August 26/01 1:46 am - Pan-Am Championships: Road Races

Posted by Editoress on 08/26/01
 

Campeonato Panamericano De Ciclismo De Ruta
Courtesy Kurt Innes - National Coach

Ruta Individual /Road Races

Mujeres (Women)

62.4 KM ( 6 laps) (30.895 KM/HR)

1. Delgadillo, Flor M. (COL) 2:01.11
2. Guerrero, Belen (MEX) at 3:16
3. Lopez, Martha (COL) 3:32
4. Alvez, Maria (BRA) 8:45
5. Silva, Janildes (BRA) 10:30
6. Cubides, Magda (COL) 10:42
7. Hall-Patch, Clare (CAN) 12:20

11 total finishers , 20 starters.

The women's race began at 8 am. Within the first lap the eventual race leader had shown her cards and taken off from the front of the group. The remaining 5 laps turned into a race very much looking like an individual time trial. Smaller groups of 2 riders formed, but for the most part the race was settled on the climb each lap.

Hombres Sub 23 (Men Sub 23 )
156 KM (15 laps) (34.171 KM/HR)
1. Laverde, Luis F. (COL) 4:33.55
2. Rujano, Jose (VEN) at 4:09
3. Chacon, Franklin (VEN) 5:55
4. Becerra, Victor (VEN) 7:35
5. Baez, Giovanny (COL) 14:25
6. Vera, Bonzalo (CHI) 16:58

Charles Dionne (CAN) DNF (8 laps completed, 2:45 behind)

6 finishers, 36 starters

The same circumstances dictated the espoir results as in the women's race. After the first 4 laps there were only 20 riders in the main peloton, with the remainder abandoned. After 6 laps there were only 10 remaining, and over the last 7 laps 6 riders
remained.

Charles lasted 7 laps in the peloton, then was dropped for the final time on the climb on lap 7 and was unable to regain the pack through the start/finish straight. The lap prior Charles was also dropped on the climb, losing 45 seconds to the small main group. He was able to catch up on the flats but as the course was very short (only 18 minutes per lap) there was no time to recover before heading up the wall each lap.


The road course used for this years Pan American Championships featured a 10.4 KM lap, featuring over 200 Meters of climbing each lap. The course was very selective , as you can tell with the numbers of total finishers over the 1st two races. The first straightaway after the start line was the only "flat" section on the course. This 2 KM stretch was a false flat, leading to the "climb". The climb featured a 1.8 - 2 Kilometer section of 8 percent minimum, and 12 percent maximum grade. The remaining 6 kilometers were either steep downhills, or gradual downhills. On the steep downhill section there were 3 large speed bumps for the riders
to navigate around as well.

Men's Elite (160 KM) 16 laps

4 Canadians started the race.
Mark Ernsting was the first to abandon (after 1 lap up the wall). Next off the back of the 45 riders peloton was Alex Cloutier on lap 4. Alex lasted for another 4 laps approx 4-6 minutes off the pace. Svein Tuft was able to stay at the front of the Peloton for 5 laps, fading off the back on lap 6, then after falling 4 minutes back he retired on lap 8. Mark Walters, the Canadian Champion was also a victim of the carnivorous climb on lap 8, dropping 2:45 minutes on the hill.

Svein and Alex continued together for one additional lap, and once Mark was officially retired from the event on lap 8 the team was done.

With the very limited riders on the course, once you were dropped from the main pack and the neutral support cars and official vehicles passed you it became a very dangerous game of people dodging. On the decent there were many people crossing the road ahead of the riders. This fact along with the relative danger of the road circuit passing through many areas without police patrol the riders all retired as soon as they were totally out of sight of any support on the course .