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 IM CALIF/UTAH IM FLORIDA IM USA FOR MORE RECENT NEWS: CLICK BELOW • Zeiger, Stoltz cycle foes into the red zone at Mrs. T's • Stolz needs no road to ride to victory • Tinley's Dirty Adventures gets new road event • IM Wisconsin sells out • Stolz, DeBoom well-peaked for Boulder Peak • Smyers, Kemper take US pro champs • New York wants to show IOC it knows how to tri • Riccitello on "field of play" • Spencer Smith bounces back with Carlsbad win • Smyers continues amazing comeback at Cleveland • Final hurdle cleared for Oceanside half • Treasure Island close to filling • Oceanside Half-Ironman ready to rumble • Larsen toys with tri's elite at Vineman • You can't beat Macca, not even with fins • Zeiger, Lovato the winners at Buffalo Springs • Aussies on top, Yanks downunda at Interwoven • Top pros return to the Bay • Pros chase $230,000 at Nissan XTerra Series • McCormack continues torrid streak at Alcatraz • One of this year's premier fields will line up at Alcatraz |
Zeiger, Stoltz cycle foes into the red zone at Mrs. T's August 27, 2001, Chicago, Illinois Mrs. T's Pierogies Triathlon has a flat cycling leg––one not conducive to successful breakaways. Escapes during the bike leg were the order of the day, though, on Sunday, August 26, in Chicago. The race commenced at 10:30AM under cool, gray skies that yielded to characteristic midwestern warmth and humidity by the time the athletes got off the bike. The exhibition of power by both winners, however, took place before the weather turned warm. South Africa's Conrad Stoltz––fresh off an XTERRA victory over an extraordinarily stacked list at Half Moon Bay last week––showed he's in absolute peak form by demolishing a field of strong riders at this race. He exited the water with two whom he shouldn't, on paper, have been able to ride away from: Australia's Greg Bennett and America's Kerry Classen. But ride away he did, entering T2 a fat 2 minutes up. Stoltz is also an expert runner, and Bennett had no chance to reel him in. Stoltz put Bennett and Classen under so much pressure while on the bike that a fresher Kenny Glah rode through the red-lined chasers to come off the bike in second place and clear of the rest of the field. He was run down by Bennett and Aussie Mark Lees, though, to finish fourth, and Classen came home fifth. Zeiger likewise was noticeably unsociable on the bike. Out of the water with Michellie Jones and Becky Gibbs, she rudely refused to keep company, and came off the bike well clear. Olympic silver medallist Jones of Australia is a fine runner, but so is Zeiger. Game over. Gibbs––an American whose stock as a racer has risen this year––did well to come off the bike with Jones. Once on foot, though, Gibbs was no match and she finished a fine third. (RESULTS) ----- Stoltz needs no road to ride to victory August 20, 2001, Half Moon Bay, California The third of four championship events––at Half Moon Bay, California––was the location of the 2001 Nissan Xterra western regional. Returning to Half Moon Bay for the third consecutive year, the full distance XTERRA off-road triathlon race was again sold out. With over 400 athletes racing all up and down the coast, this no doubt was the most activity Half Moon Bay has seen since winter’s big surf at Mavericks. With the boom of a cannon, race director Janet Clark sent three waves of swimmers off to start the 1.5K swim in the very chilly 52-degree waters of Pillar Point Marina. In the coldest XTERRA waters this year, and the only open ocean swim in the XTERRA North America series, wetsuits were mandatory. In typical XTERRA fashion athletes had to exit the water between laps and run approximately 25 yards around two flags before re-entering the water. As if things weren’t hard enough, fighting back the numbness and "ice cream headaches" from the swim, competitors had to then run a quarter-mile up to the transition area. First to emerge from the swim was California pro Kerry Classen (26) of Bakersfield. An ex Navy S.E.A.L., Classen felt right at home as the harbor seals watched with interest as he lead both laps of the swim. Hot on his heels was New Zealand pro Bryan Rhodes (33) who dug in deep to pass Classen on the run up to T1. Rhodes’ hard work was rewarded as he was first to enter T1 in 20:55, followed by Classen in 20:57. Third to peel off his wetsuit was South African pro Conrad Stoltz, entering transition in 21:09. Canadian pro Mike Vine was 11th out of the water. French pro Nicolas Le Brun––a former winter tri world champion, which involves nordic skiing, mountain biking, and running––was 31st to exit the water. Riding on yet another borrowed bike, Stoltz made his move early in the MTB leg to catch Rhodes and Classen on a difficult 27k mountain bike course. On the second loop, Stoltz had secured his spot in first with over a four-minute lead on the other competitors. At the start of the second lap, Classen was still in second. Seemingly out of nowhere former XTERRA World Champions Jimmy Riccitello and Mike Pigg appeared on the scene. Riding with them was Vine and Le Brun. Another former XTERRA World Champion was about seven minutes back climbing like