News for March 3, 1997

REINHART DOUBLES ON FIRST DAY OF EDS TRACK CUP '97

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Nicole Reinhart was the big winner on the opening day of the first round of the EDS Track Cup '97 at San Diego Velodrome.

Reinhart (Cox Atlanta Velo), of Macungie, Pa., won the first final of the new national track series when she captured the 500 meters title with a time of 38.07 seconds.

The EDS Track Cup '97 is a seven-event national series which aims to enhance track racing in the United States. Each round of the Cup is a three-day competition featuring all 12 World Track Cup events.

"I'm excited about this," she said of the new series, which will take place from coast-to-coast over the next seven months. "Look how many people are here and in good form. This will do a lot for cycling."

Reinhart, 20, followed up her 500-meter win with a victory in an action-packed women's points race. The race came down to the final, double-points sprint, which Reinhart won, earning 10 points and edging Becky Quinn (Intercon), Quakertown, Pa., by one point, 24 to 23.

"We don't get to do points races very often on the national level," Reinhart said. "That's why this is neat."

She said a strong performance at the first round of the EDS Track Cup '97 was one of her goals.

"I've been training hard and I wanted to do well at these races to start the season strong," Reinhart said.

Her teammate, U.S. National Team member Christian VandeVelde of Lemont, Ill., won the men's individual pursuit, defeating fellow national team member and 1996 Olympian Adam Laurent (Cox Atlanta Velo), of Shell Beach, Calif., in the final. Both rode GT SuperBike IIs in the event.

VandeVelde's victory gave the Cox Atlanta Velo squad three victories on the day, a strong start in the season-long team overall competition.

Jason Garner (Northbrook BC) won the kilometer time trial in one minute, 9.25 seconds. Garner, of Newport Beach, Calif., nipped England's Shaun Wallace, the former world kilometer time trial record-holder, by seven-hundredths of a second.

"I think this is a great event," Garner said. "I'm definitely going to t he next one (April 11-13 at Alkek Velodrome in Houston, Texas)."

The first day of competition, which saw 120 riders compete, also included the qualifying and first two rounds of the men's sprint action. David Bittenbender (Nescafe), Del Mar, Calif., qualified fastest with a 200-meter time of 11.27 seconds. He advanced into the quarterfinals among a group that includes Marcelo Arrue (Mrs.T's-Lexus), Alburtis, Pa., who finished fifth at the UCI World Track Championships in 1996.

Saturday's competition will include the final in the men's sprint, team pursuit and men's points race, plus the opening rounds of the women's sprint competition.

The EDS Track Cup '97 concludes Sunday.

EDS TRACK CUP '97 ROUND ONE, Feb. 28, San Diego Velodrome

Women's 500 Meters

1. NICOLE REINHART (Cox Atlanta Velo), Macungie, Pa., 38.07 seconds; 
2. Rebecca Quinn (Intercon), Quakertown, Pa., 39.02; 
3. Missy Thompson (PowerBar), Colorado Springs, Colo., 39.11; 
4. C.J. Boyenger (Velo Allegro), Torrance, Calif., 39.18; 
5. Jennie Reed (Gregg's-Specialized), Issaquah, Wash., 39.55; 
6. Suzanne Hodges (Mrs.T's-Lexus), Houston, Texas, 40.01; 
7. Heather Thompson (Leprechaun Racing), Pleasanton, Calif., 40.05; 
8. Robin Conley-Cutting (Richardson Bike Mart), Plano, Texas, 40.07.

Men's 4km Individual Pursuit

1. CHRISTIAN VANDE VELDE (Cox Atlanta Velo), Lemont, Ill., 4 mins, 45.69 secs; 
2. Adam Laurent (Cox Atlanta Velo), Shell Beach, Calif., 4:48.19; 
3. Tommy Mulkey (Cox Atlanta Velo), Griffin, Ga., 4:52.97;  
4. Shaun Wallace (unattached), Southampton, England, 4:54.38; 
5. Chris Carlson (Team EDS), Dallas, Texas, 4:54.37; 
6.Jonathan Reth (Mrs. T's-Lexus), Yucaipa, Calif., 5:02.60; 
7. Dirk Copeland (Mrs. T's-Lexus), San Diego, Calif., 5:03.32; 
8. Kirk O'Bee (Mrs. T's-Lexus), Ada, Mich., 5:05.20. 

Women's Points Race, 18km

1. REINHART, 24 pts (3 sprint victories); 
2. Quinn, 23 (2); 
3. Erin Veenstra (Bank United), Colorado Springs, Colo., 12 (1); 
4. Karen Dunne (Chippers), Colorado Springs, Colo., 10 (1); 
5. H. Thompson, 10; 
6. Marisa Vande Velde (Blazing Bicycle Club), Colorado Springs, Colo., 6; 
7. Linda Kruse (Team EDS), Irving, Texas, 5; 
8. Dana Thomason (AMV), Del Mar, Calif., 4.

Men's Kilometer Time Trial

1. JASON GARNER (Northbrook BC), Newport Beach, Calif., one minute, 9.25 secs; 
2. Wallace, 1:09.32; 
3. Shawn Washburn (Amoroso's-Tri State Velo), Kutztown, Pa., 1:10.31; 
4. Trey Gannon (Team EDS), Dallas, Texas, 1:10.32; 
5. Cameron Hoffman (unattached), Pleasanton, Calif.; 1:11.82; 
6. John Walrod (GS Ciao), Macungie, Pa., 1:11.93; 
7. Brian DeRouen (unattached), Lafayette, Calif., 1:12.15; 
8. Peter Selby (Marion Bicycle Club), Jonesboro, Ind., 1:12.30.

