Ecology Center Classic - NE

Missoula, Montana, USA, May 23-26, 2003

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Stage 3 - May 25: Missoula ITT, 8.3 miles

Mitchell, Weldon blow away fields in time trial, weather blows away Stage 4

Saturday was a double-stage day in the 2003 Ecology Center Classic, with the Missoula Bicycle Works Time Trial in the morning and the Frenchtown Circuit Race in the afternoon. However, while the time trial went off as planned - with Glen Mitchell (Navigators) and Suz Weldon (Ashmead/King) coming out on top in the Men Pro/1/2 and Women Open classes, respectively - the afternoon race had to be cancelled due to severe weather conditions.

Action began at 8:00 AM, when the riders tackled the twisty, hilly 8.3-mile 'race against the clock'. The stage produced few surprises on the men's side of things, as the powerful Navigators professional squad once again dominated affairs, taking the first three places on the stage. However, there was one major change in the overall standings, as Marc Bomhof (Ciclismo/Headwinds), third overall at the beginning of the day, dropped to fourth as a result of a subpar time trial performance.

Health Net pro Rusty Beall, on the other hand, was the first non-Navigators finisher, coming in just 47 seconds off Mitchell's time of 15:56; his ride was good enough to vault him over Bomhof by 27 seconds. Meanwhile, in the Women's Open event, second-year racer Weldon was a bit of a shock, considering she had been racing in (and winning) the Category 4 Women's race just twelve months ago. Her time of 18 minutes, 22 seconds was closely challenged by Eryn Hanna (Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club), who was just seven ticks behind; however, no one else was even close, as Katheryn Curl (Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club), 2002 U.S. Under-23 National Time Trial Champ Allison Beall (worlddiff.com), and overall race leader Becky Broeder (Intermountain Cycling) were all nearly a minute off the pace.

Overall, the stage had minimal effect on the women's standings, with Broeder maintaining her lead over teammate Liza Rachetto (at 2:42), with another woman who was competing in Category 4 last year, Eva Karau (Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo) a further 1:06 in arrears.

As for the afternoon's Frenchtown Circuit Race, it unfortunately never came to be. Severe thunderstorms smacked the area with mixed precipitation, winds, and visibility that fell below 70 feet at times. After a delay of more than a half-hour, race officials felt that the prudent move would be to cancel the stage, rather than risk the riders- taking shelter wherever possible nearby- in further inclement weather and the approaching nightfall. As a result, there remained just one stage, Monday's Bonner Park Criterium. Staged in a unique miss-and-out format, it ensured that there might still be a few changes in the overall standings.

Results

Men Pro/1/2
 
1 Glen Mitchell (Navigators)                       15.56
2 Burke Swindlehurst (Navigators)                   0.38
3 Jeff Louder (Navigators)                          0.39
4 Rusty Beall (Health Net)                          0.47
5 Colby Pearce (5280/Subaru Development)            0.52
6 Timmy Duggan (Duane Duggan ReMax/Paketa)          0.54
7 Tom Crawford (Broadmark Capital)                  1.03
8 Robert Veroba (Bicisport Calgary)                 1.07
9 Ryan Guay (Navigators)                            1.18
10 Zak Grabowski (Hot Tubes Cycling Team)           1.18
11 Joe Arnone (Team Hammer Gel)                     1.19
12 Cameron McKnight (Edmonton Road and Track)       1.20
13 Frank Overton (Pro Peloton Velo)                 1.31
14 Jonathan Baker (Pro Peloton Velo                 1.32
15 Jim Rucker (Saturn for Seattle)                  1.38
16 Andrew Minier (Share the Roads Racing)           1.46
17 Jason Bethel (Aurora Cycling Club)               1.49
18 Mick Walsh (Saturn for Seattle)                  1.53
19 Eric Pardyjak (First Endurance/Contend)          1.53
20 Kacey Chamberlin (Saturn for Seattle)            1.55
 
