Press Releases
Day 2 Recap - Sea Otter Classic
By CORBY ANDERSON
MONTEREY, Calif. – Levi Leipheimer picked up a close victory Friday at the 2009 Sea Otter Classic road race in a competition that he deemed to be a "training run."
The Santa Rosa resident was racing on his own without the benefit of his world-beating Astana team, but still, he had the superior fitness and experience to pull ahead of the otherwise dominant Bissell Pro Cycling team at the top of a long, steep Ford Ord grade that marked the finish line.
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| Levi Leipheimer Photo: Brightroom.com / Larry Rosa |
Leipheimer decided early on that he was going to approach the Sea Otter road race as a robust training event in preparation for the summer race season and, in pre-race comments, did not give himself much of a chance to win against the combined strength and cunning of the well-oiled Bissell boys, a commanding group of athletes who swept Thursday's Sea Otter criterium.
"This is home for me. I came up through the ranks doing these local races and I appreciate them. And I wanted to keep a light spring training schedule. So, this is what I call free training – to get out there and battle with these guys. And it was tough," said the three-time Tour of California champion after winning his first Sea Otter road race title. "I'm just really enjoying springtime in California," added Leipheimer, who is widely considered to be one of the top five riders in the world.
And indeed Friday was a spectacular one for a bicycle race. Refreshingly warm, with a slight coastal breeze to cool down the riders who might otherwise have overheated on the winding, hill studded 69-mile course that looped through the verdant sage and oak forests of the Fort Ord backcountry, the weather sparkled, but the star was clearly Leipheimer.
Using a wealth of world-class experience and a simple strategy – to stick closely with the Bissell team throughout, and then fight it out on the last hill, Leipheimer was able to chase down a series of breakaways led by Bissell standouts Paul Mach and San Jose's Ben Jacques-Mayne, and yesterday's crit winner, Morgan Schmitt, who came in third in the road race.
"We had a pretty good day in the breakaways. We were trying to send as many guys up the road as possible to try and tire him out," said Mach, who wound up in second place after a spirited sprint up the two-mile long, eight percent grade to the finish. Leipenheimer pedaled away to win by four seconds.
Leipheimer proved to be more than up to the task of rabbit-chaser.
"We went pretty much into the bottom of the final hill together. Morgan went first, then Ben, and then I went and Levi was on my wheel. I tried to put in a dig at the end to see what would happen. But basically he (Leipheimer) just sat there, and then he passed me. He waited for a long time, and I guess that was payback for all of the pain that we put him through during the race," said Mach.
A full list of today's results can be found HERE.
By CORBY ANDERSON
Tiffany Cromwell (Colavita/Sutter Home) dominated the women's field of the Sea Otter Classic road race on Friday, winning by a wide margin after a successful solo breakout from a lively pack.
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| Tiffany Cromwell Photo: Brightroom.com / Larry Rosa |
The 21-year-old, originally from Australia, and now racing out of Petaluma, paced a field that included including Team Tibco's Joanne Kiesanowski, who finished second for the second day in a row after missing out on first place by less than a bike length in Thursday's criterium.
The Colavita/Sutter Home team continued to own the middle spot of the Sea Otter Classic winners' podium with Cromwell's dominant win, adding to teammate Kelly Benjamin's dramatic victory the day prior.
Catherine Cheatley added a third place finish to Colavita/Sutter Home's haul - a remarkable feat considering that just three months prior she fractured her hip in a brutal velodrome accident.
The victorious team also placed riders in the fourth and fifth positions, giving Colavita/Sutter Home four of the top five spots in the 49-mile road race that wound through the hilly circuit of Fort Ord's backcountry.
The spritely Cromwell took advantage of a gorgeously clear, warm California day, which was a change from blustery, rain-drenched Sea Otter Classics of recent vintage, to blaze ahead of the peleton on her own volition.
It was a bold breakaway that paid victorious dividends for the rising velo-star.
