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(March 20, 2005) - Without a race on the Kodakgallery.com/Sierra
Nevada Pro Cycling Team's official calendar, this past week saw team members
competing in a variety of races at the local, national, and international
levels. Scott Zwizanski won a pair of races in Pennsylvania
and New Jersey, while Pete Lopinto took out the CU Cycling
Criterium and Jason Allen and Martin Gilbert represented
New Zealand and Canada, respectively, at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne,
Australia.
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Scott
Zwizanski |
Racing conditions that he described as "colder than
Fresno and windier than McLane" in reference to the last two weekends' NRC
races, Zwizanski rode away from a lead group of about 15
riders for the final third of Saturday's 50-mile Strasburg Road Race in
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. On Sunday, he bridged up to an early breakaway
of about 10 riders in New Jersey's Raritan Challenge, then up to two leaders
with 5 laps remaining before finally getting clear inside the last kilometer
and taking his second win of the weekend.
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Pete Lopinto |
While Zwizanski was racing on his own, both Lopinto
and Dan Schmatz represented Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada on the
campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder. After biding their time
for the field sprint, the pair made their move with half a lap to go.
"Dan hit out on the long back stretch with me on his wheel and we were gone,"
Lopinto recalled. "Only Eddy Gragus was able to hold my wheel and we hit
the last turn at over 35 mph. I came around Dan with 150 meters to go and
had plenty of time to celebrate, and Dan's leadout was so fast that no one
was within 20 meters and he held on for third [behind Gragus]."
Continuing westward to California, Ben Jacques-Maynes placed
second to Targetraining's Ryan Blickem in the time trial which marked the
return of the Sequoia Cycling Classic to Visalia, while Dominique
Perras and Jesse Anthony tackled the San Dimas Stage Race. They
finished 17th and 18th overall as large contingents from Health Net p.b.
Maxxis and Toyota-United kept a tight grip on the action.
Next up for Perras on March 26 is the road race at the Commonwealth Games,
where Allen and Gilbert raced in several track events last
week. Starting with the 4km individual pursuit, Allen qualified third in
a personal-best time of 4:22.9 but fell to England's Steven Cummings in
the final for bronze. Allen was also part of the New Zealand's bronze-winning
team pursuit squad.
Gilbert qualified comfortably for the final in both the 40km points race
and 20km scratch race, placing 17th and 9th while riding in support of Canadian
teammate Zach Bell.
Next weekend will see Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada entering the three-day
Redlands Classic.
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