RACE RESULTS/REPORT - Flying Rhinos Spring Fling #3, 4/10
Today Team Bikesport/Lifetime Fitness/AAVC contested the 3rd race of the 3 race Flying Rhinos Cycling Club Spring Fling Race Series.
VERY BRIEF A RACE RESULTS - Ric Lung placed 4th in the A Race!!!
Way to go Ric! Congrats!
If anyone has the full A Race results or can recap the race, please post them here (Ric, Andy, Dave?).
B Race
Distance: 16 laps, 22.4 miles
Field: 61
On the line for Team Bikesport/Lifetime Fitness/AAVC were: Jordan Stohl, Alex Keomany, Jeff Elam, Paul Kundrat, Joe Lekovish, Mark Caswell, Tom Kelly, Travis Stebbins, Randy Hermann, Gary Seelhorst and Brandt Coultas. The Flying Rhinos were well represented. An assortment of other teams rounded out the field.
The race plan for the day was the break up into 2 groups, Black & Green, with each taking ˝ of the race to attack and work for break-aways.
This being the 5th race of the combined FRCC and Quick Release spring series, Travis Stebbins and Joe Lekovish were designated as the sprinters, should the race end in a pack sprint.
With the series lead tightening up, the team was keeping and eye out for Jakob Steffy, a lone MSU rider who has put his powerful sprint to good use, winning both Quick Release races to date. Jakob was leading the series, followed by 4 TBFLAAVC riders.
Again a deceptively stiff head wind made it difficult for breaks to stay away. Practicing on the lead out, Jordan Stohl, Brian Rosewarne and Joe Lekovish shot for the first PRIME, with Joe utilizing a good lead out to bag the PRIME by a 2-3 bike lengths.
After the first prime a group of three got away containing Dave Linden-AAVC, Paul Bailey-FRCC and a third rider. No serious chase was mounted and the fierce head wind eventually wore the break down. Impressively, these three stayed away for about 7 laps, up to about 5 to go in the race.
Nearing the end of the race a freak incident occurred. With 3 laps to go the wind had accidentally flipped the lap counter to read 2 to go. This caused most of the leaders of the pack to think that 1 to go was actually the finish. A crash on the dicey corner after the long straight-away took out Tom Kelly and luckless Travis Stebbins. Tom suffered bruises and some road rash, but was still walking at the finish (BIKE-dented top tube and broken derailleur hanger. MIKE ADERHOLD, can you help him out?). Travis banged up his elbow pretty bad and at the finish stoically laughed it off while his mother arranged to take him to the nearest ER. (Travis, let us know how you are ASAP).
The pace picked up with attacks going left and right. About 10 riders sprinted off the front thinking they were contesting the finish. Unfortunately there was still 1 more lap to go. The fragmented pack re-grouped and through the long straight away Brian Rosewarne started the TBLFAAVC train with Randy Hermann, Joe Lekovish, Jeff Elam and Alex Keomany in tow (as far as I know). Randy took over into the head wind and pulled through the S-curve setting Joe up to lead out the sprint through the final corner. “I lead it out from a long ways and thought I had it won with 50 meters to go, but my jump hadn’t been fast enough and I ended up towing a Rhino to the finish, he beat me by a bike length”, said Joe Lekovish, who placed 2nd. Jeff Elam took 4th, pushing Jakob Steffy of MSU into 5th.
In all, the team rode extremely well. Aggressive and smart. Next race is Sunday, April 18th at Runway Plaza in Ann Arbor.
Enjoy your Easter holiday everyone!!!
1 Doug James – FRCC
2 Joe Lekovish – Team Bikesport/Lifetime Fitness/AAVC
3 Robert Huses
4 Jeff Elam - Team Bikesport/Lifetime Fitness/AAVC
5 Jakob Steffy – MSU
6 Todd Friecks
7 Alex Keomany - Team Bikesport/Lifetime Fitness/AAVC
8 Richard Fryer
9 Eric Phreed
10 Randy Hermann - Team Bikesport/Lifetime Fitness/AAVC
11 Mark Moran –
FRCC
12 Mark Viergutz
13 Anthony Ponton
14 Teresa Holmeim
15 Paul Bailey - FRCC