General Classification after Stage 3
 
1 Burke Swindlehurst (Navigators)                6.59.01
2 Colby Pearce (5280/Subaru Development)            0.54
3 Rusty Beall (Health Net)                          2.03
4 Marc Bomhof (Ciclismo/Headwinds)                  2.30
5 Ryan Guay (Navigators)                            2.34
6 Zak Grabowski (Hot Tubes Cycling Team)            2.58
7 Andrew Minier (Share the Roads Racing)            3.36
8 Scott Herzig (Montana Velo)                       5.34
9 Jonathan Baker (Pro Peloton Velo                  6.26
10 Frank Overton (Pro Peloton Velo)                 7.05
11 Jim Rucker (Saturn for Seattle)                  7.37
12 Jeff Louder (Navigators)                         8.29
13 Ian MacGregor (Duane Duggan ReMax/Paketa)        8.58
14 Angetti Sheldrake (5280/Subaru Development)     10.19
15 Glen Mitchell (Navigators)                      11.09
16 Robert Veroba (Bicisport Calgary)               12.16
17 Cameron McKnight (Edmonton Road and Track)      12.20
18 Tom Crawford (Broadmark Capital)
19 Eric Pardyjak (First Endurance/Contend)         13.23
20 Mick Walsh (Saturn for Seattle)                 14.58
 
Women Open
 
1 Suz Weldon (Ashmead/King)                        18.22
2 Eryn Hanna (Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club)        0.07
3 Katheryn Curi (Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club)     0.43
4 Allison Beall (worlddiff.com)                     0.51
5 Becky Broeder (Intermountain Cycling)             0.54
6 Renee Eastman (Vitamin Cottage Cycling)           1.09
7 Joy Shaffer (Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club)       1.17
8 Martha Meyer (Vitamin Cottage Cycling)            1.30
9 Heidi Stamm (Intermountain Cycling)               1.30
10 Liza Rachetto (Intermountain Cycling)
11 Eva Karau (Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo)       1.33
12 Sima Trapp (Team Goldy's)                        1.56
13 Margie Legg (Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo)     2.21
14 Mary Kneeland (Intermountain Cycling)            2.33
15 Elizabeth Nettles (Recycled Cycles Racing)       2.41
16 Carolyn Eller (Recycled Cycles Racing)           2.41
17 Kim Sawyer (Nalley Automotive Group)             2.45
18 Troy Watson (Cycle Couriers of San Francisco)    3.10
19 Marianne Holt (Nalley Automotive Group)          3.17
20 Kathleen Jones (Intermountain Cycling)           4.45
 
General Classification after Stage 3
 
1 Becky Broeder (Intermountain Cycling)          5.26.26
2 Liza Rachetto (Intermountain Cycling)             2.42
3 Eva Karau (Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo)        3.48
4 Katheryn Curi (Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club)     4.18
5 Mary Kneeland (Intermountain Cycling)             4.51
6 Sima Trapp (Team Goldy's)                         5.13
7 Suz Weldon (Ashmead/King)                         5.28
8 Joy Shaffer (Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club)       6.45
9 Eryn Hanna (Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club)        7.31
10 Renee Eastman (Vitamin Cottage Cycling)         10.22
11 Kim Sawyer (Nalley Automotive Group)            12.35
12 Heidi Stamm (Intermountain Cycling)             13.49
13 Allison Beall (worlddiff.com)                   15.00
14 Carolyn Eller (Recycled Cycles Racing)          15.05
15 Marianne Holt (Nalley Automotive Group)         21.44
16 Kathleen Jones (Intermountain Cycling)          23.49
17 Martha Meyer (Vitamin Cottage Cycling)          25.36
18 Elizabeth Nettles (Recycled Cycles Racing)      40.27
19 Troy Watson (Cycle Couriers of San Francisco)   40.56
20 Margie Legg (Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo)    53.02