a mountain goat. True to form, 45-year-old Ned Overend was working from behind, forging his way up to the leaders. Rewarded for their hard work on the bike, Le Brun delivered the fastest time of the day in 1:17:56; Overend had the second best time in 1:19:28. Stoltz commented, "I was a bit worried about Vine and Le Brun on the bike but I ended up riding very good on the climbs and downhills…. even after my huge crash. I lost my Oakleys…. they are still up in the bushes somewhere." Heading out on the start of the 8k coastal trail run, Stoltz took off on fire. Third into T2, Le Brun put the hammer down and passed Classen moments into the run to take second place. After running on the calf-burning sandy section, the athletes had to tackle the hilly "Bluffs". At this stage the competitors were about half way into the run. It was Le Brun in second, Classen in third and Vine in fourth. Boulder pro Jimmy Archer delivered the fastest run of the day in 24:42. Stoltz was second with 24:42 followed by Seath Wealing (22) of Indiana with 25:11. Crossing the finish line in 1st place for his first XTERRA victory was Stoltz in 2:06:16. Le Brun was 2nd across the finish line in 2:07:33 and Classen 3rd in 2:08:20. Right with Classen was Vine in 4th 10 seconds behind. When asked about finally capturing his first XTERRA win Stoltz stated, "I really wanted to win an XTERRA race this year. I am already committing to next year’s season. I want to win the series…. I am here to stay!" While Le Brun crossed the finish line in 2nd place, he was later disqualified after it was determined that he did not follow a short section on the prescribed run course. For the women racing, Australian pro Raeleigh Tennant lead the swim exiting the water first followed by fellow Aussie Jody Mielke. However Boulder pro Elizabeth Anderson was first to make it up to T1 in 21:25. One minute back was Tennant 2nd followed by Mielke in 3rd. Hitting the transition area in 6th place was Canadian pro Melanie McQuaid in 24:41. 10th was South African pro Anke Urlank in 26:34. Once on the bike Urlank started to make up ground. A mile into the bike she was in 8th place. By the time she hit the loop for the 2nd time, she had worked herself up to 3rd place, riding behind leaders McQuaid and Tennant. At T2 she was leading the women’s race, having delivered the fastest bike time of the day in 1:31:33. McQuaid had the 2nd best time in 1:34:19 followed by Colorado pro Monique Merrill in 1:35:56. Urlank laughed when asked about her attach on the bike, "I caught Melanie on the 2nd lap on top of the climb (laugh), I imagined Lance Armstrong climbing and then I dropped her." Heading out of the transition area to tackle the 8k trail run Urlank held her lead and ran strong. She had the 3rd fastest run of the day among the women. Working hard behind were McQuaid and Tennant, who both tried in vain to catch the leader. True to form, Idaho pro Jenny Tobin (32), one of the fastest runners on the XTERRA race circuit, had the fastest run of the day in 27:53. Pro Candy Angle of Massachusetts had the 2nd fastest run in 28:35. Urlank took first place and won her second XTERRA victory of the season in 2:27:19. McQuaid was a little over a minute behind in 2:28:46 for 2nd followed by an ecstatic Tennant in 2:32:39 who took 3rd place, one of her best XTERRA finishes. Her Half Moon Bay win bumped Urlank up to the top of the Nissan Xterra Point Series. " With the longer swim," she said, "I was not too comfortable going into this race. I just planned to take it step by step and adapt to whatever happens." She then further commented on fellow countryman and friend Stoltz’s first XTERRA victory, "…so great! Conrad is like my brother. I am so happy for him!" (RESULTS) ----- New road tri at Tri-Cal's Tinley's race August 19, 2001, Pacific Grove, California Tri-California, which organizes the popular Wildflower and Escape from Alcatraz triathlons, has added a road triathlon to its weekend of fat-tire tris and dus, Tinley's Dirty Adventures. Tri-Cal is taking online registration for the event—set for Oct. 5-7—at its website, www.tricalifornia.com. The new road event, Betsy's Triathlon, is named after race director Terry Davis' wife. It will feature a one-mile swim, 25-mile bike and 6-mile run at Lake Lopez in San Luis Obispo County, in Central California. The weekend also features off-road triathlons and duathlons, a mountain bike hill-climb and a triathlon for kids. Entries in multiple events are encouraged, and prizes are awarded for the lowest total time over three events as well. Campsites can be had at the lake; those preferring a bed with sheets can find lots of hotels and motels in nearby San Luis Obispo. Terry Davis also reports that his new event, the Treasure Island Triathlon set for Nov. 3 in San Francisco, is sold out. Some spots remain for the sprint-distance race but those are expected to go quickly. --- IM Wisconsin sells out August 6, 2001, Madison, Wisconsin Ironman Wisconsin, one of two new Ironman North America venues set to open to long-course racing next year, has filled. That’s right, the race set for Sept. 15, 2002—more than a year from now—is already closed, having reached