September 4/05 7:23 am - Green Mountain Stage Race: Stage 1 Report and Results

Posted by Editoress on 09/4/05
 

Green Mountain Stage Race Appalachian Gap, VT
John Atkinson, GMSR Media Coordinator

Roxbury Circuit Race

Mother Nature cooperated again for The Roxbury Circuit Race, the second leg of The Green Mountain Stage Race (GMSR). Sunny skies, light winds, seventies, low humidity, in short, perfect. Compared to Friday’s hill climb Prologue and Sunday’s hundred-plus mile suffer-fest, The Mad River Road Race, The Circuit Race is the easiest day of the race for most.

Still, racers were required to negotiate two relatively flat thirty-five mile loops through some of central Vermont’s most beautiful rural areas. Small towns greeted the competitors with cheering fans and long stretches of clear rolling country roads allowed them to work out the kinks.

And there were kinks, in the form of many crashes. Despite the ideal weather and dry pavement, fresh batches of road rash were all too common. Rough tarmac might have been to blame, but most of the accidents happened on smooth sections. Some riders seemed to over push their limits, taking down others in the process and possibly affecting the outcome of the contests. For instance, part of the lead group fell mid-way through the second lap of the Women’s Pro race. The course was not kind to break-away efforts either, with premature moves quickly reeled in by the peloton in both the Pro Women and Men races.

With just seven miles to go, Joanne Kembery (DC Velo/ Martens Volvo) was the first to take the lead and keep it for a while. Kembery’s attack was only bridged by a single rider, Caitlin McCullough (SAAB of Halfmoon/ New Salem-CBRC), “I thought I was leading the peloton on a chase, but when I looked back, there was nobody, so I just kept going.”

Together until the end of the race, Kembery and McCullough helped each other fend off the pack. At the line in a sprint finish, McCullough, who recently moved up from Cat 4 to Cat 3, surprised herself and the rest of the field with a sweet victory born of luck, talent and teamwork. “I have learned so much from teammates this year. I couldn’t done it without them.”

The Pro Men’s race wasn’t as affected by crashes, but was even less tolerant of break-aways, with every attack efficiently brought under control at a solid average speed of almost thirty miles an hour. The King of Mountain fell to Maxime Vives (Espoirs Laval/ National SG), who also took second in the greater Circuit Race. In a mass finish, first place and the yellow jersey was grabbed by teammate Erck Lyman (Espoirs Laval/ National SG), making them major targets for Sunday’s hilly Mad River Road Race.

Speaking about the upcoming challenge, Vives said, “If I have good legs, I should do well. But I like the flats better than the climbs.” An odd thing to hear from a current King of the Mountain, but knowing the demands of the course, it is understandable.

The Mad River Road Race is a true test of cycling ability. The course is a hundred and two miles and features three Gaps, each with over a thousand vertical feet of climbing. There are high speed descents and steep lung-busting walls that wind through countless corners on tight mountain roads, even a little dirt to keep everyone honest. And to top it off, there’s a two thousand vertical foot march (18% grade for the last km) from below the town of Bristol to the top of the Appalachian Gap and the finish line.

The Green Mountain Stage Race overall title remains up in the air with the biggest challenges to come.

*** Due to a USCF Official decision, the results of the Roxbury Circuit Pro Men’s Race were nullified. More information will be provided on Sunday. ***

L'équipe Nationale SG/Espoir Laval domine au Vermont !

par Jean-François Racine (d'après des informations de Marc-Wayne Addison)

L'équipe élite Nationale SG/Espoir Laval a complètement dominé, hier, la première étape sur route de la Green Mountain Stage Race, épreuve cycliste majeure qui se déroule jusqu'à lundi, dans le secteur de Burlington, au Vermont (USA).

Dans la course de 72,5 miles (120 km) qui s'est déroulé samedi près de la station Sugarbush, l'as du sprint Éryk Lyman l'a emporté lors d'une arrivée massive de près de 95 coureurs. Tout juste derrière, son coéquipier chez Espoir Laval, Maxime Vives, a pris le 2e rang de l'étape.

Le difficile parcours comportait une longue ascension de plusieurs kilomètre comme principale difficulté. Lors des deux sprints de montagne qui compte pour le classement général aux points, Vives a pris le 1er et le 2e rang. Il s'empare donc seul du maillot de meilleur grimpeur.

Pour sa part, Érik Lyman a terminé 3e au premier sprint intermédiaire. Avec sa victoire d'étape, l'athlète de la région d'Ottawa se positionne dans les 10 premiers au classement général. Au moment d'écrire ces lignes, les résultats officiels n'étaient pas encore connus mais Maxime Vives devrait se situer parmi les trois principaux leaders pour la course de dimanche.

La deuxième étape, la plus difficile du week-end, se déroulera sur 103 miles (175 km) avec une arrivée au sommet de l'Appalachian Gap. Lundi, les 125 coureurs prendront le départ d'un critérium de 50 km au centre-ville de Burlington.

Men {Pro 1/2
1. Erck Lyman (Espoirs Laval/ National SG)
2. Maxime Vives (Espoirs Laval/ National SG)

Courtesy of Velocity Results