June11, 2005
Virginia State Masters Criterium Championships
Norfolk, VA
Photo © RichmondCiclismo.com
With one hard solo pull from a nine man breakaway, Stephen Selby won cycling’s Virginia State Master’s Criterium championship last Saturday at the Naval Amphibious Base of Little Creek in Norfolk, Va. Selby raced the 30+ category.
Cyclists sped around U.S. Navy hovercrafts on the base. This is where the punch comes from whenever the United States throws a blow.
Selby said he packed everything he had into his last punch at the end of the ride.
“We had a big strong team and we used it accordingly. As planned, part of our guys controlled the race for the first half ensuring that nothing got away that was not a potential win for us,” Selby said. “Thanks to excellent blocking in the field and a semi cohesive effort in the front the break, we were able to gain time. Eventually with 2-3 laps left we started attacking.”
Virginia Beach Velo’s Rob Suydam, who lives in Richmond, controlled much of what happened during the race. He said he worried about the sprinting abilities of Team Cobblestone’s Bill Malone.
“Initially, the break wasn’t the most pleasant to have been in for all the yelling and screaming that was going on. Too much negative stuff and it almost got us all caught, but maturity prevailed and enough of us were able to keep out heads down at the front for the sake of keeping it away,” Suydam said.
Ciclismo also had Steve Jadatz working in the break.
Malone kept surging through like he was determined to let everyone think he was the strong man of the group, so we just let him dangle off the front.” Forbes said. He also said the pack could’ve been smoother
“Rob (Suydam) kept asking us to go with him, he wanted to attack, I wanted to wait for Malone to surge through again and then attack, but Rob didn't wait and attacked with three laps to go,” Forbes added. “I jumped on him and we got what I thought was a winning gap, but Malone yanked us back only to have Selby counter with just over one lap to go.”
“Selby made a good move and countered,” Suydam said. “We made a mistake by not going with him, but frankly I don’t think anyone, except Selby, thought it would stick. He proved us wrong.
VBV’s Gene Rutledge sat on Malone’s wheel and sprinted to place
second. Malone placed third.
“Even though I had very little left in the tank I new that the other teams would have to chase me, which would set up Steve (Jadatz), and Forbes for the sprint,” Selby said. “Lucky for me the other teams hesitated just long enough for me to get a good enough gap to stay out the last lap and win the race by only about 10 meters.”
Jadatz took fourth and Suydam took fifth.
Suydam will turn 40-years-old for next year’s age graded Criterium championship. But any cyclists will tell you that it doesn’t get easier; for instance, 55-year-old Bernie Sanders was the only person to beat Suydam in Sunday’s Peter Teeuwen Memorial Time Trial in Chesapeake. Of all the racers (even the 20-year-olds), only Sanders broke 50 minutes on the 23-mile course.
Team CSK / Central Virginia Cycling Club’s Dennis Rainear took second in the 50+ age group.
“The course had a strong headwind on the back stretch so it was impossible for anyone, in our race, to get away,” Rainear said. “Every move was covered by the chasers.”
In the same combined race, Team Cobblestone’s 55-year-old, David Swager took second in his age group.
I apologize for publishing ages of those racers. But it is the point of the “age-graded” race.
Mark Saunders, Jr. won his second consecutive state junior criterium championship. In that race, a four man break left the others at lap five. By lap 10, only three remained.
Charlottesville Racing Club’s Ben King, who has gained a reputation as a strong cyclist, began attacking with Saunders covering each time. Saunders outsprinted by a bike length to win.
Since category 5 (the USCF entry level) cyclists are not eligible to race in the masters categories, the promoters, TriPower / East Coast Bicycles, held a cat 5 race.
Ciclismo’s Roderick Moore blasted to the front to win the cat 5 race.
“Larry Talbott (of Ciclismo) and I took turn protecting each other from the wind and ensuring that no break stayed away,” Moore said. One rider almost soloed to a win, after a third prime during the race. Moore and Talbott waited for him to be caught with a half lap to go.
“As we came out of the last corner, we had the wind to our back,” Moore said. “We were able to set on a couple of guys and jump at the right time.”Race report provided by Richmondciclismo.com
