June 30/02 12:18 pm - Fitchburg Stage 3

Posted by Editor on 06/30/02
 

Fitchburg Longsjo Classic Stage Race - Stage 3

Team reports, followed by full results.

Rona Report

Lyne Bessette, of the Québec Selection, Manon Jutras of Team RONA and Clara Hughes of the Québec Selection crossed the finish line in that order, today, at the top of Mount Wachusett. The very hard third stage of the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, held in Central Massachusetts, thus finished with an all-Canadian podium.

Bessette finished the stage with a 4'47'' lead over Manon Jutras. She increased to 5'35" her lead over Kimberly Bruckner in overall cumulative placings after three stages. On the eve of the final stage, Bessette has all but won her fourth Fitchburg Longsjo in a row. Bruckner still ranks second. Hughes and Jutras are respectively third and fourth.

Obviously in great shape, Bessette, had to come from behind and bridge to a break away which included her teammate Clara Hughes and two RONAs, Manon Jutras and New Zealander Melissa Holt, but that Bessette and Bruckner had missed. "This morning, Meshy (Holt) and I had planned to ride a quiet day in the peloton", smiled Jutras after the finish. "But when the break formed at the bottom of the first climb of the day, we couldn't resist, we jumped in it almost without thinking. We quickly opened a gap. So we stayed on and worked."

Laqunched toward the 12th km of a 112-km stage, the break built up a lead that reached three minutes over Bessette. But she bridged after a 30-km solitary chase. When Bessette caught the break, her teammate Hughes, who had saved her energy up to then, hardened the pace. A few kilometers later, Bessette left the little group behind during a climb. A couple of riders tried to follow, unsuccessfully. But most decided to save themselves for the last, very hard climb to the top of Mount Wachusett.

Bessette arrived to the summit by herself. A little less than five minutes later, Jutras and Hughes followed, five seconds apart.


Navigators Report

The domestic racing scene headed to Massachusetts for one of the Classic events on the U.S. calendar. The 4-stage 4-day event is in its 43rd year and is named for Art Longsjo, a speed skater turned cyclist. Although he had many National titles to his credit in both sports, Art is most remembered for his being the first person to compete in both the winter and Summer Olympics in the same year (1956). Unfortunately, shortly after his Olympic accomplishment, he was tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident. The race that bears his name is held in Fitchburg, MA among the hills and valleys just to the North West of Boston, and is one of the most popular events in the U.S. and always draws a top field of competitors.

Today's 104-mile stage-3 was held in the hilly and picturesque area surrounding Mount Wachusett State Park, with near perfect sunny weather. The action started early again today as a breakaway of 8 riders escaped less than 2-miles into the race. The group consisted of: Jesus Zarate (Mercury), John Peters (Prime Alliance), Eric Wohlberg (Saturn), Doug Ziewacz (7UP-Nutra Fig), Jonathan Page (Wheelworks-Cannondale), Kirk Albers (Jelly Belly), Scott Zwizanski (Snow Valley) and Hugh Moran (Cyclescience-Trek VW). With Wohlberg as the most dangerous GC threat at 35-seconds, it was a great scenario for the men in blue. Over the next 7 of 9 laps, the Navigators controlled the race keeping the gap at 2-3 minutes. At 3-to-go, the Navigators began to bring the gap down for the final assault of Mount Wachusett. With 2 laps remaining, the Prime Alliance squad came to the front of the peloton to help finish off the breakaway and position their main threat, Chris Horner. On the final climb up the access road to the mountain, the front group was pared down to just a handful of riders, and the most serious threats. After a series of attacks and counter attacks, Horner had a gap on the rest of the struggling group, and pulled clear. At the line, it was Horner, followed by Navigators' Tom Leaper, then Danny Pate (Prime Alliance). After doing the math, the Prime Alliance duo of Horner and Pate occupy the top 2 positions on GC (Pate @ 0:43), followed by the Navigators duo of Tom Leaper and Chris Baldwin, at 1:10 and 1:12 respectively. Tomorrow's final stage-4 criterium will certainly be an exciting matchup.


Saturn Report

Horner and Bessette Top All at Fitchburg
Both Win Mountain Top Finish

The third stage of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic was multi -- lap circuit race for both the men and the women. Held on a very hilly course, the multiple laps up and over the hills of the Fitchburg area tested the legs before the riders turned onto the final two kilometer, very steep, ascent up Mt. Wachusett.

In the women's six lap, 69.4 mile race it was an early nine person break on the first lap that proved to be the move that stuck. The break contained Clara Hughes (Quebec), Susy Pryde (Talgo America), Tina Mayolo-Pic (Diet Rite), Manon Jutras (Rona) and Saturn's Kim Davidge, among others. Hughes was the most threatening rider in the break, but was content to sit on the back with her teammate and Race Leader Lyne Bessette behind in the main group. Saturn's Catherine Marsal made a move when the break reached one minute to bridge the gap. Once Marsal was at thirty seconds, and began to threaten Bessette's lead, she made her move attacking to bridge to Marsal. Marking her was Saturn's Kimberly Bruckner, who was sitting in second in the overall. Bessette managed to get away from Bruckner on the hardest of the climbs on the circuit, and bridged to Marsal, who then sat up to help Bruckner come back into contact with Bessette.

From there the three rode together until they reached the climb once again, and this time Bessette shook the two Saturn riders from her wheel and made an outstanding bridge to the break of nine who were over three minutes away. Not content to sit there for any longer than necessary, Bessette once again made her move on the same climb and soloed the remaining lap by herself. Hitting the climb, she powered up the last two kilometers for an impressive win and an unshakable hold on the lead. Today's win marks Bessette's third in three days, and she looks to make her mark in history by winning her fourth consecutive Fitchburg - Longsjo Classic. Manon Jutras (Rona) was second.

Hughes was third. Saturn's Kimberly Bruckner caught and finished with the break, maintaining her second place in the overall. Kim Davidge had an excellent finish, just seconds behind her Saturn teammate.

The men's race also saw an early break making the race. A break of eight without race leader Chris Baldwin or second place Chris Horner escaped and gained up to two minutes at one point in the nine lap race. Highest on the overall classification was Saturn's Eric Wohlberg who made the incredible sacrificial move by working the break all day trying to wear down the Navigator and Prime Alliance Team. Due to his horsepower, the break stayed clear until the last lap, when the main field entered the base of the final mountain climb together. From there, it was all Horner, as he attacked on the first steep pitch and was not to be seen again. Horner climbed steadily away from second place finisher Tom Leaper (Navigators) for an awesome win, and the Race Leader's Jersey. Horner's win was his second consecutive at this Tour. Horner's teammate Danny Pate finished in third for a nice one, three punch for the Prime Alliance Team.