February 13/04 2:35 am - Tour Méditerranéen: Stage 2, Sea Otter Classic "Innovates"

Posted by Editoress on 02/13/04
 

Tour Méditerranéen

Stage 2 - February 12: La Londe to Hyères, 130 km

1. Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon, 3:16:40
2. Igor Astarloa (Esp) Cofidis
3. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) La Boulangere
4. Oscar Camenzind (Swi) Phonak
5. Simone Masciarelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola - Nobili Rubinetterie
6. Jens Voigt (Ger) CSC
7. Geert Verheyen (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Wincor Nixdorf
8. Cyril Dessel (Fra) Phonak
9. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi
10. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Credit Agricole, all s.t.

GC
1. Igor Astarloa (Esp) Cofidis-Le Crédit par Téléphone, 6:03:10
2. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère, at 0.02
3. Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon
4. Laurent Brochard (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance, both s.t.
5. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC, 0.06
6. Simone Masciarelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Nobili Rubinetterie
7. Cyril Dessel (Fra) Phonak Hearing Systems
8. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Alessio Bianchi
9. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank
10. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Crédit Agricole
11. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC


2004 Hyundai Sea Otter Classic

Sea Otter innovates yet again with Super XC race format, longer recreational rides

The Hyundai Sea Otter Classic Cycling Festival returns to the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, California, USA, as North America's greatest bicycle festival. The event will be held April 15-18, 2004.

Frank Yohannan, president & CEO of Sea Otter Classic LLC, says, "Over the last 14 years, the Hyundai Sea Otter Classic has only gained momentum as one of the country's premier outdoor sports festivals. We will continue this trend by keeping the best of the old and adding exciting new attractions."

With this goal in mind, the Sea Otter Classic will continue its innovative approach by holding the first-ever "Super XC" mountain bike race as Stage One of the Pro/Elite MTB Stage Race.

Taking a cue from motorcycling's Supermoto races, the Super XC course covers a 3-mile circuit that is 50% dirt, 50% pavement, and climbs to the top of Laguna Seca Raceway's famous "corkscrew". This new format is designed to test riders' fitness, bike handling, and tactical nerve, as well as provide thrilling race dynamics and add a new twist to the battle for the overall Pro/Elite MTB Stage Race title.

Rick Sutton, chief operating officer of Sea Otter Classic LLC, says, "Super XC is a chance for us to put together a race that is more challenging for the racers and more exciting for the fans, and that's what the Hyundai Sea Otter Classic is here for."

Convenient access to great off-road action inspired another of the changes for the 2004 Hyundai Sea Otter Classic, in which the Mountain Cross course relocates from the outer rim of Laguna Seca to a new spot closer to the heart of the venue, just above the main start/finish line for road races.

Also new to the 2004 Sea Otter Classic are two extended recreational rides: an expanded Road Century and new 50-mile Mountain Bike Epic. The former will cover many of the roads used in Pro/Elite Road Stage Race's Carmel-Salinas Valley Road Race; the latter will feature virgin trails on recently opened portions of BLM lands. Both the Road Century and Mountain Bike Epic will be fully supported, and both offer complimentary post-ride barbeques and prize-laden raffles.

Even with these new attractions, the Sea Otter Classic will maintain its diverse festive atmosphere. In fact, all of Sea Otter's major attractions will return: the Sea Otter Village and Marketplace; Sea Otter Kids Bike Rodeo, Otter Egg Hunt, and Carnival; the Pro/Elite MTB Stage Race, Pro/Elite Road Stage Race, and Gravity Omnium; and nearly 200 classes of amateur racing for roadies and mountain bikers.