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2000
Results
National Cyclocross Championships, Overland
Park, Kansas Dec 15,-16 2000
New England
Championship NECC#6 Cyclocross Race, Wayland, MA 12/2/00
Submitted by Paul Weiss
Cold but sunny weather greeted us, as the day began for this
final race in the NECC series race. As the sole PVC rep I
raced my darndest in what are now being called the "killer b
race". The course was excellent with one fast run up
and several sets of very fast hurdles that were ideal for some
bunny hop action. If I were a bit better at it I
would not have let the wheel of Mark Donahue (fellow Mainer from
SMCC) go those extra 30 feet. It was fun just the same.
This was a more "classic" Cyclocross course with high
speed non technical routes, as compared to the very technical and
dangerous course in Plymouth, a few weeks ago. The
wind was strong on some sections and drafting was key if your
were near someone. I will have to look at what place I was
in....somewhere in the middle of the group I think?
The men's A race was classis, with Johannes Huseby (Independent
Fabrications) fighting off Frank McCormack (Saturn)and Tim
Johnson (Saturn). In the end both Saturn teammates ditched
him with a strong and large lead on the chasing field of 10
followed by the rest of the pack. Connecticut native,
Carmen Richardson (Sobe/Headshock) again shower her form in the
women's race, winning with grace and finesse. The only
Maine Women's rider: Kimberly Garvie riding for (Bates College
Cycling and GMBC) chased down the women field and learned not to
drop a chain when doing hurdles....the hard way. She
finished well though. Not too many pictures of this race....it
was just to darn cold to be taking pics! I have a few
though I will try to load. Next stop US Nationals....Kansas
in 2 weeks!
Benedorm Cyclocross
Race, Canton, CT 11/26/00
Submitted by Paul Weiss
Mud, rain and snow were the order of the day for this event.
Talk about a cold day! I thought a nice cross race would be in
order for the weekend considering I was doing the Weiss
Thanksgiving down in CT anyways. This turned out to be an
epic. Trying to warm up was not a possibility. I did
get one lap in, just enough time to have every part of my body
soaked in rain. The course was mostly in fields of nice
grass, that turned to complete 6 inch mud wallows. By the
time the race finished I could barely feel my fingers let alone
try to use the shifters. Both my bike and I were covered
from head to toe with mud by the end. There were 15 in my
race that started and I am not sure how many finished....I did.........people
with small craniums prevailed in the end. It was a
fun day for the folks that are really "into it"......me.
I did get to run into 3 old racer friends of mine from when I
used to live and race in CT (Andy Zurstadt, and Scott and Monica
Holmes). Cross onward to December!
NECCS #5 Plymouth,
MA 11/19/00
Submitted by Paul Weiss
Ouch. This race was harsh. Two sick descents
that were just nuts. The first was a 20 foot descent with a
"u" shaped valley into an uphill that would stall you
unless you kept momentum. The second was a hairy 30 foot
deep pit that had a sharp left turn at the bottom. Then
into a long run up of about the same height. I
ended up running the descents as many times as I rode them and
actually kept the same time as riding them, in the men's b
race. There were no other PVC riders here today. They
missed a lot of fun!
Boston Supercup
Cyclocross # 2, @ Gloucester, MA 11/18/00
Submitted by Paul Weiss
With the largest Cyclocross event slated for the east
coast in a year, this was the event of the season to date.
With a great course located within feet of the Atlantic and sunny
skies, this was the place to be on Saturday. Not only were
top pros from all over the US, but even some locals showed up....like
MA native Tyler Hamilton, who rode to the race as training, clad
in his USPS uniform and a tripped out Trek road bike!
The stage was set for some amazing racing in the ranks of pro,
amateur and collegiate riders. Representing PVC on this
bumpy serpentine course was: Eddie Quinn, Andy Whelen and
Sam Robinson who all competed in the Masters 35+ field.
They finished 16th, 22nd and 46th respectively. In the
combined Junior race (run with Masters), Matt Norton
finished 14th. In the Men's b race Jason Pettingill
finished 12th! and Paul Weiss 58....of 90 starters.
Other Maine racers included: Allen Starrett (Bikeman),
Todd Wheeldon and Jeff Herrick (Independent Fabrications), Derek
Hilton and John Nale of (Back Bay Bike Club), Josh Williams, Rick
Botaglia and Mark Donahue of (SMCC), Matt Hershey (Liquid Motion),
and Chris Shotwell (Fiddlehead Cycling), Tom Stevens (Gearworks). Ollie Cote (Hot Tubes) and Kimberly Garvie (Bates Cycling Team).
I will post photos.
West Hill
Cyclocross, Putney, VT 11/12/00
Submitted by Paul Weiss
This race is a classic! There is nothing more
rewarding than riding through cornfield and then face a 50 foot
run up! The West Hill shop is pure Vermont with wood stove
and all. I pulled up at 7 PM at the shop only to find them
getting ready for the big event in the morning. What a
great bunch of folks to put this event on. Turn out for
this event was excellent with over 175 racers. PVC
was again represented Matt Norton and Myself. My race was a
lot of fun, the corn field was all clay and made for some of the
hardest riding that I have done in a while. The run up was
great talk about pain and suffering. Matt thought the same
and had fun on this sick course. The screamer of a downhill
was fun also even with the potholes at the bottom!
