New York City Cycling Championship - NE

USA, August 3, 2003

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Complete Live Report

Commentary by Kristy Scrymgeour, with additional reporting by Tim Maloney

Time conversion guide: GMT = CEST - 2 hrs, AEST = CEST + 8 hrs, EDT = CEST - 6 hrs, PDT = CEST - 9 hrs

Start time: 12:15 EDT
Estimated finish time: 14:30 EDT

11:53 EDT    
Welcome to Cyclingnews’ live coverage of the New York City Cycling Classic held in lower Manhattan. Today’s race is a 100km, eight-corner criterium set around a 2km course with the start/finish line in Wall Street. Last year’s winner Ivan Dominguez (Saturn) is back to defend his title amongst a strong US and International field. Missing from the field is Lance Armstrong (US Postal Services) and leader of the Wachovia US Pro Championships Julian Dean (CSC). Running second in the series is Uros Murn (Formaggio Pinzolo) who needs to place either first or second to take the lead at the end of the day.

It is a typical August day in Manhattan, warm and muggy as rider’s line up waiting for the go ahead from Tyler Hamilton, who is here fresh from his fourth place in the Tour de France. Hamilton is not racing, but will be the official starter along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Cyclingnews reporter Tim Maloney is on the start line and has talked to some of the riders before the race. Many people expect a battle between Saturn with Ivan Dominguez and Health Net with Gord Frasier. Moreno DiBiase (Formaggi Pinzolo Piave) is really looking forward to the race and aiming to ride well to impress the American teams as he wants to race in America next year. The Italians are excited as they have never raced an American style criterium before, however they have been preparing by riding criteriums in Europe.

12:17 EDT    
The race is under way now with Hamilton blowing the start horn. The streets are lined with people and already the action has begun. There is a rider from Sportsbook.com in solo breakaway in the first lap. He is being chased by 7UP-Maxxis team.

12:20 EDT    
He has been caught but the fast pace has caused a slight split in the field.

12:21 EDT    4 km/96 km to go
Oscar Pineda (UP-Maxxis) has attacked, but has also been caught.

12:28 EDT    8 km/92 km to go
More attacks as riders continue to force a break. Kevin Monahan (7UP-Maxxis) attacked, and now it is a rider from Ofoto Lombardi Sports, covered by Viktor Rapinksi. The two have a gap, with Rapinski sitting on.

Saturn are covering a lot of the moves as they want to keep the race all together for Dominguez.

12:32 EDT    
The two have been caught and Ofoto have attacked again. Danny Pate (Prime Alliance) has gone with him as has Chris Horner (Saturn). The Ofoto rider is Tim Larkin. Another seven riders have bridged to the break and the bunch is chasing hard.

12:38 EDT    20 km/80 km to go
The is now a split in the field with about 25 riders in the lead. The gap is at 25 seconds on the field.

12:44 EDT    
Prime Alliance are pushing the pace in the break and Kevin Monahan is attempting to bridge up from the field. Dominguez is not in the front group. The gap is now 20 seconds.

12:54 EDT    30 km/70 km to go
The break now has 30 seconds on the field with Danny Pate and Alex Candelario from Prime Alliance still pushing the pace. Adham Sbeih (Sierra Nevada) had managed to bridge to the break and is now hanging onto the back. Back in the bunch Jelly Belly are chasing hard. The fastest sprinters in the race, Gord Fraser (Health Net) and Dominguez are back in the chase group.

12:57 EDT    
Gordon McCauley (Schroeder Iron) is also spending a lot of time on the front of the chase group but it seems the break is making more time.

13:05 EDT    36 km/64 km to go
In the break are Chris Horner and Viktor Rapinski (Saturn), Dany Pate, Alex Candelario, John Peters and David Clinger (Prime Alliance/TIAA Cref) Marty Nothstein, Ciaran Power and Siro Campanogara (Navigators), John Lieswyn (7UP-Maxxis), Tim Larkin and Russel Hamby (Ofoto), Mike Sayers (Health Net), Alvaro Gonzalez de Galdeano and Jose Azevedo (ONCE), Andrew Randell (Jet Fuel), Chris Fisher (Jelly Belly), Antonio Cruz (US Postal Service) and Sbeih.

Lieswyn has taken the sprint points at the 64km to go mark.

13:09 EDT    42 km/58 km to go
Sprint update: Horner is leading with 25 points followed by Candelario on 10 points, then Larkin on 9 points.

Jelly Belly and McCauley are still chasing hard to bring this break back but the gap is now 52 seconds to the break of 20 riders.

13:14 EDT    48 km/52 km to go
Pate is still driving the pace in an amazing demonstration of strength in the style that made him World U/23 TT champion in 1999. According to our reporter Tim Maloney his ride today proves that he should be in races like the Tour de France and not just small criteriums in America. His pace has been so high that riders are suffering in the break, in fact Sbeih has been dropped from the break.

13:20 EDT    50 km/50 km to go
Clinger won a sprint prime for $200. The race is now at the half way mark and the gap now 1 minute. Pate is still on the front pounding away.

