Over 100k again and just shy of 7 hours on the saddle for North Down Boys
August 15th, 2008 by Ricky BlayneyA savage day but the end is in sight. With this nightmare behind them it means just one more race before the finish line and the end of the ‘08 Trans-Rockies. The stage was won by Italians Deho and Cattaneo who look to have confirmed their victory in the event. Matty & Sam slipped back on their race best finish yesterday to finish a still impressive 30th, good enough to move them up in the overall yet again to 36th and 5th best placed Brit pairing. Each day the boys have improved on their overall position.
STAGE 6, Elkford to Blairmore (Crowsnest Pass), 102.5km ——————————————————————————————- TOP 6 ——————————————————————————————- 1 Marzio Deho (Ita) / Johnny Cattaneo (Ita) Olympia 4.42.10 2 Andreas Hestler (Can) / Chris Sheppard (Can) Rocky Mountain Bicycles +12.17 3 Stefan Widmer (Can) / Marty Lazarski (Can) Rocky Mountain +14.08 4 Kris Sneddon (Can) / Max Plaxton (Can) Kris & Max +17.28 5 Cameron Jette (Can) / Peter Glassford (Can) Team Trek Store +25.22 6 Ben Thompson (USA) / James Williams (USA) Sobe-Cannondale +28.52 ——————————————————————————————- BRITISH & IRISH ——————————————————————————————- 13 Evan Ryan (Irl) / David Gill (Irl) Team Worc +1.06.39 22 Adrian Scott (GBr) / Gavin Rumbles (GBr) Team UK +1.41.18 30 Matty Blayney (GBr) / Samuel Craig (GBr) North Down +2.15.21 32 Blake Crouch (GBr) / Graham Jones (GBr) Go North +2.26.02 33 Andrew Dye (GBr) / Jacek Doniec (Pol) Fig Rolls Racing +2.26.06 35 Andrew Mitchell (GBr) / Daniel Craigen (GBr) Team Dandy +2.27.48 36 Ben Smyth (GBr) / David Cornelius (USA) Transatlantic +2.28.45 40 David Bocquet (GBr) / Magnus Mill (GBr) Gsb1 +2.36.12 43 Christian Ellis (GBr) / Ian Lindley (GBr) Www.Maxgear.Co.uk +2.45.40 51 Adam Smith (GBr) / Lee Marston (GBr) Gsb 3 +3.21.06 52 Hamish Bingley (GBr) / Peter Windridge (GBr) Warwick Uni Old Boys +3.22.32 55 Rolf Woodward (GBr) / Jeremy Woodward (GBr) Chromag/ Rolf’s +3.26.40 58 Martin Williams (GBr) / Richard Armishaw (GBr) On Yer Bike Son +3.38.41 61 Stuart Hannon (Irl) / Bryan Keaveny (Irl) Team Isands +3.42.13 64 Ewan Nicholson (GBr) / James Beresford-Lambert (GBr) Shelsux +3.44.39 74 Steven Joyce (GBr) / Jon Hayes (GBr) Ridebike.Co.uk +4.12.43 79 William Church (GBr) / Rob Colliver (GBr) South Downs Way +4.18.44 81 Rick Banks (GBr) / Stuart Bond (Aus) The Methley Massive +4.32.34 85 Chris Johnstone (GBr) / Alasdair Johnstone (GBr) Y Not! +5.02.45 86 Steven Cranfield (GBr) / Brian Robinson (GBr) Sevets +5.09.40 88 Stefan Kogut (GBr) / Andrew Pollard (GBr) Asia Boys +5.20.16 ——————————————————————————————- LAST ——————————————————————————————- 93 Steven Feller (USA) / Brett Feller (USA) Drug Worlds/Carl Hart Cycles +7.47.50 ——————————————————————————————- GENERAL CLASSIFICATION ——————————————————————————————- TOP 6 ——————————————————————————————- 1 Marzio Deho (Ita) / Johnny Cattaneo (Ita) Olympia 18.59.47 2 Kris Sneddon (Can) / Max Plaxton (Can) Kris & Max +27.23 3 Stefan Widmer (Can) / Marty Lazarski (Can) Rocky Mountain - Milliken Dev. +33.14 4 Andreas Hestler (Can) / Chris Sheppard (Can) Rocky Mountain Bicycles Pro 1 +45.54 5 Brian Cooke (Can) / Steve Gaffney (Can) Opus +1.37.00 6 Keith Hickerson (USA) / Evan Plews (USA) Scott Usa/ Tamarack +1.42.43 ——————————————————————————————- BRITISH & IRISH ——————————————————————————————- 15 Evan Ryan (Irl) / David Gill (Irl) Team Worc +4.13.11 22 Adrian Scott (GBr) / Gavin Rumbles (GBr) Team Uk +6.30.31 33 Blake Crouch (GBr) / Graham Jones (GBr) Go North +9.00.12 35 Andrew Dye (GBr) / Jacek Doniec (Pol) Fig Rolls Racing +9.10.09 36 Matty Blayney (GBr) / Samuel Craig (GBr) North Down +9.13.18 40 Ben Smyth (GBr) / David Cornelius (USA) Transatlantic +9.57.17 41 Andrew Mitchell (GBr) / Daniel Craigen (GBr) Team Dandy +10.04.08 42 Christian Ellis (GBr) / Ian Lindley (GBr) Www.Maxgear.co.uk +10.38.11 43 Hamish Bingley (GBr) / Peter Windridge (GBr) Warwick Uni Old Boys +10.40.09 45 David Bocquet (GBr) / Magnus Mill (GBr) Gsb1 +11.08.17 53 Stuart Hannon (Irl) / Bryan Keaveny (Irl) Team Isands +12.33.16 57 Rolf Woodward (GBr) / Jeremy Woodward (GBr) Chromag/ Rolf’s Pukka Parts +12.45.08 58 Adam Smith (GBr) / Lee Marston (GBr) Gsb 3 +12.56.09 59 Martin Williams (GBr) / Richard Armishaw (GBr) On Yer Bike Son +12.59.20 68 Steven Joyce (GBr) / Jon Hayes (GBr) Ridebike.Co.Uk +14.13.58 75 Ewan Nicholson (GBr) / James Beresford-Lambert (GBr) Shelsux +15.18.50 79 William Church (GBr) / Rob Colliver (GBr) South Downs Way +16.27.01 81 Steven Cranfield (GBr) / Brian Robinson (GBr) Sevets +17.13.53 85 Rick Banks (GBr) / Stuart Bond (Aus) The Methley Massive +18.22.55 88 Chris Johnstone (GBr) / Alasdair Johnstone (GBr) Y Not! +19.22.44 91 Stefan Kogut (GBr) / Andrew Pollard (GBr) Asia Boys +21.14.10 ——————————————————————————————- LAST ——————————————————————————————- 93 Steven Feller (USA) / Brett Feller (USA) Drug Worlds/Carl Hart Cycles +32.06.18 ——————————————————————————————-