On the pro scene, Johnnes Huseby just edged out the unknown Swiss
superstar at the line. Carman Richardson dominated the
womans field with Amy Grosbeck (WestHill) close behind. The
masters race was dominated by Chris Richardson (Sobie) who won
this race then did the A race...ouch. A classic!
Frank N' Horst
Cyclocross, Keene NH 11/11/00
Submitted by Paul Weiss
A drizzling cold rain greeted riders to this interesting course
around a school (where the Keene Road Race starts). The
course looped around a wicked serpentine loop around the school.
With 2 major sand pits and a very sick descent into a steep run
up, this was a course for the Mt bikers! All the Cross
starts were here though, with Mark and Frank McCormack and an
unknown Swiss Eurostar that gave Mark some competition.
Other local stars were Amos Brumble and Don Mills. The
women superstars were also there ie: Carman Richardson (Sobie)
and Amy Grosbeck (West Hill) Carman and Mark were the eventual
winners. The masters race was pretty amazing also with many
of the great masters riders (Paul Curley et al)
PVC was represented by Matt Norton and Myself. Matt did a
great race and came in second in the combined Junior and Master
Field! I finished 24th in the men's B race. Just ahead of fellow
Mainer John from (Back Bay) 3 other Mainers faired well (Brain
E and Matt H from Liquid Motion) and also John Grenier MCC-Rainbow
bikes and of course we have to mention Ollie Stiller Cote.........he
raced in the Men's A and was neck and neck with Sean McCormack (CCB)
for a good part of the race! He finished an incredible 10th
place even though his seat had broken off the bike and he had to
do the last lap without a seat...ouch! Way to go
Ollie!
Great Osprey Bike
Race, Freeport ME 11/4/00
Submitted by Paul Weiss
Another fantastic day weather wise made for a great event at the
Wolfe Neck Farms in Freeport. "Fred put on another
nice race". This is an interesting 25 miles course
with 5 mile loops that include about 1 mile of dirt road.
No one know exactly what kind of tires to run or what kind of
bike to ride. I opted for my Cyclocross bike and that
worked great. PVC was represented by George Bennington,
Mike Laughlin, Mike Claus, Mike Hoover and Tim Corcoran (wearing
LL Bean colors). There were some local big hitters at
the race, including Winner Ollie Cote, Thad Clavelle and a large
crew from SMCC. The Peleton stayed together despite some
attempts to go clear by Tim Corcoran, Todd Wheelden, Mike Claus
and Ollie Cote. The 4th lap was the hardest with a split in
the peleton that eventually got reeled in. The finish came
down to a dirt road sprint that caused some interesting results
with rock flying and some people coming out of their pedals.
Ollie, Thad and Tim came in 1-3. The rest of us were right
behind. I think I finished 6th and Mike Hoover was right
behind me. I will try to get the results from Fred.
UMASS Cyclocross
Amherst MA 10/28/00
Submitted by Paul Weiss
With UCI ranking, this was slated to be a real top level event,
with riders traveling from as far away as Germany! No one
was disappointed. For a 4th year in a row I raced
this great course on the top of windy Orchard hill on the UMASS
campus. Once again everyone was delighted with the course
design laid out by the pros. With the usual off camber hillside
turns, orchard field run ups, and serpentine downhill, this was a
classic.
PVC was represented in the Junior and Master 35+ race by Matt
Norton, who did an awesome race, no results posted yet but I
think he place in the top 15. I did the Men's B race and finished
somewhere in the middle of the field on this long course that
seamed to stretch over 2.5 kilometers.
The now regular Maine Tuesday night Payson Park crowd showed up
to race including the now infamous Jeff Herrick, who finished 16th
for Independent Fabrications in the Mens A race! He had a
great race, placing second for his team!
The Women's and Men's A race was unreal to watch. In the
men's race, Mark Macormack helped the now superstar of cross Tim
Johnson open a huge gap on the chasing Mark Gullickson, all the
while the neo German star Tobias Nestle chased hard for 4th. In
the women's race, Carmen Richardson was unreal. She raced
with a broken rib to dominate the finish with a commanding lead.
I will post pics soon.
Twin Brook
Cyclocross Cumberland ME 10/22/00
Submitted by Paul Weiss
Wow what an awesome race! Thanks Derek Hilton of Maine
Cycling Club for an amazing event. Great weather, course
and planning execution. Thanks to all those that
volunteered also and especially Payson Kinnon and company for
officiating! We had a great turnout for this first USCF
Cyclocross race in Maine. It is about time that we had a
race in Maine and hopefully more will come. Twin Brook park
was a great setting for this 2 kilometer loop that included 5
sets up hurdles with one run up, dirt, trail, field and pavement.