its capacity of 1,800 athletes. Slots do remain for the first-ever Ironman Collegiate Championships, to be held simultaneously. Ironman Wisconsin’s host city, Madison, is home to the 40,000-student University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ironman North America representatives said the collegiate races will be open to undergraduates and graduate students, and 150 entries are available for students around the world. To be eligible, competitors must provide proof of full-time student status for the fall semester of 2002. It took less than three months for Ironman Madison to fill. Another new Ironman North America race, in Provo, Utah, remains open but is filling fast. Race date for IM-Utah is June 8, 2002. ----- Stolz, DeBoom well-peaked for Boulder Peak August 13, 2001, Boulder, Colorado Conrad Stoltz of South Africa defended his title against a deep field in Sunday’s Boulder Peak Triathlon, and Nicole DeBoom took the women’s race. Both the men’s and women’s fields included a host of athletes with excellent resumes over a host of distances, from Stoltz and Australian Marc Lees, experts in the fast and furious ITU-style races, to Ironman specialists Lori Bowden, Tim DeBoom and Bryan Rhodes. The men’s race was a tight one, with Stoltz edging out second-place Tim DeBoom by just seven seconds in a time of 1:57:09. Lees took third in 1:57:47, with fourth place for first-year pro Tim Luchinske in 1:58:14. Rounding out the top five was the ever-popular Chuckie Veylupek in 1:58:14. In 31st place overall was one of triathlon’s most decorated athletes, Scott Molina, in 2:08:08. The women’s race was deep with Ironman talent, including Nicole DeBoom, home first in 2:09:53. Second went to Teri Duthie, in 2:10:37, with Susan Williams coming home in third in 2:11:18. XTerra champ Kerstin Weule was fourth in 2:14:18, with Monica Caplan taking fifth in 2:15:58. Two notable Iron names just outside the top five were Ironman ace Lori Bowden, in sixth, and first-year Ironpro Joanna Lawn of New Zealand, in seventh. The age-group race was a sell-out, with 1,500 athletes registered to tackle the Olympic distance race. (RESULTS) ----- Smyers, Kemper take US pro championships August 12, 2001, New York, New York Karen Smyers continued her remarkable comeback from thyroid cancer Sunday by winning the USA Triathlon Elite National Championships in New York City, holding off a hard-charging Barb Lindquist on the run. Laura Reback was third. Hunter Kemper took the men's race, confirming his status as one of the country's top triathletes and capturing his third national title. First-year pro Brian Fleischmann was second, with Kemper's 2000 Olympic teammate Nick Radkewich in third. The race, a point-to-point affair that included a swim in the Hudson River, a ride into the Bronx and a run past several landmarks in Central Park, also included an age-group competition under the name the New York City Triathlon. Produced by USAT and the New York 2012 Committee, the race was meant to showcase the city's ability to host the Olympics in 2012. The win brought to six the number of national championships Smyers has captured in her storied career. It was her third victory for the year, added to wins at the Rock 'n' Roll Triathlon in Cleveland and the Wilkes-Barre Triathlon in Pennsylvania. She finished the morning's race in 1:57:55, with Lindquist in 1:58:12 and Reback in 1:59:02. "Barb kept the pressure on the entire run," said the versatile Smyers, who also has two world championships and a Hawaii Ironman victory to her name. "I knew I was in trouble with about a half-mile to go when I saw my husband and daughter and I went over to give them a high-five and my husband waved me off and told me to run." The men's race's finish was even closer, with Kemper—who led wire to wire—sealing his win by fending off Fleischmann to come home in 1:41:20, just over 40 seconds clear of Fleischmann's 1:42:02. Radkewich kept the top three close with his 1:42:54. Humid and cloudy conditions eventually gave way to rain as as the women were finishing their bike rides and the men were starting their runs. Smyers will next race in Boston and Los Angeles before returning to the Ironman World Championships in October. Lindquist, Reback and Kemper will be part of the U.S. contingent at the Goodwill Games in Australia. (RESULTS) New York wants to show IOC it knows how to tri August 10, 2001, New York, New York Usually the weekend’s big race, for Olympic-style racers, is the ITU World Cup. Not this weekend, at least for U.S. athletes. Start spreading the news: It’s New York. While Aussies and Kiwis are racing in Japan, America’s best will race a draft-legal point-to-point course in and along the Hudson River. Barb Lindquist, Hunter Kemper, Laura Reback, Nick Radkewich and Joe Umphenour are among those who will compete Sunday at the USA Triathlon Elite National Championships in New York City. Why is there suddenly a big-time race in New York City? At least partly it is to showcase New York’s ability to host summer Olympic events like triathlon. New York hopes to bring the 2012 Olympics to the city. Athletes will enter the water from a pontoon moored at 97th