Press Release 08.10.2005
Virginia State Road Race Championship
by Tom Houff
Reed Tanger led a three-man break to win the Virginia State Senior Road Race Championships, in Ashland, last Aug. 7. Tanger’s Transrapid-USA.com team dominated the top standings in this 98 mile race.
Reed Tanger of Transrapid-USA.com wins the Virginia State Road Race Championships last Aug. 7 in Ashland, Va. (photo by: Richmondciclimso.com)
This could be described as a tale of two races.
Two laps earlier, Team CSK / Central Virginia Cycling Club’s Jon McGarva soloed to win the 70-mile category 3 race. If the two races had been the same distance, it might have been an USCF officials’ nightmare.
“We rolled out fairly easy with a field of about 40 guys,” Richmond Ciclismo’s Andrew Olson said of the category 1and 2 race. He said that as the peloton pondered and positioned to deal with a three-man break with team-mate Tim Mullins, Transrapid’s Nils Dennis and Rockville Harley’s Peter Stewart, the entire category 3 race overwhelmed the category 1 and 2’s main field.
The category 3 race started about 6 minutes after the category 1and 2 race.
“Since over half our field had a guy up the road, we slowed enough for the cat 3 guys to catch us,” Olson said.
For Team CSK, everything went as planned according to Mason Haymes.
“Our goal was to drive the pace,” Haymes said. “Sean (Tunstall) did a great job early dictating the pace.”
Somehow, know one really knows how, the two races seemed to race. One race surged ahead. Then the other passed. Somehow, know one really knows how, the two races sorted themselves out.
“Sometime during this mess, we caught Tim’s group,” Olson said. “Then, someone decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea if we came into the sprint with the 3s, so we went easy until they finished that lap.”
So now the category 3 race is winding up for the finish on lap 5.
“A break slipped off with McGarva, Tom Jeffreys (of 3-Sports) and another,” said Ciclismo’s Jon Gaudio. “In all respects, they should have stayed away. Once the fields were mixed, the break was doomed because the pace shot up and they were caught with about 6 miles from the finish.”
With about 3 miles to go, McGarva broke away for a solo win.
“This left the always fun cat 3 field sprint for second,” said Gaudio. “Matt (Kleiman of Ciclismo) tried to keep me near the front but sometimes it’s difficult with the swarming effect of the final lead out.”
Years of Terry Ashby lessons flashed in Gaudio’s mind as he said he tried to move up and hold his position. Only Mountain Edge’s John Parks and Haymes passed Gaudio.
Now, there is two laps to go in the category 1and 2 race.
“The winning move went with about a lap and a half to go,” Olson said. He added that the team should have reacted sooner and it should have ridden more organized to catch the break.
It was Transrapid’s day. They placed first, third and fourth. Of the highest Richmond finishers, Ciclismo’s Matt Forbes followed a John Schindler lead-out for fifth.
Obviously, the host team, 3-Sports, had a similar plan for the category 4 race that worked for Team CSK in the category 3 race. The first lap averaged 27 mph and yet when the 3-Sport driven break would be caught, another 3-Sport rider would attack.
Six miles to go to the end of the second lap, riders at the front of the peleton slowed. The crunch of drafting cyclists overlapped wheels causing a massive pile up. Of the 85 riders, about 20 left the race including many of the 3-Sports riders.
The race regrouped and continued at a less intense pace.
At almost the same spot, with about six miles to the finish, riders at the front slowed and, once again, the peleton crunched together in another massive pile up. About 20 riders trickled through and raced for the finish.
Of that race, Richmond Ciclismo’s Rick Barlow placed highest of the locals with his fifth place effort.
Give the category 5 race a positive look and you will see many Richmond area riders with the potential to improve with experience. On the other side, unfortunately, three crashes marred the category 5 race that finished with a field sprint.
Many of the top finishers crashed earlier and had to bridge up.
“The second one took down Robert (Pullin) and held up Larry (Talbot – both of Richmond Ciclismo),” said Ciclismo’s Jim Temple. “Both were able to get back with the main field after much work.”
“The first lap was fairly brisk with several riders trying to dictate the pace,” said 3-Sports John Reifsnider. He added that his team-mate Brian Farmer, who won the time-trial on the same course the day before was one of those forcing the pace.
Reifsnider said the crashes happened when riders quit forcing the pace.
“The next (last) ten miles were up-tempo and posturing for the finish,” Reifsnider said.
