May 2/05 10:48 am - Roswell Criterium: report and brief results, Athens Twilight Criterium: reports and brief results

Posted by Editoress on 05/2/05
 

Nalley Lexus Historic Roswell Criterium


Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis report


No one has won more criteriums in North America than Gord Fraser of the Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis. The Canadian sprinter added another win to his palmares Sunday evening, taking the Nalley Lexus Historic Roswell Criterium.

„This was definitely a team win,‰ said Jeff Corbett, directeur sportif of Health Net Presented by Maxxis. With just a handful of laps remaining, and Advantage Benefits/Endeavour on the front trying to the control the race, AB/E‚s Karl Menzies attacked off the front, taking the ever dangerous ˆ and seemingly ageless ˆ Eric Wohlberg (Symmetrix) with him.

„Up until that point, we were content to let Advantage do as much work as they wanted on the front,‰ Corbett said. „But when Menzies and Wohlberg went, we had to shut it down.‰ When they went with three laps to go, it was Mike Sayers of Health Net Presented by Maxxis shutting it down. „Mike basically blew himself up to get the break back,‰ Corbett added.

From there, John Lieswyn took over the pacemaking duties for a lap, followed by Kiwi Greg Henderson, who was coming off his win of the points competition at the Dodge Tour de Georgia. Dominguez followed Henderson and delivered Fraser to the last 200 meters and the reliable veteran proved he‚s still the top finisher in North America. Behind Fraser, Dominguez held on after his lead-out to take 3rd place, with Henderson also able to crack the top 10 at 9th place.

Men
1. Gord Fraser (Can) Health Net
2. Sebastian Alexandre (USA) Colativa/Sutter Home
3. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Health Net

Women
1. Candice Blickem (USA) Quark
2. Sarah Uhl (USA) Quark
3. Shannon Huchison (USA) L5 Flyers


Athens Twilight Criterium

Health Net Pro Cycling Team report

The evening before the Roswell Criterium, Ivan Dominguez came second in the prestigious Athens Twilight Criterium. Dominguez won the bunch sprint for second, after Navigators Insurance‚s Vassili Davidenko pulled off an improbable solo victory.

Davidenko launched a solo attack early in the rain-soaked race and amazingly stayed away the entire race. „It‚s hard to say how he was able to stay away,‰ Health Net Presented by Maxxis team director Jeff Corbett said. „The weather conditions were pretty miserable. It was raining hard, and I think our guys were still a bit tired from the Tour de Georgia.‰

Only 36 riders finished the race.

Men
1. Vassili Davidenko (Rus) Navigators
2. Ivan Dominguez (USA) Health Net
3. Alejandro Action (SBR)
4. Richard England (USA) Advantage Benefits/Endeavor
5. Kyle Gritters (USA) Team Seasilver
6. John Murphy (USA) Krystal/SCV
7. John Lieswyn (USA) Health Net
8. Danny Pate (USA) Jelly Belly-PoolGel
9. Gord Fraser (Can) Health Net
10. Dave McCook (USA) Jelly Belly-PoolGel

Team Quark report

The Athens twilight criterium took place this Saturday evening under the city lights and party atmosphere only a college town in spring can bring.

With 15,000 "locals" lining the streets and with restaurants and bars packed to capacity 75 women lined up to take the start at 8:45 pm. Quark had only 4 riders take the line as Tina Pic and Laura Van Gilder had earlier in the day competed in the Pan/American games in Mae Del Plata, Argentina with Pic winning for the US National team and earning a trip to the World Championships held in Spain this coming September and VanGilder finishing fifth after doing her job as a loyal lieutenant as Pic's lead-out. Meanwhile, Quark's Annette Beutler was battling the top European climbers with the Swiss National team at the Gracia Orlova in the Czech Republic.

The four Quark riders to show up in Athens were determined to carry on the winning ways and show what they were capable of. This night would be a test of rider's nerves and perseverance as the dark streets were made even more challenging by a steady rain throughout the race. Quark went to the front as soon as the gun dropped to stay out of trouble and the pace set started to shed riders immediately. Making it harder on those behind trying to stay in contact was the number of primes being offered made sure that there was no lull in the action at the front.

The constant pressure soon created a group of only 17 at the front, when prime Queen Lauran Franges of Victory Brewing took over and won two in a row. This caused 5 more riders to lose contact and whittled the group down to 12 with Quarks Helen Kelly, Candice Blickem, Grace Fleury and Sarah Uhl all present. With all 4 Quark riders present things were looking good for the girls in blue and yellow, as they moved to the front and took control of the race. Constant attacks by the Quark girls earned them 6 primes during the race but the constant money on the line gave the group behind plenty of incentive to make sure no one got to far away. Franges of Victory rode as though she was an entire team and not only covered attempted breaks by the Quark girls but also took a good share of the primes.

With 4 laps to go Candice Blickem of Quark gave one last effort to repeat her 2003 Athens win and brake away from the bunch but she could stay away for only a lap and it was obvious that the winner would come from a the select group that had survived. Quark went to the front with 2 to go and it was the amazing Blickem who after her sole effort took over the front. At the 1 lap to go bell things were looking great for Quark as its riders were at the front with their sprinter for the day Sarah Uhl tucked on Helen Kelly's wheel. As the riders came around the last corner before the finish, it was the Quarks Grace Fleury through first but Shannon Hutchinson of Aarons Furnishings and Lauren Franges of Victory that had jumped her wheel and then launched their sprint. Those two drag raced to the line taking 1-2 with a late surging Uhl nipping Sarah Tillotson of ABD Cycling for third.

Women
1. Shannon Hutchinson (USA) L5Flyers
2. Lauren Franges (USA) Victory Brewing
3. Sarah Uhl (USA) Quark
4. Sarah Tillotson (USA) ABD Cycling
5. Kellly Benjamin (USA) The Bicycle Store
6. Grace Fleury (USA) Quark
7. Helen Kelly (Aus) Quark
8. Sarah Bamberger (USA) Touchtone Climbing
9. Kathleen Billington (USA) Diet Cheerwine
10. Nancy Lux (USA) BMW Bianchi

32. Kirsten Robbins (Can) Victory Brewing