AVC#4 WC Qualifier - NE

Colorado Springs, CO, USA, June 13-15, 2003

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Day 2 - June 14

Morning: Women's 500m Time Trial; Paralympic Team Sprint; CP4 Men's, CP3 Men's, CP3 Women's, LC3 Women's, LC3 Men's & LC2 Men's Kilometer Time Trials; Men's Paralympic Tandem Kilometer Time Trial

Evening: Men's 40km Points Race; Women's Keirin Final; Women's 3Km Individual Pursuit, Men's Sprint

Action-packed Saturday evening spiced with controversy

By Kristy Scrymgeour in Colorado Springs

It was all action at the track on Saturday night with the finals of the women's pursuit, women's keirin, men's points race and men's sprint. The thunderstorms of earlier in the day had cleared, but with another storm threatening, it was a humid night and quite cold, which of course are not the best conditions for fast track times.

The men's team pursuit final was one of the first events of the evening with Travis Smith, Ryan McKenzie, Mike McCorkell, Robert Veroba taking the win. In the women's Individual pursuit Annette Hanson beat out Shannon Hutchinson for third place and racing for the win were Erin Mirabella and Heather Albert. Mirabella, who is having a good season internationally to date, had a fast start and held the lead over Albert for a few laps. Albert gradually closing the gap, until the lead changed hands, but Mirabella came home strong to take her second win of the meet. Happy with her ride, but no so happy with USA Cycling, Mirabella expressed her concern over the selection criteria. "I couldn't be more pleased with the way I am riding and I am thrilled about the fact that I get to go to Worlds this year, however I am upset that I can't go to Pan Am games considering the fact that I won both of my races this weekend."

Only two women can be selected to go to Pan Am Games this year and the priority has been placed on the sprinters by USA Cycling. If one woman had won both the sprint and the 500m, then Mirabella would have gained a spot. However since Tanya Lindenmuth won the sprint and Chris Witty won the 500m, they both earn spots for the games and the endurance track riders like Mirabella miss out. "I really wanted to go to Pan Am Games this year," she said. "I have planned my season around it as it is an important event to qualify for 2004 Worlds. If you win your event at Pan Am games you get an automatic selection for 2004 Worlds which takes a lot of pressure off and is a great advantage. Last Pan Am's I won both the pursuit and the points race and I think I could have done it again."

Apart from being disappointed with these selection criteria, Mirabella expressed her disappointment with USA Cycling and their lack of support for endurance track riders. "The problem is there is no National coach for endurance riders. The sprint riders have a coach and that is a big advantage. USA Cycling has been promising since the Sydney Olympics that they would provide a coach, but they are yet to do so and I am riding with no support from them."

USA Cycling's Steve Johnson responded to Mirabella's concerns later in the evening. "It's all about priorities. With limited funding and resources, we have to make choices, and we decided that we would focus on the sprint events as we have a high standard of sprinters in the USA and there is a more accurate method of selection as they are all timed events."

Johnson, who has been with USA Cycling for two years stressed that development of a program, takes time. "You need to take a step back and look at what we have done in the past two years. We have a plan and unfortunately we can't do everything at once. Our priority's were U/23's, who are really doing well out of our base in Belgium, women's road with our T-Mobile team who have really picked it up a notch in the last year and then track sprint. We have to focus on the things that will sell, because there is not a lot of money in the sport of cycling, we have to create a marketable property. The next thing on my list is endurance track. It is in my budget proposal and hopefully it will come through for next year, and I am serious about that. One very positive thing, that I believe will change the landscape of track racing is the new covered velodrome that is being built in LA. We really need a covered velodrome in this country and it will be ready to go for the Junior Track World Championships next July."

On the other end of the scale was Stephen Alfred who won the men's sprint event in three close match sprints against his teammate Gideon Massie. Alfred was very pleased with his sprint result which made up for his second place in Friday's keirin. He told Cyclingnews, "I really wanted to win the keirin, but I came second to Gideon, so that made me more determined today. I was happy early rides in the sprint and I did what I had to do to get to the finals. The first sprint was really hard and it took so much out of me that I don't think I had enough time to recover for the second one and I just couldn't do it. Fortunately there was a good break between the second and third sprint and I could recover." Alfred believes that this win qualifies him for a spot at worlds, although as to the exact selection criteria, he is not too sure. "I don't pay much attention to the selection criteria," he said in a very relaxed manner. "I just try to race as hard as I can and hope that I get in."

The men's points race was also an exciting event, with the victory coming down to the final sprint. It was Colby Pearce, riding for Ofoto Lombardi Sports that took the win from Kyle Wamsley and Jame Carney. After just missing out in the scratch race, Pearce rode a very aggressive race to take the win and ended up winning by just one point.

