Albany, Georgia Race Report
March 3 and 4, 2007, Albany, Georgia, opening round of the latest
edition of the ever growing Georgia Cup (www.georgiacup.com). The first race of
this years series revisited Albany, Georgia, the same as it did in 2006. This
years edition.. The EXCELLENCE.COM stage race, would be held in conjunction with
several other events taking place in Albany. The Snickers Marathon, as well as
the annual downtown Mardi Gras celebration….as they say, “laissez le bon temps
rouler”..
The Myogenesis Nutrition boys loaded up on Friday, and made there way to Albany,
ready for an opening weekend leg stretcher.
It’s still early in the season, and most of the guys have yet to really test
themselves, with the exception of Cleve Blackwell, who already had 2 wins under
his belt for ’07.
The race would consist of prologue on Saturday morning, and a criterium Saturday
evening, followed by a traditionally WINDY road race on Sunday. The prologue
Saturday morning was quite an interesting course. It would be run on the
criterium course, which itself was basically a non-intersecting figure 8, except
it would be run in one direction, then basically double back on itself, on the
inside of the course. Some of the guys toeing the line in Albany this weekend
would be Nick Reistad from the Jelly Belly squad, fresh off the Tour of
California and a top 25 in one stage. Matt Crane, from the Health-Net squad,
Michael Wolf, from Navigators, as well as 6 members of the AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork,
including sprinter Frank Trevisio, Bruno Langois and his brothers from the
Canadian National Team,
as well as a host of other regional powerhouses. After the prologue, we found
ourselves in 10th, 6 seconds out. This is how the top ten shook out…
Tony Scott Team One / Memorial Health 3:19
Todd Henricksen AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork 3:20
Jeff Kopp ABRT-American Bicycle 3:21
James Sweeney ABRT-American Bicycle 3:24
Ben Faulk Giordana-Cliff Bar 3:25
Nicholas Reistad Jelly Belly 3:25
Don Autore Orlando Velo 3:26
Brad Messenger Giordana-Cliff Bar 3:26
Eric Murphy AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork 3:27
Casey Magner Myogenesis Nutrition / Landmark Dodge 3:27
That evening, we knew the crit would be scorching. 30+ MPH average. We were
right. After the call ups and intros, the starting gun fired, and off to the
races. Jon Atkins, Myogenesis Nutrition, took the whole shot, and decided he
liked it on the front, so he continued stringing the field out from that
position for the first lap and a half. The race was very active from the start,
with attacks, breaks, chases, and catches for the first 30 minutes. The pace
would remain high, but Nic Reistad and Matt Crane were able to sneak away, and
the chase was on. Myogenesis Nutrition and AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork moved their
squads to the front, and put in a valiant effort, but could only manage to bring
the gap down, and could never make the catch.
With 5 to go, AEG moved its train to the front for the lead out, with Myogenesis sharing the work. Reistad was able to hold on for the win, with Matt
Crane in second. Keith Norris, AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork came home with the field
sprint. Casey Magner and Thomas Brown came in with a respectable 4th and 5th.
This is the way the top ten shook out.
Nic Reistad Jelly Belly
Matt Crane Health-Net
Keith Norris AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork
Oscar Heneo Union Ciclista Latina
Chris Scott Locos
Casey Magner Myogenesis Nutrition / Landmark Dodge
Thomas Brown Myogenesis Nutrition / Landmark Dodge
James Sweeney ABRT
Bruno Langois Canadian National Team
Frank Trevisio AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork
SunDAY, SuNDAY, SUNDAY! The word of the day would be WIND. This area of Georgia
is known for its peanut and cotton fields, of which there were plenty on this
chosen course. Fields and wind make for a long day. In generality, the first
road race of the year, someone takes off from the gun. They did it this year,
just as scheduled. The reason that most do this is to try and get some easy
points and the upper hand in the KOM competition early. The break was allowed to
stay away for the better part of the first half of the race. With Nic Reistad
now in the yellow jersey, but only by a few seconds, the break posed a small
danger, since it contained Matt Crane, who was now 2nd on GC. After Mother
Nature kept the race strung out single file and at times echeloned across the
entire road, the field decided it was time to go. The first lap, the wind had
its toll, with people systematically coming unglued and fading off the back in
this early season brow beating. They had no clue what was up the road for the
survivors. The pared down peloton continued mashing the pedals in anger in their
pursuit of break. The last lap would see the peloton totally disintegrate,
resulting in a lead group that contained 20, at best. The group of 20 managed to
roll up the break with just a few K’s remaining to the line, ensuring a “field”
sprint.
The finish looked like this……
Frank Trevisio AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork
James Sweeney ABRT
Keith Norris AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork
Oscar Heneo Union Ciclista Latina
Chris Scott Locos
Nic Reistad Jelly Belly
Matt Crane Health-Net
Bruno Langois Canadian National Team
Sebastian Sinesterra Reality Bikes
Casey Magner Myogenesis Nutrition / Landmark Dodge
Overall GC shook out like this…….
Nic Reistad Jelly Belly
Matt Crane Health-Net
James Sweeney ABRT
Todd Henriksen AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork
Oscar Heneo Union Ciclista Latina
Frank Trevisio AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork
Chris Scott Locos
Casey Magner Myogenesis Nutrition / Landmark Dodge
Bruno Langois Canadian National Team
Don Autore Orlando Velo
Till next time………….keep the rubber side down