Race Results

1/2/3 Race report:

Overall leader John Idone (Remax) made some critical errors in this race and his overall lead, although still there, seems fragile compared to his former 10 point lead. A small break, due to the unusual wind conditions, managed to escape. Racers kept bridging up to it (as opposed to the field catching it). Mike Norton (NJ Bicycle Club) sprinted for a field prime and found himself in the middle of the break. Although it didn't seem like a super cohesive group, there was at least one racer interested in improving his overall position, Brian Wirtz (Bethel Cycle). Wade Summers (WebEvent.com) contributed heavily as he normally does in breaks, as did Stage One captain Matt Inconiglios (Stage One Cycling). A fired up Thomas Cromie (Unattached) from the Cat 3 race also worked hard in the cooperative group. Along with other strongmen like Matt Armstrong (Tarrytown CC), Robert Whalen (Sleepy Hollow), and Chad Davis (CRCA), the break slowly drew 45 seconds clear.

Idone had his teammate Anthony Allessio (Remax) watching the break but realized all the points were up the road and found himself in the unusual situation of asking his teammates to chase a break containing a teammate. Stephen Badger (Remax) and Chris Rozdilski (Remax) were especially active in the chase but to no avail. With Bethel Cycle and WebEvent refusing to pull through, the break stayed away.

One racer in particular Ray Diaz (GAP) wanted to bring the break back also - he deserves special mention because of the enormity of his efforts. Each time he pulled, he'd string the field out, precarious gaps appearing everywhere. The racers on the edge would come off the back, but when he finally pulled off, blocking racers refused to pull through. After making a few efforts like this, he half seriously asked for help from the others. As respected as he is, no one wanted or could to work with him.

In the end, Norton, looking immaculate on his bike, capped off a strong performance to win the race. The strong Allesio placed second, and Wirtz accomplished his mission by placing third. Cromie, in an impressive performance, placed fourth in his second race of the day - he'd already raced over an hour prior to this. Davis earned a couple points for fifth and Summers rounded out the points winners by taking sixth.

Cat 3/4 Race Report:

This had to be one of the oddest races. A stiff headwind just before the hill took all the inertia out of the racers at the front. However, a tailwind on the hill (and the long straight after the first turn) allowed those sheltered racers who jumped hard on the hill to open (or close) huge gaps almost instantly. Vincent Cintron, looking for some gas money, sprinted to take a field prime and found himself just off the back of a previously established break. Christopher Pile (Tokeneke), Carlos Restrepos (Tarrytown CC), and Cat 4 race winner Tom Bronson (Bethel Cycle) had been hanging off the front after going after a prime. One after another, individual racers had bridged up. Citron quickly closed the gap and joined his teammate Hermean Walker (Moneygram), strong Junior Keith Jennings (Unattached), Paul Marchese (GMBC), Michael Spangenberg (Berkshire Cycling), among others. Cintron and Walker set about trying to establish the break, looking for team and individual points. Bronson, fresh from his win in the 4 race also pulled hard.

Back in the field, overall leader Jorge Ortiz (Tarrytown CC) and his rival Thomas Cromie (Unattached) closely watched each other. Ortiz, surrounded by his Tarrytown CC teammates, seemed to be waiting for a move to bridge to the break. Although some teams chased (notably Stage One Cycling and WebEvent.com), the break never came back. As the timed portion expired and the last 5 laps began, the break held a tenuous 20 second gap, in view of the field on both long straights and the hill.

Coming up on two to go, Cromie launched a massive attack, marked by Ortiz and a second Tarrytown CC teammate. A few racers tried to chase, including a strong Patrick Lynch (Zephyr). However, Cromie wouldn't let anyone come close and pulled for a full lap and a half. The field chased both groups hard, and the gap to the break shrunk till they were only seconds ahead at the bell.

