Ris Van Bethel, March 11, 2007

Pro-1-2-3
1.  Mike Norton, Rite-Aid
2.  Eneas Freyre, Target Training
3.  David Wiswell, Nerac
4.  John Loehner, CRCA
5.  Chris Rozdilsky, Fiordefrutta
6.  Peter Morgan, Anthem-CCCC
7.  Robert Giannini, Sakonnet Technologies
8.  Kevin Molloy, Empire
9.  Jacob Hacker, Unattached
10.  Justin Lindine, Target Training

3-4's
1.  Christopher Uglietta, Jonathan Adler
2.  Christopher Shaw, Empire Cycling
3.  Timothy Collins, Jonathan Adler
4.  John-Paul Kaminski, CT Coast Cycling
5.  Jonathan Warchol, CT Coast Cycling
6.  Bryan Haas, Zephyr
7.  Morgan Stebbins, Target Training
8.  Aki Sato, Carpe Diem Racing
9.  Anthony Parent, Anthem-CCCC
10.  Hunter Pronovost, Anthem-CCCC

M40+
1.  Morgan Stebbins, Target Training
2.  Stephen Gray, Bethel Cycle
3.  Tom Officer, Cycle Fitness
4.  Matt Murphy, Westwood Velo
5.  Scott Bodin, Target Training
6.  Todd  Hamel, Stage 1/Fusion Think
7.  David Williams, VMG
8.  Christopher Dimattio, Bethel Cycle
9.  Rogelio Frutos, Zephyr Cycling
10. Joe Bitetto, Carpe Diem Racing

Juniors
1.  Bob German, CCNS/Pedal Power
2.  Robert Schmidt, CCNS/Pedal Power

Women
1.  Anna Milkowski, Target Training
2.  Heather Labance, Advil-Chapstick
3.  Eve McNeill, Harvard
4.  Kathleen Billington, Target Training
5.  Tania Ayoub, CRCA/MSSC
6.  Robyn Passander, Anthem-CCCC
7.  Marie Murphy, Retro Velo
8.  Valerie Hopkins, CT Coast Cycling
9.  Cecelia Pleva, Radical Media
10.  Amity Elliott, Unattached

4's
1.  Joe Straub, DKNY/Signature Cycles
2.  Jordan Copeland, Danny's Cycles
3.  Allistair Clarke, Unattached
4.  Lee Davis, Pawling Cycle and Sport
5.   Jonathan Warchol, CT Coast Cycling
6.  Chad Dalles, Bethel Cycle
7.  Gabrielle Gentile, Cafeteros
8.  Brian Kelley, Pawling Cycle and Sport
9.  Matt Pascale, Danny's Cycles
10.  Will Vallar, Danny's Cycles

5's 
1.  Zachary Staszak, Pawling Cycle and Sport
2.  Eric Merrill, Keltic Construction/Zanes
3.  Jay Vincent, Cycle Center
4.  Greg Ciocci, Keltic Construction/Zanes
5.  Hank Osborn, Bethel Cycle
6.  Mark Salvagin, Bicycle Doctor
7.  John Romano, Bethel Cycle
8.  Christian Baks, Pawling Cycle and Sport
9.  Lyle Baron, USI
10.  Jim Reid, Bethel Cycle

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:
The P/1/2/3 race was fast from the start. Notable starters included pros Mike Norton (Rite-Aid) and David Wiswell (Nerac).  Both were unafraid of being active and were constantly at the front.  Fiordifrutta had a full complement of racers and were visible in virtually every move, chasing down breaks they missed and trying to make other ones.  But as one rider put it, it was a fast, fast day.  "A lot of strong guys and no breaks means nothing got away".

Norton led a half dozen riders at the bell with perhaps a 5 meter gap to the field.  The Bethel police officer on duty, having been educated on the fine points of bike racing and drafting ("it's like motorcycle racing") thought perhaps this wasn't the best move for the Rite Aid pro.  But drawing on a decade of circling the course, Norton managed to ride away from the other riders.

