Posted by Editoress on 07/18/04
Tour de Delta, Stage 2: Lehigh Cement Criterium
by Eric Dwyer
The fastest man in Canada had to shift into overdrive to win a wild bunch sprint finish in the Tour de Delta's Lehigh Cement Criterium.
The red maple leaf on Gord Fraser's Canadian National team jersey was a blur as he raced down the home stretch ahead of one of the fastest group of racers to ever ride in BC. "There was a lot of speed in that race, the pace was incredible," said Fraser, who's ranked number 2 pro in the US on a Health Net team rated number one in North America. "I went out early and tested a couple of breakaways. When I knew it wouldn't work I sat back and saved my energy. It was pretty obvious it was going to be a bunch sprint for first."
The 35-year-old Ottawa native moved to the front on the final lap and then exploded out of the pack, leaving everyone in his wake. 2 other pros on top 5 US teams, Ben Brooks of Jelly Belly and Ivan Dominguez of Colavita Bolla finished 2nd and 3rd .
Fraser got $1,200 for the victory. His Health Net teammate Tyler Farrar won the same amount for winning a BC record Prime or money lap collected from the huge crowd lining the streets of the historic fishing village of Ladner.
"I've been telling all the guys how great it is to race up here," said Fraser, who'll ride for Canada in the Olympics in Athens. "The crowds are fantastic. The growth of this race is unbelievable. It's got great potential. It's the kind of event we need to grow this sport in Canada. I'd love to be able to retire racing for a Canadian team. If we had more events like this maybe we'd be able to get some company to step up and provide the million dollars we need to have Canadian team beating the best in the states."
Three BC riders finished in the top ten in Ladner led by Andrew Pinfold of Victoria who finished 6th.
The women's race was a long, hard battle between many of the fastest riders in North America including Canadian Olympic team members Allison Sydor and Manon Jutras. They were two of a dozen women who exchanged the lead at various times during the 40 laps around the .9 kilometer course in downtown Ladner. A lot of riders attempted breakaways only to get quickly reeled in by the 34-woman peleton. American superstar in waiting, 20-year-old Sarah Uhl of Allentown, Pennsylvania showed the most dangerous speed during the race, winning all the primes. The quickness that made her World Junior Sprint champion 2 years ago and hard work by her Quark teammates helped her outsprint the star studded field to the finish line. "I had a lot of confidence I could do it," said Uhl. "When you have a team like that, no racer could ask for anything more. It was a lot of fun."
One of her hardest working teammates, Manon Jutras of Victoria, 2002 Tour de Delta road race champion, said "we had full confidence in our super sprinter. Our plan was to work for Sarah and it paid off."
Australian Helen Kelly recognized what was happening in the closing laps and took full advantage of it. "I knew Sarah had the best kick and could see what her team was doing for her so I sat on her wheel and just stayed there."
Kelly drafted Uhl across the finish line to wrap up 2nd place. 2004 Yaletown Classic winner, Leah Goldstein, who'll race for Israel in the Olympics, finished third.
On Friday, the ageless wonder of BC cycling, Vancouver's Sara Neil, 43, won the first hill climb of her career in the last week of racing in her career. The veteran of more than two decades of racing, shocked even herself by out-climbing Ontario's Amy Moore, and Australian Helen Kelly to win the Brenco Hill Climb. A mere 10th of a second separated first from third. Neil plans to retire at the end of BC Superweek. For the 2nd straight year 21-year-old amateur, Zach Bell, of Watson Lake in the Yukon, upset all the heavily favoured pros to win the men's hill climb. He knocked 2 seconds off his winning time in 2003 to lower the 700 meter course record to 1.06.37. American Tyler Farrar and Tsawwassen's Cam Evans finished 2nd and 3rd.
The Tour de Delta concludes on Sunday with the White Spot Road race.
