May 21/00 7:30 am - the Shep Report, Melanie Dorion (in french), Effingham Road Race Results

Posted by Editoress on 05/21/00
 

The Shep Report - from Big Bear

The land of Big Bear is a strange area, that is, it's the place that time seems to have passed. Not only do the camouflaged brown condos contain those have migrated from the valley(mullets attached), but the full cast from the movie Hot Dog still lurk. This marks the third time in a row I've come to Big bear and guess what? The third time in a row that a meth lab was busted!!!!!!

Deep in the heart of the dust and pines lies the two day death march that the pros would have to complete. Day one featured a three lap course that was roughly 40 minutes a lap and over 1300 feet of climbing a lap. An hour before the race an extra lap was thrown in for good measure and now it was called an Olympic selection race for the Americans.

The start was fast with all the big hitters getting to the front on the long double track climb. Due to the length of the race the pace was somewhat comfortable for me (luckily) as a group of fifteen worked together up the moderate pitch. Enter the single track and hey can't see where I'm going but neither can anyone else so I'm not too concerned. Front is being driven by Chopper (G Randolf), Russian super star, Dry Ryder, Rolli, Mexi fry, and Killen while the rest of us including Wedgy are sitting on the back. Ending the second lap I fell off the pace but was still pleased to be in the top fifteen while at the same time Kirk Molday made his return! Kirk rode steady and really started to drive it like a cart mule on the third lap. The only taker was Randolf who was able to stay ahead of the chasers....giddy up Kirk! Larson tried in vain but the gap increased, meanwhile; Shamoe worked up past me and joined with Wedgy while I passed Swenson, and a Costa Rican dude. The last lap was a struggle with me passing one guy but then getting passed by Canuck Matts and Kabush (hey glad Canadians were going to represent). Kabush moved to seventh by the end...dammnnn! Dry fought hard and worked into fourth, followed by Pavel. Shamoe fought through a missed feed to hit 10th while Matt Toulouse passed me for 14th. The bigg move was Kabush who went by me with 30 min to go and ended up in 7th! Crazy! Rollie was 8th I believe and Dre a hard fought 19th. Almost forgot the tough luck award which went to Wedgy who flatted on the last descent and was relegated to 17th.

Day two is nothing short of sheer hell. Twenty five minutes of sweat, dripping saliva, snot, dust and blood. From the get go Dry Ryder attacked, followed by chopper, me, Rollie, Leuchs, and Tcherkassov. Randolf countered and I went with him for two laps. When the pace slowed, I had to attack because Chopper was waiting for Rollie to work some team tactics...I took two and a half laps at the front which further strung things out and hey not much knee pain! Randolf once again attacked for three laps then I started to work up on him on the fourth. "yeah I" I thought as I closed to his wheel on the first climb and then bang it happened. What you ask? Instead of thinking about the loose, off camber, decreasing radius corner I was entering I was thinking about how I just closed a gap....dumb ass! Onto the ground I went leaving a fair sized portion of flank, forearm and knee! In the process my chain wedged into the bottom bracket and chain rings causing me to use my pathetic excuse for arms to pull my chain out.....oh there go 23 spots! I think I messed Rolli up with that crash....sorry big guy didn't mean it! I chased like a pit bull at an elementary school and managed to get into the money (13th) by the end but was a little dejected. Meanwhile Ryder attacked hard and was 4th, 5th Kabush who worked through the slag to have a real strong weekend....Rollie in 10th? Missed the results but Randolf held them all off thanks in part to my sweet crash....

Well after that everyone pretty much went home except yours truly. Did I go out clubbing? Sleep in? No I got some much needed racing by doing the hillclimb with the semi-pros! I kinda scared them but they were good sports (and have to be) to head out at 8:30 in the morning. 1500 ft vertical in 15 min 37...not bad for a lame horse! Hopefully the good times with the knee keep going and the form also keeps rolling up and up! thanks all and you'll hear from me in Spain!


Dorion cinquième, malgré les embûches

Big Bear, Californie (DIAPO) - La cycliste Mélanie Dorion a dû affronter plus d'obstacles qu'à l'habitude samedi, au critérium de vélo de montagne du circuit NORBA. L'épreuve (20 minutes plus trois tours) a été remportée par l'Australienne Mary Grigson, qui avait terminé première la veille, lors du cross-country.

"Je me suis retrouvée dans le trouble dès le début de la course, a expliqué Dorion. Des concurrentes ont chuté devant moi, ce qui m'a reléguée à la fin du peloton. Au deuxième tour, une autre chute est survenue en avant, ce qui m'a encore ralentie. Je pensais bien que ma course était terminée, avec tout ce retard accumulé."

