2011 Bethel Spring Series - Ronde de Bethel Reports

Results here

Cat 5s

The races started out under damp conditions, but the warmth helped make up for it, at least a bit. At almost 50 degrees, about 15 degrees warmer than normal. The field mainly stayed together initially, churning out a couple fast opening laps (28 mph or so). The speed shed riders, those gapped and therefore in the wind. couldn't hang on.

Cat 4s

An early race move defined today's very wet and damp race. With temperatures dropping the riders seemed willing to work hard to try and warm up. Lance Jones (Expo Wheelmen) and Daniel Caridi (CRCA/teaNY) took off, building a decent gap.

Bethel Cycle's team launched a furious chase, putting, at one point, 8 or 9 riders at the front. Jones sat up when the field drew near, but Caridi kept his head down and stayed clear. He lasted much of the race, despite the chase behind.

Jones, realizing Caridi wouldn't be coming back any time soon, went clear again, but had an untimely puncture. Without a wheel in the pits he was done.

The field finally reeled in Caridi with about 7 laps to go. At that point a flurry of counter attacks went, with Justin Tyberg (Bethel Cycle) going clear. He quickly built a 20 second lead. Although faltering up the hill on the last lap, he finished off a great ride with a solo win.

Womens

With the rain now coming down really hard, spray flying everywhere, a small core group of women went to the line. Although the group stayed mainly together, in the end a familiar face showed itself at the front - Ann Marie Miller. She came here with two teammates, showing their commitment to doing well in the race overall.

Masters 45+

An epic day for an epic race. Matt Stuart (Central Wheel) took off at the gun, intent on softening up the field. What he didn't expect was that the move would last the entire race. Carl Reglar (Team Danbury Audi/Pedal and Pump) eventually bridged up, forming what would become the winning two man break.

Behind them the field disintegrated, gaps everywhere, as racers scrambled to either chase or hang on, depending on how their legs felt.

Stuart eventually settled for second, with Reglar beating him to the line.

Jim Escobar (Team Danbury Audi/Pedal and Pump) won the field sprint ahead of TargeTraining teammates Rick Spears and Rich Foley. Chris McNeil (Unattached) took sixth and the final points place.

Cat 3-4s

The skies opened up for the latter part of the day. The Cat 3-4s took the brunt of one of the storm's passes. The field tore itself apart as riders tried to force a decision before the sprint. Time and again a group would go up the road, determined to break the race apart, but the sprinters and their teams just as determinedly brought them back.

At the end the race finished up in a big field sprint. Bryan Haas (Berlin Bike/Best Cleaners) opened his race account early with a win in the Ronde, obligating him (as he put it) to return to the race next week. Juan Pimentel (CRCA) took second, followed by Bethel Cycle's strongman Bill Muzzio. John O'Fallon (CRCA/Rapha) took a well earned fourth, followed by Jacinta Pereira (Unattached) and the final points earner Darius Shekari (CRCA/TeaNY).

Pro-1-2-3

A very small field lined up for the final event of the day. Faced with almost 40 miles of racing, the small field seemed reluctant to go after an early four man break. Driven equally by all four riders, the break steadily gained ground. Eric Merrill (ZCC-Zane's Cycling) had a sizeable and strong team supporting him back in the field; Gabriel Acaba (Michelob Ultra Cycling) was in there as well as Justin Lindine (Joe's Garage). The fourth rider faltered slightly and got fatally gapped. He reported to his teammates the state of the break when he dropped back.

In the field the Zanes Cycling team monitored everything, pulling at a steady (and not so fast) pace when no one wanted to pull. Colavita, BikeReg, TargeTraining, Bethel Cycle, and other teams, mostly represented by just one rider, took responsibility for chasing. Peter Hurst (BikeReg/Cannondale) made some especially hard efforts, almost shredding the field with his attacks.

Robert Sweeting, the pro with Kenda/5Hour Energy, ended up so heavily marked that he couldn't make any moves. Neutralized, he and the rest of the field ended up lapped by the now-three man break.

In the end Acaba cleaned up out of the three man break, followed by Merrill and Lindine. Evan Thomas (TargeTraining) took the field sprint for fourth, with Cat 3 Pereiro doing a nice sprint to take fifth. Rounding out the points places was the Hurst.