July 5/04 4:36 am - Walters Wins Stage 3 at Fitchburg-Longsjo

Posted by Editoress on 07/5/04
 

Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic Stage Race
Report Courtesy Navigators

Mark Walters of the Navigators Insurance team took the top honors today in the 104-mile Wachusett Mountain road stage of this year's Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic Stage Race. This tough circuit that contains over 8,154 total feet of climbing is usually instrumental in setting the final overall G.C. of the race. With this in mind, the Navigators squad took to the start in defense of Viktor Rapinski's Orange Leader Jersey. However, with only 3 riders in the race and the Coalvita squad only 1-second back, it was going to be a hard day for the men-in-blue.

The attacks began on the first of the 9 laps and several small breakaways escaped the peloton, and served to settle down the attacks. The attacks lacked horsepower and had trouble handling the terrain without the help of any Colavita riders. Unfortunately for any of the opportunists, no breakaway was going to succeed unless it contained members of the Navigators Insurance or Colavita teams.

Finally, after passing the half-way point of the race, a breakaway of 6 escaped and were soon joined by three others. Mark Walters represented the Navigators team while Colavita had Mark McCormack and Will Frischkorn, Mike Creed (US Postal Service), and a smattering of other riders had the motivation to forge ahead. With the top-2 places on G.C. left behind in the main field, the breakaway was slowly pulling away until they reached a gap of 1:20, where it remained for 3 laps.

The main pack behind was diminishing in size as the racers negotiated the final lap, and as the leaders made the left turn onto the access road that would lead them to the top of the ski mountain, the lead had increased to 2:00. The lead group began to shed riders as several attacks were made by the strongest racers. A hard attack by Creed pared the break down to just 4 chasers, but he was caught, then dropped, leaving Walters, McCormack and Frischkorn to fight for the win. At the line, it was Mark Walters by a bike, followed by McCormack and Frischkorn.

Race leader Viktor Rapinski came in at about 3:00, which will change the overall G.C. heading into the final criterium stage tomorrow in downtown Fitchburg. The Orange Leader Jersey has now been on the shoulders of 3 different riders and 2 teams. Armed with 2 stage wins, the final stage will inevitably be a fierce battle between the Navigators Insurance squad and the Colavita team.

Stage 3: Unitil Road Race at Wachusett Mountain, 104 miles