June 18/01 11:00 am - the Wedge Report, Canadians in the US

Posted by Editoress on 06/18/01
 

The Wedge Report

Peter Wedge reports on Mt Tremblant Canada Cup XC #2

This race could be renamed as the IntraWest Annual Cycling Cash Gouge, but then I am sure attendance would suffer. The Lego like village has organized parties for people who can't dance, mascots roaming about, rent-a-cops everywhere, $10 smoothies and one really rich tow truck driver. The air was free though, and it had oxygen and everything!

The organizers have been busy making the course heaps better than years past, and it was well organized up to the point where the officials forgot to be at the finish. The course has a long climb, which basically is all in one shot with the finish half way up, and one more sustained climb half way through the lap. There was lots of new singletrack which was cool, but I pity the 'fool' without a dual suspension.

With an uphill start, Andreas Hestler was the man making us hurt. Kabush, Tourville, Miles, Toulouse and I followed him into the bush, with Toulouse and I losing contact a bit going into lap 2. Meanwhile, up front, teammate Geoff Kabush was leading Chad Miles, about 2 minutes ahead of the battle for 3rd. I went out in search of Hestler catching and dropping him, and on lap 3, I caught Tourville and was in 3rd place for about 10seconds. Tourville hit the singletrack first, bolting through the woods like an animal, grunting and breaking small trees. After my effort to catch him on the climb, I was maxed out and couldn't hold on. Kabush ended his streak of bad luck winning over Chad Miles by 40 seconds, Tourville was 3rd, and I was 4th, while Andreas and Toulouse were 5th and 6th.

Up next is NORBA #2 in West Virginia.


Nature Valley Grand Prix
Courtesy Team Saturn

This (past) weekend, the Saturn Men and Women, not in Canada or Idaho, raced the Nature Valley Grand Prix, part of the week long Touchstone Energy Bicycle Festival in Minnesota. Held in an omnium style format, which is a race within a race, there were sprints for points every lap. Saturday's course was a rolling loop with a few significant one-mile climbs.

The men's field did three laps of a 34 mile circuit, totaling a 102 miles raced. McCormack escaped the men's field with Navigator's Kirk O'Bee after an early break of 12 containing the two eventual race formed. After winning the first sprint, McCormack kept going, and assisted by heavy crosswinds, created a small group including O'Bee and Prime Alliance's Danny Pate. After dropping Pate, it was McCormack edging out O'Bee for the stage victory. Saturn's Ivan Dominguez also had a strong showing, winning the field sprint for fifth place. Winning the intermediary sprints as well as the finish had McCormack going into the second day with a sizable lead in the points over O'Bee.

Although there was an effort to establish a break in Sunday's criterium, the field came into the finish together. It was Jonas Carney winning the sprint over Navigator's Frankie Van Hassenbrooke, with US Postal's Robbie Ventura in third. Frank McCormack with 545 points won the entire race weekend over 7-UP's Dave McCook with 510 points. McCormack's Saturn teammate, Dominguez finished fifth.

The women raced two laps on the same course on Saturday, with the same intermediary sprint. Saturn's Suzanne Sonye won the first sprint with assistance in the form of a superb leadout by teammate Kim Davidge. Oddly enough, the intermediate sprint was worth far more (300 pts) than the overall stage victory itself (200).

Midway through the second lap, the small field of about 30 remaining riders split up and it was Saturn's Ashley Kimmet that found herself off the front of the next group of 12 riders along with consequent race winner Stephanie Hannos (Verizon Wireless). Hannos won the sprint over Kimmet, but Sonye's fourth place finish gave her enough points to take a solid lead into Sunday's Criterium.

In the criterium Davidge made the race-winning move with two laps to go and soled in for her first win in Saturn Team colors. Winning the field sprint was Hannos over Shannon Hutchinson. Sonye finished fourth, but won the race weekend with 860 points over Laura Van Gilder.

Road Race Results Saturday June 16
Women
1. Stephanie Hannos (Verizon Wireless) 3.15.03
2. Ashley Kimmet (Saturn)
3. Laura Van Guilder (Verizon Wireless) at 0:37
4. Suzanne Sonye (Saturn)
5. Andrea Hannos (Verizon Wireless)
6 Teresa Moriaty (MBRC/Flanders)
7 Catherine Walberg (Trek/VW)
8 Kori Kelley (Proctor & Gamble)
9 Rebeca Conzelman

Men
1. Frank McCormack (Saturn)
2. Kirk O'Bee (Navigators)
3. Glen Mitchell (Navigators)
4. Oscar Pineda (7-Up)
5. Ivan Dominguez (Saturn)

Overall Omnium Points after Saturday
Women
1. Suzanne Sonye 440 pts
2. Laura Van Guilder 360
3. Stephanie Hannos 300
4. Ashley Kimmet 180
5.Andrea Hannos 120

Men
1. Frank McCormack 425 pts
2. Kirk Obee 290
3. Oscar Pineda 270
4. Oscar Pineda 255
5. Ivan Dominguez 160

Criterium Results Sunday June 17
Women
1. Kim Davidge (Saturn Cycling Team) 1:07:08
2. Stephanie Hannos (Verizon Wireless) at 0:04
3. Shannon Hutchinson (Litespeed/Atlanta Velo) 0:05
4. Suzanne Sonye (Saturn CyclingTeam)
5. Laura Vangilder (Verizon Wireless)
6. Rebeca Conzelman(Altoona BC)
7. Teresa Moriarty (MBRC/Flanders)
8. Andrea Smessaert (Team Wisconsin)
9. Emily Gloechner (Veritas)
10. Andrea Hannos (Verizon Wireless)

Men: Results unofficial
1. Jonas Carney
2. Frankie Van Hassenbrooke -(Navigators)
3. Robbie Ventura (US Postal)

Overall Omnium Points -Final
Women:
1. Suzanne Sonye (Saturn CyclingTeam) 860 pts
2. Laura Van Gilder (Verizon Wireless 680
3. Stephanie Hannos (Verizon Wireless) 580
4. Kim Davidge (Saturn Cycling Team)

Men:
1. Frank McCormack (Saturn CyclingTeam) 545 pts
2. Dave McCook (7-UP) 510
3. Oscar Pinada (7-UP) 370
5. Ivan Dominguez (Saturn Cycling Team) 340