The following is the report from Cycling News:
Gruelling stage tests racers
There was no rest for the wicked in stage six when the TransRockies traversed the Continental Divide in a grueling 103 kilometre stage punctuated by periods of long, steep climbing.
With only two days reamining, teams saddled up under a blue sky already knowing the day would be technically punishing, but unaware what the toll would be for a picture-perfect morning. Temperatures climbed above 30 degrees Celsius, and combined with the length and difficulty of the route, saw several teams drop out of competition throughout the day. Those that made it to the finish line were feeling a little worse for wear. Still, the theme of the day was definitely “No Pain, No Gain” and those that pushed through were rewarded with the realization that the most difficult days are behind them. Though difficult, the course had something for everyone and offered riders a chance to cruise some epic trails that the race was forced to bypass in 2007 due to wildfires.
Cattaneo and Deho regain some cushion in their lead
After losing a large chunk of padding in their overall time during Stage 5, Italian cyclists Johhny Cattaneo and Marzio Deho careened across the finish line in 4:42:09 , pushing their overall lead going into stage seven to nearly half an hour. Barring any major mechanical disasters on Saturday, it’s likely the pair will walk away TransRockies champions on their first attempt.
Prior multi-time TransRockies winner Andreas Hestler and his team-mate Chris Sheppard appeared to hit their stride today, coming in second, 12 minutes off the leaders, but still sitting just off the podium in fourth place overall.
“It was a hard, 104 kilometre day,” said Hestler at the finish line. “Though I’m actually feeling better today (than previous days).” According to Hestler, the top teams rode fairly close together until the second checkpoint, at which time the top riders pulled away and began to spread out the field. “I’m a little older now,” he quipped. “But I tend, when I warm up, to get better and better.”
Sheppard and Hestler have 20 years of racing against each other behind them, but this year’s race was the first opportunity for the pair to team up.
“He’s a hard-headed athlete,” said Sheppard, “and I’m learning a lot from him.”
Both Hestler and Sheppard are impressed by the larger field of competition in the open men’s category this year, attributing it to the race’s steadily growing profile as an international event.
“Overall, in the top 10, this is the most competitive TransRockies yet,” Hestler said.
Stefan Widmer and Marty Lazarski came in second for stage six. Overall, the top three teams are Deho and Cattaneo; Kris Sneddon and Max Plaxton; and Stefan Widmer and Marty Lazarski.
Lowery and Randall still undefeated
It appears that powerhouse duo Carey Lowery and Lisa Randall are poised to take the trophy in the open women’s category this year, as the team has a more than a two-hour lead time going into stage seven. Undefeated thus far in their category, their next closest competition is Canadians Amy Guidinger and Meghan Osborne, who have swept second place in every stage thus far.
Scooping third place today were Teri Majer and Shelley Mattson. Lowery and Randall remain the overall leaders with Guidinger and Osborne in second and Angie Bryans and Inga Ivany in third.
Mixed teams race for the podium
In a category with teams playing musical podium, stage six was critical for teams looking to eke out a spot in the top three come Saturday.
First place today went to defending champions Wendy Simms and Normon Thibault, who have easily swept the top spot all week long and will likely be taking home the trophy once again, though neither believe stage seven will be a cakewalk.
“The last day is always so mentally challenging,” said Simms upon crossing the finish line. “And last year (stage seven) was shorter, so we don’t know what to expect.”
Simms’ and Thibault’s closest competition this week suffered a setback today when Steven Wallace crashed and broke his thumb. After being checked by medics, Wallace and his team-mate Katerina Nash were given the green light to go ahead and finish the stage, but had to settle for third place behind Dallas Morris and Mical Dyck.
“They were super strong today,” Simms said of Wallace and Nash before the crash.
Overall, David Harris and Lynda Wallenfels (USA) sit in third place behind Simms and Thibault, and Wallace and Nash.
Stage 7 - August 16: Blairmore to Fernie, 79km
The final day of racing will wrap up in Fernie, but only after almost 80 kms of riding up and over 2,101 metres of climbing.
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