Maine saw some amazing performaces and racers from all over
including 2 womens national champions racing and the Canadian
mens National rr champion. PVC faired very well in this
event with Chris Cyr winning the C race, In the Men's
Masters 35+ race, Sam Robinson took 4th and Eddy Quinn
took 5th, also competing were Art Davis, Tim Corcoran and Mike
Laughlin.
In the Men's B race Mike Hoover Mike Claus and Paul Weiss Competed. In the
Men's A race Jason Pettingil and Matt Norton raced extremely well. I will have to verify their results, but I think that both placed
very well!
Pictures will be posted
under photo section.
ECV Cyclocross
Gloucester, MA 10/15/00
submitted by Paul Weiss
As the 3rd race in the New England Cyclocross series,
this was slated to be and was a very good event. Since the
Super cup series has been postponed this New England series has
become the premier event for Cyclocross in the US. This showed true as Cyclocross and Mt bike superstars like Anne
Grande all the way from Washington state, flew in to race.
The event turned out some
great performances from some Maine Riders also, with 3 Maine
clubs represented. PVC had a good turnout. Matt
Norton continues to show serious promise in the Junior
field placing very well (I think top 10) with and excellent
combined field of both Juniors and Masters 35+.
Eddie Quinn Finished well in the 35+ Masters field, until he had
bad run in with a hurdle. Crashing through the hurdle and
tumbling over the next. Although injured, and nursing a
dropped chain, he still managed to finish and only lose about 10
spots.
In the Men's B field: Jason Pettingil did an excellent job of holding off the
field and I think finished in the top 15 riders. I (Paul
Weiss) dropped a chain on the first uphill and chased for the
whole race, I think I placed in the top half of the field though,
since I passed many riders on my way back to the front..
Other clubs that competed
from Maine included, Maine Sport (Mike Vose and company), SMCC (Jamie,
Josh and Mark), Team Bikeman with Wally and Allen. Then
there was Jeff Herrick placing (a fantastic top 15) in the A race
riding for Independent Fabrications! The A race had the top pros
competing: ie Mark, Sean, and Frank McCormack, and Tim Johnson
now riding with Mark and Frank on the Saturn squad. There
were even a few international pros from Europe riding!
NECC race
Pittsfield MA Cyclocross 10/8/00
submitted by Paul Weiss:
Wow, this is a long way to drive for a race. Ah,
but this is a great race. A fantastic course with a long 1
mile loop that snaked throughout the school grounds and a local
park. Two nice run ups that really made this a classic
course. This day I did the B race, and rode well,
even though I was off the back. Other Mainers faired very
well also in this race: Ollie Cote now riding for Hot Tubes Team,
decisively won the Junior/Vet 35+ combined race, putting a large
gap on the second place rider. Jeff Herrick, did a awesome
race. He stayed up in the A field in top 10 spot. His
riding, was excellent, I watched him do some great bunny hops of
several hurdles, that most people were dismounting on.
Fitchburg, MA
Cyclocross Race 10/7/00
submitted by Paul Weiss:
Great day, great race. Since I did not feel like
waking up very early, and driving down from Maine, I did the
Men's A race which started at 2pm. Good idea for
logistics, bad idea for racing .......i.e. The McCormack's
do the A Race. I put lots of pressure on the brothers
causing much pain and getting them very nervous. Ended up
finishing with all my appendages. The course was
pretty fun with a long woods section and some interesting tight
curves. Just the same it was a long race and a lot of fun.
Even had two other Mainers rooting me on: Derrick and Jeff
Herrick.
Gear Works, Devons/Ayer, MA Cyclocross10/1/00
submitted by Paul Weiss:
With another fantastic fall day, what could be better
than another great cross race at the old Fort Devons campus?
With Dick Ring announcing and a fantastic course laid out by the
pros, things were in line for a great day! The course was a
typical Devons course with one added feature: a sick sand pit
type run-up. This wall was not ridable by anyone, even the
nimble "A" race crowd. Thsi rest of the
course was pretty technical with a lot of loose sand turn and one
really bad off camber downhill and run-up.
Being the only rider from Maine I faired well in the masters
field. I only had Emily Thorpe pass me from the women's
field, who started behind us. I don't feel so bad
considering she is a national level champion! A fun race,
with only one fall for me (in the sand) messy but no hurts.
I had Dick Ring announce the Maine Cyclocross weekend.
I think he said something like he usually does: "those
Maine folks will be pulling lobster traps in the morning, then
cyclocrossing later in the day"
Palmer, MA
Cyclocross 9/24/00
Great start to a new season. Rain and warm
temperatures were on store for the season started that was
coupled with the New England Bike swap. 3 PVC riders
competed in this event, turning out to be racing in the same race
also since the field were combined. Eddie Quinn, Matt
Norton (with full family cheering section) and Paul Weiss started
in the combined Junior and Master field. It was a classic
course with nice paved turns, and off cant downhill, a classic
run up 5 sets of hurdles and a slow slog through a wet field.