Eneyas Frere (Target Training) was best of the rest, followed by Wiswell.  CRCA's John Loehner nabbed fourth, and long time Series racer Chris Rozdilsky (FiordiFrutta) fifth.  Rounding out the points places was last year's dominant Cat 3/4 winner, Peter Morgan (Anthem-CCCC)

3-4's:

blog entry
helmet cam clip

The 3-4 race ended up a huge battle between the strong teams in the race.  Unusually, there were a number of teams that had strength in depth, not just one or two riders, but four or five or more.  Obviously last week's dominant team was CT Coast Cycle with race leader Rob Marcinko, a very strong Ryan Haug, and their ace sprinter John-Paul Kaminski.  Another strong team was Target Training, led by Morgan Stebbins but full of strong rouleurs who could turn the race on its head.  Local team Bethel Cycle was a threat as well with their vetern racer Brian Wolf organizing their team's efforts.  Anthem-CCCC, last year's defending team, was looking to put some numbers next to their name as well.  And finally, no one could miss the orange jumpsuits worn by the Jonathan Adler team.  Having moved up en masse from the 4's, they had a strong team with big ambition.

With such a field, the race was fast from the start.  The field was strung out almost immediately, and when a bunch of racers went for a prime, the field started to splinter.  An aggressive Anthem-CCCC had a couple riders up the road, CT Coast Cycle had one, Adler had one, and there were one or two other racers.  It didn't look too threatening until CT Coast Cycle's Kaminiski simply tore away from the field.

When he bridged, suddenly the break started moving.  The field quickly fell behind by 30-odd seconds and the gap stabilized.  Individuals from Bethel, Zephyr, Target Training, and a few individuals went to the front to try and bring the gap down, but the gap stayed in the 25-30 second range.

When race leader Marcinko took off and bridged the big gap solo, the field knew they couldn't dwaddle anymore.  Target Training's Max Lippolis decided enough was enough.  His team had missed the break, they had put a few half hearted attempts in to raise the pace, but it was go time and, well, no one was going.  He rallied his team, Bethel's squad (they missed the move too), and Stage 1/Fusion Think (also not represented in the break).

Suddenly, within a few laps, a 22 second gap became only 15.  And with two to go, it was 7 seconds.  The break was flying though, with Marcinko putting all his marbles into his teammate's Kaminski sprint.  The field stretched to a breaking point and Jonathan Adler's Christopher Ugglietta bridged up to the break at the bell.

The field caught most of the break as they sprinted up the hill but Ugglietta and his teammate Collins took an impressive first and third.  Splitting them was Christopher Shaw (Empire cycling).  A disappointed Kaminiski rolled in fourth.  The field was right on their heels with Jonathan Warchol , teammate of Kaminski, taking fifth.  A hard working Bryan Haas (Zephyr) took sixth and the last points spot.

M40+:
To be updated

Women:
Target Training once again starred in the women's race.  Last year's winner Heather Labance (Team Advil-Chapstick) joined the racing though and would prove to be a serious threat.  Anthem-CCCC and CT Coast Cycling both fielded squads, and sprinters like Eve McNeill (Harvard) and Tanya Ayoub (CRCA/MSSC) would prove to be a threat.

Target Training sent one of the strongest racers on the line-up Anna Milkowski on a solo move.  She steadily rode away from the field and with some very strong teammates covering moves, she stayed away for the win.

Behind her there was an excellent sprint for second spot.  Labance proved her last year's overall victory was no fluke by taking the sprint.  McNeill took third, Target Training's Kathleen Billington fourth, and the consistent Ayoub fifth.  Anthem-CCCC's Robyn Passander took the last points position in sixth place.

Juniors:
To be updated

4's:
The 4's put on a great race with attacks, breaks, bridges, and all sorts of teamwork.   Incredibly, the racer that got the gap first was overall leader Joe Straub (DKNY/Signature Cycles) who won the prior week.  He must have felt supremely confident to go on the attack.  Covering him was Matt Pasqual (Danny's Cycles), with his team's strong rider Jordan Copeland sitting in the field.

Straub put the hurt on hard and ended up riding away from Pasqual.  Danny's Cycles, with Copeland in second overall, put the hammer down with three riders working hard to bring back Straub.  When the Straub was in striking distance, Copeland attacked the field and quickly bridged up to Straub.  With two riders out front again, the break would stay away.  Incredibly, Straub took the sprint to make it two wins in a row.

After Copeland's second, the field was led at the bell by a lone CT Coast Cycling rider, chasing for three laps.  He was caught in the run in by a very fast moving field.  Allistaire Cooke (Unattached) took the sprint for third, followed by Pawling Cycle and Sport's Leed Davis.  Jonathan Warchol (CT Coast Cycling) picked up a couple points to add to his third place from the week before by finishing fifth.  Rounding out the top six for the second week in a row was last year's Cat 5 winner Chad Dalles (Bethel Cycle).

5's
To be updated