1/2 Pro Men
1. Gord Fraser (CAN) Health Net
2. Ben Brooks (AUS) Jelly Belly
3. Ivan Dominguez (USA) Colavita Olive Oil Cycling Team
4. Tyler Farrar (CAN) Health Net
5. Marty Nothstein (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
6. Andrew Pinfold (CAN) Symmetrics
7. Russell Hamby (USA) Sierra Nevada Cycling
8. Matt Dubberley (USA) Sierra Nevada Cycling
9. Svein Tuft (CAN) Symmetrics
10. Darren Vogler (CAN) Wentings Cycle
11. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Sierra Nevada Cycling
12. Jason Klikna (USA) Sierra Nevada Cycling
13. Richard Bowker (NZL) ITAL Pasta/Belmire Transport C.C.
14. Caleb Manion (AUS) Jelly Belly
15. Maurice Worsfold (CAN) Bayside Cycling Club
16. Eric Wohlberg (CAN) Sierra Nevada Cycling
17. Cameron Evans (CAN) Symmetrics
18. Zach Bell (CAN) Team Alberta
19. Bruno Nella (CAN)
20. Brian Green (CAN) Trek VW / Broadway Station Dental
21. Peter Morse (CAN) Wentings Cycle
22. James Neil (CAN) Trek VW / Broadway Station Dental
23. Brent McParland (NZL)
24. Nick Jendzjowsky (CAN) Pedalhead Roadworks / Sleemans
25. Christian Meier (CAN) Espoir de Laval
26. Craig Deveer (CAN) gearsracing.com
27. Cameron Hughes (AUS) Subway Express
28. Robbie Yost (USA) Subway Express
29. Dustin Molicki (CAN) Viejas
30. Troy White (USA) Sierra Nevada Cycling
31. Eric Holland (CAN) Bow Cycle
32. Gordon Ross (CAN) Escape Velocity
33. Ian Lockley (GBR) Escape Velocity
34. Paul Blanchette (CAN) Solo - Adobe
35. Henk Vogels (AUS) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
36. Shane Savage (CAN) Solo - Adobe
37. Philippe Abbott (CAN) Team Alberta
38. Scott Goguen (CAN) Symmetrics
39. Kirk O'Bee (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
40. David Goosen (CAN) Solo - Adobe
41. Brett Boniface (CAN) Team Coastal
42. Andrew Greydanus (CAN) Teen Speed
43. Derek McMaster (CAN) Team Coastal
44. Dylan Sebel (CAN) Wentings Cycle
45. Nick Rowe (CAN) Bayside Cycling Club
46. Jeff Sherstobitoff (CAN) Kelowna Cycle
47. Luca Segato (CAN) Trek VW / Broadway Station Dental
48. Brad Issel (CAN) Symmetrics
49. Daniel Maggiacomo (CAN) ITAL Pasta/Belmire Transport C.C.
50. Philip Edamura (CAN) Oak Bay Bikes Racing
51. Chris Worsfold (CAN) Bayside Cycling Club
52. Murray Carter (CAN) Team Manitoba
53. Jason MacLaren (CAN) ITAL Pasta/Belmire Transport C.C.
54. Keith Stark (CAN) Brodie Bicycles
55. Christian Foster (USA) Subway Express
56. David Richter (USA) Subway Express
57. Omer Kem (USA) Subway Express
58. James Mattis (USA) Webcor Cycling Team
59. Greg Roth (CAN) ITAL Pasta/Belmire Transport C.C.
60. Calvin Allen (USA) Broadmark Capital Cycling Team
61. Basse Clement (CAN) Solo - Adobe