Il n'en fallait pas plus pour que la cycliste passe en quatrième vitesse : "Il ne me restait pas beacoup de temps pour remonter au classment. Je me suis dit que je n'avais plus rien à perdre et j'ai tout donné. J'avais une mission : terminer sur le podium ! (top 5)" a mentionné la cycliste, d'un ton amusé.

Au classement général, les Canadiennes Chrissy Redden et Amber Chorney ont respectivement terminé troisième et neuvième.

Dorion sera de retour au Québec, dimanche soir, afin de prendre part à la première étape de la Coupe Canada, qui sera présentée à Hardwood Hills (Ontario), le week-end prochain. Par la suite, l'athlète de Deux-Montagnes entamera sa préparation en vue des Championnats du monde, qui auront lieu en Espagne, au mois de juin.

Des extraits sonores de Mélanie Dorion sont disponibles à l'Agence DIAPO.

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 Dorion

Mathieu Laberge
L'Agence DIAPO...au service des athlètes 24 heures par jour
L'Agence DIAPO...Serving athletes 24 hours a day
téléphone et télécopieur (514) 990-4500
téléphone sans frais 1-800-210-9510
mlaberge@diapo.qc.ca
www.diapo.qc.ca


Effingham Road Race, Sunday May 21


Cadet Men
1 Daniel Clarke Newmarket Eagles
2 Steffan Elzinga Team Kiro
3 Mark Pozniak St. Catharines Cycling Club
4 Ryan DeBoer Mississauga CC
5 Brendan Hurley D'Ornellas


Junior Men
1 Buck Miller St. Catharines Cycling Club
2 Ryan Roth Woodstock CC
3 Taras Kleban Intersports
4 Warren Tilbrook St. Catharines Cycling Club
5 Tom Sulatycky St. Catharines Cycling Club
6 Kyle Pothwell Ziggy's


Senior 3 Men
1 Enrico Traini Mississauga CC
2 Corey Gladish Independent
3 Stirling McArthur Mississauga CC
4 Ladslav Optis Team Kiro
5 Blair Purvis KHS
6 Nathan Chow Independent
7 Greg Roth Woodstock CC
8 Michael Dennis Speed River
9 Shawn Benard St. Catharines Cycling Club
10 Andrew Hickman Mississauga CC


Masters B/C/D Men
1 Desi Derochers Independent
2 Gordon Clarke Newmarket Eagles
3 Jurn Hansen Newmarket Eagles
4 Graham Thomas Halton R&T
5 Rob Cheskey Hamilton CC
6 Tony Abramavicius Mississauga CC
7 Percey Schropshire Newmarket Eagles
8 John Parkinson Newmarket Eagles
9 Greg Borden Mississauga CC
10 Peter Murr Independent


Masters A Men
1 Stefan Kramer St. Catharines Cycling Club
2 Chris Wood Waterloo Flying Dogs
3 Robert Sule Chain Reaction
4 Vernon Chant Speed River
5 Alan Cote Fitchburg FCC
6 Shaun Greenaway Rocky Mtn
7 Brian Priebe Waterloo Flying Dogs
8 Chris Kiziak Halton R&T
9 Russell Jones St. Catharines Cycling Club
10 Gerard Yeates RNH Racing


Junior Women
1 Cydney Galbraith Independent
2 Stephanie Tarlton Sudbury CC


Senior Women
1 Leigh Hobson Charles Schwab
2 Amy Jarvis Intersports
3 Donna Lockett Independent
4 Ann Turrin Intersports
5 Chloe Black Intersports
6 Julia Farrell Intersports
7 Julia Bradley Independent
8 Kirsten Robbins Independent
9 Rhonda Gueda Independent
10 Allison Wiley Mad Dogs


Senior 1/2 Men
1 Simon Small ItalPasta
2 Daniel Maggiacomo Jet Fuel
3 Andrew Pinfold ItalPasta
4 Darko Ficko Woodbridge Italia
5 Josh Hall Jet Fuel
6 Kevin Sprecht Kiro
7 Raymond Duggan Saeco
8 Matt Hanson Intersports
9 Sean Kelly Jet Fuel
10 John Harris ItalPasta


Special Thanks to all the volunteers from the St. Catharines Cycling Club, Ziggy's Cycling Club and the Alexander Family for helping to continue this event this year on very short notice.

Watch for this event again in 2001. AND! Make plans for the next 2000 Ontario Cup Event, the Welland Rose Festival Criterium

Cheers!

Michael Pardo - stcatharinescc@home.com