US Elite Championships & Olympic trials - NE

Redlands, CA, USA, June 16-19, 2004

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Race 7 - June 19: Men’s Team Selection Race, 190km

Commentary by Jeff Jones & Anthony Tan, with additional reporting from Kristy Scrymgeour

Complete live report

Live coverage starts: 12:30 PDT
Estimated finish time: 16:30 PDT

12:51 PDT   
Welcome to Cyclingnews' impromptu live coverage (well, every 30 minutes or so) of the US men's Olympic Trials, held over 189 km in Redlands, CA. The men start with a short 7.4 km lap followed by 10 laps of an 18.2 km circuit, which is being described as "technical and undulating". There are two main climbs per lap, although each is neither particularly long nor steep. However the continual up and down nature of the race will cause a few tired legs at the end. The finish is flat for the final few kilometres, and the finishing straight is wide open.

The winner of this race gets a spot in the US men's Olympic team, and the main candidates look to be Fred rodriguez (ACqua e Sapone), Chris Horner (Webcor), David Zabriskie (US Postal) and Trent Klasna (Sierra Nevada), although there are plenty of other good riders in the field.

The women's race has just concluded with Kristin Armstrong (T-Mobile) and Christine Thorburn (Webcor) finishing 1-2 after a long breakaway. That means Armstrong gets the third spot on the women's Olympic team along with Thorburn and Dede Demet (T-Mobile).

13:16 PDT    27km/162km to go
At the end of the first of 10 laps, we have a breakaway of three riders with Chris Baldwin (Navigators), Will Frischkorn (Colavita Olive Oil) and Doug Ollerenshaw (Jelly Belly). They have 50 seconds lead on another group of three: Ryan Dewald (Snow Valley), Lawrence Perera (Sharper Image) and Marc Collard (Red Edge). The peloton is at 1'32.

13:48 PDT    44km/145km to go
We've now completed the second of 10 x 18.2 km laps, and the situation on the road is still the same, but the time gaps are wider. The lead break of Baldwin, Frischkorn and Ollerenshaw now have 1'45 to the next group with Dewald, Perea and Collard in it and 3'40 to the Webcor/Sierra Nevada controlled peloton, which is not panicking yet of course.

14:10 PDT    61km/128km to go
We're coming up to the end of the third lap and the situation has changed a little. There's still the same three riders in front: Baldwin, Frischkorn and Ollerenshaw, and they lead Dewald, Perera and Collard by 2'40. At 4'35 we have two riders: Trent Klasna (Sierra Nevada) and Ben Raby (ABD), who attacked midway through lap three and have 20 seconds lead over the Webcor controlled peloton.

Webcor will probably have to assume most of the responsibility to bring this break back to set things up for Horner, as Fred Rodriguez doesn't have any teammates here today.

The temperatures today are in the mid-70's (low to mid 20's celsius).

14:41 PDT    72km/117km to go
We're now halfway through the third lap of what is turning out to be a fairly slow race. It's status quo, with the leading trio still 2'40 ahead of the three chasers and 5'33 ahead of the Webcor-led peloton. Klasna and Raby have been pulled back in by the peloton, perhaps realising the futility of it all. A five minute gap is difficult to close with two riders.

15:07 PDT    100km/89km to go
Things are hotting up, but only a little as we pass the halfway point in the US Olympic selection race in Redlands. The three leaders (Baldwin, Frischkorn and Ollerenshaw) now have 3'00 lead on two chasers: Ryan Dewald and Marc Collard. Lawrence Perera (Sharper Image) has been dropped off and is on his way back to the peloton. Speaking of which, the bunch is still 5'42 behind the leaders, so Webcor hasn't yet started to chase.

Further back, we see a US Armed Forces rider about 10 minutes behind, doing it tough.

The sun is getting warmer now and the temperatures are rising. There's not too many folks out to watch the race though: To quote Australian poet/humourist John Clarke, "It's an estimated crowd". Surprising, because Redlands, CA normally has a strong cycling community.

15:29 PDT    111km/78km to go
With 78 km to go in the US Men's Olympic Trials the situation has become clearer. We still have the breakaway of three riders in front: Chris Baldwin (Navigators), Will Frischkorn (Colavita) and Doug Ollerenshaw (Jelly Belly), but Ryan Dewald has been swallowed up by the peloton, which is still 5'35 behind the break. National Collegiate Champion Marc Collard is still out there, riding solo.

Mark McCormack (Colavita Olive Oil) had a bike change.

The heat is starting to take its toll now as we approach the "business end of the bike race" to quote Stuey Doyle.

15:55 PDT    120km/69km to go
The three leaders have just started the seventh lap, which means they have approximately 70 km to go. They have managed to extend their advantage out to 6'30 over the peloton, which should probably think about doing a little chasing action soon. Baldwin, Frischkorn and Ollerenshaw are the riders in front.