62. Troy Critchlow (USA) NELLA / Madison Bikes
63. Taylor Little (CAN) River Valley Cycle
64. Kevin Rokosh (CAN) Edmonton Road & Track Club / Red Bike
65. Robert Veroba (CAN) Bicisport Calgary
66. Bjorn Ossenbrink (GER) Wentings Cycle
67. Nicholas Trusty (USA) Viejas
68. Tom Crawford (USA) Broadmark Capital Cycling Team
69. Will Frishkorn (USA) Colavita Olive Oil Cycling Team
70. Don Buscombe (CAN) Brodie Bicycles
71. Roy Pickavance (CAN) CenturyTel
dnf. Marsh Cooper (CAN) Symmetrics
dnf. Min Naruki-Van Velzen (CAN) Symmetrics
dnf. Anton Jackson (USA) Broadmark Capital Cycling Team
dnf. Justin Morgan (USA) Broadmark Capital Cycling Team
dnf. Ryan McNamara (CAN) Team Coastal
dnf. Dan Schmit (CAN) Team Coastal
dnf. Jim Tsilemos (CAN) Team Coastal
dnf. Damien Waugh (CAN) Team Coastal
dnf. Larry Zimich (CAN) Team Coastal
dnf. Daniel Goncalves (CAN) Trek VW / Broadway Station Dental
dnf. Mike Koski (CAN) Trek VW / Broadway Station Dental
dnf. Chris White (CAN) Trek VW / Broadway Station Dental
dnf. Wayne Schaub (CAN) Solo - Adobe
dnf. Brad Slater (CAN) Solo - Adobe
dnf. Scott Slater (CAN) Solo - Adobe
dnf. Jordan Guenette (CAN) Solo - Adobe
dnf. Scott Brown (AUS) Wentings Cycle
dnf. Matthew Collins (AUS) Wentings Cycle
dnf. Eric Kameka (CAN) Wentings Cycle
dnf. Antoine Varghese (CAN) ITAL Pasta/Belmire Transport C.C.
dnf. Phil Cortes (CAN) ITAL Pasta/Belmire Transport C.C.
dnf. Joe Giuliano (CAN) ITAL Pasta/Belmire Transport C.C.
dnf. Peter Sanowar (CAN) ITAL Pasta/Belmire Transport C.C.
dnf. Simon Small (CAN) ITAL Pasta/Belmire Transport C.C.
dnf. Chris Barth (CAN) Bayside Cycling Club
dnf. Jason Fluckiger (CAN) Bayside Cycling Club
dnf. Eric Harvey (CAN) Bayside Cycling Club
dnf. Sean Howie (CAN) Bayside Cycling Club
dnf. Michael Hunter (CAN) Brodie Bicycles
dnf. Trevor Mays (USA) NELLA / Madison Bikes
dnf. Per Strom (CAN) Team Alberta
dnf. Jesse James Collins (CAN) Bicisport Calgary
dnf. Cameron McKnight (CAN) Edmonton Road & Track Club / Red Bike
dnf. Don Oakly (NZL) Full Sail Racing
dnf. Teunis Schoneveld (NZL) Full Sail Racing
dnf. Brent Kirkpatrick (CAN) Soliton
dnf. Dave Simard (CAN) Soliton
dnf. Jeffrey Hansen (CAN) Jet Fuel Coffee
dnf. Steve German (CAN) Revoluzione
dnf. Kenneth Johnson (CAN) Schwalbe
dnf. Simon Craig (CAN) Spoke N Motion Kamloops BC
dnf. Harley Desprey (CAN) Velocity
dnf. Stephen Cork (CAN) Wines of Washington / King 5
dnf. Chris Gruber (CAN)
dnf. Chris Conklin (CAN)
dnf. Ezra Nichols (CAN)
dnf. Dylan Snowdon (CAN) Bianchi - The Bike Shop
dnf. Pablo Araya (CRC) Solo - Adobe
dnf. Ben Haldeman (USA) Webcor Cycling Team
Women
1. Sarah Uhl (USA) Quark Cycling Team
2. Helen Kelly (AUS) Rona Cycling Team
3. Leah Goldstein (ISR) Trek VW
