators.

``I've been in this business a long time, and I've never seen anything like this,'' said Paul Sherwen, a race official and former cyclist. ``This was a pretty strange day.''

By the way, Italy's Massimiliano Lelli won the 156-mile men's race in a record time of 5 hours, 54 minutes, 50 seconds. Lithuania's Edita Pucinskaite won the women's race, the 57.6-mile CoreStates Liberty Classic, in 2:27:43. We'll get back to them later. The juicy stuff happened long before the finish -- and long after it. Since the race serves as the U.S. men's national championship, the top-finishing American, no matter where he finishes, gets to wear the coveted red, white and blue jersey until June 1998.

So when George Hincapie crossed the finish line third, behind Lelli and Australia's Scott McGrory, he waltzed up to the winners' dais on the Ben Franklin Parkway and slipped on the blue shirt. Thousands of fans cheered, and Hincapie said afterward that he had waited four years for this moment.

As he basked in the glory, race officials caucused below the dais, whispering among themselves, afraid to break up the celebration but knowing that trouble was brewing. Nearly two hours later, the race's head official, Shawn Farrell, announced that Hincapie had illegally ridden behind his team's support car after changing a flat tire near the end of the race.

Cyclists are not permitted to ride behind their support cars -- it's called ``motor pacing'' -- because the car creates a favorable draft, and the rider can rest or make up time. Farrell said motorcycle officials who rode near Hincapie repeatedly warned him of the violation but were ignored.

When the disqualification was announced, Hincapie's fans were stunned. One man yelled profanities at Farrell, and Hincapie's team, the U.S. Postal Service, said it would appeal the decision to the International Cycling Union.

Before he was aware of his disqualification, Hincapie, wearing the American champion's jersey, said that he had had two flat tires yesterday and that wearing the jersey was a dream come true. He could not be reached after the announcement.

Race organizer Michael Halstead, president of International Cycling Productions, said the delay in making the disqualification public was ``disconcerting.''

``But,'' he said, ``the rules are the rules.''

With Hincapie out of the picture, Team Saturn's Bart Bowen, the eighth-place finisher, wound up as the national champ.

``This is not the way I would have wanted to win the jersey,'' said Bowen, who finished first overall in 1992 and glided unhappily over the finish line yesterday, thinking he had failed miserably.

``An hour ago, I was disappointed. This is all just . . .''

Then there was Gilberto Zattoni. Using speed and guile to wiggle his way through the pack, the Italian took the lead on the last long lap (from Manayunk). Problem was, there were still three small laps (to Lemon Hill) left.

Zattoni forgot about them. So when he crossed the would-be finish line nine miles early, he stopped pedaling and raised his arms in triumph. The crowd gasped, and everybody, it seemed, yelled at once, ``Keep going.''

He did, but still finished 11 seconds off the winning pace.

Earlier in the day, Australians Matt White and Jay Sweet and American Chann McRae were involved in a nasty crash that left all three unable to finish and White with several severe cuts.

As for Lelli, 29, he did everything right to win. Stuck in a pack of 19 riders with a mile and a half to go, the 1995 Italian time-trial champion, not known as a sprinter, dashed away from the crowd on Lemon Hill and zoomed over the finish line without a challenge.

Afterward, he noted how the Americans, vying among themselves to win the national title instead of the race itself, practically handed him the victory.

``The Americans were jealous of one another, and I knew if I got a lead wth 100 meters, I could hold it to the end,'' he said.

American Norm Alvis, the 11th-place finisher, agreed with Lelli that the Europeans had an advantage in that the Americans place too much emphasis on the national title. ``It's two races in one,'' Alvis said. ``It's a real competition because we're so proud to wear that jersey.''

In the women's race, Pucinskaite, 21, a member of Europe's elite ``Dream Team,'' nearly suffered Zattoni's fate when she raised her arms before she crossed the finish line. Fortunately for her, she was only about 80 yards short.

``I made a mistake, but I was able to recover,'' she said sheepishly.

Notes. Lelli won $28,000 and bettered the 1990 course record of 6:01:54. Pucinskaite won $8,000. . . . The U.S. Postal Service team is expected tomorrow to be invited to next month's Tour de France. . . . Of 164 men, 65 finished. Of 123 women, 73 finished. . . . Last year's winner in the men's race, American Eddy Gragus, did not finish. Neither did Italian star Roberto Gaggioli. The women's defending champion, Petra Rossner of Germany, finished 21st. . . . The average speed of the women riders was 23.4 m.p.h. It was 26.3 for the men.