US Collegiate Champ Marc Collard is still ahead of the peloton, but is trailing the three leaders by 4'45.

Trent Klasna (Sierra Nevada) and Jon Tarkington (Vitamin Cottage) tried to attack the bunch, but the most they could get was 10 seconds before it was closed down by Webcor.

16:24 PDT    132km/57km to go
With three laps and just over 50 kilometres remaining, the race is now beginning to take shape.

We still have the lead trio of Chris Baldwin (Navigators), Will Frischkorn (Colavita Olive Oil) and Doug Ollerenshaw (Jelly Belly), who enjoy a buffer of around 4'00 - but in the middle of the seventh lap, a break of eight riders went clear, including: Justin England (Webcor), Antonio Cruz (USPS), John Lieswyn and Jason McCartney (Health Net), Kirk O'Bee (Navigators), Jacob Rosenbarger (Jittery Joes), Andy Bajadali (Ofoto), US national champ Fred Rodriguez (Acqua e Sapone) and Adam Bergman (Jelly Belly).

The octet are roughly 3'15 behind the three leaders, with a second group of five also dislodging themselves from the peloton to become the third group on the road.

Apparently the peloton is in pieces - i.e., there is no peloton.

16:58 PDT    150km/39km to go
OK, we've just gone past the two laps to go mark in the US Olympic selection road race here in Redlands, CA., and the lead riders are approaching the hills.

Now, to update you on what's been happening. The lead trio of Chris Baldwin (Navigators), Will Frischkorn (Colavita Olive Oil), and Doug Ollerenshaw (Jelly Belly) are still in front, but not by much: on the last lap (three to go), the second group of eight became four - comprised of Lieswyn, Bajadali, O'Bee, and Fast Freddy Rodriguez - and are trailing by just 48 seconds!!

Behind the quartet, there's now a group of nine at 1'39 (hey, that rhymes!): (sorry, surnames only) Horner (!), Cruz, Zabriskie, Bergman, McCartney, Elkan, Larkin, Walker, and Rosenbarger.

And behind that, just bits and pieces.

17:18 PDT    166km/23km to go
Both the second and third chase groups have now bridged up to the very, very early break of three, and with five kilometres to go before the final 18.2 lap, we have a lead group of 16 riders: Baldwin, Frischkorn, Ollerenshaw,
Lieswyn, Bajadali, O'Bee, Rodriguez, Horner, Cruz, Zabriskie, Bergman, McCartney, Elkan, Larkin, Walker, and Rosenbarger.

The winner will obviously come from one of these men. Cyclingnews' US correspondent, Kristy Scrymgeour, who's out on the course, tells us that Horner is looking very good, but with some very good sprinters in the winning move (Rodriguez and O'Bee among the best of them), he'll need to crack the field before the finish line.

17:31 PDT    180km/9km to go
Health Net's Jason McCartney has attacked on his own! Good move with his team-mate John Lieswyn right behind him.

A group of four, including Lieswyn, Doug Ollerenshaw and Adam Bergman (Jelly Belly) and Andy Bajadali (Ofoto) are at 42 seconds, and behind these four, the remaining 10 are 1'20 behind McCartney.

17:40 PDT    184km/5km to go
Barring any misfortune, our lone leader Jason McCartney (Health Net) looks like he's got this one in da bag!

Trailing McCartney is his team-mate and Cyclingnews diarist Johnny Lieswyn (Health Net) and Doug Ollerenshaw (Jelly Belly) at 1'00, and trailing these two is a group of three - Horner, Rodriguez and Bajadali - at 1'30. Kirk O'Bee is behind these guys, and then there's a group of six at 2'00.

17:51 PDT    189km/0km to go
Jason McCartney from Health Net (presented by Maxxis, of course) has won the US Olympic selection road race in Redlands! What a champion effort! Feel free to applaud from your bedroom/living room/office - that was a mighty ride!

Looks like there might have been some confusion with race radio concerning whether it was Jelly Belly's Adam Bergman or Doug Ollerenshaw in that second group. Nonethelesss, Bergman has taken a fine second place.

Top 10 coming soon. Thanks for tuning in, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Top 10 results

1 Jason McCartney (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
2 Adam Bergman (USA) Jelly Belly
3 Dave Zabriskie (USA) US Postal Service p/b Berry Floor
4 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Acqua e Sapone
5 Antonio Cruz (USA) US Postal Service p/b Berry Floor
6 Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Jelly Belly
7 John Lieswyn (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
8 Evan Elken (USA) Broadmark Capital
9 Andy Bajadali (USA) Ofoto
10 Chris Walker (USA) Labor Power)