4. Sara Neil (CAN) Trek VW / Broadway Station Dental
5. Marni Prazsky (CAN) Symmetrics
6. Mandy Poitras (CAN) Symmetrics
7. Alison Sydor (CAN) Rocky Mountain - Business Objects
8. Sandy Espeseth (CAN) Victory Brewing
9. Erinne Willock (CAN) Rona Cycling Team
10. Lisa Sweeney (CAN) Team Kappa
11. Alena Radomsky (CAN) Oak Bay Bicycles
12. Maria Lee (CAN) BC Team
13. Barbara Zimich (CAN) Team Coastal
14. Emily Sandwith (CAN) Team Kappa
15. Naomi Cooper (CAN) dEVo / Powerbar
16. Jessica DeMars (CAN) Bianchi - The Bike Shop
17. Kristin Campbell (CAN) Pedalhead Road Works/Sleeman's
18. Manon Jutras (CAN) Quark Cycling Team
19. Stephanie Hannos (CAN) Basis
20. Megan Elliot (USA) Quark Cycling Team
dnf. Amy Moore (CAN) Quark Cycling Team
dnf. Suzanne Macht (CAN) Team Kappa
dnf. Moriah MacGregor (CAN) BC Team
dnf. Christa Barr (CAN) Team Coastal
dnf. Dianna Kennedy (CAN) Team Alberta
dnf. Kathy White (CAN) Team Alberta
dnf. Lisa Tasa (CAN) Chapman Land Surveying Racing
dnf. Christina Briante (CAN) Petra Orbea
dnf. Melissa Kerr (CAN)
dnf. Claire Cameron (CAN) Dizzy Chicks
dns. Kim Atkinson (CAN) Team Coastal
Cat 3/4 Men
1. Roger Bing-Wo (CAN) Atomic Racing Club
2. Martin Willock (CAN) Victoria Wheelers / Oak Bay Bikes
3. Owen Scott (CAN) Steed Cycles
4. Andy George (CAN)
5. Chris Squire (CAN) Team Coastal
6. Michael Vukadinovic (CAN) Skookum Cycle & Ski
7. Doug Litke (CAN) Bayside Cycling Club
8. Brian Geerts (CAN) Phoenix Velo
9. Brian Griffin (CAN)
10. Brian Wong (CAN) Team Coastal
11. Larry WIlson (CAN) Schwalbe Cycling
12. Peter Kerklaan (CAN19460621)
13. Jim Kwasnicki (CAN) Team Coastal
14. Sean Rice (CAN) Atomic Racing
15. Steve Engh (CAN) Trek VW / Broadway Station Dental
16. Kevin Morrison (CAM) Team Coastal
17. Jack Macdougall (CAN)
18. Erich Zwick (CAN)
19. Alex Northey (CAN) Team Coastal
20. Ian Fingler (CAN) Ambleside / Kreb's
21. Jason Abrams (CAN)
22. Stephen Fung (CAN) Team Coastal
23. Doug Jensen (CAN) dEVo / Powerbar
24. Bryan Kelly (CAN) Steed Cycles
25. Anselmo Rossiello (CAN) Team Coastal
26. Michael Koehle (CAN)
27. Tom Birk (CAN) Steed Cycles
28. Bruce Voelker (CAN) Team Coastal
29. Glenn Hendricks (CAN) Bayside Cycling Club
30. Glenn Barr (CAN) Team Coastal
31. Lauris Krisch (CAN)
32. Vinko Poldrugovac (CAN) Dr Walkers Chiropractor
dnf. Jeff Ain (CAN) dEVo / Powerbar
dnf. Johnson Jung (CAN) Escape Velocity
dnf. Ryan MacDonald (CAN) Escape Velocity
dnf. James Thompson (CAN)
dnf. Dana Williams (CAN)
dnf. Bevan Hughes (CAN)
dnf. Todd Schroeder (USA) Benaroya Research Institute
dnf. David McKinney (CAN) Schwalbe
dnf. Bob Chew (CAN)
dnf. David Jenkins (CAN)
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