After the usual very fast start and clog up in the tight areas,
the field thinned out. It was pulled along the course than
none other than Ollie Cote, who, at the end of the race had a 1
minute gap on the next group of chasers. In this group was
Matt Norton and Eddie Quinn. Matt finished 4th for the
Juniors and Eddie Finished in the top for Masters (we are not
sure of placing as of yet. With mud and smiles we all were
glad we made the long drive down to MA. Look forward to
next weekend at Devons!
Mt Sunapee Road
Race, Newbury NH 9/9/2000
The race was changed this year to the fall, which worked
out well. The weather was darn perfect. Sunny and
clear in the 70's. It was cool in the AM when all the
racing fields started. The course is a great loop of
about 23 miles around Sunapee lake. There are several
climbs, but only one is long. Each lap had 1300 feet of
climbing so this race was a little bit more than our Tuesday
night ride.
PVC had a good turnout to the race. For the Men's 45+ Bill black and Graydon Stevens, finished near one another. Graydon took 4th in a hard sprint up the hill. For the Cat
5 Chris Cyr takes 6th overall! Chris Mcloon
also raced in this race. In the Men's Cat 4,
George Bennington in the uphill sprint had an expensive accident,
when someone hit into his Mavic metronic rear deraillier.
Breaking it off and sending it up the chain into his front
derailler which also broke off. Needless to say he actually
ran over the line with his bike! In the Men's 3 Race Jason
Pettingill Paul Weiss and John Frey started. Jason finished
although the last several miles was sporting a flat tire, in
which he rode all the way back around the lake! I dropped a
chain in one of the climbs and chased for what seemed an
eternity, ( I did catch the group....in the parking lot).
Oh well. Fun weekend.
Killington Stage
Race, Killington, VT Sept. 1-3, 2000
Submission from: Mike Claus:
Killington Stage Race,
who cares about the results, we came for the food. With Factors
Financial sponsoring deluxe On Mountain Accommodations for Bill
Black (40+), Neil Fitch and Bob Baiguy (30+), and Mike Claus (Cat
4) we were able to lure expert chef and PVC member Mike Hoover (Cat
4) to the Northeast Kingdom for three nights of good eats. After
sign in on Friday we hit the Chicken Penne Puttanesca pretty hard.
Funny how that last plate went to Baiguy. Friday we all get up
and venture out in the humidity to climb Brandon Gap and tackle
the Killington Access Road. At the warm up we noted the speed of
the Juniors from the gun. It looked like there would be much hurt
on the trip up Brandon. Not so in the 4's as we took an easy warm
up through town and up the first part of the climb. At the 1k to
the KOM (King of the Mountain points classification) sign we were
still going fairly slow and the fog was closing in near the top
of the gap. I got itchy and went clear at the next steep pitch,
only to go around the corner and see one more steep section
before the KOM banner. Lacking both guts and glory I let up a bit
and soon had all the climbers on my wheel. I slowed the pace and
the uphill sprint for the KOM started. I latched onto a wheel and
went over the top 6th, then sat back and enjoyed the ride down.
Completely missed the next KOM, just noted the acceleration and
went with the leaders. Ended up 4th by the banner without trying.
Great tactics. Entire pack was fairly strung out as we crossed
Route 4 to climb the access road. A couple of flyers were reeled
in as a group of about 20 was together for the last 200 m. Simply
came down to how much you wanted to hurt on the last climb. I
wanted to hurt enough for 9th. S.T. with 5 other guys. My heroics
in the KOM put me 7th in the GC for the day.
Mike Hoover came in with all the other crit riders a few minutes
back in the Cat 4. Matt Norton took a well earned 18th in his "hardest race" for the juniors. Word filtered back from
our Cat 2 boys that the pace in the 30 & 40 plus races was a
bit more hectic. Something about attacks all the way up Brandon
Gap and the Access Road. I did not care as I dug into our Risotto
with Sweet Italian Sausage for dinner. Funny how that last plate
went to Baiguy. At the start of the crit I was in the top ten
call up by Dick Ring. Not only exciting but definite advantage in
a 116 man field. Sat near the front and out of trouble for the
beginning of the race. At lap 8 going through a double "S"
turn the bike in front of me lost traction. Fortunately for me he
had enough speed to slid all the way into the haybales and I got
around on the inside. Next crash came on a sprint lap 14 when
everyone went for the top of the hill at the same time. Some one
in the front and to the left tipped over. I went right and was
clear. Next lap I didn't see Mike Hoover. Trouble was confirmed
when I next saw Mike Hoover walking his bike down the street with
a gash on the chin and a lefty for a fork. After a quick
technical session with the Pedro's Support team we were back at
the Access Road Bike Shop procuring a new fork. Mike Hoover
dropped $175 on his credit card and Pedros slapped a new
lightspeed carbon fork on his Trek. Sort of a mixed marriage.