The conditions are a bit gusty as the wind is blowing through the buildings.

13:33 EDT    60 km/40 km to go
Danny Pate is still on the front with his teammate Candelario. Prime Alliance/TIAA Cref actually have four riders in the break, the fourth being John Peters. They are in a very good position with such high numbers. Back in the chase group Gord Fraser with Health Net and Jittery Joe's are chasing hard but not making much of an impact against Pate.

Ofoto are also having a very strong race. Tim Larkin is really challenging Horner in the sprints. He just won the intermediate sprint with 20 laps to go.

13:36 EDT    62 km/38 km to go
Pate has finally just slowed down a little and there had been an attack. Antonio Cruz is away and has a good gap. He is being chased by Powers.

13:40 EDT    
Cruz has been caught and there has been a counter attack by Nothstein. He has about 10 seconds to the chasers. Health Net seem to be making an impression back in the field, the gap to the break of 20 is now 36 seconds.

Azevedo and Cruz are bridging up to Nothstein.

13:43 EDT    70 km/30 km to go
Cruz, Rapinski and Azevedo are together now with about 5 seconds to a chasing group of about 8 riders and another 5 seconds back to another 8. The peloton are at about 1 minute. Azevedo is looking good despite the fact he has never ridden a criterium in America before.

13:46 EDT    72 km/28 km to go
The break of three is looking very good. Azevedo is looking very good. The gap is now 15 seconds. Prime Alliance/TIAA Cref are chasing. Horner doesn't seem too worried about helping and Power is sitting on Prime Alliance protecting the lead of Nothstein.

13:50 EDT    76 km/24 km to go
The break has been caught and a group of about 20 are now in the lead again. Counter attacks are following, but nothing is getting away just yet.

13:52 EDT    
Danny Pate is back on the front of the break driving the pace again with Chris Horner consistently sitting in second place.

13:56 EDT    80 km/20 km to go
Rapinksi is looking good in the break and is one of the strongest sprinters up there. Northstein is also of course a strong sprinter, but may have used up a little bit too much energy in that break.

14:01 EDT    82 km/18 km to go
Prime Alliance/TIAA Cref are still riding hard at the front working for Clinger. Back in the peloton Gord Fraser (Health Net) has been on the front himself chasing. The gap seems to be closing a little.

14:05 EDT    
The gap is now 40 seconds and the peloton are looking tired. There are 17 riders left in the leading group. At the front it is still the Danny Pate show. He is riding like a freight train and some of the riders are hanging onto the break for dear life.

14:10 EDT    88 km/12 km to go
The gap is now 54 seconds. Azevedo is helping out Pate at the front. Erik Saunders (Ofoto) is trying to bridge from the peloton but he is being chased down.

14:12 EDT    92 km/8 km to go
Larkin (Ofoto) has just won another intermediate sprint and may have closed the gap in points to Horner (Saturn)

14:12 EDT    
Azevedo is still on the front with pate sitting in second and Horner again right up there in third wheel.

14:14 EDT    94 km/6 km to go
Horner has won a sprint and now Pate is back on the front. The wind is picking up and it is looking tense in the bunch now.

14:16 EDT    96 km/4 km to go
First rain drops are starting to appear with a big storm brewing. The gap is now 30 seconds.

14:17 EDT    96 km/4 km to go
Campanogara sprinted to win a $500 prime with only 2 laps to go. The gap is 45" seconds. Ivan Dominguez won the prime in the peloton.

14:18 EDT    97 km/3 km to go
Gonzalez de Galdeano (ONCE)has attacked just over a lap to go. He was covered by Horner (Saturn). The rain is just holding off. Pate still on the front.

14:19 EDT    98 km/2 km to go
ONCE continue to attack, this time it's Azevedo, but Pate covers it again.

14:20 EDT    99 km/1 km to go
Pate is leading it out with Rapinski on his wheel.

14:22 EDT    
Candelario still leading it out for Prime Alliance/TIAA Cref, Saturn come though but it's Marty Nothstein (Vavigators) who comes around at the last minute but takes the win by a bike length. Rapinski (Saturn) is second followed by Clinger (Prime Alliance/TIAA Cref).

14:25 EDT    
Northstein looks very happy with the win and is interviewed immediately after. "We were out there a long time today in the break and it was tough. We came here to win today, it's an important race for our team. For me, it's been a long transition from the track since 2000 and I'm really happy with this result. It's the biggest road victory of my career"

Thanks for following the live coverage of the New York City Cycling Classic. Please check Cyclingnews in a few hours for full results and report.

The rain is now falling down and the roads are wet. It kindly waited until the race was over to come down hard.

Results

Unofficial
1 Marty Nothstein (USA) Navigators
2 Viktor Rapinski (Blr) Saturn
3 David Clinger (USA) Prime Alliance/TIAA Cref

Series leader board

1 Julian Dean (NZl) CSC
2 Uros Murn (Slo) Formaggi Pinzolo
3 Stefano Zanini (Ita) Saeco

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