July 26/98 9:02 am - Park City, Abitibi, Milwaukee, Yellowknife

Posted by Editor on 07/26/98
 

Tomlinson Third, Redden Fifth at Park City

Canadian Ritchey pro Chrissy Redden has called us to provide an update on the Park city, Utah Norba National race earlier today. It was a bit of a frustrating race for Chrissy, especially after her win last week in Mammoth.

The women‚s race started with Ruthie Matthes (Powerbar), Alla Epifanova (Volvo-Cannondale) and Tammy Jacques (Toyota-Schwinn) getting a gap on a chase group of 5, including Chrissy and Lesley Tomlinson (Polo Sport). Jacques and Epifanova flatted early, leaving Matthes on her own in front. Redden attacked the chase group and got a 20 second gap in the second lap. „I was feeling really comfortable, and then I crashed‰. By the time she got going again, Rene Marshman (Moots-Powerbar) had passed her. Then, on the final lap, as she was making ground on Marshman - a flat! „It was only 2 miles to the finish, so I decided to ride it in. First Lesley, and then Anne Trombley (Ellsworth-ZZYZX) passed me.‰

In the men‚s race it was Team Toyota-Schwinn 1-2 as Tim Gould and Steve Larson took the top 2 positions on the podium. Tinker Juarez (Volvo-Cannondale) was third. Roland Green (Kona-Mapei) was a very strong 5th for the top Canadian result, with 4 other Canadian men in the top 20: Seamus McGrath (Haro) in 12th; Chris Sheppard (Catera-Pure Energy) 14th; Jason Crookham (Valu-Net)16th and Peter Wedge (Kona-Mapei) 17th.


Tour de l‚Abitibi (courtesy the organizers)

The 30th edition of the Tour de l`Abitibi will begin by a prologue in Amos, on July 27 and will end with a road circuit on August 2nd 1998.

The Tour is the second oldest stage race in the world and is now part of the Junior UCI World Cup Ranking. This year 21 teams of 6 riders each (126 total), representing 9 countries: China, Germany, Israel, Nederlands, Mexico,Slovenia, Switzerland,Canada: (National, Abitibi, Alberta, B.C., Maritimes, Quebec Provincial, and Sainte-Foy), U.S.A.: (National, Arizona, California, Indiana, Massaschussets, Texas 1 and Texas 2) will participate in this 8 stage race.

The first stage (for G.C.) will consist of a Team Time Trial of 36.4km (Preissac-Amos) at 10.00 a.m.on Tuesday the 28th, and will be followed by a 40.5km criterium in Amos at 7.30 p.m. in the evening.

Barry and Wohlberg Take Charge
(courtesy Helene Houle, July 25th)

Things went o.k. yesterday for the "Garcon d'Erable. In another super fast race. Eric Wohlberg (Shaklee) and Michael Barry (Saturn) got up the road with a third rider and lapped the field. Things then stayed together till the finish where Michael was led out by the Saturn machine to win the race. Eric followed closely in the sprint to finish second. He is still recovering from a freak incident on Tuesday. A microburst touched down during the criterium and started blowing everyone around. Eric was in a breakaway with Michael Barry when he was swept off course. He landed in the ditch where a large branch fell on his left side re-injuring his recently fractured clavicle. He sat out the Wednesday and Thursday races, and seems to be back on track. The last 100 kilometer criterium goes later today in Milwaukee. Everybody then packs up the bikes and moves on to one of the best races in the States. Tour de Toona held in Altoona, Pennsylvania starts on Tuesday with a short prologue and goes till next Sunday.


MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE A MUDDY GOOD TIME
(courtesy KatherineStoddard/Bob Fawcett)

YELLOWKNIFE - July 26th∑Despite a bear encounter, a wet and mucky course, the risk or rain, a few bike spills and an unusual start time, Yellowknife‚s second big mountain bike of the summer was a success. Rain earlier in the day made for some soggy trail sections, but the sun was shining by race time.

Bob Fawcett was the overall winner of The Overlander OverEnder which started Saturday, July 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the Yellowknife Ski Club. He finished the four-lap, 15 km course in 52 minutes, 56 seconds. Corey Borolien was close behind Fawcett for the first 2.5 km, but gravity and lack of traction caused a minor crash to set him back to second place. Borolien finished in 57:08.

"I was just riding along and all of a sudden I couldn‚t hear him (Borolien) anymore. I thought he got hung up in some rocks, so that‚s where I put the hammer down and never looked back," said Fawcett, who also helped organize the race and plan the course. Third place was nabbed by 19-year-old Kevin Cymbalisty. On the women‚s side, Katherine Stoddart took first place, finishing two laps in 45:50.

Gary Tait, one of the organizers who was also racing, was on his third lap when he saw a black bear in the middle of the trail. "I just came around the corner and there he was. I slammed on my brakes. He slammed on his. Then he just went off into the bushes and I beat it out of there." The bear wasn‚t seen again.

Prizes, donated by local businesses, were awarded at a post-race barbecue.

The next mountain bike race, The Yellowknife Fat Tire Festival, will held August 16. There will be a kids‚ category, women and men‚s recreation and expert classes, and a "trials" area. Serious and "just for fun" riders are encouraged to participate. There will be music, a barbecue ongoing, and plenty of draw prizes. Register, or sign up to volunteer at Overlander Sports, or call 873-6702.

Expert Men 4 laps 15 km

Bob Fawcett 52:56
Corey Borolien 57:08
Kevin Cymbalisty 59:49
Rod Savoie 1:03:35
Mike Pollock 1:08:16

Recreational Men 2 laps 7.5 km

Scott Matheson 32:29
Kirk Magrum 35:35
Amos Scott 36:22
Dean Durcka 37:27
Mike Freeland 46:17

Recreational Women 2 laps 7.5 km

Katherine Stoddart 45:50