June 28/03 8:55 am - Espoir Women ITT results, Fitchburg Stage 2

Posted by Editor on 06/28/03
 

Canadian National Road Championships - Hamilton, Ontario

For the first time, there was a national championships category for Espoir (Under 23) women. Only top-3 was available yesterday, but full results are now posted below.

Espoir Women ITT - 21 km

1 Genevieve Leblanc (Equipe Quebec) 34:05
2 Magalie Boulay (Equipe Quebec) 34:09
3 Julie Belanger (Atlantic Cycling Centre) 34:25
4 Genevieve Gagnon (SFM) 34:43
5 Catherine Deschenes (SFM) 36:10
6 Alena Radomsky (OWS) 36:38
7 Claudine Labelle 36:48
8 Jenny Trew (OWS) 37:43


Fitchburg-Longsjo - Fitchburg, MA

Report courtesy Saturn

The second stage of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic was contested on a 3.1 mile course with a sharp, angry climb at the start/finish line. Always a crowd pleaser, today's stifling heat saw a decision from the officials to shorten all races. The women's race went from 13 laps to 10, bringing the mileage to 31, a change which played, perhaps, a hand in the pack finishing intact. The men saw only one lap removed from their race, a seemingly insignificant change, however, the heat still bore down on the group of starters, with the thermometers reading 101 and the 74 mile race quickly became a race of attrition. In the end, it was Saturn with a strong showing in the men's race, taking the stage win with Chris Horner and moving Victor Rapinski into the leader's jersey. The women's race saw race leader Sarah Ulmer successful in defending her lead and wrapping up the day with her second win.

The men's race unfolded quickly with attacks coming from the gun. However, nothing established that was of consequence until Health Net's Mike Sayers and Saturn's Horner broke clear. Their gap gradually opened on a chasing group containing race leader Chris Baldwin to about the one minute marker. With still over half the race remaining, Rapinski bridged to the twosome, with no rider able to hang with him. He joined Horner and Sayers with plenty of power to add to the break and with about five laps to go the three lapped the field. In the final sprint it was Horner winning the stage over Sayers. Rapinski was third. Rapinski's and Horner's effort rocketed Rapinski into the lead in the overall, with Horner moving into third only seconds behind Sayers. The remainder of the field is over six minutes behind, making tomorrow's challenging stage a race between Saturn and Sayers.

The women's race saw aggressive moves from the Saturn Team early. In an effort to shake the leader's jersey loose from Ulmer's grip, Megan Elliott was the first to attack, followed by Jessica Phillips and Laura Van Gilder. Ulmer and her TDS team steadfastly worked to control the attacks, and in the end, Ulmer had fresh enough legs to best Saturn's Katie Mactier in the final sprint for her second consecutive stage win. Third was Tina Mayolo-Pic (Diet Rite). Ulmer extended her lead over now second place Mactier by a few seconds, and will again be in the leader's jersey for tomorrow's mountain stage. With Mactier and Phillips, both notable climbers, still quite close in the overall, Ulmer will have to fight with the same cunning tenacity she showed today to finish at the top of Mt. Washussett in the orange Leader's Jersey.

Stage 2 - Aubuchon Hardware Circuit Race

Men - 125 km
1 Chris Horner (Saturn) 2:06:31
2 Viktor Rapinski (Saturn)
3 Mike Sayers (Team Health Net) both s.t.
4 Jeff Louder (Navigators) at 5:37
5 Rusty Beall (Team Health Net) 5:40
6 Emile Abraham (Aerospace Engineering) 5:43
7 Mike Jones (West Virginia)
8 Jake Rytlewski (Suburban Homes)
9 Jason Lokkesmoe (Team Health Net)
10 Tim Johnson (Saturn) all s.t.

23 Gord Fraser (Team Health Net) 6:20

Women - 64 km
1 Sarah Ulmer (TDS Women's Cycling) 1:13:30
2 Katie Mactier (Saturn)
3 Tina Mayolo Pic (Diet Rite)
4 Heather Albert (Team Basis)
5 Charmian Breon (Diet Rite)
6 Katrina Grove (T-Mobile)
7 Magen Long (OBRU / The Bicycle Shop)
8 Elizabeth Begosh (Team Snow Valley)
9 Lara Kroepsch (T-Mobile)
10 Jessica Phillips (Saturn) all s.t.