Street near Riverside Park and exit at the 79th Street Boat Basin. The bike course will take athletes from Riverside Park north onto the Henry Hudson Parkway, out of Manhattan and onto a moderately hilly course. They'll ride through the borough of the Bronx and make a U-turn just inside Yonkers. Participants will proceed back down the Hudson Parkway to 59th Street, where they'll make another U-turn. Once northbound, the race will exit the parkway at 79th Street and proceed back to the transition area. All bicycle traffic will utilize the normally northbound roadway, which will be totally closed to vehicular traffic. Runners will enter Central Park at 72nd Street and complete one loop of the park before finishing near the bandshell near 72nd Street. Runners will pass by Central Park landmarks including Tavern on the Green restaurant and Strawberry Fields, the memorial to John Lennon. Heading north along East Drive, runners will pass the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Central Park Reservoir before turning on to Traverse Road No. 4. Heading south on West Drive, runners will again pass Strawberry Fields before heading for the finish at the bandshell near Cherry Hill. Last year's U.S. pro champions, Joanna Zeiger and Marcel Vifian, are not scheduled to race this year, leaving the field wide open. On the women's side, 1999 pro national champion Lindquist, Reback, and Olympian Jennifer Gutierrez will be among the favorites. But you can't count out late entry Karen Smyers, a five-time U.S. pro champion and two-time world champion who has been racing very well in her comeback from treatment for thyroid cancer. The New York City Triathlon, an age-group race, will begin at 6:30 a.m. The elites will take off at 8 a.m. Although New York has been hit hard by the eastern heat wave, the high Sunday is predicted to be 86 degrees F, with lows in the 60s. (Thanks to USAT's BJ Evans for elements of this report). ----- Riccitello "on the field of play" August 2, 2001, Tucson, Arizona (www.slowtwitch.com): Lance Armstrong is nothing if not loyal. Even when he pays a severe public relations price––as he is now doing by defending the embattled Italian doctor Michele Ferrari––he stands by those who've stood by him. Count in that group triathlon's popular Jimmy Riccitello. For the past few years Armstrong has done much of his early-season training in Tucson. Other USPS riders come as well. Riccitello is the USPS "tour organizer" in Tucson. He shows the Posties the ropes, points them toward the best riding routes, and keeps them company during the workouts. When local riders try to glom onto the Postie ride, it's Riccitello who drops back and tactfully says that this is a "closed ride." Riccitello––who writes a popular column on Tri'live's sister site, Slowtwitch.com––found himself in Paris on unrelated business on the final day of the Tour. He does not like to impose. He had in his possession Armstrong's Spanish and French cell phone numbers, and a standing invitation from Armstrong to come to the Tour. But Riccitello didn't call. "I went to the start of the final stage," said Riccitello, "already feeling like a chamois sniffer. I wanted to get in and see Lance and the guys, but it's an absolute zoo there, and they've got enough on their minds. So I just stood outside and watched." But Riccitello heard a voice bellowing over the crowd. "Hey, what're you doing on that side of the fence?!" He looked over to see Armstrong poking his head out of the trailer. "Get your ass over here." "I can't climb over the fence, these guys guarding it have machine guns!" Armstrong exited the trailer and explained that Riccitello was welcome on the inside of the enclosure. "As Lance came out of the trailer to tell the guards to let me over," Riccitello recalled, "it was bedlam. It was like a Beatles concert. I've never seen anything like it. Chaos. Everybody screaming for Lance, holding out things for him to sign. I swear, every time he shows his face, it's like he's Elvis." Riccitello disappeared with Armstrong into the trailer for most of the rest of the hour prior to the start of the stage. What did they talk about? Among other things, the difference six months makes. "There were a couple of guys in Tucson over the winter saying that Lance has had his day," Riccitello said, "that he won't win another Tour, that Ullrich has his number this year. "Lance said to me, 'Jimmy, when I was on the Alpe d'Huez, honestly, I was thinking while I was climbing about those guys in Tucson, and I almost started to laugh.'" "It was all unexpected," said Riccitello. "I went to the race on spec. I didn't think I'd be able to make contact with the team, and I didn't want to impose. But I have to say it was unbelievable, like I was on the field of play. It was like being on the 50-yard line when Deion Sanders returns an interception for a touchdown. It was like giving Mark McGwire a pat on the butt as he rounds third base after hitting his 70th home run." ----- Spencer Smith bounces back with Carlsbad win July 30, 2001, Carlsbad, California (www.slowtwitch.com): It is 8:30 Monday morning, the day after Spencer Smith won the Carlsbad Triathlon. He