PDQ Cleveland Bicycle Club Presents

Chippewa Creek Road Race
SUNDAY, MAY 18, 1997
Held Under U. S. Cycling Federation Race Permit BRECKSVILLE, OHIO

* * * * * * OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS * * * * * *

 Category 4, 5, & Citizen Men
Pekarek, Cole Confirm;
Ziccardi Surprises

Focus and planning paid off Team BikeLine/Burn’s David Pekarek as he outsprinted four breakaway companions to win the Category 4/5/Citizens Men’s race of the inaugural Chippewa Creek Road Race. The group went clear while climbing the hill on the race’s third lap, and widened the gap to 45 seconds by the end of the race.

"I’ve been targeting this race ever since I heard about it," said Pekarek, a powerful rider who played high school football. "My first race was on this course in 1995, and I really wanted to win today in front of my Dad and girlfriend."

A change of luck was in store for second place finisher Dan Cole, who had suffered several recent mishaps in local races. "I was in a good position at the Race-at-the-Lake last month before crashing out late, and I went down the other week at Westlake."

If Pekarek and Cole confirmed their status as favorites, then the race’s revelation was Nate Ziccardi of Team Hewlett-Packard/Lake Erie Wheelers, who finished third in his first sanctioned event after taking up racing just last month. A bicycle messenger by trade, Ziccardi elicited amazement for his strong riding. "He might have won if he hadn’t taken so many pulls," said Pekarek. "When he learns how to race, he’ll really be something." Added Cole: "It seemed like he was out front all day. The third time up the hill, when we dropped the others, he wanted to have a conversation, and asked me if I do any mountain biking. Incredible."

Category 4, 5, & Citizen Men: 1. Pekarek, 26, Independence OH, 16.1 miles in 44:45 (21.6 mph); 2. Cole (unattached), 21, Chardon OH; 3. Ziccardi, 21, Lakewood OH; 4. Albert Helcberger (unatt.), 22, Euclid OH; 5. Terry Griffith (unatt.), 37, Pickerington OH, all s.t.; 6. Abel Donka (unatt.), 20, North Royalton OH, at 0:45; 7. William Tankovich (OSU/Team Columbus), 30, s.t.; 8. James Perry (unatt.), 28, Gates Mills OH, at 1:45; 9. Eugene Bellavance (unatt.), 29, Stow OH, s.t.; 10. Michael Drab (H-P/L.E.W.), 24, Seven Hills OH, at 2:15; 11. James Saul (H-P/L.E.W.), 34, Middleburg Hts. OH; 12. Patrick Gwynne (PDQ Cleveland), 48, Medina OH; 13. Joseph Lombardo (Summit Freewheelers), 37, Sagamore Hills OH, all s.t.; 14. Timothy Hofer (H-P/L.E.W.), 29, Bay Village OH, at 3:30; 15. Aristedes Pablo (unatt.), 33, Broadview Hts. OH, at 3:58; 16. Charles Koenig (PDQ Cleveland), 37, Medina OH, at 4:30; 17. Wilson Perea, Jr. (H-P/L.E.W.), 29, Parma OH, at 5:05; 18. Jack Delaney (Summit Free-wheelers), 30, Cleveland OH, at 6:15; 19. James Van Deusen (Orrville Cycling Club), 47, West Salem OH, at 6:35; 20. Michael Hollowniczky (Y City Cycling), 35, Cambridge OH, s.t.; 21. Michael Vega (H-P/L.E.W.), 29, Lakewood OH, at 7:45; 22. Ed Henry (unatt.), 28, Chicago IL, at 9:55; 23. Charles Marquardt (NOMBA), 41, Parma OH, at 10:30; 24. Matthew Santabarbara (unatt.), Rock Creek OH, at 11:00; 25. Lee Kothera (unatt.), 49, Hiram OH, s.t. (27 starters, 25 finishers).

Topping a small but competitive women’s race was Rebecca Lavish of Team Hewlett-Packard/Lake Erie Wheelers. An experienced rider, Lavish won her age division in the 1995 Medina Twin Sizzler citizen’s race, and completed a cross-country ride last summer from Yorktown, Virginia, to Portland, Oregon.

Open Women: 1. Lavish, 29, North Olmsted OH, 16.1 miles in 59:10 (16.3 mph); 2. Katherine Menke (OSU Cycling), 24, Wester-ville OH at 0:15; 3. Suzi Redlin (unattached), 32, Cleveland OH, at 0:30 (3 starters, 3 finishers).

With two favorites in Paul Martin and Jeff Braumberger, who just a fortnight previously had claimed first and second place in a commanding performance at the Ohio/West Virginia District Road Championship, West Virginia’s Team Go-Mart could be justifiably confident of victory despite having only three riders in the race. Just so long as nothing went wrong . . .

Things began routinely enough as there were no significant attacks in the first four laps. Martin, a shrewd tactician whose strength lies in his head as well as his legs, seemed to view the action with nonchalance. By the end of the fifth lap, however, the Go-Mart duo had gone clear and in no time, it seemed, their lead had yawned to several minutes. A replay of the District. Race over. Or so it seemed . . .