The final event of the evening was the women's keirin Final. Sarah Uhl (Saturn) jumped straight on the back of the motorbike and led the race until half a lap to go when Jennie Reed kicked over the top and just held off Becky Conzelman for the win. Reed was happy with her win after coming in third in both the sprint and the 500m events. "I am happy with my ride, I think it qualifies me for World Championships, but I'm not sure yet.

Olympic and World's targets inspire classy performances

Day 1 & Day 2 morning session round-up

By Kristy Scrymgeour in Colorado Springs

All of the USA's World Championship hopefuls and Paralympians are gathered this weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado to contest the World Championship Trials, Pan American Games Trials and Paralympic Track National Championships. The pressure is really starting to build for some of these athletes, who only have a relatively short amount of time to prepare for the 2004 Olympics in Athens and to either maintain their number one status in their event, or work to knock out the current force and qualify for events that will enable them eventually to qualify for the Olympics.

Tanya Lindenmuth, who has recently signed a contract with T-Mobile for duration of the lead up to the Olympics and who has been the dominant force in the women's sprint events for the past few years comments on this battle. "Right now I am number one, but the pressure is constantly on to retain that spot and that is what drives me to train harder," said Lindenmuth.

Coming back on the scene after not touching the track bike since the 2000 Olympics is Chris Witty. After winning a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Witty returns on the scene and is now not only Lindenmuth's biggest competition but also her new teammate in T-Mobile. "I am happy that Witty is back to race the track," Lindenmuth told Cyclingnews. "She and I got on tremendously well together at the last Olympics and I think we will be good for each other in the lead up to the next Olympics. We both have the same approach. Cool, calm and collected."

USAC Athletics director, Steve Johnson echoed these sentiments. "We are very excited to have these two on board. I believe they will help each other a lot as they race together and compete against each other."

In the women's sprint event on Friday night, Lindenmuth and Witty really did prove their determination to make the Olympics. After qualifying rounds (where Witty qualified fastest), quarter and semi-finals, the two ended up against each other in the final. In two crowd-pleasing match sprints, Lindenmuth just pulled off the win over Witty, who was pleased with her races nevertheless. "I am really happy that I am up there in this event after so much time away from the bike. It is great racing against Lindenmuth and every time I race her I learn something new," said Witty.

Prime Alliance rider Jame Carney had alternative goals at this event. "I came here to prove a point," Carney told Cyclingnews. "I wanted to prove that I am still the best endurance track rider in America." Carney did that when he won the men's scratch race in spectacular fashion. "It was a hard race and I am ecstatic that I won it. This year because of school and the weather in Durango I have really only trained every other day."

Carney found himself in an unusual position in the event Friday night when Colby Pearce (Ofoto) had broken away and had a good gap on the field. "I was following wheels and bridging a few gaps and all of a sudden the group in front of me swung off and I had no choice but to go. I was half way across to him and I was thinking that it may not be such a good idea. You know, I am a sprinter and I didn't know if I could pull it off."

Carney not only pulled it off but be pulled it off in style. Pearce and Carney worked together and within no time they had lapped the field. Using his teammate Mike Creed's lead-out at the end, Carney held perfect position and came around just at the right time to take the win from Pearce. "I am happy," said Carney, "but I am also still very frustrated with USA Cycling. As of yesterday they didn't even know that the USA had a spot in the men's Scratch race at World's. I had to go to the computer and print it out myself to prove it to them. I am one to speak up about these things, and right now I am doing everything I can to try to keep track racing healthy in the US."

In other events Adam Sbeih prevailed over Mike Tillman to win the men's 4km individual pursuit in a time of 4:37.450, and Erin Mirabella rode a tactical race to beat Sarah Hammer (T-Mobile) and Ashley Kimmett (Colavita Bolla) in a close race that came down to the last sprint. Mirabella backed up her performance this morning when she qualified first for the women's individual pursuit and Giddeon Massie and his Cody Racing teammate Stephen Alfred rode well together to place first and second respectively in the men's keirin final.

A large men's field in the kilo saw Christian Stahl beat out Adam Duvendeck in a time of 1:05.334 and this morning Chris Witty responded to her close second place in yesterday's sprint when she came out and won the 500m time trial from Canadian Lori-Ann Muenzer, beating her teammate and rival Tanya Lindenmuth by three tenth's of a second.

In the Paralympic events, Daniel Nicholson, Barb Buchan, Al Michini, Ron Williams, Bradley Cobb and Allison Jones all posted good times to win their respective kilo events and Al Machini doubled up to win the men's pursuit for a double national title.

Bill Ramsay and Randy Hampton won the tandem kilo and Katie Compton and Karissa Whitsell won in the women's event. Compton and Whitsell backed up their win in the kilo to win the women's tandem sprint in spectacular fashion.

The racing continues tonight with the men's sprint finals, the women's keirin, the men's 40km points race and the women's individual pursuit final if the thunder storms lift that quite regularly haunt the city of Colorado Springs.