Men's Sprint, Second Round (winners advance to quarterfinals)

David Bittenbender (Nescafe), Del Mar, Calif., def. 
Scott Schwartz (Valley Cycling Team), San Diego, Calif.; 

Gannon def. Garth Blackburn (Cox Atlanta Velo), Houston, Texas; 
Mark Garrett (Team EDS), Los Angeles, Calif., def. Dan Dunaway (Houston Track
Club), Houston; Selby def. Washburn; 
Marcelo Arrue (Mrs. T's-Lexus), Alburtis, Pa., def. 
Zac Copeland (San Diego Velo), Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; 
Garner def. Carlson.

Second Round Repechages (winners advance to quarterfinals)

Washburn def. Schwartz and Carlson; 
Z. Copeland def. Blackburn and Dunaway.

Quarterfinal Pairings (best-of-three)

Bittenbender vs. Z. Copeland; 
Gannon vs. Washburn; 
Garrett vs. Garner; 
Selby vs. Arrue.

ARRUE, MULKEY BIG WINNERS AT DAY TWO OF EDS TRACK CUP

Mulkey, of Griffin, Ga., won the men's points race after helping his Cox Atlanta Velo squad win the team pursuit competition. Mulkey won three sprints and finished second on the final, double-points sprint in the 30km race to earn the victory over Cox teammate Christian VandeVelde of Lemont, Ill. Mulkey finished with a total of 33 points to VandeVelde's 27. Both were among 10 riders who gained a lap over the rest of the 28-rider field.

"I try to (race points races) as much as I can, but with track racing in the United States, it's tough," Mulkey said, echoing the sentiment of many riders at the EDS Track Cup who are glad to have the additional opportunities to race at an elite level in this country.

The EDS Track Cup '97 is a seven-race series designed to improve track cycling in the United States.

Mulkey and VandeVelde teamed with Adam Laurent, Shell Beach, Calif., and Benjamin Sharp, Indianapolis, Ind., to win the team pursuit. The Cox Atlanta Velo #1 squad caught its opponents, a second team from Cox Atlanta Velo.

The day's other star was Arrue, of Alburtis, Pa., who won the men's sprint competition, topping Trey Gannon (Team EDS), Dallas, Texas, in two rides. Arrue, fifth in the world in 1996, overcame a crash earlier in the day during the points race heats.

"I felt stronger as the day went on," he said. "If nothing's broken, then I'm back on the bike."

Arrue will compete in the keirin Sunday and will soon depart to compete in the Japanese keirin circuit.

In other action Saturday, Missy Thompson (PowerBar), Colorado Springs, Colo., qualified first in the women's sprints and easily advanced through to the Sunday's semifinal round. The women's sprint final will also take place Sunday, along with Olympic sprint, keirin, Madison and women's individual pursuit.

March 1, San Diego Velodrome

Team Pursuit Final

1. COX ATLANTA VELO 1 (ADAM LAURENT, Shell Beach, Calif.; CHRISTIAN VANDEVELDE,
Lemont, Ill.; TOMMY MULKEY, Griffin, Ga., BEN SHARP, Indianapolis, Ind.),
caught 2. Cox Atlanta Velo 2 (Brian McDonough, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Brian
Whitcomb, Indianapolis, Ind., Phillip Briggs, LaGrange, Ga.; Andrew Crater,
Greensboro, N.C.).

Third Place

3. Mrs. T's-Lexus (Dirk Copeland, San Diego, Calif.; Kenny Zielinski, Houston,
Texas; Todd Ehrler, Redlands, Calif.; Kirk O'Bee, Ada, Mich.), 4 mins, 56.03
secs., def. Mrs. T's-Lexus-Masters (Mark Rosenthal, San Diego; Steve Zoumouras,
Incline Village, Calif.; Dan Rock, n.a.; Mitch Weinstock, San Diego), 5:03.90.

Men's Points Race, 30km

1. MULKEY, 33 pts (3 sprint victories); 2. VandeVelde, 27 (3); 3. Chris Carlson
(Team EDS), Dallas, Texas, 26 (3); 4. Cameron Hoffman (unattached), Pleasanton,
Calif., 17 (2); 5. Laurent, 14; 6. O'Bee, 10; 7. Brian DeRouen (unattached),
Lafayette, Calif., 7 (1); 8. John Walrod (GS Ciao), Macungie, Pa., 5 (1).

Men's Sprint

1. MARCELO ARRUE (Mrs. T's-Lexus), Alburtis, Pa.; 2. Trey Gannon (Team EDS),
Dallas, Texas; 3. Zac Copeland (SDVA), Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; 4. Mark Garrett
(Team EDS), Los Angeles; 5. Jason Garner (Northbrook BC), Newport Beach,
Calif.; 6. Dave Bittenbender (Nescafe), Del Mar, Calif.; 7. Shawn Washburn
(Amoroso's-Tri State Velo), Kutztown, Pa.; 8. Peter Selby (Marion Bicycle
Club), Jonesboro, Ind.

Women's Sprint, Quarterfinals

Missy Thompson (PowerBar), Colorado Springs, Colo.; def. Suzie Marshall
(LGBRC-Easton), Redwood City, Calif.; Becky Quinn (Intercon), Quakertown, Pa.,
def. Robin Conley-Cutting (Hooters), Plano, Texas; Nicole Reinhart (Cox Atlanta
Velo), Macungie, Pa., def. Dana Thomason (AMV), Del Mar, Calif.; Jennie Reed
(Gregg's-Specialized), Issaquah, Wash., def. Heather Thompson (Leprechaun
Racing), Pleasanton, Calif.

Semifinal Pairings: M. Thompson vs. Reed; Quinn vs. Reinhart.