On to the grocery store for chicken and teriyaki marinade. Add in
some gemelli pasta and secret spice and we had another fantastic
refueling session that night. Funny how that last plate went to
Baiguy. Bill Black and Bob Baiguy woke up on Monday Morning
with respective bad knee and sinus infection. Bob agreed to play
support for us while Bill went home to attend to family for a bit
of the holiday weekend. Neil, Mike and I were dropped off in
Rutland for the start under cool and cloudy skies. Saab Road Race
started off fairly sedate in the Cat 4's. No racing all the way
through to the first KOM. Acceleration for the KOM dropped a few
off the back. With about 10k to go the racer in second overall
made a solo break on the run in to Route 4. He got away and
stayed away as the yellow jersey was unable to respond. No one
else was willing to track down the break and we rolled into West
Hill Road together. I was 3rd over West Hill and took a couple of
pulls once we got on the Access Road but that cost me some energy
as a group of 6 dropped me on the steep section at 1k. I rolled
up to the finish 8th for the day and 7th in the GC. Mike Hoover
got his new litespeed across the line with the pack and moved up
on the GC. Neil Fitch had a good ride but complained about some
really fast sandbaggers in the 30+. I believe his actual race
time was 15 minutes faster than the 4's.
Saco Criterium (State
Criterium Championships), Saco, ME 8/26/2000
Amazing turnout for PVC with some great finishing results
also. I have not got all results (some may be incorrect)
but please tell me if you raced and how you did.
Men's Pro 1,2 Bob Biaguy and Neil Fitch raced, Neil finishes
as state champion!
Women 4 race, Marianne Stover places 4th overall, 2nd in
State championship!
Men's 3 Race, Chris Karum, Dave Harrel, Matt Norton raced.
Men's 35+, Art Davis, Paul Weiss, Bob Biaguy, Steve
Johnson, Mike Hoover, and Graydon Stevens raced.
Men's 45+, Graydon Stevens takes 2nd!
Men's 4 race, Mike Clause, Chris Cyr, Chris Hanson, Mike
Laughlin raced
Men's 5 race, Chris MeLoon, Peter Levesque, raced
Scarborough Road
Race, Scarborough, ME 8/27/2000
Amazing turnout for PVC with some great finishing results
also. I have not got all results (some may be incorrect)
but please tell me if you raced and how you did.
Men's Pro 1,2 Bill Black raced, Neil Fitch finished strong.
Women 4 race, Marianne Stover crashes...ouch!
Men's 3 Race, Chris Karum, Dave Harrel raced.
Men's 35+, Paul Weiss, Bob Biaguy, Steve Johnson, Brian
Linscott, Eddy Quinn, Graydon Stevens (takes 3rd!).
Men's 45+, Graydon Stevens!
Men's 4 race, Mike Clause, Greg Hutchinson, George
Bennington, Chris Hanson raced
Men's 5 race, Mark Norton, Chris MeLoon (takes 3rd!),
Chris Linscott (1st!)
Mt Washington Hill
Climb, NH, 8/19/200
Rumor has it that at least two PVC riders showed for this
great event. Bill Black and Ray Kusche. I think that
Ray toped off his last years performance by besting his time by 1
minute. Considering he is in the sub 1:15 area, that is
pretty darn good! " I tied for 33rd place overall -
second in my age group. sheer agony." Unfortunately for Bill Black, a knee joint injury
caused him a lot of pain and he had to stop climbing part way up
the course.
Mt Washington Results
Wildman
BiathlonShelborne, NH, 8/13/00
In what was described as
an awesome and fun event, Rhonda Morin (PVC) as part of a 2
person female Team wins the age 30-39 mixed team division with a
combined time of 2:31. Rhonda did the cycling leg (22.5
miles up the hilly climb of route 16 to Wildcat Mtn base), This
was preceded by her partner running a 10K run and then (after
Rhondas ride) another 3 mile run (up Wildcat mtn!). They even
beat out many male and mixed team members...and there was only 2
of us!
SugarLoaf WidowMaker Challenge, Sugarloaf USA, ME 8/13/00
Who says that PVC is just a road team? A fine
turnout for PVC at this Trail 66 Mt bike race event.
Representing PCV in the Men's expert Field were: Chris Cyr (13th),
Tim Corcoran (7th)(Also riding for LL Bean Mt bike team), Patrick
Weiler(). In the Men's Sport class, Chris Hanson (5th). I took several pictures at the race, they include a lot of other
local folks that you may recognize. pics
Howard Bank
Criterium Burlington VT 7/6/00
Another great race for PVC. Awesome weather made a
great day for this epic Criterium right in the heart of the
downtown. Results thus far: Men's 45+ Graydon Steven's
takes second!, Men's 35+ Rick Smith, Paul Weiss, raced, Men's Cat 4 Mike Hoover, (raced No results posted), Women's cat 4:
Betsy Perry takes prime on 3rd to last lap and taken 7th overall!
