Masters Road Nats continue with 11 criterium titles
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Patricia Black edged Tamara Bessette in a photo finish to win the women's 45-49 criterium.
Close to 200 riders competed in the criterium Thursday, which consisted of laps of a one-kilometer course with four corners and two bends.
Check out a detailed description of the Northwest Crossing Criterium course map.
The riders certainly saved the best for last as the last two races of the day provided the most thrilling action. The day’s penultimate race was the women’s 45-49 race which resulted in a photo finish. Patricia Black (San Luis Obispo, Calif./Red Racing) nosed out Tamara Bessette (Missoula, Mont./Northern Rockies Cycling Team-Northern Rockies Orthopaedic) at the finish line to claim the Stars-and-Stripes jersey. The lead group of 10 riders took turns pulling. Lise Grace (Bellingham, Wash./Union Bay Cycling-Bikesale.com), who won the time trial in this age group on Wednesday, led the pack into the penultimate lap. Bessette launched an attack as the group head into the homestretch and opened a very slight margin. Black buried her head in her handlebars and pushed to overtake Bessette just as the riders crossed the finish line to earn the Stars-and-Stripes jersey.
The day’s main event, the women’s 40-44 contest, featured a lot of animation at the front of the race as Debbie Milne (Belden, Miss./Absolute Racing Team-MSMOC) and Sue Butler (Portland, Ore.) took turns pulling the peloton around the course for about half of the 35-kilometer race. As the race continued, Brenna Lopez-Otero (Bend, Ore./Bend Memorial Clinic Total Care) jumped on Butler’s wheel and rode it to the finish for a fine birthday present, the first gold medal of her career.
“With one lap to go, I was in third position,” Lopez-Otero said. “Sue had done all of that pulling, so I knew she was just going to pull right into the finish. We came up the hill and I came around Debbie Milne and I just got on Sue’s wheel and yelled at her, ‘Go, Sue!’ She looked at me and just jumped and pulled as hard as she could. When I hit the turn, I jumped and tried to hold it all of the way through the finish.”
A down-to-the-wire finish started the day of races as Kay Tsui (Arlington, Va./HPC) edged Donna Woods (Carmel, Calif./San Jose Bicycle Club) by just a half-second to win the women’s 60-64 race. Patricia Baker (Laguna Hills, Calif./Lightning Velo-Cal-Pacific Export Packers) earned a silver medal in Wednesday’s time trial took the gold medal in the women’s 70-and-over category.
David LeDuc's paid off in winning the men's 60-64 criterium. (Photo by Cascade Event Photography)
The remaining women’s races filled the afternoon and spilled into the evening, as the action only increased. Laura Howat (Salt Lake City, Utah/Utah Premier-Ski Utah Cycling Team) attacked from a breakaway of 10 riders and pushed it through the finish line to win the women’s 50-54 race, slightly edging Jennie Phillips (Danville, Calif./Contra Costa Cycling Club-Wells Fargo Racing Team). Helen Grogan (Bend, Ore.) and Lysle Wilhelmi (Seattle, Wash./Union Bay Cycling-Bikesale.com), who also earned spots on the podium.
"People were going for it with three laps to go, trying to get position,” Howat explained. “Position was really important with the tight corners on the back side of the course. I knew I really wanted to be one of the top couple riders with three corners to go. With one lap to go, a lady got a little bit of a gap - maybe four bike lengths - and she just kept going for it. So, I realized that I was going to have to close that gap if there was any hope. I went for it on the back side, she still had a gap even coming into the finishing stretch. I gave it everything I had. I'm just grateful that nobody came with me to pop off my wheel at the last second."
Linda Elgart’s (Sacramento, Calif./Alto Velo Racing Club/ Webcor) win of the women’s 55-59 followed her husband’s, John, win of the men’s 65-69 contest earlier in the day. Linda found a higher gear on the last lap to win the field sprint to the finish line.
The event, which will crown more than 60 national champions through its duration as well as a Best All-Around Rider and Best All-Around Team, continues Friday with the second of two days of criterium racing. Women 30-39 and men 30-59 will contest the course in downtown Bend Friday.
Visit the official event webpage of the 2011 USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships for more information on the event, including a complete schedule, tech guide, results, photo gallery and more. Photos from the event are available for purchase from the event photographers, Cascade Event Photography. Additionally, videos are available for purchase from Times-7.
Follow the event on Twitter, using hashtag #RoadNats.
USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships
Aug. 31 – Sept. 4, 2011
Bend, Oregon
FULL RESULTS
PHOTO GALLERY
Men - 60-64 (35 kilometers)
1. David LeDuc (Willow Springs, NC/Atlantic Velo-Virginia p/b Walt's Racing) 50:17
2. Steven Worley (Boulder, CO/Vic's Espresso / Peerless Tyre) 50:17
3. Kenny Fuller (Corona Del Mar, CA/Cycles Veloce/Team Simple Green/Bike Religion) 50:17
4. John Rubcic (Hemet, CA/Sun Coast Velo/UC Cyclery/JW Floors) 50:17
5. Wayne Watson (Denver, CO/Natural Grocers Cycling Team) 50:17
Men - 65-69 (35 kilometers)
1. John Elgart (Sacramento, CA/Alto Velo Racing Club/Webcor/Alto Velo) 53:52
2. John McKee (Westminster, CA/OCW/Paramount Racing/Paramount Racing) 53:52
3. Richard Shields (Fremont, CA/Team Hammer Nutrition) 53:52
4. James Youngblood (Silver Spring, MD/NVRC/National Velo Racing Club) 53:52
5. Whitney Fanning (Waco, TX) 53:55
Men - 70-74 (35 kilometers)
1. Leonard Pettyjohn (Boulder, CO/Vic's Espresso / Peerless Tyre) 55:58
2. Daniel Wulbert (Cardiff, CA/Sun Coast Velo/UC Cyclery/JW Floors) 55:58
3. William Meyers (Oak Creek, CO) 55:58
4. Mike MacDonald (Rancho Cordova, CA/Jaeger Wheelmen) 56:48
5. William Fallis (San Mateo, CA/Peninsula Velo Cycling Club/Peninsula Velo/Pomodoro) 56:03
Men - 75-79 (35 kilometers)
1. Walter Axthelm (Durango, CO/Durango Wheel Club) 56:00
2. Robert Paganini (Los Angeles, CA/Pasadena Athletic Assoc (PAA)/PAA/REMAX) 56:49
3. John Oakes (Palo Cedro, CA/Team Hammer Nutrition) 57:18
4. Frederic Schmid (Waco, TX/Bicycles Outback/Magura) 56:11
5. Dick Wagner (Yorba Linda, CA/San Diego Cyclo Vets) 57:32
Men - 80+ (35 kilometers)
1. Albert Piemme (Sequim, WA) 57:32
2. Paul Tetrick (Evergreen, CO) 57:34
3. Link Lindquist (Foothill Ranch, CA/Team Velosport Club) 56:23
Women - 40-44 (35 kilometers)
1. Brenna Lopez-Otero (Bend, OR/Bend Memorial Clinic Total Care) 53:51
2. Susan Butler (Portland, OR) 53:51
3. Debbie Milne (Belden, MS/Absolute Racing Team/MSMOC) 53:51
4. Kristin Drumm (Novato, CA/Divine Electric Norcal) 53:51
5. Dana Walton (E Norriton, PA/Chester County Cycling Foundation) 53:51
Women - 45-49 (30 kilometers)
1. Patricia Black (San Luis Obispo, CA/Red Racing) 47:12
2. Tamara Bessette (Missoula, MT/Northern Rockies Cycling Team/Northern Rockies Orthopaedic) 47:12
3. Andi Smith (Menlo Park, CA/Alto Velo Racing Club/Webcor/Alto Velo) 47:12
4. Kim Wik (Fremont, CA/Team Affinity/Sycomp Racing) 47:12
5. Lise Grace (Bellingham, WA/Union Bay Cycling/Bikesale.com) 47:12
Women - 50-54 (30 kilometers)
1. Laura Howat (Salt Lake City, UT/Utah Premier-Ski Utah Cycling Team/Ski Utah Cycling Team) 46:46
2. Jennie Phillips (Danville, CA/Contra Costa Cycling Club/Wells Fargo Racing Team) 46:46
3. Helen Grogan (Bend, OR) 46:46
4. Lysle Wilhelmi (Seattle, WA/Union Bay Cycling/Bikesale.com) 46:46
5. Margaret Douglass (Salt Lake City, UT/Team Primal Racing/Team Primal Utah Racing) 46:51
Women - 55-59 (30 kilometers)
1. Linda Elgart (Sacramento, CA/Alto Velo Racing Club/Webcor/Alto Velo) 51:04
2. Lesley Jensen (Benicia, CA/One Team Racing) 51:04
3. Jane Geisse (Chagrin Falls, OH/Spin) 51:04
4. Linda Schnepf (Newport Beach, CA/Cycles Veloce/Team Simple Green/Bike Religion) 51:04
5. Arrietta Clauss (Madison, WI/MadCity Velo Club) 51:04
Women - 60-64 (30 kilometers)
1. Kay Tsui (Arlington, VA/HPC) 57:31
2. Donna Woods (Carmel, CA/San Jose Bicycle Club/SJBC) 57:31
3. Norma Hilton (Pacifica, CA/Peninsula Velo Cycling Club/Peninsula Velo/Pomodoro) 57:31
4. Joanne Garuccio (Sandy, UT/Salt Lake City Cycling (SLCC)/Millcreek Bicycles) 57:31
5. Narda Roushdi (Berkeley, CA/Team Fast FREDDIE) 57:31
Women - 70+ (30 kilometers)
1. Patricia Baker (Laguna Hills, CA/Lightning Velo/ Cal-Pacific Export Packers / LV) 58:04
Related Articles
- Masters Road Nats start with 32 time trial titles - Aug 31, 2011
- Masters Road National Championships get underway next week - Aug 25, 2011
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