Somewhere on the course’s rolling, winding "backstretch" with about three miles to go, a pulley worked loose from Martin’s rear derailleur, and without enough tension, his chain began to skip badly. Suddenly, instead cruising to a satisfying hometown win, Martin was soft-pedaling the course’s flat sections and furiously running up each hill, bike slung over his shoulder, in a desperate, heroic attempt to reach the finish . . .

And he almost made it. Just over 200 meters from the line, Martin was overtaken by the chasers he had dominated so easily along with Braumberger, whose winning margin was a comfortable 4:12. It was a bitter pill to swallow for a man who had helped promote and sponsor the race. To his credit, he kept his frustration in check, politely answering the queries of several stunned bystanders before making an understandably abrupt departure to find his solace.

Martin was not alone in his mechanical difficulties. Coming off the hill for the last time to begin the sprint for second place, FLP/Immke’s Dave Chernosky pulled his foot out of the pedal. "Joe Papp came around me and Doug Reese jumped on his wheel, then Doug dropped his chain. By the time I got back in, it was too late," said Chernosky, who added modestly that he had never beaten Papp, nicknamed "Abdu" by his teammates, in a sprint.

For Martin, just 24, who raced strongly at the Olympic Trials last year and finished the season as one of the country’s top 30 amateurs, there will surely be other days. In the meantime, rumor has it that the Loctite Corporation and Bullseye Pulleys, hearing of his misfortune, have offered to donate a lifetime supply of their products to him . . .

KOM: Martin, 13 pts.; Braumberger, 10; McGregor, 8; Batke, 6.

The Rich Get Richer

Already one of the strongest Category 3/4 teams in the state, the Summit Freewheelers have apparently added yet another weapon to their arsenal. New team member Tom Price dropped breakaway companion Dick Brink (Pepsi) on the final climb of six circuits to win the Masters Men 35+ race of the inaugural Chippewa Creek Road Race. Price’s victory capped a Spring campaign in which he established himself as one of the area’s top masters competitors, with wins both today and at the Race-at-Lake series in Munroe Falls last month.

Price was the race’s animator, instigating an early break with FLP’s Don Cernanec and Jim Regan of the Maumee Valley Wheelmen, which was soon joined by FLP/Immke’s Brad Hansen and Brink. This group stayed together until halfway through the last lap, when Price and Brink, who often train together, broke away themselves. There was no celebration for the winner, who was entered in the Category 1-3 race immediately following, in which he placed eleventh.

A congenitally nice guy, Price can claim a varied two-wheeled racing background. "I started out racing motocross, but I got enough injuries from that to fill a hospital ward, so I switched to bike racing," he said, adding that he also races mountain bikes.

Price relocated to the east side of Cleveland from Nebraska in 1995. "The move was something of an adjustment, but I’m here to stay." While competing in the Cornhusker state, he rode for Team Kaos. "It was a small team, and it was just for fun," he noted.

Some people, however, seem to be taking things all too seriously. Recently, a local team was formed especially to counter Price’s dominance. Known as Team CONTROL, the squad’s top two riders wear #86 and #99 in all races, and the team manager must be referred to as "The Chief". In their first race, 86 lost to Price by a close margin, prompting him to exclaim "Missed it by that much!"

Masters Men 35+: 1. Price, 37, University Hts. OH, 24.1 miles in 1:06:18 (21.8 mph) 2. Brink (Pepsi), 42, Cleveland Hts. OH, at 0:03; 3. James Regan (Maumee Valley Wheelmen), 35, Toledo OH, at 0:15; 4. Bradley Hansen (FLP/Immke), 37, Akron OH; 5. Donald Cernanec (FLP), 47, Medina Twp. OH, all s.t.; 6. Karl Kule (Little Mountain Velo), 44, Chesterland OH, at 0:39; 7. Larry Pandy (Little Mountain Velo), 41, Concord Twp. OH at 0:46; 8. John Fiumara (Team Glenwood), 38, New Middletown OH, at 1:04; 9. Jeff Plas (PDQ Cleveland), 40, LaGrange OH, at 1:49; 10. David Komives (Maumee Valley Wheelmen), 41, Toledo OH, at 1:56; 11. James Yankush (Team Glenwood), 37, North Lima OH; 12. Richard Pudoka (Little Mountain Velo), 37, Clinton OH, all s.t.; 13. James Behrens (Little Mountain Velo), 46, Painesville OH, at 1:58; 14. John Eldred (PDQ Cleveland), 40, Lakewood OH, s.t. 15. Thomas Kriz (PDQ Cleveland), 49, Bedford OH, at 2:02; 16. Douglas McConaha (BankOne/Cycletech), 37, Pickerington OH, at 2:11; 17. Richard Rennie (Team Columbus), 43, Hilliard OH, at 6:08; 18. John Woodson (Summit), 36, Shaker Hts. OH, at 6:41; 19. Michael Smith (Summit), 42, at 11:59 (22 starters, 19 finishers).

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this page updated: 03/09/07
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