can't come to the phone for an interview. Not because he's sleeping in after a night of reveling after yet another in a long list of victories. He's at the pool, not yet back from the 6 a.m. workout. Today is the official start of his Kona training. That's the way it is for the working-class Londoner, and the way it has been since he became a professional triathlete. Although still in his 20s, that's been his job for more than a decade. While Smith's list of wins seems to show more ability in short course racing than long course, he's an Ironman racer because that's the acme of this sport. Long course emphasis may have cost him a step or two at the sprint distance, but he can still make life tough for short-coursers, as he did in Carlsbad on Sunday. Local resident Erik Burgan was first out of the water, followed by Smith and Aussie Marc Lees. Englishman Paul Amey, Tim DeBoom––who flew down for a cherry pick after learning of Carlsbad's increased first prize of $2,000 and money through ten places––and Chris Legh trailed. Smith immediately got the motor going on the bike and went by Burgan, who is himself a good cyclist. "He went by," said Burgan, "and just continued to steadily move away during the entire ride. Nothing I could do." Lees also went by Burgan on the bike, with Paul Amey into T2 fourth, and DeBoom in pursuit. Smith continued to power on the run and came home unchallenged. Amey ran into second, and Lees came home third. Burgan and DeBoom rounded out the top five. "Nice to win one close to home," said Smith. "I guess I was rested. I missed it by one week," he said, referring to his "debacle at Worlds." As was the case with Spencer Smith, Michellie Jones also had the luxury of sleeping in her own bed and driving ten minutes to get to the race. Her list of challengers was a bit less formidable than in the men's race, with long-courser Nicole DeBoom the biggest threat. Just having returned from a silver medal performance in the World Championships, Jones was in top form and won going away, with DeBoom second. (RESULTS) ----- Smyers continues amazing comeback at Cleveland July 24, 2001, Cleveland, Ohio (www.slowtwitch.com): Karen Smyers continued her remarkable season coming back from thyroid cancer with a win at the Rock and Roll Triathlon Sunday in Cleveland. Smyers took the top prize in 2:01:48, nearly five minutes clear of her closest rival, Laurie Hug of Pennsylvania. Rounding out the podium for the women was Laura Drake of Atlanta in 2:07:27. Smyers clocked the day’s fastest run, a 38:35, to seal the win. In the men’s race, Australian Marc Lees topped a fairly deep field to win in 1:48. Just 13 seconds back was the runner-up at Ironman California, Tony DeBoom. Florida’s Alec Rukosuev came third in 1:50:01. Lees’ 33:40 10K, the fastest on the day and the only one under 34 minutes, assured the win. ----- Final hurdle cleared for Oceanside half July 20, 2001, Oceanside, California (www.slowtwitch.com): Oceanside's city counil gave a thumbs up in a 5-0 vote to a half-Ironman even to be held in its town next May 19th. The race effectively replaces Ironman California, which gave way to Ironman Utah. Graham Fraser, producer of all the North American Ironman races, will put on the Oceanside half. His mantra for this race is "Ironman quality of a half-Ironman distance." He wants to produce the "premier half-Ironman in the world," and will use IM California's race director, Buzz Mills, to make it happen for him on the local level. Fraser is cognizant, though, of the presence of another well-produced half just up the road a few hours, and in an effort to stave off conflict with the Wildflower triathlon the Oceanside race is strategically place two weeks after the central California juggernaut. As for Wildflower, Terry Davis––that race's organizer––says that he wishes Graham well, and hopes for a successful race in Oceanside. He doesn't see a conflict, inasmuch as many athletes may decide to tackle both events. The Oceanside race ought not to harm Wildflower anyway. If any race could have hurt the popular Wildflower event it would've been Oceanside's full Ironman, and it just left town. Even when the full was here, all of Wildflower's races filled up in record time. The Oceanside race will have at least $25,000 in pro prize money, and probably 20 Kona slots. The event will also give its top age-group finishers 130 to 150 slots for the other North American Ironman races. Fraser also promises a TV package and an aggressive marketing campaign. While the event is not yet official, all is done except the formalities. Fraser hopes to start taking online registration within two weeks. ----- Treasure Island close to filling July 20, 2001, Monterey, California (www.slowtwitch.com): As of this date San Francisco's brand new Treasure Island race has 1100 registrants out of a 1500-person field limit. The race, which will be held on November 3, is set to fill in the next several weeks. TriCalifornia owns the Treasure Island race, and is also the promoter of the popular Wildflower Triathlon, Escape from Alcatraz, and Pacific Grove Triathlon, among others. With Treasure Island it again seems to have found a formula that