July 26/99 12:07 pm - Full Silverstar XC Results, Silverstar Report

Posted by Editor on 07/26/99
 

Full results for the Silverstar Canada Cup Cross Country races can be found:

Non-Elite Morning Races
Non-Elite Afternoon Races
Elite Races


Mélanie Dorion remporte la Coupe Canada de Silver Star

Silver Star, C.-B.-Mélanie Dorion a remporté la Coupe Canada de vélo de montagne de Silver Star en Colombie-Britannique. Arrivée de Park City en Utah la veille, Dorion a facilement coiffé toutes ses concurrentes en terminant avec une priorité de deux minutes sur Amber Chorney et de cinq minutes sur Marie-Hélène Premont. "C'est fou parce que je me sentais épuisée ce matin, a indiqué une Mélanie Dorion fort souriante après l'épreuve. Mais dès le début de la course, je trouvais que le rythme était plutôt lent. J'ai fait les deux premiers tours avec Amber, et dès la première montée du troisième tour, je suis partie à mon rythme pour ne plus jamais la revoir. "

Chez les hommes, Mathieu Toulouse a terminé au 4e rang.

à compter de mardi, Mélanie Dorion prendra part à une course sur route de six étapes en Pennsylvanie.

Mélanie Dorion est boursière Sac Magique de la Fondation de l'Athlète d'Excellence du Québec. Elle est Également commanditée par la Clinique Synergie. Voyez un profil de Mélanie Dorion à la page web http://athlete.infinit.net/dorion.html

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The Keys to Kenai Cycling Team Hits Whitehorse!

Editor's Note: Unbelievable as it may sound, I ran into this group in Whitehorse, Yukon about a week ago, while I up there checking out the mountain biking possibilities (full story our next issue). We were both getting a tour of the local micro-brewery (good beer, to be reviewed next issue...)

Keys to Kenai is a cycling team of 3 women and 2 support people who are bicycling from Key West, Florida to Homer, Alaska to raise funds for breast cancer. The trip started on May 1st and they will arrive in Homer mid August. The team's goal is to raise $200,000 that will be distributed to the following breast cancer organizations:

Teens Reach For Cure
Breast Cancer Detection Center of Alaska
Susan G. Komen Foundation
Breast Cancer Society of Canada

For full info and daily narratives, see our website at: www.keystokenai.com

The team can be contacted by cell phone at (954) 684-5585 or email Colleen Hough at : alaskanbkr@aol.com

Riders:
Colleen B. Hough of Delray Beach, FL
Tammy Dorst of North Pole, Alaska
Bonnie Landon of Boca Raton, FL

Support people:
Jason Chambers of North Pole, Alaska
Sandra Boland of Mississauga, Ontario

Keys to Kenai Update as of July 19, 1999:

Our team started out on May 1st at the southern-most portion of the United States: Key West, Florida. They slowly journeyed up the east coast of Florida, battling the heat, humidity, bugs, and their sore muscles. They headed inland and hit their first mountains in Georgia. This novice team of cyclists learned the hard way how difficult bicyling up mountains could be. And these were nothing compared to what they would encounter with the Rockies! But the team made it and continued on to enjoy such major cities as Atlanta, Nashville, and St Louis. They were sponsored along the way in several towns by locals who gave the team the true flavor of the area of the country they were traveling in.

The state of Illinois held all sorts of adventures for them. They passed through many delightful small towns with strong charm such as Metropolis, the birthplace of Superman, and Chester, the birthplace of Popeye. St Louis was a treat as they visited the Arch, learned about the start of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and felt a kinship with the city being "The Gateway to the West". They felt that the spirit of their adventure held the same type of excitement as the Lewis and Clark journey.

The weather stayed warm and a typical day found the team cycling 60 to 80 miles per day. They would spend the night in the motor home that was donated to them but every once in a while they would be lucky enough have a motel donate accommodations to them.

Their route continued north into Iowa and Minnesota. Minneapolis welcomed them with a media opportunity at REI, a major outdoor clothing and equipment retailer, where they were able to talk to customers about breast cancer awareness, do some fundraising, and hobnob with fellow cyclists. Their time off in this city afforded them the freedom to sights, shop, and go canoeing. It also marked another milestone. Upon leaving Minneapolis, the team reached their 2,000 mile mark.

South Dakota was the next adventure when they stayed at the Blue Cloud Abbey, a monastery where an order of Benedictine monks lived. They were hosted at the abbey for the night and got to experience the monastic life.

The terrain changed to endless prairies and the team felt thrown back in time to the days of the Wild West. Their long days of cycling were rewarded with an opportunity to see Mt Rushmore and the Crazyhorse monument. Then it was back to a northern direction into Montana, an area of awesome beauty. While in Montana, they met a cattle rancher who invited them to "branding day" on her ranch and the team learned first hand what it was like to be a modern day cowboy when they witnessed branding, castrating, and inoculating the calves.

Crossing into Canada on June 22, 1999 marked the beginning of the first bad weather for the team. High winds across the southern portion of Alberta, followed by freezing rain and snow in the mountains near Banff and Jasper, took their toll. The team had to wear numerous layers of their summer clothes until they could get to an outdoor store to purchase cold weather gear for the unseasonable temperatures. Despite riding and camping in constant rain for over a week, their spirits were high as they reached 3,000 miles of cycling while in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

The team celebrated the 4th of July in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, not under the glow of fireworks but under a blanket of falling snow. Dawson Creek marks the beginning of the Alaskan-Canadian Highway, an infamous 1,500 mile stretch of road built during W.W.II that winds through the Canada and Alaskan wilderness. The team excitedly started their trek along this route remaining strong, determined, and injury-free.

The Alcan has held further adventures for the team. They learned what it was like to encounter elk, moose, black bears, and grizzlies along the road. So far, the wildlife has either run away or stared with puzzled expressions at the team of women as they passed by on their bicycles.

The Alcan has also given the women their first taste of riding in mud, gravel, and dust, not an easy task on the slim tires of their road bikes. They are prohibited from riding through the areas of heavy construction where there is extremely bad road conditions and they must hitch rides in the back of the pilot trucks that guide the traffic through.

The team is currently taking a day off sightseeing in Whitehorse, Yukon and will be on the road again Tuesday morning, July 20th. They anticipate completing their journey on schedule in mid August.

For a day-to-day narrative of the adventures of the Keys to Kenai team, see their web site at: www.keystokenai.com Those wishing to make donations to the breast cancer organizations sponsored by this event, please make your checks payable to Keys to Kenai, P.O. Box 7001 Delray Beach, FL 33487.

Hope this gives you the basic info you need. Check out the website for photos and further details. Thanks so much!

Colleen Hough