Athens Twilight Criterium - NE

Athens, GA, USA, April 24, 2004

2003 Results Results Past winners

Jones & Abraham lap field, home win for Pic

Tina Pic
Photo ©: Emory Ball

Brice Jones (Health Net) has won this year's Athens Twilight Criterium in front of an estimated 25,000 fans that packed downtown Athens, Georgia on Saturday night. Jones escaped after about 20 laps of the 60-lap event, taking Emile Abraham (Team Aerospace) with him, and the two worked solidly together to lap the field with 12 laps to go. Assisted by team-mate and 2003 winner Dan Schmatz, Jones powered to the front in the finale to take the win.

Jones said the escape and lapping of the field hadn't been planned, but he took advantage when it occurred. "'It just sort of happened,'' he told the Athens Banner-Herald. ''The race started out really fast and it took me a while to find my rhythm. Once we got out front, we just worked really well together and pulled away.''

In the women's race, Tina Mayolo-Pic (Genesis Scuba) scored a long-awaited victory in her home town's big race. Several attempts at breakaways were neutralised by the hard-charging peloton and with two laps to go it was clearly going to be a sprint showdown. Pic's team-mate Laura Van Gilder led her out and the two were able to edge out Gina Grain (Victory Brewing) to take a one-two.

''I had always said that I wasn't going to retire until I won this thing,'' said Pic, who first raced Athens Twilight in 1994. ''It was a great race, Laura did an amazing job and it feels great to finally win here at home.''

Photography

Images by Emory Ball

Lap one - and a Colavita launches an attack on the left.
A Colavita Olive Oil rider off the front solo.
Genesis Scuba is quick to react as Laura Van Gilder bridges up to the break away.
A Victory Brewing rider bridging up.
Back in the field the action is less intense as the gap to the break continues to grow.
At last the speed picks up as the break is brought back and a series of counter attacks begin.
Active all race long Genesis Scuba's Candice Blickem attacks.
Colavita Olive Oil and Victory Brewing chasing.
Laura Van Gilder launches another move quickly covered by Victory Brewing.
Van Gilder in the break.
Genesis Scuba's Candice Blickem in a familar mode - on the attack.
Laura Weislo (Spin Cycle/Duke Sports Medicine) takes turn four at high speed.
Final laps and Genesis can be seen massing at the front of the pack.
Colavita's Tracy Sproule moving up through the turn three.
Magen Long powers her way to the front.
Colavita takes over pace making and keeps the field together for their sprinter.
Genesis Scuba keeps the speed high.
Melissa Sanborn of Wells Fargo tags onto the Victory train inside two laps to go.
Laura Van Gilder brings Tina Mayola Pic to the front on the inside as the Colavita train forms on the outside.
National Crit Champ Tina Mayola Pic of Genesis Scuba.
Almost bell lap and everyone is searching for the right wheel.
Heading into one to go and Colavita Olive Oil is leading out but Tina Mayola is second wheel.
Laura Van Gilder moving into place to lead out the last lap for eventual winner Tina Mayola Pic.
Victory Brewing and Genesis Scuba shoulder to shoulder in last corners.

Images from the men's race by Beth Seliga/www.3catsphoto.com

TIAA-CREF rider Ang Sheldrake looks excited before the race start.
Tension mounts waiting for the start of the crit.
The Twilight always is a raucous party in Athens, Georgia! Many racers say this is their favorite crit of the year.
Ang Sheldrake shows the young guys aren’t going to let anyone push them around in the corners.
Racing is always fast and furious at Athens, the fastest thing besides NASCAR in the south!
Racers corner three-deep in the turns around the course.
TIAA-CREF rider Andrew Manart keeps his focus during the race.
Brice Jones (Health Net) rode strongly to win the TIAA-CREF Twilight Crit.
Brice Jones (Health Net) shows the strain of leaving the field behind en route to victory.

Results

Men
 
1 Brice Jones (USA) Health Net 
2 Emile Abraham (USA) Team Aerospace
 
Women
 
1 Tina Mayolo-Pic (USA) Genesis Scuba
2 Laura van Gilder (USA) Genesis Scuba
3 Gina Grain (Can) Victory Brewing

Past winners

Men
 
2003 Dan Schmatz (USA) 7UP-Maxxis
2002 Gord Fraser (Can) Mercury
2000 Gord Fraser (Can) Mercury
 
Women
 
2003 Candice Blickem (Genesis Scuba-FFCC)
2002 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Saturn
2000 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Elita