resonates with triathletes. "We started taking entries for Pacific Grove Triathlon in March, and it filled in May," said Terry Davis, president of TriCalifornia. That September 15 race will host 1600 competitors. One of the reasons Davis' races fill so early is their popularity with the Leukemia Team in Training. "They'd take all the spots in Pacific Grove if we let them," said Davis. "But we can't do that, in fairness to the other triathletes." As it is, the first 500 slots in the Treasure Island race went to "TNT." ----- Oceanside Half-Ironman ready to rumble July 11, 2001, Oceanside, California (www.slowtwitch.com): After much hand-wringing by city officials, local race organizers, and especially by local athletes, it appears Oceanside is not, after all, a city forgotten and forsaken by Ironman. No, Ironman California is not returning. The full-distance event is in Utah. But a half-distance race has been put together, and Ironman North America's Graham Fraser is the promoter. The race would be the second large-scope early-season half-distance event for SoCal athletes, joining the popular Wildflower Triathlon. The Oceanside race would be held in the second half of May, two weeks after Wildflower. In a recent discussion with Triathlonlive Fraser proposed a race that would have every bit of the size and scope that surrounds each of his well-staged full Ironman events, but spread over half the distance. Fraser is not the only one with a say-so, however. His event will still require a lot of infrastructure––read "money." That will come in part from sponsors and entry fees, but not enough to cover all the expenses. Some relief from city expenses must come from the city of Oceanside itself, and on the 18th of July the council takes up that question in open session. Below are the five whose votes will decide whether there is an event. They've historically voted in favor of triathlon-related expenditures in the past, and all have shown themselves friends of triathlon. Emails––individualized and personalized––will tell the councilmembers what sort of (articulate, well-reasoned) people triathletes are, and the (fervent) interest the multisport community would have in the event. Mayor Terry Johnson tjohnson@ci.oceanside.ca.us Deputy Mayor Betty Harding bharding@ci.oceanside.ca.us Councilmember Carol McCauley cmccauley@ci.oceanside.ca.us Councilmember Jack Feller jfeller@ci.oceanside.ca.us Councilmember Esther C. Sanchez esanchez@ci.oceanside.ca.us ----- Larsen toys with tri's elite at Vineman July 9, 2001, Santa Rosa, California It's now a more than fair bet to say that the triathletes who didn't recognize 2000 NORBA mountain bike champ Steve Larsen at Wildflower, when he blew by them over the rolling hills around lakes San Antonio and Nacimiento, know him now. At Wildflower, in his first half-Ironman race, Larsen set a new course record on the bike ride in 2:14, then faded a bit on the run. But just a bit, as he held on to take fourth place overall. Add that to a win and a couple of strong finishes at XTerra races last year and this and you have to wonder if Larsen isn't planning on following in mountain bike ace Ned Overend's transition to multisport. And whether he won't enjoy the same level of success both on the roads and off. On Sunday at the Vineman half-Ironman race in Santa Rosa, Larsen improved his Wildflower placing by three spots, taking the win over long-distance veterans Cameron Widoff, Aussie Chris Legh and Mike Pigg. In doing so, Larsen also set a new course record with a 3:55. His bike split was a 2:07, which qualifies as en fuego. Widoff, winner of Ironman Lake Placid last year and multi-time victor at Wildflower, finished in 3:57 for second place and posted the day's fastest half-marathon, a 1:10 in the heat and over the rolling hills. Former Ironman California champion Legh came third with a 4:01, with Pigg four minutes back in fourth and Colorado pro Nick Cady in fifth with a 4:07. Dave Scott, returning to racing in his 47th year with his eyes on Kona this fall, suffered a flat on the bike but still managed 4:21, good for 24th overall. His run split, a 1:15, was the fourth fastest of the day. Kona bookmakers would do well not to count out The Man. In the women's race, Davis pro Beth Zinkand repeated her Vineman victory of last year in 4:23 on the strength of the day's fastest bike ride (2:31) and run (1:21). Zinkand, third at Ironman California this year, also took the win at Vineman in 1998. Behind her in second was Jeanne Anne Krizman, last year's Wildflower champ who has struggled in the early part of this season with a DNF at Wildflower and a disappointing race at Ironman Lanzarote. Krizman finished in 4:31, giving up the bulk of her time to Zinkand on the swim, where she came out of the Russian River five minutes off of her rival's pace. North Carolina pro Kristen Johnston was third in 4:34, with Teri Duthie in fourth in 4:39, and Holly Nybo in fifth with a 4:44. (RESULTS) ----- You can't beat Macca, not even with fins July 3, 2001, San Diego, California (www.slowtwitch.com): Aussie Chris McCormack, who has blown apart the sport last year and this, continued his white-hot racing with a convincing