August 2/01 11:39 am - Tour de `Toona: Stage 2

Posted by Editoress on 08/2/01
 

Tour de 'Toona, Pennsylvania

Stage 2 - Hollidaysburg Road Race, 96 km
Navigators Team Report

The Tour de 'Toona action continued today with the 60Mi. Hollidaysburg Circuit Race.The Hollidaysburg stage is the shortest of the Tour de Toona's road stages, but it is certainly the toughest of the tour's 3 circuit races. With a near constantly rolling terrain punctuated by a steep 1km climb 1.5 miles from the finish; it is a difficult circuit to control. The Saturn Cycling Team entered the day in enviable position, having control of the top three places on Individual GC, as well as the Team GC lead, 25 seconds ahead of the Navigators squad. Navigators' Chris Baldwin held the KOM jersey and was in 4th spot on GC, 5 seconds behind Eric Wohlberg.

The Navigators and Mercury plan was evident right from the gun as both teams began sending riders up the road in an effort to force Saturn to take control. The steady flow of attacks and immediate response of the strong Saturn team forced afast pace covering 29 miles in the 1st hour. However, a setback would strike the Navigators crew as Chris Baldwin was forced to retire from the race after the first lap due to a knee injury that had been plaguing him from the previous day.As the race beganit's second hour, a break of seven formed including Navigators' Kirk O'Bee, Mercury's Mike Sayers and Derek Bouchard Hall, and 7-UP's Doug Ziewacz. Saturn's Frank McCormack represented race leader Eric Wohlberg. As the gap grew to 25 seconds, Saturn seemed to sense the danger and began to organize a chase. But bad luck would strike as third placed Ivan Dominguez flatted, and stalled the Saturn chase. Although the team elected not to send help back for their sprinter, they slowed the tempo at the front to allow his return to the peloton, and the gap to the leaders grew to over 50 seconds. With one 20 mile circuit remaining, Saturn was forced to commit the team to an all out chase. They brought the break to 20 seconds with 10 miles to go, but did not seem interested in finishing the job with half a lap remaining. As the break dangled 20+ seconds in front, Saturn rode tempo in the field with Navigators and Mercury organized behind.

As the peloton approached the final climb, a big push from the field brought the two groups together, but sent three of the hard working Saturn riders to the back. As they crested the climb, the Navigators and Mercury teams charged to the front with their trains, sending many riders out the back including Saturn's Trent Klasna, Mark McCormack, and Dominguez. The big blue Navigators train surged to the front as the group rushed into town, winding it up for their Russian sprinter. With a big push on the uphill approach to the finish, Vassili Davidenko surged ahead of the group to win the stage ahead of Gord Fraser and Harm Jansen. The third place time bonus puts Jansen in the leaders jersey, 2 seconds ahead of teammate Wohlberg. Timothy Larkin (Lombardy Sports) moves into 3rd overall. Navigators' Mark Walters is in 5th, 10 seconds back, while Davidenko moved to within 13 seconds