Canadian championships - CN

Oxford County, ON, Canada, August 8-11, 2002

Main Page Results Previous Day

Day 4 - August 11: Criteriums

Wohlberg takes men's championship

By Giana Roberge, Team Saturn

Although the professional riders do not usually support the Criterium portion of the national championship line up in Canada, Saturn's Eric Wohlberg felt it was important to support the efforts of those who put on the week-long event, as well as the fans who came out to support the riders. In the end, Wohlberg delighted the crowd by lapping the field with his awesome time trialing power to take home his second national title in a week.

The race got off to a quick start with many of the contenders sprinting for points in the early laps. Wohlberg had tried several attacks initially but was not allowed by the peloton to get very far. However, after solo break away, Min Van Velzen (Sympatico-Jet Fuel), was brought back, Wohlberg attacked again, and this time was not to be seen again until he lapped the field.

As the gap to the tail of the main field came down, Wohlberg was not sure if he should catch the peloton as the race was one of points. According to Wohlberg, "I wasn't sure if when I caught them, we would all be on the same lap again, sprinting for points (like in a track points race), so I held off until after the last (intermediate) sprint before catching them. The safest place was out in front, and I was out in front. scooping up easy points. I just kept it nice and steady."

Once Wohlberg determined that he had the race win sewn up, he lapped the field. In the final sprint it was Min Van Velzen who took a run at the line, catching Charles Dionne by surprise. Van Velzen's strategy worked as he took the silver medal and Dionne had to settle for bronze.

Results

Elite Men
 
1 Eric Wohlberg (Saturn)                          30 pts
2 Min Van Velzen (Sympatico-Jet Fuel)             22 at 1 lap
3 Charles Dionne (Equipe du Quebec)               16 at 1 lap
4 Tim Lefebvre                                    14 at 1 lap
5 Andrew Pinfold (Ital Pasta-Atlas Cold Storage)  12 at 1 lap
 
Open Women
 
1 Andrea Hannos (Rona)                            17 pts
2 Carrie Tuck (Alberta)                           17
3 Sophie St-Jacques (Trek Plus)                   16
4 Gina Grain (Genesis Scuba)                      14
5 Julie Hutsebaut (Equipe du Quebec)               9
 
Note: Andrea Hannos (Rona) won the last sprint to break the tie.
 
Junior Men
 
1 Marsh Cooper (Devo/Powerbar)                    18 pts
2 Guillaume Fausse (Equipe du Quebec)             16
3 Francoise Sztuke (Equipe du Quebec)             13
4 Craig De Geir (Atlantic Cycling)                10
5 Jean-Sebastien Lavoie (Equipe du Quebec)        10
 
Master Men
 
1 Ed Makarchuk (Halton Road and Trail)            23 pts
2 Yannick Cojan (Martin Swiss/ Sport Experts)     18
3 Chris Paton                                     11
4 Hans Loeffelholz                                10
5 Jay Murray (Trek-VW)                             9