February 25/02 8:47 am - Fraser Wins In California

Posted by Editor on 02/25/02
 

Fraser Wins Merced Criterium
Courtesy Mercury

Mercury's Gord Fraser won Sunday's 35 mile Bud Light Merced Criterium giving the team a sweep of the weekend races.

The race started with constant attacking from the Ofoto and Sierra Nevada Teams as they looked to try to break the Mercury stronghold and establish some momentum of their own. The 7-Up team looked to try to mark the Mercury counter moves. It was this sequence of events that lead to the significant move of the race.

With Mercury's Henk Vogels off the front, a move by 7-UP's John Leiswyn and Doug Ziewacz was followed by Mercury's Derek Bouchard-Hall, Plamen Stoyanov, and Graeme Miller. A bridge by Sierra Nevada's Chad Gerlach and Ofoto's Andy Crater brought John Wordin across making the lead group 9. Soon after, Mercury's Gord Fraser and Scott Moninger, marked by Charles Dionne made it across as Wordin was dropped making the group 11. The gap quickly rose to 30 seconds.

With no team getting organized to chase, it was only a matter of time before the group lapped the field. Mercury went straight to the front and controlled the race to the finish with Henk Vogels leading out Fraser for the win. Mercury recorded its 11th win of the season.

1. Gord Fraser (Can) Mercury
2. Henk Vogels (Aus) Mercury
3. John Leiswyn (USA) 7-UP
4. Charles Dionne (Can) 7-UP
5. Graeme Miller (NZL) Mercury