September 10/00 4:42 am - Norba Short Track Final, Vuelta

Posted by Editor on 09/10/00
 

Norba National Short Track Final - Mammoth, California
(courtesy USA Cycling)

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, Calif. (Sept. 9, 2000) - After a day of fast action and close races, four national champions emerged from Saturday's Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championship Series Finals at Mammoth Mountain, Calif. Carl Swenson (Boulder, Colo.) and 2000 U.S. Olympian Ann Trombley claimed the short-track cross-country national titles, while Brian Lopes (Laguna Beach, Calif.) and Cheri Elliott (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) snagged the U.S. championships in the SoBe Dual Slalom.

Winning Saturday's short-track races were Swenson in the men's event, while 2000 U.S. Olympian Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs, Colo.) won the women's race. Reigning world dual slalom champion Wade Bootes from Australia won the men's SoBe Dual Slalom, with past national dual slalom champion Leigh Donovan taking the women's event.

Lopes was the only rider to claim both the national and series overall titles. Only U.S. riders are able to claim the Stars and Stripes jersey, however, international riders may earn the series titles. 2000 Argentine Olympian Jimena Florit and Russian Olympian Pavel Tcherkassov won the short-track cross-country titles, while Aussie Katrina Miller won the women's dual slalom series overall.

Swenson's victory Saturday did not come easy. For most of the 25-minute race, the group of the front consisted of nearly 10 riders, including Tchkerkassov, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.) and Canadians Seamus McGrath and Chris Sheppard. Tcherkassov had the advantage of Canadian Gary Fisher-Saab teammate Ryder Hesjedal, while McGrath and Sheppard also worked as a team. Swenson relied on RLX Polo Sport teammate Dave Wiens before breaking off the front in final laps.

"This is a great way to end the season. I'll keep today in my mind all winter long," said Swenson, after winning his first short-track race. "I felt good once I got going today. With three laps to go, I knew things were going well, but you never can tell what will happen until you cross the finish line. Even though I've done better in the short-track this year, I've always considered myself a cross-country rider. It's nice to have the national title though."

The women's race proved to be a tight competition as well, with Dunlap making an aggressive attack just two minutes in to the race. Hanging with Dunlap was Florit, 2000 U.S. Olympian Ann Trombley (Golden, Colo.), 2000 Australian Olympian Mary Grigson, Rachel Lloyd (San Anselmo, Calif.) and Susan Haywood (Davis, W.Va.). With the series title coming down between Grigson and Florit, the Argentine rider recruited Dunlap on her side, with Grigson left on her own.

Grigson managed well though, riding in the front for most of the race. Dunlap, however, made her move on the last descent in to the finish and rode to victory. Florit and Grigson sprinted to the line, with Florit edging out the Aussie.

"I wanted to win today, but I knew right away that I didn't feel strong, so I had to be tactically smart," said Dunlap, who the short-track race in Vermont in June. "Mary (Grigson) was better on the descents, so I knew I had to the first in the downhill on the last lap if I wanted to win."

For Trombley, Saturday marked her first national title in her five-year racing career. "It feels awesome to win the title," the 2000 Olympian said.

Saturday wrapped up with the Lopes and Bootes in the SoBe Dual Slalom finals, a rematch of this year's world championship finals. With second-ranked U.S. rider Eric Carter (Temecula, Calif.) crashing in his race against Bootes, Lopes needed only to sail safely to the national title.

Elliott's nearest national title threat was Tara Llanes (Newport Beach, Calif.). Elliott dismissed Llanes early in the rounds, giving her breathing room. Elliott eventually finished fourth, with Donovan beating out Miller in the final.

Women
1. Alison Dunlap (USA) GT
2. Jimena Florit (Arg) RLX Polo Sport
3. Mary Grigson (Aus) Gary Fisher-Saab
4. Ann Trombley (USA) Koulius Zaard
5. Audrey Augustin (USA) Koulius Zaard
6. Sue Haywood (USA) Trek-WV Tourism
7. Shonny Vanlandingham (USA) SoBe-HeadShok
8. Lanie Mason (USA) Cane Creek
9. Carmen Richardson (USA) SoBe-HeadShok
10. Rachel Lloyd (USA) Voodoo Cycles

17. Trish Sinclair (Can) Marin

Final Series Standings (best 3+Final)
1. Florit 710 points
2. Grigson 704
3. Trombley 656
4. Haywood 592
5. Augustin 580
6. Vanlandingham 576
7. Chrissy Redden (Can) Gary Fisher-Saab 574 (did not ride Final)
8. Lloyd 552
9. Richardson 530
10. Mason 516