"Today was like a perfect day almost. I am really excited, a win is a win, and it's always a good feeling," said Cromwell.
With a dominant team of strong riders to support her efforts, Cromwell found the running easy on the way to a thirty-four second victory.
A full list of today's results can be found HERE.
By WENDY BOOHER
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| Carl Decker Photo: Brightroom.com |
Carl Decker and Kelli Emmett, both of team Giant, scored their second Super D wins in today's third annual Sea Otter Classic Super D. Despite an odd start, which found racers kneeling in the dirt with their foreheads to the ground a short distance from their overturned bikes, it was the experience from the last three years of Sea Otter Super D that earned them victory.
Men's race favorite Decker, having won last year's Super D, tailored his race strategy to the course's contours. A specific choice of eyewear helped boost his confidence and raise his speed to an untouchable velocity, which his rivals could not reach. Motocross goggles provided extra wind and noise protection, which also helped insulate Decker from the harrowing reality of going 50 mph. over water bars in today's race.
Decker's plan was simple: get to the front first and try to stuff everyone else as far behind him as possible.
"You have to sprint to the top of the hill and get over it first," Decker explained. "From there it's just a matter of getting a gap because if someone sits on your wheel, there are chances to pass lower on the course."
Decker finished in 6:21.7 with an eight-second lead over second place, Aaron Bradford (Onsite Ultrasound).
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| Kelli Emmett Photo: Brightroom.com |
Emmett, who won the inaugural Super D two years ago, pulled out a late-race strategy that she learned the hard way during last year's race, when she was edged out of the lead by Lea Davison.
"Last year I lost on the hill," Emmett said. "On that third roller, you've got to be the first person, so I just sat on Rachel's wheel 'til that last hill and passed her."
Current national Super D champ, Rachel Lloyd (PROMAN), set a bruising pace from the start that Emmett matched over the first two rollers. Emmett's recent sprint training paid dividends on the bottom third of the course when she forced a speed that outpowered Lloyd near the end. LGBRC's Mary-Ellen Ash succeeded in working her way up front and even managed to overtake Lloyd to finish second.
Emmett hopes to repeat another Sea Otter win on Sunday when she defends last year's first place finish in the cross-country race.
Top 3 Men:
- Carl Decker (Giant)
- Aaron Bradford (Onsite Ultrasound)
- Nate Byrom (Northstar/Giant)
Top 3 Women
- Kelli Emmett (Giant)
- Mary-Ellen Ash (LGBRC)
- Rachel Lloyd (Proman)
A full list of today's results can be found HERE.
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| This Ibis Mojo could be yours |
Ibis Cycles announced today a fundraiser raffle to "help a really good cause." Between now and April 27, every penny of each $5 raffle ticket to win an Ibis Mojo will go toward supporting better cycling opportunities through the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. Through 22,000 volunteer hours, the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship has become a model for making kids and families aware of cycling in their communities and a shining example of what a small group of dedicated, passionate people can do for an area.
Ibis Cycles' Scot Nicol waxed enthusiastic about the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, which has been instrumental in reaching school-age kids and getting them interested in outdoor recreation, specifically cycling.
In an economy where how consumers spend their money becomes their voice, raffles like the one promoted by Ibis directly benefit the building and maintenance of trails that we all love to ride. To check out the Mojo and support the cause, look for the glittering Airstream trailer at the Ibis booth #408 in the Sea Otter Village.
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About Sea Otter Classic, Inc.
The 19th Annual Sea Otter Classic will be held April 16-19, 2009 at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, Calif. The four-day "Celebration of Sport" is considered the world's largest cycling festival, hosting nearly 10,000 professional and amateur athletes and 50,000 fans. More information can be found at www.seaotterclassic.com or by calling 800-218-8411.
CONTACT:
Wendy Booher
617-308-2500
wendy@boohermedia.com
Donna Brown (local media)
831-905-1764
donna@seaotterclassic.com
Chris Worden (Web-related)
208-305-1702
chris@seaotterclassic.com