Mad Rider Road Race
(Northeast Regional championships) 7/5/00
Race notes:
Men's Cat 4: submitted by Mike Claus: Did someone
say hills? Finally get away from those 200 meter sprint finishes
the big boys are so fond of. This course is climber time. Rolling
out of the Mad River parking lot we get 25 miles of mostly
downhill easy riding. I sat in the pack enjoying the draft. Most
everyone commented how this wasn't so bad. Right turn to
Middlebury Gap, an American Flag on the side if the road is
straight out showing us taking on a headwind. I sit about 20 back
and duck for cover until we get to the top. Attrition starts to
take a toll on those who have been at the front on the attack and
I spin to the top 5th over the climb. About 20 boys make a split
after the feed zone and there is much excitement about making the
break stick. I think, wait a minute guys, we just cooked the
field on the day's easy climb, why are we worried if we the pack
sticks to App Gap? All the climbers were in the front group so
there was no reason to keep the break going. Then I noted all the
college jerseys and realized testosterone was at work, not
brains, so Nate Rice, along with the UVM and UCONN boys went to
the front and hammered the downhill. I hung in the draft, not a
bit of work on the front for me thank you. The groups came
together after Middlebury Gap descent and we headed for the dirt
road run into Bristol. There seemed to be more jockeying for
position as the mountain bikers must of figured this was their
chance. As teammate Mike Hoover went by me on the gravel he said
to keep an eye on the Seven Cycle's guy, Skip Brown. We had a
fast safe run over the gravel. Skip Brown then went to the front
and started to test the waters. Over the next 5 miles he made 3
breaks go that were reeled in. I was with him the 3rd time and
when I noted the pack closing I said "Looks like that didn't
work". Next thing I knew four of us were flying down the
road with three of us glued to Skip'swheel. Skip towed our break
all the way to the 4 km mark where he said that the climbers
could go now. The Vermont State Champ then towed us to the 1 km
mark where we took a break before the last steep pitch. After
quick introductions we all dug in and I stuck with my 39-25 while
everyone else bolted up in a 39-23. I hung on for 4th., with 3rd
in North Atlantic. More power to the boys ahead of me. Skip, for
all his work got a well deserved 3rd place podium finish.
Men's Cat 5: Submitted by Ray Kusche: The Cat 5 group was
so big that they split us into an under-35 and a 35+ group. Our
start was delayed while they removed the time trial bars from one
old geezer's bike! We rode in a pack until the bottom of
Middlebury Gap, when we broke up quickly. I was over the top with
two other guys, who did not want to work to stay away, until 3
others caught up. we never saw the main pack again. The six of us
worked together pretty well until Rt 17, when one guy dropped off.
Then with about 8 miles to go, somebody ran into my rear wheel,
and a rider went down. I was fine and almost stopped but the guy
ahead of me would not stop after I shouted a few times. So I
chased him down and the two of us continued on up the climb
dropping the others. Turns out this guy was 21 years old - had
missed his group - and was very strong. He dropped me near the
top of the rise on Rt 17 before the pre-gap downhill, and
although I closed a little on the downhill to the start of the
gap, I had no chance to catch him on the climb and he finished
about 200 yards ahead. So I was second, or maybe first if they
take him out of the results because of his age. There was
not much tactics involved. Almost no breaks to chase. Three guys
from Northampton velo club and I basically puled the train to the
bottom of Mid. Gap, with one of the big guys unwisely doing 75%
of the work. Once we hit the climbing, it was clear that this was
not a Tuesday night PVC kind of group, and the climbers in the
group very quickly put the hurt on the others. I tried twice to
break, but did not have the energy to stay away. I had 100 yards
on them at the bottom of Mid. Gap, but lost it at the turn into
Bristol. It was fun. Wish the Cat 5's had been able to race as a
full group. My race was a little tame, except for the climbs.
What a finish! Reminded me of Mt. Washington without the bad
weather and granny gearing.
Results:
Men's 35+ Neil
Fitch Raced, 35th
Men's 45+ Bill Black 1st!, Graydon Stevens 3rd!
Even after the pace car went the wrong way for several miles and
lead their 9 man breakaway off the course doing an extra 4 miles!
They were behind the pack and then launched an attack that caught
the pack and then passed them. They still finished
ahead of the main peleton!
Men's Cat 5 (35+)
1st!!!!! Time of 3:16:49 Raymond Kusche Portland
Velo Club!
Men's Cat 4
4th Michael Claus Portland Velo Club ME
38th Michael Hoover Portland Velo Club ME
Yarmouth Clam
Festival Road Race 7/23/00
Another great race this year. The women's field was
one of the largest ever (we think due to the large prize list).
PVC had only one racer entered this year. It was Rhonda
Morin who held on a very fast field.
In the Men's race PVC had a very large field with Art Davis,
Samuel Robinson, Graydon Stevens, Paul Weiss, Dave Harrell, Dave
Brink, Chris Karum, Andy Whelen, Bill Black, Neil Fitch and Jason
Pettingil competing. This was a very fast race with some
top New England riders competing (including Sean McKormack and
pro rider). PVC fared well although several dropped out due
to the mechanical and or other issues. Neil Fitch attempted
a break after a prime lap but did not get the help he needed to
sustain it. The real problem occurred when a high speed
crash happened on the downhill on Route 88. This caused
half the peleton to slow or stop completely. This caused a
few riders to abandon since they were standing still while the
crash was cleared (this was the case for Chris Karum).