win Sunday at the San Diego International Triathlon. Macca has won at long course and short during his year-long tear across southern and northern hemispheres––a streak which began with his omission from the Australian Olympic team. This time, though, he overcame a fellow competitor's novel race tactic. Somewhere in the middle of the swim portion of the race a marshall on a kayak discovered that one of the males in the pro wave was swimming with fins. "They were black, and cut-off, like Zoomers," said race director Rick Kozlowski. "They were hard to see. But my marshall caught the fellow, and swam his kayak into the pro's path. He forced the swimmer to give up the fins, but because the guy had a wetsuit on, the kayaker couldn't see who it was." Because the kayaker had to stay in the water to protect the rest of the swimmers, the phantom pro escaped to continue the race, but with the loss of his fins. None of that stopped McCormack from decimating all but fellow Aussie Greg Bennett during the bike ride, and he dealt with Bennett on the run. McCormack set a new course record with a time of 1:26:08, bettering by almost a minute his course record from last year. Bennett came home second in 1:27:03, and Daniel Fontana from Argentina crossed the line in third. Fontana was relegated to fifth place, however, due to a pair of 1-minute drafting calls, and long courser Paul Amey moved into the third spot officially. Michellie Jones again made it a clean sweep for Australia. She and McCormack took the wins a week earlier at Interwover, and two weeks prior to that at Alcatraz. Her 1:38:03 was a pedestrian time compared to her course racord of 1:35 in a previous victory on this course. Heather Fuhr continues to have some short course success with a runner-up finish of 1:40:05. (RESULTS) ----- Zeiger, Lovato win at Buffalo Springs June 27, 2001, Lubbock, Texas (www.slowtwitch.com): LUBBOCK, Texas—Michael Lovato of Austin, Texas claimed victory in his home state in Sunday's Buffalo Springs Lake half-Ironman, posting a 4:09:11 to hold off a hard-charging Chuckie V just 22 seconds back. Veylupek posted the day's fastest run, a 1:19, to propel himself into second. Jamie Cleveland, a Canadian training in Austin, took third, with neo-pro Tim Luchinske in fourth. James Bonney, also of Austin, rounded out the podium spots with a 4:12 in fifth. Sixth place overall went to age-grouper and Austinite Todd Gerlach, who came home in 4:19. The 32-year-old Gerlach, who gained fame by leading much of the bike ride in the 2000 edition of Ironman California, posted the fastest bike split among the age-groupers, too—a 2:23. In the women's race, Joanna Zeiger set a new course record on the hills and through the heat and wind en route to her win in 4:29:05. Andrea Fisher, also training in Texas with Iron-sweetheart Cleveland, came home second in 4:37, followed by Lauren Maule, Heather Butcher and Victoria Piper. Top age-grouper Melissa Hopkins, 24, posted a 4:48:30—a time that would have been good enough for fourth place among the pro women. Bill Shirer of Dallas, 44, claimed the master's win in 4:35. Among master's women the champion was Kathleen Hughes, 43, of Columbus, Ohio, in 5:12. Jack Boyster, 54, of Laguna Beach, Ca., won the top grandmaster's award in 4:58; the top female grandmaster was Mariana Phipps, 57, of Omaha, Neb. in 5:41. Among other notables in the age-group ranks was multi-time Kona age-group champion Missy LeStrange of Visalia, Ca., dominating the 45-49s with a 5:15, nearly half an hour clear of second. The men's 70-74 was won in equally dominating fashion by Dick Robinson of Bonita, Ca., who posted a 6:04 to claim victory more than an hour ahead of the second-place man. Not only was his time better than all the men in the 65-69 age-group, but it would have been good enough for fifth among the 60-64s. Iron vet Bill Bell, 78, took the men's 75-79 age-group in 7:56. Fellow Iron vet Norton Davey, 82, started the race but failed to finish after the bike. Twenty-nine qualifying slots to the Ironman World Championships in Kona were on offer at the race, one of the few remaining Ironman qualifiers at the half-Ironman distance. ----- Aussies on top, Yanks downunda at Interwoven June 25, 2001, San Jose, California––Special to Triathlonlive.com from Mark Dolley, San Francisco––(www.slowtwitch.com): The strong U.S. dollar continues to draw strong Australian racers as Sunday's two-part Interwoven Pro Challenge showed again. Led by Chris McCormack, they filled the top four spots at the men's race in San Jose. Michellie Jones won the women's race with local neo-pro Becky Gibbs a credible second. Word of the $20,000 purse had spread quickly. "I was training with some friends in Northern California and they told me I should come do this race," said sixth-place Cameron Widoff. "I'd like to do more races like this, but I'm going to have to work on my swim," conceded the winner of last year's Ironman Lake Placid. The Interwoven began with a 40K bicycle time trial. A rental truck with a loading ramp was turned into an impromptu Tour de France-style timing house. The riders set off at one-minute intervals. It was this format that allowed