Ris Van Bethel, March 12, 2006

Pro-1-2-3
1.  Greg Wolf, AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork
2.  Mike McGinley, Anthem-CCCC
3.  Stephen Badger, Sakonnet Technology
4.  Robert Giannini, Sakonnet Technology
5.  Chad Butts, Unattached
6.  Peter Horn, Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team
7.  Morgan Stebbins, Target Training
8.  Alister Ratcliff, Bethel Cycle
9.  Richard Visinski, Unattached
10.  Johan Koserius, Fiordifrutta
11.  Kyle Wolfe, Cuevas

Women 1-2-3-4
1.  Heather Labance, Team Advil-Chapstick
2.  Sarah Sauvyre, Comedy Central
3.  Kathleen Billington, Unattached
4.  Beth Miller, North Atlantic Velo
5.  Ellen Moses, Comedy Central
6.  Mara Miller, Team Advil-Chapstick
7.  Caitlin McVarish, CT Coast Cycling
8.  Stacey Smith, Carpe Diem Racing
9.  Diana Panchyle, Team Advil-Chapstick
10.  Tania Ayoub, CT Coast Cycling
11.  Reem Jishi, Team Advil-Chapstick
12.  Karen Ulrich, Comedy Central
13.  Kristi Roberts, Comdedy Central
14.  Kate Scheider, Williams College
15.  Beth Renaud, Comedy Central
16.  Becky Koh, Comedy Central
17.  Eric Duggan, Velo Bella
18.  Kate Giordano, Anthem-CCCC
19.  Michelle Faurot, CT Coast Cycling
20.  Cheryl Wolf, Bethel Cycle

3-4's
1.  Richard Visinski, Unattached
2.  Stanley Lezon, EBCC-Benidorm
3.  Aki Sato, Carpe Diem Racing
4.  John Morales, Cafeteros
5.  Todd Crisafulli, Solutions Cycling
6.  Ian Strever, Bethel Cycle
7.  Oscar Osario, Cafeteros
8.  Victor Jerez, CT Coast Cycling
9.  Matthew Jamieson, Exodus
10.  Jonathan Baxendale, Target Training

M40+
1.  Andy Ruiz, CCB/Volkswagen
2.  Steve Gray, Bethel Cycle
3.  Scott Bodin, Target Training
4. Brian Wirtz, Bethel Cycle
5. Curtis Easton, Yale University Bulldog Cycling
6.  Richard Foley, Bethel Cycle
7.  Thomas Butler, CCB/Volkswagen
8.  Horacio Ahumada, Cafeteros
9.  David Rusnak, BOB Cycling
10.  Donald Catlin, Tokeneke Road Club

Juniors
1.  Filip Capala, Unattached
2.  Kyle Foley, Cuevas
3.  Spencer Frohlich, Miyashoji.com
4.  Robert Schmidt, Capital Bicycle Racing Club

4's
1.  Douglas Schwartz, Target Training
2.  John-Paul Kaminiski, miyashoji.com
3.  Christopher Uglietta, Jonathan Adler Racing
4.  Timothy Thayer, Connecticut Coast Cycling
5.  Williem Heydendael, Solutions Cycling
6.  Robert Marcinko, CT Coast Cycling
7.  Todd Nicotra, Unattached
8.  Robert Fulmer, Jonathan Adler Racing
9.  Pedro Sanchez, Cafeteros
10.  Mike Jankowski, NorEast Cycling

5's A (first race)
1.  Chad Dalles, Unattached
2.  Don Hettrick, GHCC
3.  Jay Vincent, Cycle Center
4.  Roger Billharz, Hudson Valley Velo
5.  Robert Norigian, Providence Velo
6.  Jay Moody, Bethel Cycle

5's B (second race)

1.  James Morrison, Unattached
2.  Chris Hayhurst, Pawling Cycle and Sport
3.  Chris Bohannon, Unattached
4.  Christopher Strempel, Cog Wild Bicycle Club
5.  Bruce McGalliard, CT Coast Cycling
6.  Gabrielle Gentile, Cafeteros

Race Reports.  These are compiled from various reports sent in and may in fact be total fiction.  If you would like to contribute to the race reports, please email me your experiences and observations in your race/s and your report will be anonymously included in the appropriate race reports.

