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The Pure Austin Pace Bend Road Race presented by Sun & Ski Sports
February 26, 2006
Compliance Depot's Victory Repot!
By Andrew Willis
If there is on thing that can be said about cycling in the United States post-Lance, it's that bike racing is alive and well. Just ask Barry Lee and his Hotel San Jose team whom flawlessly hosted the Pure Austin Pace Bend Road Race presented by Sun & Ski sports for the 6th year in a row. While the elite arena of U.S. cycling boasts exciting new events such as the Tour of California, on the grass roots side of things, races such as Lee's filled three separate category 5 (beginner) fields. Additionally, Texas racing was privy to something unseen in it's ranks since the Lemond era of the late 80's, multiple and swollen junior categories. The food, beer, and music all make it easy to see why Lee's event is the largest race in Texas, with over 661 registered participants.
Nestled in the hills overlooking Lake Travis, just west of Austin, the 10km circuit on the service roads around Pace Bend State Park offered the riders an array of stunning pitches and views to both abhor and admire.
How it all went down
Elite men's racers faced thirteen laps, a total of 130km. A lack of wind coupled with fast down hill sections allowed a motivated field to roll up hills and around the course at an average speed of 42 km/hr, making the constant and persistent attacks and breakaway attempts futile. While the conditions may not have spurred a selection in the field, the high pace, distance, and team tactics finally did. With five laps to go, the Compliance Depot squad rallied at the front and forced the pace, splitting the field on the backside of the course. This resulted in the formation of a 15-man lead group. For several laps the lead group yo-yoed only seconds in front of the sporadically motivated field, and almost blew it as they obsessed over who had who in the break from which team. Finally, a rarity in amateur racing occurred, as the leaders made a pact not to attack till the last lap and simply take fast even pulls, thus extending their lead to ensure success. Despite their hard work, Rite-Aid Seal-On professional Ryan Dewald managed to ride across the gap on his own. Going into the final lap, the lead group was joined by another group of ten. Lost in the confusion of having almost doubled in size, the group lost it's momentum and looked only seconds from being reeled in by the boiling and roiling 70 man strong peleton, when Team Hotel San Jose's captain Dave Wenger went to the front and drove it to the final 300 meters in a lead out effort for his team's ace in the hole sprinter, Will Ross. But it was not to be Team Hotel San Jose's day, as Compliance Depot's cagey Nathan Rogut, blasted around everyone with an unanswerable surge to the line and ultimate victory.
The elite women's race saw two phenomena. The first was youngster Tracie Akerhielm of Compliance Depot riding away from former Saeco/Timex women's professional Jennifer McCrae, to score her third win of the year. The second was Victory Brewing's professional, Kate Sherwin. Sherwin flatted early in the race and had to wait a long time for a wheel change. She chased for 20 km, until only several hundred meters behind the women's field found her self being lapped by the elite men. An accident on the side of the road forced Sherwin to ride with the men's field and ultimately around the now neutralized women's field. This would have given her a free ride up to the breakaway, but realizing she'd passed her field because of the timing, sat up and waited for the pack to catch her. Having not seen her pass with the men's field, the women assumed that she'd been lapped. After much explanation on Sherwin's part, she attacked and rode away in pursuit of the breakaway, but ran out of road before the finish and had to settle for fifth.
Results
Juniors 14 & Under 1 Tomlin Jameson (Northwest Cycling Club/Alkek Veledrome) 2 Rasche Eric (Northwest Cycling Club/Alkek Veledrome) 3 Visser Avery (Team Hotel San Jose) 4 Russel Taylor (Team Hotel San Jose) 5 Megen Baab Juniors 12 & Under 1 Noah Williams (GS Tenzing) 2 Hunter Stewart (Matrix) 3 Kiersten Inserni (Velo Bella/Northwest Cycling Club) 4 Kees Inserni (Northwest Cycling Club/Alkek Veledrome) 5 Brent Kimbrough Juniors Open 1 Travis Brandt 2 Benjamin Hernandez (Great American Travel) 3 Ryan Smith (Team Hotel San Jose) 4 Travis Troxtell 5 Thomas Marrs (FCS/Compliance Depot) Category 5’s (A-Race) 1 Thacker Reeves (Simpson Bike and Fitness) 2 Mathew Davis (Team LaS'port) 3 Benjamin Stern (Ciclismo SA/Britton's Bicycle Shop) 4 Dan Madru (REI Austin) 5 Stuart Gregory (Woodlands Cycling Club Race Team) Category 5’s (B-Race) 1 Norman Meyer (UT Cycling Club) 2 William Snodgrass (OKC VELO) 3 Greg Parham (NRC/Pedalmashers) 4 Michael Fogel (Southern Elite) 5 Seth Mase (360 Cycleworks) Category 5’s (C-Race) 1 Brian Darby 2 Andy Rafie (Ciclismo SA/Britton's Bicycles) 3 Steve Brannan 4 Darwin Darr (Simpsons' Fitness and Adventure) 5 Paul Hurdlow (360Cycleworks) Category 4 Women 1 Alexa Kurtz 2 Wendy Mcpeek (Team Joy Rides) 3 Deb Manley 4 Brenna Wozniak 5 Andrea Benson (Compliance Depot ) Category 4 Men 1 Matt Googe 2 Brandon Zeeft 3 James Nisbet (PBBA) 4 Wylie Bagley 5 Redfern Drae () Category 4,5’s Master Men 35+ 1 Greg Phillips 2 Chris Hughs 3 Jordan Chaney 4 Dean Blackwood 5 Jimmie Vaughan () Open Master’s Men 35+ 1 Russell Motz 2 Richard Lamb 3 Andrew Phillips (Subway-Peerless) 4 Jon Landes (Colavita Racing) 5 Lester Carson (Broken Films Racing ) Masters Men 45+ 1 Mike Reade 2 Peter Erdoes 3 Scott Porter 4 Steve Wallentin 5 Veon McReynolds () Masters Men 55 + 1 Pete Reny 2 David Parks 3 John Roberts 4 Michael knoll 5 John Bartle () Category 3 Men 1 Bryan Fawley 2 Thomas Kubicek (Tilson Homes) 3 Andrew Armstrong (RBM Elite / Matrix) 4 Russell Metoyer 5 Shane Densmore (Compliance Depot Cycling Team) 1,2,3’s Women 1 Tracie Akerhielm 2 Jen Mcrae 3 Shannon Kock (FCS Cycling) 4 Beth Allen (Team Joy Rides/Austin Flyers) 5 Kate Sherwin (Victory Brewing) Pro 1,2 Men 1 Nathan Rogut (FCS/Compliance Depot) 2 Billy Kurtz (Team Brain and Spine) 3 William Ross (Team Hotel San Jose) 4 Henry Skonronek (Trek VW) 5 Troy Dunton (Compliance Depot Cycling Team)
Local results 2006