Photos

Images by Kristy Scrymgeour/Cyclingnews.com

World Record Holders Katie Compton and Karissa Whitsell
All Paralympian National Medal winners celebrate with a bit of champagne.
Adham Sbeih - winner of the men's 4km pursuit
Chris Witty - Winner of the 500m and runner up in the women's sprint
Men's scratch race
Jame Carney and Colby Pearce lapping the field in the men's Scratch Race

Results

Morning session

Women's 500m Time Trial
 
1 Chris Witty (USA)                       35.340 (50.934km/h)
2 Lori-Ann Muenzer (Can)                  35.403 (50.843km/h)
3 Tayna Lindenmuth (USA)                  35.665 (50.470km/h)
4 Becky Conzelman (USA)                   35.879 (50.169km/h)
5 Laura Yoisten (Can)                     37.110 (48.504km/h)
6 Martha Dunne (USA)                      37.814 (47.601km/h)
7 Jamie Pettinato (USA)                   38.394 (46.882km/h)
8 Breanna Loster (Can)                    38.698 (46.514km/h)
9 Jillian Vogtli (USA)                    38.912 (46.258km/h)
10 Olga Lyakisheva (Rus)                  39.466 (45.609km/h)
11 Esther Davis (USA)                     39.557 (45.504km/h)
12 Rachel Herring (USA)                   39.720 (45.317km/h)
 
Paralympic Team Sprint Time Trial
 
1 US Paralympic I                       1.14.443 (48.359km/h)
  Ron Williams (USA)
  Paul Martin (USA)
  Daniel Nicholson (USA)
2 US Paralympic II                      1.22.768 (43.495km/h)
  Bradley Cobb (USA)
  Allison Jones (USA)
  Al Michini (USA)
 
CP4 Kilometer Time Trial
 
1 Al Michini (USA)                      1.22.367 (43.707km/h)
2 John Fite (USA)                       1.30.082 (39.964km/h)
 
CP3 Men Kilometer Time Trial
 
1 Daniel Nicholson (USA)                1.19.654 (45.195km/h)
 
CP3 Women Kilometer Time Trial
 
1 Barb Buchan (USA)                     1.32.054 (39.107km/h)
 
LC3 Women Kilometer Time Trial
 
1 Allison Jones (USA)                   1.32.975 (38.720km/h)
 
LC3 Men Kilometer Time Trial
 
1 Bradley Cobb (USA)                    1.21.657 (44.087km/h)
 
LC2 Kilometer Time Trial
 
1 Ron Williams (USA)                    1.15.367 (47.766km/h)
2 Paul Martin (USA)                     1.16.251 (47.212km/h)
 
Men Paralympic Tandem Kilometer Time Trial
 
1 Cody Racing                           1.10.039 (51.400km/h)
  Bill Ramsay (USA)
  Randy Hampton (USA)

Evening session

Men's 40Km Points Race Final
 
1 Colby Pearce            36 pts
2 Kyle Wamsley            35
3 Jame Carney             32
4 Joey D'Antoni           24
5 Kenny Williams          22
6 Michael Tillman         20
7 Mike Creed              13
8 Dave Bailey             11
9 Bobby Lea                6
10 Ryan Luttrell           1
11 Marcus Black          -12
12 Kevin Knapp           -15
13 Curtis Tolson         -17
14 Mat Stephen           -20
DNF Steen Rose
DNF Todd Yezefski
DNF Mark Duff
DNF Eric Gerolstein
DNF Trevor Matulys
DNF Chesen Frey
DNF Tyler Farrar
DNF Jeff Pearce
DNS Bruce Hitchcock
DNS Jeff Paul
DNS Scott Hendrich
DNS Ryan Crissey
DNS Brent Stein
With Curtis Gunn
With David Godfrey
With Joshua Ryan
With Dave Mcintosh
 
Women Keirin Final
 
1 Jennie Reed            12.52
2 Becky Conzelman
3 Jamie Pettinato
4 Sarah Uhl
5 Martha Dunne
6 Norrene Godfrey
 
Women 3Km Individual Pursuit
 
3rd/4th ride
 
1 Annette Hanson       4.00.980 (44.817km/h)
2 Shannon Hutchinson   4.01.916 (44.644km/h)
 
Final
 
1 Erin Mirabella       3.53.359 (46.281km/h)
2 Heather Albert       3.57.707 (45.434km/h)
 
Men's Sprint
 
3rd-4th - Race #1
 
1 Kevin Belz             11.988 (60.060km/h)
2 Mike Beers
 
3rd-4th - Race #2
 
1 Kevin Belz             11.168 (64.470km/h)
2 Mike Beers
 
Final - Race #1
 
1 Stephen Alfred         10.910 (65.995km/h)
2 Giddeon Massie
 
Final - Race #2
 
1 Giddeon Massie         10.965 (65.663km/h)
2 Stephen Alfred
 
Final - Race #3
 
1 Stephen Alfred         10.824 (66.519km/h)
2 Giddeon Massie