May 15/00 10:15 am - Springbank Racer Reports

Posted by Editor on 05/15/00
 

Springbank Reports

Lori Pol, one of the organizers from the Springbank road race in London, Ontario, has sent in reports from race winners.

The London Centennial Wheelers would like to thank everyone who helped to make the Springbank Road Race a huge success.

Platinum Sponsors:
Squires Watches
Egan Contracting & Painting
Spectrum Communications Ltd.
Canadian Cyclist Magazine
Kish Studios

Gold Sponsors:
All Season Sports
Bright Software
Racer Sportif
Bill Harper
Champion Bicycles
John Thompson
To Wheels
London Cycling Club
First Cycleworks
Sheila Curnoe
Silvertop Supply
Emanual Martins

Silver Sponsors:
Jo-anne Lajambe (Century 21)
Vivian Kearney
Bloomers of London
Tim Hortons (Lambeth)

Bronze Sponsors:
Missing Link Cycle & Ski
Theo Vanderberk Construction
Sullivan's Old North Market
Corporate Imaging Centre Inc

We would also like to thank the following:

2001 London Alliance Canada Summer Games Host Society Inc.
The London Police Department
City of London Environmental Services
Fanshawe College
After Hours Trio ˆ Yes, the music you heard by the band was especially for you guys!
Andrew MacIntosh ˆ Thanks Andrew for putting on the trials exhibition. Great work!
The People of the City of London
St. John's Ambulance
Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic
Springbank Road Race Committee
AND - the over 400 volunteers who helped to make this race possible.

We thank you all! See you next year!

Racers Stories:

Senior 1/2 Men
This year Springbank was a new circuit with 4.5 big laps through the city before finishing with 15 laps in the park. An exciting new format for racing in Ontario. Right off the gun the racing was underway as the attacks started on the first climb of the day. The first break of the day to stick consisted of Sean Kelly (Jet Fuel) and Darko Ficko (Woodbridge Italia) who got away to a substantial lead very quickly.

The next couple of laps were fairly quick with riders steadily trying to get away but the pack was being vigilant and no one was allowed to get far. Came the last big loop and an attack of six had snuck clear on the backside of the course and were still clear as we came into the climbs for the second last time. The feed zone climb was where I had decided that I was going to have a go at getting away, using my momentum coming out of the corner at the base to slingshot myself out of the peloton and into my attack.

Putting everything into it only two other riders from the pack were able to follow, Antoine Varghese (Kissena) and Andrew Pinfold (Ital Pasta), who was Ital Pasta's watchdog for me during the race to make sure that I didn't just get away from the field. As we crested the climb we caught the break and three riders, Darko Ficko, Dan Magiacciamo and Simon Small (Itla Pasta), were able to stay with us to form the final six man attack.

Working together well, we were able to distance ourselves from the peloton and get to the final circuits in the park with a slim lead. It was here that things began to fall apart for the break as the attacking to try and get away for the win started, which disrupts everyone from working together, slowing us down and making it likely that we would soon be caught by the peloton.

With 11 laps left Simon and Antoine got a small gap ahead of us forcing me to attack to chase after them. To my surprise no one had followed my attack and as I caught up with Simon and Antoine I made the split decision that I would make my bid for the win of the race, attacking and surging past as I caught up with them. My gap quickly grew and it was time to concentrate and keep a steady tempo all the way to the finish, which with 10 laps to go, was still almost 20km away. With a headwind seemingly on both straight-aways it was a tough final few kilometers but in the end I was able to hold off the peloton, which had swept up the rest of the break, and finish the race solo assured of the win. It was a fantastic day for the team as everyone played their role in securing the win and enjoyed racing at such a finely orchestrated event.

Andrew Randall


Junior Men
"The Springbank road race was definitely one to remember. The course layout was fantastic and the two hills at the beginning really strung out the pack!I t was a well marked, spectator friendly, technical course.

The constant attacks in the park throughout the last two kilometers were the best. The only downside for me was my friends big crash on the long descent. Many thanks to you and the organizing committee for a great race and to Charlie Squire for the beautiful Tag Heuer watch.

Buck Miller


Senior Women
As the women were combined with the vet b,c,d men it gave the opportunity to play off the moves of the men and make the race more exciting and hard, thereby eliminating the "negative" racing that can happen when the womens field is small with not much depth. Our Intersports team decided to use this to our advantage hoping to launch attacks that would see a break established with the vet men and one of our riders. After a few unsuccessful attempts on the first lap by both our team and the vet men the main pack was already much smaller as the crosswinds took their toll.

Starting the 2nd lap we hit the second hill altogether and I tried an attack near the top taking one vet man with me. This initiated a chase from the other men and we were brought back. I then had my team-mate Chloe Black launch an attack shortly thereafter and this was a move that would stick as 3 of the stronger vet men went with her. Alison Fox (RipN Hammer), riding very strongly and showing good form from a winter of racing and training in the southern United States, was forced to chase. Amy Jarvis (Intersports) and myself (Intersports) were the only other women represented as the tough crosswinds and hills had taken their toll. Alison was assisted in her efforts by a few of the other vet men but it looked like the break was going to stick as they continued to pull away and had around 50 secs or more at one point.

Now I wanted to get either myself or Amy Jarvis up the road to take another spot on the podium for Intersports. I had Amy attack in a crosswind section and Alison Fox had to chase this down and with the vet men closing the gap to these 2 it allowed me to counter the attack. Alison was up to this challenge as well and when I noticed we had a good gap I sat up as it would be up to Alison to do the work as I was not going to chase a team-mate up front. We were joined by 2 vet men and the 3 of them began to work to try and catch the front break as I sat on taking the free ride. Their concerted effort began to fall apart as we entered Springbank park at the end of the 2nd lap. What remained of the main peloton was closing in only a few seconds back, and as we exited the park another vet man had jumped across to us. We hit the first steep climb and it was here that one of the vet men rolled off the front and when no one reacted I surged near the top and joined him and kept a hard pace going on the descent. We worked together and crested the 2nd hill where we could see the front break which looked to be at least 30-40secs ahead of us.

Sharing pulls throughout the crosswinds we gradually began to reel them in although it would take us at least 10 kms to do this. With around 5-6kms to go we did catch the front break which now numbered 4 vet men and 2 women (both from Intersports).
So it was a great team effort so far and in the final sprint Chloe Black set me in a position to follow the vet mens leadout allowing me to take the win and herself wrapping up the 2nd podium spot. Now we had to hope for Amy Jarvis to outsprint Alison Fox to wrap up an Intersports sweep, but I knew that was not going to be easy as Alison is riding strong and has a fairly good finishing kick. However, as a team we had worked her over and Amy Jarvis is also riding with good form as she has recently returned from a national development camp in France. Amy outkicked Alison in the final sprint thereby placing the Intersports team 1-2-3.

A great team effort by Intersports, and I want to congratulate Alison Fox on riding a gutsy race but was outnumbered in the end.

" the course I really was impressed by it!!! In fact, I could see this course being fit for a national championship.

The volunteers were great, as was the traffic control by the police force. I have to say that overall I was very impressed by the organization and course. This goes to show that it is possible to host a high quality, challenging road race in Ontario. Way to go!!!!!"

Anne Samplonius