May 11/99 11:50 am - Shep Returns!, Mississauga Novice Race Results

Posted by Editor on 05/11/99
 

Shep Returns!

After three days of road racing with the National team, the group was ready (or seemed ready) to do battle World Cup style. Rolli, Dre, Shamoe, Tollouche, Gropes, Walker, Iouri, and I crammed the National team van, and headed north to the land of paved donkey trails, no garbage, and tall steins. Much of the week mimicked the race, that is, driving hard but in rental cars. The big benefit of racing in Germany has to be the buff Euro rental cars and the limitless amounts of pavement. Needless to say it was always a battle to see who would drive to the course! Enough already, let me fill you in on Sunday.....

The race started off typical....foaming mouths, and a take no prisoners gaze were stamped on each of the 160 racers that eyed the first corner where the pack would pile up. Off to the front was Dre, and Shamoe who placed themselves well into the top 15...Toullouche (who qualified 15th just 17hrs earlier), Gropes were tanged in the smoking section while Rolli and I were sitting in the 40's, as we attacked the first 1.5km of pavement! We then moved into the single track sections(German style: remember what I said about the donkey trail?), which were joined by double track ending in a 2km slight down grade to the finish....a free rider's nightmare! At the end of lap one the usual suspects were tangling at the front...Meirhaege, VanDooren, Evans, accouple I- ties and the lone North American....Mr McGrath! Dre had flatted on the first lap and was chasing hard to get back in the battle....lurking in one of the many chase packs was Rolli. At the half way point, Shamoe was still in the top 15 using the road miles he gained from racing in France to draft the Euro paceline....Dre climbed up to the 40's and would eventually charge up to a respectable 34th....Rolli moved around in the 40's to end up 55th....a knackered Matt was lapped, Gropes got some UCI points in 71st and Wedgy finished off a hard day at the office in 76th (he had to qualify also).

Dre's ride was even more impressive because he rode the race with a little infection....which I probably gave him....I on the other hand was not as manly and dropped out about halfway through..."you win some, you loose some". With two laps left Meir attacked the paved climb instantly putting almost 20 sec over Vandooren....and by the finish he had gapped everyone by 1:17....quite a ride. The average speed was 23.24km/hr which is about 8 kmhr faster than usual! Shamoe ended up 24th so cudoes to the Rasta! I'm skipping Plymouth to do Big Bear so expect another update sooooooooon! Sorry for the delay.

Chris

Translations:

Shep - Chris Sheppard (Catera-Klein)
Rolli - Roland Green (Team GT)
Dre - Andreas Hestler (RLX Polo Sport), also known as Dr Dre
Shamoe - Seamus McGrath (Haro), also known as the White Rasta
Tollouche - Mathieu Toulouse (Ford-Devinci)
Gropes - Neil Grover (GM-Rocky Mountain)
Walker - Adam Walker (GM-Rocky Mountain)
Iouri - Iouri Kacherine, national coach
Wedgy - Peter Wedge (Mapei-Kona)


Mississauga Midweek Novice Results

A few surprises tonight - First, nearly a third of the starters were women. Second, women filled two of the top three spots. Third, a woman won two of the four primes. Lest you think that this was a leisurely dwadle of a race, the average speed was 37kph, the fastest novice event to date.

After the first pace lap., the race proper started with Re-My Sport's speedy master, Walter Grabovac and Carlos Rodus setting the early pace. After two laps, they were joined by three others, with cadet Ryan De Boer, Mississauga bridging. One lap later yet another trio of riders including Simon McNally, Walter again, and Mississauga's Mustaphe Jamal, tried to stay away but the bunch brought them back by the end of the lap.

On lap 5 the vital break established itself, with Chantelle Lemieux, Toronto Bike Network's Barry McKinnon and Mississauga's Paul Fellner and Drew Harvie. McKinnon dropped back to the bunch but the other three gradually increased their lead and, by the first prime at lap seven, they were 30 seconds up. After this, Fellner faded rapidly and was absorbed by the pack. Meanwhile, Harvie and Lemieux, sharing the pulls in a stiff north east wind, consolidated their lead and continued to take 5 seconds per lap out of the chasers.

At the line Harvie sat up to give Lemieux a well-deserved win with Jennie Pilzecker coming in a lone third, despite an asthma attack.

Watch out for these girls in the future!

Don't forget Mississauga Volvic's LEARN-TO-RACE CLINIC ON May 22-23 next. Location north of QEW and west of Erin Mills Parkway. Fee $40. Details: (905) 814-0661. This is a first class workshop for novice riders and will appeal to both recreational and competitive cyclists.

EVENT # 3 DATE: MAY 10
DISTANCE: 31 KM 14 LAPS AVERAGE SPEED: 37.1 KPH
WEATHER: SUNNY BUT COOL WITH A STIFF NE WIND