Lelli makes late, great escape

Massimiliano Lelli kept trying to win on the Manayunk Wall.

He would sprint up the steep climb, get ahead, and lose his lead along the flat sections of Kelly Drive. On the final climb up the famous lung-breaking hill, Lelli pulled ahead for what looked like the final time. But he was caught again.

As the race dwindled down, Lelli, who is not a strong sprinter, saw his last chance: Lemon Hill, a short rise 3 miles from the race finish.

``I saw the last chance to escape,'' Lelli, a 29-year-old Italian of team Saeco-Cannondale, said through an interpreter. ``And I gave it all I had.''

All he had was all he needed.

Lelli's acceleration gave him a lead of a few feet over the rest of the lead group. A few feet became a few meters, a few meters became 100, and by the time Lelli was at the finish line of the CoreStates USPRO Cycling Championship, he was all alone, with his hands in the air.

In a record time of 5 hours, 54 minutes, 50 seconds (an average speed of 26.4 mph), Lelli became the event's 13th winner. Australian Scott McGrory, of Die Continentale, finished second, 11 seconds behind.

Bart Bowen, of Team Saturn, finished eighth. As the first American finisher, he was awarded the Stars and Stripes jersey as U.S. national champion. American George Hincapie, who originally was credited with a third-place finish, was disqualified for illegally drafting behind his team car after flatting about 9 miles from the finish. Hincapie's disqualification wasn't announced until more than an hour after the finish.

``There is nothing to compare this to,'' Lelli said. ``I did not know how I would do at the start and now I feel good.''

With the Tour DuPont canceled, yesterday's CoreStates race is the year's biggest U.S. cycling event. The 156-mile race is the biggest bike race in North America and has the largest purse for a one-day race in the world. The total purse is $117,810, with the winner getting $28,000.

A field of 150 men cyclists lined up for the start just before 9 a.m. under clear blue skies and bright sunshine. The cool air and lack of humidity made for the best conditions in the 13 years the race has been run and had a hand in the record pace.

The pack was moving so fast that, as the cyclists passed the finish-line area, the wind they produced blew flags and banners out straight.

The race began with three 1-mile laps between Logan Circle and the Art Museum circle, then headed down Kelly Drive through downtown Manayunk, up its infamous Wall, then down Ridge Drive to Kelly and around Logan Circle. The cyclists completed 10 14.4-mile laps. Finally, it's three 3-mile laps to Lemon Hill and back to the start-finish line on Ben Franklin Parkway.

The middle portion of the race featured teamwork, with support riders setting the pace and easing the way for each team's best racers. Throughout the day, packs of riders broke away from the main group in attempts to wear down the competition, and hopefully gain a lead.

But over 156 miles, breaks open and close repeatedly. That was the case yesterday.

The final break took shape with two of the 14.4-mile laps remaining, as 21 riders separated themselves by some 40 seconds from the main group.

The group did not include defending champ Eddy Gragus, continuing a CoreStates tradition. Through its first 13 years, there have been no repeat champs.

Lelli and two other members of his Saeco-Cannondale team led the lead group into the final lap, holding just a three-second advantage. The main pack was just 1:07 behind, with more than 23 miles to race.

Lelli pushed himself further ahead into Manayunk and up the Wall, then cruised down Ridge Avenue with a healthy lead and two team members blocking from behind.

But bicycle racing is a little like a tight basketball game, with leads changing frequently. Lelli's lead vanished on Kelly Drive as another Italian, Gilberto Zattoni, of the Amore and Vita team, jumped ahead with 9 miles left.

Zattoni might have been able to win if he had only known where the race ended. Zattoni completed the last 14.4-mile lap racing hard, ahead of the lead group, and raised his arms in victory. But no one cheered, and the rest of the cyclists kept racing. Zatoni obviously was unaware that the three Lemon Hill laps were still to come. No one else made the mistake.

For Zattoni, the race was over. For everybody else in the breakaway group, it had just started. With 3 miles left, there were 18 riders packed together and hammering away toward Lemon Hill.

The U.S. Postal Service and Team Saturn, the top two American teams, had several members in the pack. With the two teams watching each other to make a move, Lelli spotted a hole.

``Tactically, I thought the American's were winning,'' Lelli said. ``I knew the Americans were jealous of each other and that if I could get a 100-meter lead and hold it, I could win.''