The break barely won the race, with Cintron and his teammate Walker taking first and second. Restrepos took third for Tarrytown CC. However, some shenanigans ensued on the backstretch in Cromie's three man chase group. In a hotly contested finish, Ortiz bridged the last 40 meters to the break and initially finished fourth. However, a quick protest (due to illegal contact) relagated him to seventh, out of the points. This moved a few people up in the points. Joseph Regan (Laurel) placed fourth officially, with Jennings placing fifth in his second race of the day. Bronson managed to eek out a point in sixth. To give an idea of the order of finish, the last member of the break, Pile, finished just ahead of the charging field in 10th.

Master 40+ Race Report:

With Morgan Stebbins (Bethel Cycle) assured of the overall, Bethel Cycle turned their eyes on the next two overall places. They decided to protect strongmen Scott Boden (Bethel Cycle) and Greg Pelican (Bethel Cycle). The biggest threat was a badly outnumbered but resilient Rich Foley (Laurel). In this race, Laurel managed to contain many of the Bethel attacks, keeping the field together for most of the race. An ever present and aggressive John Funk bided his time in the field (I think waving to his two year old on a few laps).

Finally, in the last five laps of the race, Funk attacked sharply, with Foley instantly marking him. Boden, marking Foley, went too, and the three carved out a tenuous gap. Stebbins, seeing an opportunity to cleanly escape the field, countered hard and bridged instantly to the break. With two Bethel racers in the break, Pelican and his crew shut down the field till the bell. As Stebbins took yet another win, followed by Funk, Boden, and an exhausted Foley in that order, Brian Wolf (Bethel Cycle) did yet another weekly super-domestique leadout, ably assisted by Vassos Kyprianou (Bethel Cycle). Pelican won the field sprint, closely followed by his wheel sweeper Ray Ruyack (Bethel Cycle).

Women's Race Report:

This race ended up a race of attrition as the jockeying of the Masters and Juniors caused the race to become a slow procession punctuated by some extremely fast laps. The WebEvent.com teammates Penny Buchar and Laura Summers once again finished first and second, comfortably finishing in the field. They demonstrated their high level of fitness by going on to do the Cat 3/4 race and helping out their teammates in that race. Mary Ellen Calandrillo (NJ Rock N Road) finished a strong third. A three woman group formed and raced together (and competed for a prime as well). Cheryl Smith (Bethel Cycle) worked hard to earn fourth, and Romy Alvarez did the same to earn fifth. Lisa West placed sixth to round out the points.

Junior Race Report:

With only a few Juniors in the race, they simply marked each other. With Matt Crane (Kissena) fresh off of some dominating performances, the best the others could do was to at least make it a close race. They succeeded and although Crane won again, it didn't look as easy as it did before. Keith Jennings (Unattached) finished second and Taylor Tolleson (Trinity Pawling School) earned third.

Cat 4 Race Report:

The Bethel Cycle team swarmed the Cat 4 field, with 8 racers in a small 23 racer field. All of them preferring the sprint so they forced the field to stay together. Now sometimes a team will do this and then get beaten by strong individuals. Not the case here - they swept 4 of the top 6 places, placing half their racers in the points. Overall leader Tom Bronson (Bethel Cycle) fittingly won the sprint, with second overall Ian Strever (Bethel Cycle) fittingly placing just behind. Paul Levine (Colavita) managed to break the Bethel stranglehold with a hard earned third place. Mark Meleshkewich (Bethel Cycle) picked up fourth and Chuck Litty (Bethel Cycle) placed fifth. Andrew Kalter (Ridgefield Bank) managed to pick up the last point ahead of two more Bethel Cycle racers.

Cat 5 Race Report:

A break lapped the field again in the Cat 5 race, exhibiting the strength and skills of some of the racers in what is ostensibly the "beginner's" field. Powered by some of the regular names like Andrew Lobsenz (Bethel Cycle), Matt Zavelich (Laurel), the break powered around the course. Zavelich, who'd shown promise in prior races, finally pulled through and exhibited his talent for sprinting, winning the sprint ahead of Anthony Restuccia (Unattached). Incredibly, both of them are now tied for second on points overall, along with Rob Scott (Unattached). Joe Salem (Ridgefield Bank) earned third, John Alvarez (Unattached) fourth, and Bethel regular Anthony Trojano picked up fifth. Rory Mason (Stage One Cycling) snagged the last point available in sixth.