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NEWS
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A
Hard Race To Ride, By LISA A. DAVIS |
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Here
is a reprint of an article from the Tampa
Tribune giving you a little taste of the
Dade Battle of Brilliance, a race held
on February 28 and 29 2004 (Published
March 1, 2004) |
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DADE
CITY - Momentum builds as the
cyclists pound the pedals, pushing their
way past the antique stores along Seventh
Street. Spectators roar. Thin rubber tires
buzz. The first of six turns in the Dade
Battle of Brilliance races Sunday is the
most difficult, some experienced cyclists
agree.
With
races also held Saturday evening in Zephyrhills,
the event drew cycling enthusiasts from
around the world, including Olympic hopefuls
and one gold medalist, Marty Nothstein.
After the Seventh Street descent, the
cyclists shift their lean bodies to maneuver
onto Live Oak Avenue at top speed.
"It
makes it more difficult,'' said Mirek
Magdziak, founder of the Gearlink.com
team.
The
45-year-old Clearwater man and former
Poland national cycling champion said
the Dade City course isn't easy.
"It's
a difficult and technical course,'' he
said. "It's challenging which makes
the race interesting.''
Triathlete
Dirk Bockel, 27, used the battle for Olympic
training. He's already on the German team
with four others. But with the Olympic
trials just weeks away, he wants to makes
sure he clinches one of the three finals
spots. A crash involving several cyclists
on Live Oak Avenue prevented him from
finishing Sunday's feature, a 90-minute
plus five lap race.
"Unfortunately,
there were some crazy people in there
who pushed me off the road,'' said the
University of Tampa student. Bockel ended
up with ripped racing shorts, a deep gash
to his hip and a bruise on his elbow.
Michael
Moule, 32, of Harbor Island, didn't fare
as well. He flew off his racing bike and
skidded across the asphalt and cobblestone.
His face and neck appeared to take the
brunt of the fall. Paramedics carefully
braced his neck and back before taking
him to East Pasco Medical Center for treatment.
Members
of his BBC racing team said injuries are
are part of the job. "The course
is hazardous because of the cobbles,''
said teammate Sherri Stedje, 39, of Lutz.
"But that's what happens when you
bike race and we all understand that.''
Magdziak
raced part of the feature race. He said
because of the changing landscape with
hills and multiple turns, riders had to
be skilled, focused and experienced to
successfully complete the ride. "So
far what I saw today the guys were getting
too close together,'' he said. At times,
some riders broke away from the clusters,
but many were just a foot or even inches
apart from the closest cyclist.
Even Nothstein,
32, the U.S. Olympic team medalist, became
frustrated, finishing "somewhere
in the top 10.''
" The course is good,'' he said.
"It's technical. The wind made it
pretty difficult.'' Though he wasn't pleased
with his placement - "not what I
wanted'' - Nothstein said it was a good
battle. "I use this as training,''
he said. "I look forward to Athens
and winning another medal.'' |
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