Pro-1-2-3:
Once again, a racer showed up with a domestic pro license.  Greg Wolf, part of the new AEG-Toshiba-Jetnetwork team, showed up after returning from a stage race in Mexico.  With a small field and overcast skies, the race would be tough.  Mike McGinley (Anthem-CCCC) wore the leader's jersey after last week's win and had some committed and able teammate on call.  Sakonnet Technology had two strong racers, Stephen Badger and Robert Giannini, both of whom proved themselves in the Ronde de Bethel.  

With overcast skies and wet pavement, the field started off by doing a recon lap or two, but then the attacks came fast and furious.  The high pace and no shelter meant that racers not fit enough simply got shelled.  Wolf escaped a rapidly shrinking field and started to time trial away.  A former Series winner, Tim Unkert (Unattached), made several attempts to bridge but McGinley, satisfied to patrol the field, had his teammate keep Unkert in check.  Wolf eeked out a 30 second lead but the efforts behind were telling.  A dozen riders remained and all were strong and willing to work.  Wolf's lead shrank until with several laps to go, he was caught first by two counterattackers and then by the rest of the group.  Various racers tried to counter, with Badger, Giannini, Visinski, and even a resplendent Wolf  making huge efforts.  McGinley, his teammates used up, was forced to defend and had to make a number of efforts.  In the end, a big leadout for McGinley came to naught as Wolf rocketed up the hill to take the win.  McGinley, by finishing second, extends his lead in the overall.  Badger and Giannini took a hard earned third and fourth, while Chad Butts proved his first week's second place was no fluke by taking fifth.  The last point up for grabs was taken by Peter Horn (Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team).

Womens 1-2-3-4:
Almost 30 women lined up for the Women's open race, a great sign for this race (currently on a trial basis for the Series).  Three large teams lined up - Ronde de Bethel's dominating Team Advil-Chapstick, CRCA's Comedy Central, and the local Connecticut Coast Cycling team.  One wildcard also lined up - Kathleen Billington, a competitive racer at the national level.  With the three teams comprising most of the field, it was inevitable that a break would go, and it did - Billington, Heather Labance (Team Advil Chapstick), and Sarah Sauvyre (Comedy Central).  CT Coast Cycling was unable to mount an effective chase with the two teams heavily marking anyone so the break stayed away.  They cooperated till the last lap when Labance decisively took the sprint from Sauvayre.  Billington trailed in third, just ahead of the hard charging field.  Beth Miller (North Atlantic Velo) took a furious field sprint, drawing clear in only the last 10 meters.  Ellen Moses (Comedy Central) took fifth, and the last point was taken by Team Advil-Chapstick's Mara Miller.

3-4's:
Mother Nature decimated the field before they even started - cold, driving rain and no promise of a let up shrank the field to under 70 racers.  Noticeably absent was the bulk of the Anthem-CCCC team which dominated the Ronde de Bethel as well as top finisher Morgan Stebbins (Target Training) who passed on this race and instead  finished seventh in the Pro/1/2/3 race.  With the race open and the weather promising a breakaway, the racing started fast and furious.  Eventually, inevitably, Richard Visinski escaped the field.  Attacking from virtually the start of the race, he broke the field after a half dozen strong attacks.  The field watched him ride away but just before it was too late, EBCC-Benidorm's Stanley Lezon popped out of the field and bridged.  With a collectively fatigued field behind and an initial reluctance to work, the break started to gain serious time.  Bethel Cycle and Cafeteros both had riders at the front, chasing for their finishers Ian Strever and John Morales respectively.  Bethel Cycle's team really put the hammer down but without a lot of help, the break's gap held and they won a hard earned race.  Visinski rolled in clear of Lezon, taking a great win in adverse conditions.  

The field drew its collective breath and lined up for the sprint.  Solutions Cycling worked hard to set up their sprinter Todd Crisafulli but the two doing all the damage was a pair of riders from Anthem-CCCC, the only two in the race.  Anthony Parent was driving hard and Scott Glenney gapped him and a trailing racer off the front.  It looked like the move would work and a few riders, notably Cafetero's Morales, worked hard to bridge.  But as Parent started to slow and Solutions Cycling ramped it up, they all came together at the bottom of the hill.  Crisafulli led it out with a few racers on his wheel.  One was Aki Sato (Carpe Diem Racing), last year's overall winner due to his field finishes, and he obliged and took the field sprint for third.  Just behind was Morales, struggling successfully to beat the rest to the line.  Crisafulli hung on for fifth, and Ian Strever finished off Bethel Cycle's efforts in sixth place.

