|
|
 |
Cruz, Freedman Earn Berths on U.S. Olympic Cycling Team; Win Road Race Olympic Trials Events
JACKSON, Miss. (May, 20, 2000) - Antonio Cruz of Long Beach, Calif. won the final sprint to earn a berth on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Cycling Team after capturing the 140-mile road race Saturday in Jackson, Miss.
Meanwhile, Nicole Freedman (Stanford, Calif.) captured the women's road race and also became a member of the U.S. Olympic Team headed to Sydney, Australia. She edged out Pam Schuster of Northridge, Calif. for the win.
Both Cruz and Freedman have ties to the 1984 Olympic Games, as Cruz rode his bike to the men's road race and was fascinated by the sport of cycling after watching Alexi Grewal capture the gold medal. His father, Carlos, is also a cycling racer and helped direct his son to the sport.
"My team supported me all the way throughout the race. When the race came down to a field sprint, I felt confident that I could get the job done. Our original plan was to help Frank McCormack (finished fourth) win the trials. But things did not happen and we went to plan B, which was for me to win the field sprint.
Cruz did not race competitively from 1990 through 1995, but came back to the sport after watching the Nevada City (Calif.) Bicycle Classic. He rode his bike, along with working as a pharmacy technician.
"I struggled with two laps to go. I was trying to concentrate on the last part of the race, and Frank helped give me a boost. The entire Saturn team won these trials. We rode as a complete team and the plan worked out well. If not for Trent Klansa (Pine Valley, Calif.), and his early break, who knows what would have happened with the final outcome."
Freedman, who was a middle-distance track runner at both MIT and Stanford, remember idolizing Joan Benoit Samuelson as she ran and won the gold medal in the women's marathon.
" I did not know what to expect. I was confident about my chancing of winning the race, and even told some of my friends last December that I could win the Olympic Trials," said Freedman, 27. "The course suited my sprinting abilities, and the race strategy fell into a perfect situation for me. I wanted a field sprint, and that is what I got."
The remainder of the men's five-member Olympic road cycling squad and women's three-member Olympic team will be announced later this summer.
U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS FOR ROAD CYCLING
SATURDAY, MAY 20, JACKSON, MISS.
MEN'S ROAD RACE (140 MILES, 200 KM)
1, Antonio Cruz, Long Beach, Calif., Saturn, five hours, 21 minutes,
31.90 seconds
2, Derek Bouchard-Hall, Palo Alto, Calif., Mercury, same time
3, Frankie Andreu, Dearborn, Mich., U.S. Postal Service, same time
4, Frank McCormack, Leicester, Mass., Saturn, same time
5, Dylan Casey, Mountain View, Calif., U.S. Postal Service, 5:21:33
6, Danny Pate, Colorado Springs, Colo., Saeco/Villi & Villi, same time
7, Trent Klasna, Pine Valley, Calif., Saturn, 5:21:39
8, Chris Pic, Buford, Ga., Mercury, same time
9, Mark McCormack, N. Easton, Mass., Saturn, 5:21:43
10, John Peters, Santa Rosa, Calif., Mercury, 5:21:52
11, Will Frischkorn, Colorado Springs, Colo., 5:21:59
12, Dave McCook, Santa Clara, Calif., Shaklee, 5:22:23
13, Michael Sayers, Santa Rosa, Calif., Mercury, same time
14, Kevin Monahan, Wyckoff, N.J., 7-Up/Colorado Cyclist, same time
15, David Clinger, Woodland Hills, Calif., Festina (Spain), same time
16, Steve Sevener, Athens, Ga., Zaxby's, same time
17, Mark Light, Lebanon, Pa., Team Snow Valley, same time
18, Steve Tilford, Topeka, Kan., Jogmate/Shimano, 5:22:24
19, John Lieswyn, Asheville, N.C., same time
20, Jessie Lawler, Athens, Ga., Zaxby's, same time
WOMEN'S ROAD RACE (64 miles, 102km)
1, Nicole Freedman, Stanford, Calif., Charles Schwab, 2:38:56.0
2, Pam Schuster, Northridge, Calif., Autotrader.com, 2:38:56.7
3, Mina Pizzini, Philadelphia, Team Procter & Gamble, 2:38:57.0
4, Jen Dial, Northampton, Mass., Proteus.ASI, 2:38:57.3
5, Kim Smith, Highlands Ranch, Colo., Timex, 2:38:57.8
6, Julie Hanson, Superior, Colo., Saturn, 2:39:01.0
7, Kim Morrow, Greenville, S.C., International Christian Cycling,
2:39:01.0
8, Tina Mayolo-Pic, Dahlonaga, Ga., Autotrader.com, 2:39:07.6
9, Jenny Eyerman, Encinitas, Calif., Jane Cosmetics, 2:39:09.3
10, Karen Dunne, Colorado Springs, Colo., Elita, 2:39:09.4
11, Mary McLaurin, Houston, Texas, GCCA, 2:39.09.5
12, Kori Kelly, Boulder, Colo., Team Procter & Gamble, 2:39:09.6
13, Katrina Berger, Solana Beach, Calif., Charles Schwab, 2:39:09.7
14, Dede Demet-Barry, Boulder, Colo., Saturn, same time
15, Heather Peck, Southbury, Conn., Independent Fabrications, 2:39:09.9
16, Karen Kurreck, Los Altos Hills, Calif., Alto Velo, 2:39:10.0
17, Sherri Stedje, Lutz, Fla., unattached, 2:39:10.1
18, Cheryl Binney, San Francisco, Team Procter & Gamble, 2:39:10.2
19, Suzanne Sonye, Los Angeles, Saturn, 2:39:10.3
20, Laura Van Gilder, Cresco, Pa., Charles Schwab, 2:39:10.3 |
|
|
