March 6/04 4:25 am - Tucson Bicycle Classic, O-Cup Announcement, Cape Epic, Leech Injured

Posted by Editoress on 03/6/04
 

Tucson Bicycle Classic - Arizona
Courtesy organizers

Stage 1 - 5 km ITT

Men
1. Blickem, Ryan (Aida's Bail Bonds), 7:22
2. Jones, Michael (Health Net/Maxxis), at 0:08
3. Blanchard, Scott (Eclipse), 0:09
4. Carolan, Tim (Landis/Trek/VW), 0:10
5. King, Austin , 0:10
6. Bergman, Adam (Jelly Belly/Aramar), 0:11
7. Sayer, Michael (Health Net/Maxxis), 0:12
8. Steinbrecher, Will (Jelly Belly Aramar), 0:14
9. Price, Scott (Landis/Trek/VW), 0:15
10. Rublet, Jacob (Landis/Trek/VW), 0:19

Women ,
1. Jeanson, Genevieve (Team Rona), 8:20
2. Longo, Jeanie (France), at 0:14
3. Milkowski, Anna (Team Rona), 0:26
4. Brown, Deneen (Landis/Trek/VW), 0:38
5. Roy, Emilie (Team Rona), 0:50
6. Benassi, Maatje (Excel Sports), 0:55
7. Woodhouse, Heather (Team KendaTire), 0:59
8. Trapp, Sima (Glody's/Tamarck), 1:03
9. Black, Chloe (Terry Precision), 1:05
10. Garlapow, Rosie (Terry Precision), 1:08
,
19. Hutsebaut, Julie (Terry Precision), 1:36


$10,000 Stage Race in Elliot Lake

Elliot Lake in northern Ontario will be playing host to an Ontario Cup road stage race August 14-15, and the organizers will be offering $10,000 in cash and prizes. Willy Coyle of the St Catherines Cycling Club has lent his expertise to the organizers, and says that they are looking at a criterium, a road race, and, tentatively, a hillclimb time trial. Contact elret112@onlink.net for more information.


Cape Epic - South Africa

Stage 7 - Franschhoek to Stellenbosch

The eventful seventh stage of the inaugural Magical and Untamed African Mountain Bike Race to the vibrant university town of Stellenbosch had an unexpected ending.

Karl Platt and Mannie Heymans (Focus Rocky Mountain) who were leading the field throughout the race were already announced as the first team to cross the finish line on Die Braak in the historical part of the famous wine route town, when Andi Strobel (GER), Silvio Wieltschnig (AUT), Shan Wilson (RSA) and Jacques Rossouw (RSA) sprinted in. Being so focused on catching the leaders the four guys had missed one marshal point and ended up finding their own way through the town, simply following the music and the voice of the announcers. Both teams were put back on places two and three, respectively, for not following the exact route to the finish.

Day seven of the race brought once again a change in route and landscape. The action packed stage contained some stunning scenic climbs and the original downhill course of the 1997 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Stellenbosch.

For Downhill World Champion Greg Minnaar, who rode all the way from Knysna to the Winelands despite sore knees, it felt like coming home. "The last few days have been really hard, but today my knee was much better and I enjoyed the stage since it was a lot more technical - in fact I think it was the best stage so far. Blasting down the '97 downhill course brought back old memories. Over here I started my downhill career."

The day started with bad luck for South African Mixed team Fiat Bianchi Five kilometres into the race, SA champion Hannele Steyn-Kotze, who lives in Stellenbosch, and her team partner Johann Greef had a flat. What is normally not a big issue grounded them for twenty minutes, because fixing the puncture their cartridge blew away. Then they realized that their only spare tube was also damaged. The five-last team passing them could finally help with an extra tube. By that time, not only the leading bunch but the entire field had gone. "It is a shame, because today was my strongest day in the race", race Hannele says. "But it was our own fault. We should have brought more spare tubes. Once we got back onto our bikes I was pushing Johann so hard to catch the Americans, because I didn't want them to pull too much time from us." And team Fiat Bianchi successfully defended their thirty minute lead to the third place overall. South Africa's most popular female mountain biker has learned a lot during the past week.