Norm Alvis, who was in that final group and finished 11th, said it was a case of the Americans competing against each other for the U.S. championship and the Stars and Stripes jersey.

``It's not so much jealousy as it is two races in one, so we have to ride twice as hard,'' he said. ``It's a proud year when you get to wear the championship jersey.''

SCARE FOR WOMEN'S WINNER

Edita Pucinskaite won the women's race, the CoreStates Liberty Classic, but not on her first try. With about 100 yards to go in the 57.6-mile event, Pucinskaite, of Lithuania, passed under a giant television screen and, mistaking it for the finish line, raised her arms in victory and stopped peddling. Pucinskaite caught her mistake with just a few yards to go and managed to fight off a small pack of fast-closing riders to win in 2:27:43.

``I made a mistake, but I was able to recover,'' said Pucinskaite, a member of the Italian-based Dream Team whose win was worth $8,000.

Speaking through an interperter, she said: ``I did not know how I would do, but now I feel good.''

Pucinskaite was helped by Lithuanian teammates Zulfia Zabirova and Diana Ziliute. The three riders broke free of the pack in the last lap, and Pucinskaite's teammates managed to block all the other breakaway riders.

Rasa Polikevieciute, of the Lithuanian National Team, finished second. American Karen Kurreck, of Team Klein, finished third, a week after winning the U.S. women's pro championship in Pittsburgh.

Kurreck, 35, of Cupertino, Calif., said the Lithuanian riders were too much to overcome.

``I did what I could, but they were just kept attacking,'' Kurreck said.

A Father's Day at the races, Cycling fans flock to The Wall in Manayunk

They held a big ol' Father's Day block party in Manayunk yesterday and a bike race broke out.

Thousands of good-natured partiers strolled u-u-u-up and down the sidewalks of Lyceum Avenue, soaking up the brilliant sunshine. There were balloons, loud music, soft pretzels, free samples of soda and bottled water, and trampoline and gymnastics exhibits.

Doting fathers walked with or carried their children as they soaked up the carnival atmosphere and quality time.

And every once in a while, everybody stopped to applaud, whistle at and cheer groups of men and women as they labored their high-tech bicycles u-u-u-up the steep street during the 13th Annual CoreStates USPRO Cycling Championship.

They call Lyceum -- between Cresson and Pechin streets -- The Wall. The steep, four-block climb is the toughest challenge on a 14.4-mile racecourse that snakes from Logan Circle, past the Museum of Art, along Kelly Drive, over Lemon and Strawberry Hills, skirting East Falls and tackling hilly Manayunk.

Spectators lined the full length of the tortuous course to cheer on the riders. The men's race is 156 miles long, and the women's 67.6 miles.

But, why would anyone want to pedal their bike u-u-u-up Lyceum?

``I guess to prove you're the best in the U.S.,'' replied Greg Baker, 27, as he stood on the balcony of his Lyceum Avenue apartment and watched a pack of racers clim-m-m-m-b The Wall.

``This is the USPRO Championships, man. This is your chance to prove you're the best.''

Baker, who teaches at Penn, invited a few dozen close friends over for the day. The music was thumpin' and the balcony was jumpin' as they watched the racers go pump, pump, pumpin' u-u-u-up Lyceum.

The crowds impressed Baker as much as the cyclists.

``You've got thousands of people walking by all day and you never have a problem,'' said Baker as he nursed a brewski and gestured toward the mass of humanity below.

``This sort of really drives home that whole City of Brotherly Love thing. It's great that it lets the whole world see how great our city is.''

As if the cheers of the crowd and the traditional water spray from Bill O'Brien's Watering Hole halfway up The Wall weren't enough, the racers got an extra measure of Brotherly Love after a large tree fell across Kelly Drive near Boathouse Row. It happened about 10 minutes before a pack of racers was due to come zipping by on the final lap.

``I need about 100 volunteers,'' one guy shouted as he raced toward the timber, said Marni Gwyther, 27, of the Logan Square area.

He got 'em -- and they muscled the tree over to the curb while race support crews swept away the debris, set up traffic cones and used signal flags to direct the racers around the clutter.

``A lot of people in the crowd started saying, `Let's hear it for Philadelphia!' '' Gwyther said.

``They all started cheering and everything.''

The racers were grateful, but none of them could stop to thank the crowd. After all, they still had one more swing through Fairmount Park and one more heart-pumping, brain-numbing, vein-popping, trek u-u-u-up Lyceum.