Aussie Craig Walton to stay in the race: He arrived at the start with a mechanical problem but was allowed to repair it and simply set off last. Maybe Waldo was still feeling the effects his first Ironman just five weeks ago. Or perhaps he was just having a bad day. Because after the 40K bike, followed immediately by a 600M swim, he had an uncharacteristically small 20-second lead on McCormack. Several hours later––after the age groupers had raced the Olympic-distance San Jose International Triathlon, had eaten, and had lined up to watch––the pros gathered again, now at the water's edge. In went Walton, followed by McCormack 20 seconds later. The Interwoven's format means almost no drafting, even on the swim legs. The remaining men, having lost too much time on the bike, would have to watch the lead pair swim several hundred meters before they'd have a chance to battle each other over the remaining prize money spots. Walton looked back over his shoulder on exiting the swim with palpable disappointment. Macca was not far enough behind and would quickly catch his compatriot before building the gap needed to high-five almost every spectator at the finishing chute. Mike Bennett rounded out the all-Aussie podium. Michellie Jones opted for one of her sponsor Rudy Project's Krono aerodynamic head fairing and visor combos instead of a regular helmet for the time trial. It was a decision that may well have accounted for all of the handful of seconds making up her first-half lead over Becky Gibbs, described by the race announcer as America's fastest woman triathlete. For non-drafting races that might just be true, and Gibbs caught and passed Jones on the second swim. Jones hung on and drafted in the latter portions of the swim. When the two women exited the water together and well clear of their competitors, Jones knew another win was only 10K away. "Becky doesn't run as fast as me, so that was it, basically," said Jones. "It was an interesting format and not like anything else I've done before. It's not even anything like the F1 races, because it was so long." A healthy, smiling Karen Smyers ran into third place ahead of another local, Gina Kehr. Interwoven CEO Martin Brauns, who raced with the age-groupers, pronounced himself delighted by the decision to help race director Andy Robles double the prize purse. "It's great to have the world's best here, inspiring our local triathletes," he said. And more than 60 of those local triathletes were Interwoven employees and spouses, who race for free as part of the company's sponsorship. Interwoven has former pro Brad Kearns on the payroll and encourages its employees to become and remain physically active, aiming at sustained productivity through balanced living. (RESULTS) ----- Top pros return to the Bay June 22, 2001, San Francisco, California––Special to Triathlonlive.com, from Mark Dolley, San Francisco––(www.slowtwitch.com): Only two weeks after Escape from Alcatraz top professionals will be returning to the San Francisco Bay Area, lured by one of the season's bigger purses--$20,000--at the Interwoven Pro Challenge in San Jose, Sunday. Escape winners Chris McCormack and Michellie Jones top the bill, with an impressive supporting cast featuring many of triathlon's household names: Walton, Lees, Reid, Bowden and Smyers among them. Last year's race, with a far smaller purse, drew mostly local pros. 2001 sees the introduction of a new multiyear deal with profitable Silicon Valley Web content infrastructure firm Interwoven, which also sponsors the USPS cycling team. The pro challenge, suggestive of Australian F1 events, is in two parts. The first, a 24 mile staggered-start time trial and 600 meter swim precedes the San Jose International race for over 1,000 age groupers. The second part is designed by race director Andy Robles at least partly to entertain the age groupers. A mass start 600 meter swim and 10K run starts some four hours after the first installment, allowing amateurs plenty of time to complete their race and refuel before turning their attention to the pros. McCormack is once again the hot favorite, although Craig Walton is likely to push him hard in the men's event, where the time trial format should suit Walton's cycling strength. Laura Reback, fresh from her early season victories in Victoria and Shreveport should test Jones in the women's event, with breakthrough local pro Becky Gibbs keen to take on the world's best in her own back yard. Ironman winners Peter Reid and Lori Bowden will want to prove their worth alongside the short course specialists, but Reid's 18th place at Escape from Alcatraz shows it may be easier to move from short course to long than attempt the reverse, as pro triathletes increasingly choose to specialize.
An accomplished field including nationally ranked triathletes, world and national mountain bike champions, Ironman champions, and Olympians, will toe the line at Brown’s Island in the heart of downtown Richmond. Heat and humidity will be strong factors in the race, along with endurance, tenacity, skill, and equipment. This urban race will consist of a 1k swim, a 27k mountain bike
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