M40+:
Rain started falling for the Master's race and by the time the race finished, it was a driving downpour.  In these miserable conditions, there are those who feel frisky and those who feel tired (prize for first person who emails me from where I lifted that quote!).  When Andy Ruiz (CCB/Volkswagen) started driving the pace within a couple laps of the start, it was obvious how he felt.  Another was Brian Wirtz (Bethel Cycle), willing to drive the pace with Ruiz.  Scott Bodin (Target Training), a former Nationals podiumist, also took part in the opening salvos.  After a few very fast laps though it was Stephen Gray (Bethel Cycle) who snapped the collective elastic and broke free of the field.  At what seemed to be the last possible moment, Ruiz and Scott Bodin (Target Training) bridged up. The race was on.  Bodin had problems though and dropped back. Target Training  immediately put racers at the front to try and bring back the break.  But the disruptive efforts of Gray's teammates, along with the superb work by the front two, the break was destined to stay away.  The cracks in Gray's foundation started to show as there were laps where Ruiz had to ease up as he inevitably gapped Gray. Admirably, Gray was willing to work to the line and rolled in a few seconds after Ruiz took a tough victory.  The sprint behind was fast, with a number of frustrated racers in the field.  Bodin took the field sprint with Wirtz just behind in fourth.  Curtis Easton (CVC) took fifth and Rich Foley (Bethel Cycle) sixth.

Juniors:
A small field but aggressive group of Juniors took part in the M40+/Jr race.  They were all willing to attack and it was refreshing to see them attacking and chasing with the day's win and overall standings in place.  Last week's Ronde de Bethel winner, his legs a bit cooked by early season training the previous day, only managed a fourth place on this tough day.  Filip Capela (Unattached) followed up his second from last week with a win this week.  Kyle Foley (Cuevas) was second, and Spencer Frohlich (Miyashoji.com) was third.  The Junior who won the race was disqualified for failing rollout.

4's:
The 4's race took place under overcast but dry skies and was one of the larger fields of the day.  Although racers tried every which way to attack and break clear, nothing worked and it came down to a massive field sprint.  A crash with about half a lap to go marred the finish but the field flew up the hill to the line nonetheless.  Douglas Schwartz (Target Training), last year's third overall Cat 5 finisher, took a sweet win.  He launched a big solo effort with about 10 to go, only to get caught at 4 to go.  Nevertheless he dug in and recovered in time to take the sprint .  John-Paul Kaminski (Miyashoji.com) followed in second, taking the overall lead.  Christopher Uglietta (Jonathan Adler Racing) finished third, with Timothy Thayer (CT Coast Cycling) fourth.  WIlliem Heydendael (Solutions Cycling) took fifth while Robert Marcinko (CT Coast Cycling) rounded out the points in sixth.  The placings show a repeat of many names from the Ronde de Bethel and show that the racers at the top of the standings are extremely fit.


5's (first race):
The field was all together at the finish of the first Cat 5 race and as they swept around the corner, a spectator might well have mistaken them for the Cat 3-4's.  A single racer launched a ferocious sprint from way out, showing perfect form and a clean pair of heels to everyone behind him.  The top 15 or 20 racers all responded as they should, nose to tail, single file, driving for all their worth.  It was a sight to behold, one rarely seen at the entry level of racing.  The field was strung out single file for at least 100 meters with everyone simply going as fast as possible.  Incredibly, Chad Dalles (Unattached), the racer who launched like a pro from more than 250 meters out,  hung on to win an excellent and well deserved victory.  A couple racers made some very strong late moves but came up just short.  They were Don Hettrick (GHCC) and Jay Vincent (Cycle Center).  The rest of the points were snatched up by the equally well riding Roger Billharz (Hudson Valley Velo), Robert Norigian (Providence Velo), and Jay Moody of the hometown Bethel Cycle Team.  Kudos to those who finished up this race - it was fast, clean sprint.

5's (second race):
Unfortunately, the second 5's race was marred by a multirider crash in the finish as the sprint started 6 or 8 wide and everyone collectively started to blow at the same time.  Out of the mayhem James Morrison (Unattached) was already heading to his win when the tumbling started.  Chris Hayhurts (Pawling Cycle and Sport) took second, with Chris Bohannon (Unattached) in third.  Christopher Strempel (Cog Wild Cycling Team) was fourth, Bruce McGalliard (CT Coast Cycling) fifth, and Gabrielle Gentile (Cafeteros) sixth.