Another Maine rider; Ollie Cote was in the crash but other than a
broken wheel, was not seriously injured. Some PVC
riders were caught in this situation and had to try to chase back
to the main peleton for 2 miles. Only a few PVC riders made
it back to pack after this crash at 30+ miles into the 36 mile
race. PVC finished pretty well though with Graydon Stevens
and Paul Weiss finishing together for the front of PVC. Yarmouth final Results
Falmouth Road Race
7/22/00
Another great road race. Several races throughout
the day. I will repost this but from what I can remember: Women's
field Betsy Perry and Rhonda Morin competed for PVC both did very
well staying with the field and finishing strong. WOMEN'S
STATE CHAMPION GOES TO BETSY PERRY! The 55 plus field saw Wayne Owen and Brian Cullen riding a strong race. Wayne hung on and placed with the pack, although another race
interfered with their finish. The 45+ field had
Graydon Stevens, Eddie Quinn and Jim Daniels compete against a
large and fast field. Eddie pulled through for a placing. In the Men's 35+ Field, Sam Robins, Tim Crocoran (LL
Bean), Andy Whelen competed (who else????) PVC had the
largest field in the 4,5 race, Phillip
Coffin, Rick Smith, Chris Hanson, (who else???) In the Men's
3 race Paul Weiss, Dave Harrell and Jason Pettingil raced
with a small field of 25 that broke up into 4 seperate groups
before the finish. Jason held on for second only beaten out
by Ollie Cote (Team Grimace). Falmouth final Results
If you have any more
info on these races let me know.
2000 Scarborough Training Series Final Results,
click me
New England
District Championships, Quabbin Road Race, Ware, MA 6/11/00
Wait, there is no prize for
going past the 5k sign with a 20 second lead on the peleton? I
guess not. Swallowed up at a flat spot near the top of the last
climb. The Boston Road Club was not holding anything back as they
jammed the front and covered all breaks, including some of their
own, in the Cat 4/5 New England Championship Road Race. While I
was solo PVC entrant in the 139 man Cat 4/5 field, there were I
think two other Mainers present. While everyone in Maine was
enjoying the fog and long sleeve jerseys up north, the
Springfield, MA area was "hot & humid", as Phil
Ligget is always prone to say at the TDF. Our race was marred by
a spectacular high speed crash on Rt. 32. Someone lost it at the
front and went down, spewing riders and bikes sideways across the
road. Approximately $20,000 worth of titanium, carbon fiber and
aluminum were scraping the pavement when all was done. No word on
casualties, but I did see plenty of blood on one rider back at
the staging area. Yours truly found safety on the paved shoulder
on the other side of the road and managed to hang on to the lead
pack as we surged away after the crash, nice guys that we are. I
messed up my sprint by following riders who gave up at 50 yards
out, then had to dodge the yellow line to get back into the
sprint. That's right, we only had half the road for the sprint
finish. Fortunately everyone was spooked enough by the previous
crash that there was no wildness at the end and we all arrived
alive.
submitted by -- Mike Claus
Also this just in..........Juniors....Matt
Norton takes second! only by a half wheel length!
In the Cat 3 race: Dave Harrell finished over
50 miles then heard a large explosion, of his new hutchinson tire
oops. He did get a good ride in the broom wagon though. Senior Men 45+....Bill Black 2nd!, Pro 1,2,3 Field:
Yes the 130 miles epic. Jason Pettongill, Andy Whelen. and
Neil Fitch started this journey. A few pros from LA
Navigators showed up and turned up the pace on the whole peleton.
They ended up breaking the field. PVC did not win this one. Oh well
Lake Auburn Road
Race 6/4/00
A well run race by the
Rainbow Bike club and John Grenier. Thanks for a great race!
PVC Dominates the race!
With wins/places in almost all catagories! PVC showed
itself as the largest and strongest Team in Maine/New England.
The course was excellent with a scenic route and mostly smooth
course around the lake. There was one long gradual climb on
the west side that did have a headwind on it, but otherwise the
race was just rollers and flat. One very fast downwind side
on Rt 4 south, had sustained pack speeds of 33+MPH!
from Wayne Owen in the 55+
race: "John Greene from Boston got the jump on me at the
finish and beat me by the width of a tire at the line. My fault.
I should have gone out sooner or the course should have been 5
feet longer. Hope I get another shot at him in Falmouth."
The following people raced,
I don't have all the results yet, but will fill in:
Matt Norton (WINS) Juniors,
Wayne Owen (2ND), Brian Cullen (PLACED?) raced in 55+, Rhonda Morin Womens (WINS Cat 4, 3RD overall for women!), Mike Clause, Mike Hoover, Rick Smith and Greg Hutchinson (4TH)
raced in Cat 4, Mike Loughlin, Mark Norton, Peter
Levesque and Chris Cyr (1ST) cat 5, Neil Fitch (2ND),
Bill Black, Andy Whelen, Bob Baiguy, Chris Karum and Paul Weiss
Men Pro123
Kennebunk/Cape Able
Road Race 5/30/00
5 PVC rides showed up for
this large citizens race that had the local hero Ollie Cote
defending his title. The short 20 mile course had over 60
riders starting in a mass start. The race started very
quickly with strong efforts of Mike Clause and Mike Loughlin and
Peter. Several breaks were reeled in by both PVC and Gorham
teams. Several more attacks that were chased down by Ollie
Cote with teammate Matt Hawkins. In a final break that did
stay clear, Kris Karum (PVC), Ollie Cote, Matt Hawkins (Team
Grimmace), Thad (Gorham) stayed clear. This break lasted
until close to the finish, when Kris dropped back to the pack (winning
the pack sprint)!