"Everyone said don't push too hard on the first day, because it is a long race and it is not won on the first day", Hannele explains. "But it seems impossible to catch up the time you lost in the first stage, because the other teams only have to stick with you to maintain their gap. I also never imagined how tired you get. I have learned a lot by watching the Germans.

"Kirsten is a tough racer and knows her tactics. I like her very much. We are actually thinking about racing the TransAlp together, because we seem to have a lot in common."

Like Mannie Heymans and Karl Platt (Focus Rocky Mountain) the leading women of team Yellow Jacket (RSA) rode an incredible race during the past week. South Africa's rising mountain bike star Hanlie Booyens and adventure racer Sharon Laws have accumulated an impressive gap of forty-five minutes to TransRockies winner Lousie Kobin (USA) and Hillary Press Info/ Stage 7 March 2004 3/3 Harrison (USA) of team Cateye Enduro, by winning five out of seven stages with lead times between ten and fifteen minutes.

With only one more stage to go it seems like the overall winners have already been determined. Despite several stage wins of their competitors, Master team Bowmans-Giant with Frank Soll (RSA) and Duncan English (RSA) still maintain their huge buffer gained on day one. "For the past week, the others had to do all the work and we only had to stick with them", Duncan English says. All other leading teams, too, start into the last stage with a substantial time gap to those who chase them. However all of them are aware that in mountain biking a technical defect can cost a victory.

Men

1 Focus/Rocky Mountain (Mannie Heymans/Karl Platt) 2:18:52
2 Adidas/Fiat Rotwild (Andreas Strobel/Silvio Wieltschnig) at 0:01
3 GT Africa (Jacques Rossouw/Shan Wilson) 0:02
4 STROPS (Xavier Scheepers/Roan Exelby) 4:41
5 Breitling/Vineyard Hotel (Geddan Ruddock/Kevin Evans) s.t.

GC

1 Focus/Rocky Mountain (Mannie Heymans/Karl Platt) 28:30:45
2 Adidas/Fiat Rotwild (Andreas Strobel/Silvio Wieltschnig) at 17:42
3 GT Africa (Jacques Rossouw/Shan Wilson) 26:50
4 Breitling/Vineyard Hotel (Geddan Ruddock/Kevin Evans) 1:26:06
5 Tom Tailor/Santos/Walkabout 1 (Jaap Viergever/Dennis Teeuwen) 1:32:39


Women

1 Cateye - Kenda Enduro Team (Louise Kobin/Hillary Harrison) 2:53:18
2 Yellow Jacket (Hanlie Booyens/Sharon Laws) at 7:08
3 Smith/Speedy (Yolande Speedy/Christi Smith) 9:25
4 Team Rotwild/Hr (Monika Birk/Christine Hoelzl) 9:53
5 Magura/Bodyglide (Cristina Begy/Simone Otto) 27:16

10 Canucks2 (Martie Du Plessis/Marlene Van Heerden) 1:14:53

GC

1 Yellow Jacket (Hanlie Booyens/Sharon Laws) 35:34:44
2 Cateye - Kenda Enduro Team (Louise Kobin/Hillary Harrison) at 46:09
3 Smith/Speedy (Yolande Speedy/Christi Smith) 1:23:24
4 Team Rotwild/Hr (Monika Birk/Christine Hoelzl) 3:55:54
5 Team Fair Lady (Adrienne Cobb/Christelle Van Niekerk) 4:34:25

10 Canucks2 (Martie Du Plessis/Marlene Van Heerden) 15:25:00


Ryan Leech Injured
Trials star Leech, who has been doing demonstrations at the Toronto Bike Show injured his toe this morning and will not perform for the rest of the show. He was also scheduled to do a stint in the Mike Bullard show later in the week, but the rumour is that this will have to be cancelled or rescheduled.