14. Sinclair 470
31. Lesley Tomlinson (Can) RLX Polo Sport 294 (did not ride Final)
32. Melanie Dorion (Can) Ford-Devinci 284 (did not ride Final)
33. Amber Chorney (Can) Ford-Devinci 244 (did not ride Final)
41. Alison Sydor (Can) Volvo-Cannondale 186 (did not ride Final)

Men
1. Carl Swenson (USA) RLX Polo Sport
2. Pavel Tcherkassov (Rus) Gary Fisher-Saab
3. Seamus McGrath (Can) Haro-Lee Dungarees
4. Chris Sheppard (Can) Haro-Lee Dungarees
5. Jimi Killen (USA) Schwinn-Toyota
6. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Gary Fisher-Saab
7. Marc Gullickson (USA) Mongoose
8. Jason Tullous (USA) Giant
9. Andreas Brenes (CRC) Cafe Costa Rica
10. Andreas Hestler (Can) Ford-Devinci

13. Peter Wedge (Can) Kona
18. Mathieu Toulouse (Can) Ford-Devinci
26. Matt Decore (Can) Marin
30. Marc Sonntag (Can) Kona

Final Series Standings (best 3+Final)
1. Tcherkassov 732 points
2. McGrath 710
3. Hesjedal 680
4. Sheppard 678
5. Carl Swenson 650
6. Hestler 548
7. Killen 542
8. Gullickson 538
9. Brenes 536
10. Jeremy Horgen-Kobelski (USA) Specialized 528

13. Toulouse 508
14. Wedge 488
16. Geoff Kabush (Can) Kona 452 (did not ride Final)
17. Roland Green (Can) GT 444 (did not ride Final)
48. Sonntag 184
62. Decore 100
65. Carter Hovey (Can) Diamondback Zeek 92 (did not ride Final)
67. Dave Jetz (Can) Norco 76 (did not ride Final)


Vuelta Espana

Stage 14 - Santander to Lagos de Covadonga 147 km

1 Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) LA-Pecol 3:38:08
2 Igor Pugaci (Mda) Saeco-Valli & Valli at 0:57
3 Roberto Heras Hernandez (Esp) Kelme-Costa Blanca 1:00
4 Felix Cardenas Ravalo (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca 1:26
5 Carlos Sastre Candil (Esp) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 1:35
6 Pascal Herve (Fra) Team Polti1:37
7 Paolo Lanfranchi (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 1:58
8 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Esp) Kelme-Costa Blanca 1:58
9 Santos Gonzalez Capilla (Esp) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 2:00
10 Roberto Laiseka Jaio (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi 2:02

17 Richard Virenque (Fra) Team Polti 2:36
18 Fernando Escartin (Esp) Kelme-Costa Blanca 3:16
20 Oscar Camenzind (Sui) Lampre Daikin 3:38
29 Abraham Olano Manzano (Esp) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 4:53
77 Alex Zulle (Sui) Banesto 10:29
108 Guido Trenti (USA) Cantina Tollo 14:37
111 David Clinger (USA) Festina Watches 14:50
124 Santiago Botero (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca 16:54
DNS Laurent Dufaux (Sui) Saeco-Valli & Valli

GC

1 Roberto Heras Hernandez (Esp) Kelme-Costa Blanca 47:15:54
2 Angel Casero Moreno (Esp) Festina Watches s:t:
3 Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (Esp) Vitalicio Seguros at 1:48
4 Santos Gonzalez Capilla (Esp) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 2:29
5 Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Mapei-Quick Step 3:21
6 Raimundas Rumsas (Ltu) Fassa Bortolo 4:19
7 Carlos Sastre Candil (Esp) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 4:57
8 Wladimir Belli (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 4:58
9 Manuel Beltran Martinez (Esp) Mapei-Quick Step 5:15
10 Jose Luis Rubiera Vigil (Esp)  Kelme-Costa Blanca 5:52

11 Abraham Olano Manzano (Esp) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 6:17
12 Fernando Escartin (Esp) Kelme-Costa Blanca 6:28
15 Oscar Camenzind (Sui) Lampre Daikin 8:23
18 Richard Virenque (Fra) Team Polti 11:54
22 Pascal Herve (Fra) Team Polti 13:00
37 Alex Zulle (Sui) Banesto 35:40
55 Santiago Botero (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca 56:20
69 David Clinger (USA) Festina Watches 1:08:41
123 Guido Trenti (USA) Cantina Tollo 1:37:20