Team supporters hand out water and sport drinks to the category 1 and 2 race during the Virginia State Road Race Championships last Aug. 7 in Ashland, Va. (photo by: Richmondciclimso.com)
Triathlete all-star Mark Junkerman, of 3-Sports, may not have much experience in USCF road races but he has a lot of experience in intensity and “posturing for the finish.” But apparently Ciclismo’s Roderick Moore aint scared.
“Towards the end of the race, Ciclismo was very strong. Jed (Hurt) and Ian (Marcuse) went to the front and pushed the pace. Then, Jim (Temple) went to the front,” Moore said. “This high pace stretched out the front. I was able to get into second position going to the line. I needed another 10 to 15 meters.”
Ciclismo’s Larry Talbott’s 25th place finish may not look impressive but he finished with a broken index finger, a severe laceration and puncture on his hand and a severe cervical sprain. Talbott shattered a 4 x 4 mailbox post in the third crash.
Throughout the women’s race, according to Ciclismo’s Ann Hardy, a season of points dictated how the day’s race progressed. This race is the last mass start event for the Virginia Cycling Series of 2005. Points for the BAR (Best All-around Rider) are worth more in this race because it’s the championship road race.
“Carol Ennser coached the TriPower team throughout the race,” Hardy said. “They kept category 4 BAR leader B.J. Samuels incubated the whole race and stirred up a lot of movement within the peleton.”
Place, name (*Richmond area cyclist) and team
Men’s Category 1 and 2
1 Reed Tanger Transrapid-USA.com Cycling
2 Sean Barrie Rockville Harley /Bicycle Pro Shop
3 Craig Snydal Transrapid-USA.com Cycling
4 John Semmelhack Transrapid-USA.com Cycling
5 *Matt Forbes Richmond Ciclismo
6 Cameron Holland Snow Valley Presented by Seal-On
7 *Andrew Olson Richmond Ciclismo
8 Nick Cossa Evolution Cycling/Team DLS
9 Brian Butts Rockville Harley /Bicycle Pro Shop
10 *Leigh Carter Team CSK/CVCC
11 Dan Underwood Transrapid-USA.com Cycling
12 Kent Wheeler
13 Peter Hufnagel Mountain Edge Cycling
14 *John Schindler Richmond Ciclismo
Men’s Category 3
1 *John Mcgarva Team CSK/CVCC
2 John Parks mountains edge cycling team
3 *Mason Haymes Team CSK/CVCC
4 *Jon Gaudio Richmond Ciclismo
5 Victor Siegfried Evolution Cycling / Team DLS
6 Bill Gros Squadra Coppi/IM SAAB
7
8 Michael Hosang TRIPOWER
9 Mike Bradbury Evolution Cycling / Team DLS
10
11 *Daniel King 3 SPORTS
12 *Matt Kleiman Richmond Ciclismo
13 *Tony Hall Richmond Ciclismo
Women’s Category 1, 2 and 3
1 Nancy Jadatz Annapolis Bicycle Racing Team
2 Carol Ennser Tri Power
3 Cora Webb T.E.A.M. Fuji
Men’s Category 4
1 Wade Jennings NCVC/Edge Technologies
2 William Davis ncvc/edge technologies
3 Kevin Horvath Tri-Power
4 Ryan Elliott MVC/Blue Wheels
5 *Rick Barlow Richmond Ciclismo
6 Steve Gissleman Doughnet Boy
7 Bruce Travis Creighton NCVC/Edge Technologies
8 *Wesley King Team Cobblestone
9 *Jim Strunk Team Cobblestone
Women’s Category 4
1 Emily Joyner TBA/ Fat Frogs
2 Bj Samuel Tripower
3 Alison Kinsler Three Sports
4 Rachel Warner-sanchez Charlottesville Racing Club
5 *Patti Williams Team Cobblestone
6 Jean Mcginley
7 *Ann Hardy Richmond Ciclismo
8 *Sally Snead Richmond Ciclismo
9 Robin Taylor Tri Power
10 *Karen Hanson contes/cycor
Men’s Category 5
1 *Mark Junkermann 3 sports
2 *Roderick Moore Richmond Ciclismo
3 *Robert Pullin Richmond Ciclismo
4 *Michael Esbach 3Sports Endure
5 Greg Herrman
6 *Ian Marcuse Richmond Ciclismo
8 John Leber
7 Robert Carrico Bikes Unlimited
9 Scot Cooper Colonial Racing Team
10 David Duke Charlottesville Race Club
This article is presented by Richmondciclismo.com.