PVC racers were: Mike
Claus., Chris Karum., George Bennington, Mike Loughlin Peter Levesque and Paul Weiss,
Keene Criterium and
Road Race May 20-21, 2000
Notes from Bill Black: Neil Fitch and I should have both been in
the top 20 (officially 20th 21st!) for the pro/1/2, although the
preliminary results were dubbed up, as some
people dropped from our group were preliminarily listed in the
top 10. We
did 2 extra loops of a climb section (TOUGH climb!!!) and those
guys must have
cut things short and not done the 2d time up. I don't know if
they were
found out. Neil and I were in the front chase group and finished
consecutively
(Neil just in front of me) in the sprint for our group. There was
a winning
break of about 10 guys up the road that finished just ahead of us.
88 miles
of rain and 45 degrees over tough terrain; a long day.
Graydon Stevens crashed in
the road race and injured his shoulder (possible a broken collar
bone)
Jiminy Peak Road
Race May 6, 2000
A very warm day greeted large fields for the 2000 Jiminy Peak
Road Race. In the Pro/1/2, all of the horsepower was out for the
event (Frank McCormack, Tim Johnson, Shawn McCormack, Peter
Vollers, Adam Myerson, Billy Innes, Scott Mercer, et al.). The
first lap of the Race was fast but manageable but on the second
lap things became more spirited as Frank McCormack applied the
pressure going up the climb to the finish area. This move
shattered the field and created a front group of only about 40
riders from the 100 who started.
A small break group got away on the
third lap and 3 riders were able to maintain a gap to the finish
but diminished to a matter of seconds. On the last lap, Frank
McCormack and several other riders attempted to bridge up to the
lead break but were caught and swallowed by the charging chase
group at the start of the finishing climb. The 3 riders in the
front break stayed a few seconds clear and the front group
contested for 4th place and above. Bill Black finished 20th.
Neil Fitch finished 57th with a
later chase group.
Graydon Stevens finished 15th in
the Masters 45+
......Bill Black
Bath Criterium Results 5/7/00 (click)
Monson/ Palmer MA,
RR April 30,31
Saturday's 60 mile road
race was a lot of fun, nice roads with big ring climbs. The
finish had a gradual climb to break up the field a bit, then onto
a flat fast finish that was pretty stretched out at that point (in
the 3 race anyway). I finished 4th for $50. I think Greydon won
the 45+, Neil had Pro1/2/3 pack finish. Sunday the weather was
again nice. The 3's (Jason, Andy, and I) climbed the wall 5
times, 40 miles, and there were a few breaks off and on. It's
kind of blurry in my mind but with 1.5 laps to go, a small break
formed. On the last lap, JASON DRAGGED THE CAT 3 PACK UP THE
HILL, then AROUND THE CORNER, then UP THE WINDY, GRADUAL CLIMB!!
Then on the last stretch, he did the SAME thing to try to catch
the break. The front of the pack caught the last few of the break
on the steep hill finish. Exciting. I ended up in 9th or 10th. I
was trying to place so I could pay Jason for his monster efforts!
Greydon did two races and got third and ___??. There was also
another (or several) other PVC riders racing. Sorry, I don't know
their names............Chris Karum.
Bowdoin Criterium
Sunday April 31st
Our man Neil takes the A
race. Neil goes off the front at the start but is reeled in by
Wally from Bath. Next to go is a Rainbow rider who gets about 15
sec. on the pack at about lap 6. We run into the back of the B
race and Neil makes his move. He easily bridges up to Rainbow.
PVC riders move to the front to get the wheels of any half
hearted attackers who think they can get across. Bath, LL Bean
and Gorham gave it a go but no one could close the gap. At about
lap 27 Neil said goodbye to his Rainbow breakaway companion and
rode in for the victory. ...Mike Claus
Fuller Volvo
Eastern Shore Mountain Bike Championship March 25, 2000 - RESULTS!!
Yankees went south and had a good time
for the last weekend in March. Apparently we need a bit
more technical training rather than riding the snowmobile trails
once in February.
Michael Claus,
11th Place Expert 40+ , Time: 01:22:32.010, PORTLAND VELO CLUB
My fellow Mainers who shared the driving and whined about the
lack of power in my RAV4 rode a bit faster with the younger set:
Pokey Amory, 14th Place Expert 30+, Time: 01:17:43.050
Michael Hoover, 19th Place Expert 30+, Time 01:18:51.050
Written by Mike Hoover
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