TJDu-@aol.com
Subject: Re: Walker Ferguson! eurocyclocross studkid
From: "Brent Soderberg" <bsode-@NOSPAMhotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 24 January 2000 01:42 AM EST
Message-id: <#$R7sdjZ$GA.286@cpmsnbbsa03>
Martin Clan <mar-@hevanet.com> wrote in message
news:86g6cf-@glisan.hevanet.com...
Maybe we can't understand the Swiss/German, but the Foto's are great:
http://www.radquer.ch/resultate/januar/wetzikonfoto3.htm
You forgot to mention that Ann Grande came in 3rd for the women.
Looks like it was a great show for the US this weekend.
~Bonnie
Ann Grande's report is at
http://www.bikeride.com/news/2000/012300cyclocross.asp
Here it is:
Women lined up for the famous Wetzikon race today for the first time. It was
so exciting to participate in the race that all our U.S. guys have been
raving about for the past few years. The women's field was the largest yet
and contained most of the superpowers from last week. Alison Dunlap and
Shari Kain were the only US women not present, they are holding out until
the last minute.
It started snowing yesterday and hasn't stopped yet. That meant we had the
pleasure of riding in over eight inches of fresh snow. It's funny because
yesterday while practicing the course I asked Dale if he had ever had to
ride in snow here and he said, "No". Luckily the Juniors and Espoirs did a
nice job of packing it down in the previous races and created some ridable
lines for the women. (For those of you who haven't heard, Walker Ferguson
won the Junior race- go US Juniors!)
We lined up in our designated space and I was in the front. Although I am
not the fastest starter I was happy to be there because we had a wicked left
hand turn off the pavement into some ice and snow and I did not want to get
caught in the chaos. Katie said she had to eventually jump off and run past
a bunch of women because they were all clustered up. Yesterday the course
was over ten feet wide, today there were one or two ridable paths which made
it hard to pass. Hanka did her usual of getting over a one minute lead in
the first lap. All I can say is that she is just plain FAST.
I was probably in about seventh place on the first few laps and slowly
worked my way up to fourth by the last lap. Better yet it was a Swiss girl,
Chantal Daucort in third. The crowd was really cheering her on and I just
pretended they were cheering for me so I would go faster. I got right on her
wheel after this slimy off camber downhill running section (it was safer to
run and kept your bike a lot cleaner too). We had about half a lap to go and
I had to figure out how I was going to beat her. I knew she was a mountain
biker so perhaps she had no better sprint than I did. Maybe I could wait and
pass her when we got to the road section at the finish.
We were approaching the only barrier on the entire course. It was a left
hand turn into a downhill swoosh with the barrier at the bottom. I thought
of some of my past races and decided I better use my "get to the barrier
first" strategy. I went for the pass and headed for the barrier, yeah I got
there first and didn't crash. Now I had to find all my sprinting power for
about a 600 meter straightaway down the road to the finish line. I went as
fast as I could and ended up in third place. I felt good about the race
because I was able to keep the rubber side down and the snow was really
beautiful. We leave tomorrow to go back to Holland for the big one. One race
to go and I think it will be the most fun.
Katie (Blinco) is pleased to say she is finally done racing for the season
and is going to eat lots of bratwurst, chocolate, and drink wine with every
meal and between meals as she completes her tour through Europe.