Festival of Speed - NE

Orlando, Florida, USA, March 13-14, 2004

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Stage 1 - March 13: Downtown Orlando criterium, 80km

Health Net stealth to take win in Orlando

By Skeeler News service

The first day of the two days Festival of Speed attracted a whopping 3,000 spectators. The organizers moved the criterium venue from the outskirts of downtown Orlando into the bustling nightclub neighborhood on Orange Ave and started the last segment of the program with the pro/1/2 race at around 9pm. Ninety racers filled the fur-lane avenue. The 80 lap race of 1km per lap started off at an average speed of about 45km/h.

Dan Larson of the Cycle Science (shop) team and Ivan Franco (JC Team) increased the speed until the breakaway. A four-man group broke away and eventually widened the gap to 34 seconds but with only three laps to go, the quartet got gobbled up by the peloton, with two Jittery Joe's riders, three Jelly Bellies and again three more Jittery Joe's riders forming a paceline at an average speed of 56km/h.

But after the last corner with the wide avenue in front of them and the finish line in sight, the front started to crumble. Out from nowhere, sprinting past to take the lead were Brice Jones (Health Net) and Dan Schmatz (Health Net) , finishing respectively first and second, with Jeff Hopkins (Jittery Joe's) third. Hopkins, a little disappointed and barely back from Australia - still recovering from a long flight - said, "I knew the Health Net guys were sneaking up - I didn't have it in my legs yet!" Team manager Micah Rice added, "he'll be better tomorrow."

Results

1 Brice Jones (Health Net) 
2 Dan Schmatz (Health Net) 
3 Jeff Hopkins (Jittery Joe's)
...
6 Emile Abraham (Aerospace)
12 Frank Travieso (Aerospace)
16 Chris Frederick (Aerospace)
24 Eric Murphy (Aerospace)