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INTERVIEWS
QUESTIONS FOR THE PROMOTER
1. There have been long delays (for some racers) and inaccurate results
in the last few years. What are you doing to correct this problem?
We really only had a few classes with errors and that
is because riders signed up for the wrong class and had the wrong sequence
# which delays everyone in those classes.
Some errors also occurred due to volunteer error - we intend to post the
# sequence very prominently so riders can double check the volunteer's
selection of numbers. Also we could start on time if we cut off beginners
who come late but since this is for the riders
I really hate to do so because most riders
have a good story to tell - the raccoon ate
my gas card, I stop to "go" and locked the keys in my car and the basic
- I left late. We had almost 900 riders in 30+ classes and if we are to
accommodate all the classes there will be some errors - this is why some
promoters only host a few classes. Also if a rider DNF's and comes across
the line they will get
scored so we had a few people in the 1st
and second spot not really finishing but
DNF - riders were asked not to do that but.... We are looking into a professional
service -but this is a charity event and all dollars saved is another
for the cause - but it is a
very big job for my friends so we are looking into it but we have all
been to the paid staff events with errors as well.
2. The first turn (with the mesh tape and metal post fence) is the
scene of at least one crash a year. Could it be made wider - or perhaps
could you run the racers around the main
venue area before heading into the single-track?
Depending upon the condition of the field
we could - we actually planned on a small
lap prior to the single track but the storm on Tuesday negated the new
loop - too much mud and therefore too much destruction to the property.
Widening is not an option -
the race is on private property.
SUE
HAYWOOD-TREK
RACER PROFILE
(The only State & Team Sponsored Pro in the country)
ROCK
SHOX ANNOUNCES
BIG CHANGES
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March 25, 2000
Wye Mills, MD
One of if the most competitive
mountain bike races on the East Coast - The Fuller Volvo Eastern Shore
Mountain Bike Championship AMBC had a great turnout this year with about
900 racers and around 1000 spectators.
Rumor was that the McCormack boys would
both be in town. Half of that was true. Mark McCormack - Saturn
rolled into town to show his support for this great event put on as a
fundraiser for special needs athletes. Robert
and Tracy Lea volunteer not only their time to organize the event but
also the land on which to run this race year after year. Tracy Lea has
impacted her community in a big way raising around $20,000 for different
causes. Wye Mills, Md is lucky to have her in town and so is the cycling
community. Thank you Tracy Lea!!
There is plenty for everyone to do at this
event - a "Kid's Race" & Obstacle Course (designed by kids
for kids), Easter Egg Hunt, Police/Fireman/EMT Relay race and a live band.
Pro
The Pro Men's race was fast
and furious with Mark McCormack - Saturn setting the pace right
from the start. This was Mark's 26th race of the year and his second day
of the year for riding his mountain bike. The day after this race he pedaled
his road bike 60 miles to the Marblehead Road Race, the season opener
in Marblehead, Mass. and finished third - with only Dustin Rademacher
Hot Tubes and brother Frank McCormack in front of him at the finish
line.
There were a large number of pros for this
size event (around 30) but only one could hold on to the fast pace that
Mr. McCormack set. Jeremiah
Bishop - K2 / New Sun stayed on the wheel of one of the best
road racers in the country as they pulled away dramatically from the rest
of the field (at times the gap was close to 3 minutes). After dueling
back and forth in the second lap Bishop ended up out front for most of
the race while McCormack was content playing tactics one step back. Bishop
(who suffered from cramping in the whole of the last lap) was not able
to respond to McCormack's surge in the last quarter mile but even with
badly cramping legs finished only 5 seconds back!
Matt O'keefe-Giant / atacycle.com placed
third 2:30 back staying with the leaders at first - but decided after
a couple of laps to let them duel it out.
All three of these gentlemen raced the week before at the Sea Otter.
The Pro/Expert Women's Open race
was a tough battle between Charmian Breon-SOBE/Headshock , Sue
Haywood-Trek, and Tiffany Kenny - Eddies / Mavic
who battled it out for most of the race with Breon pulling away at the
end just enough to stay ahead of the West Virginia legend (originally
from Delaware) - Sue Haywood - Trek who was just 7 seconds back!
It was thought that Charmian would not be able to walk without a knee
replacement after fracturing her knee last year in SEVEN places! What
an inspiration this extremely fast mountain bike racer is. Kenny - Eddies
/ Mavic ended up a little under a minute back. The infamous Katie
Compton - Trek was having an off-day (lucky for the other women)
and ended up 5th Place. She won the race last year - and raced the Worlds
- plus in 1999 at Seven Springs NCS in the short track was actually out
front of Paola Pezzo (former World Champion) for over 15 minutes!
Experts
Eric Keim - K2 / NEW SUN
- dominated the Expert Men Open riders finishing up with close to
a 6 minute lead. (the largest gap of the day) He raced a smooth
race from start to finish proving that the K2 / NEW SUN team is
a force to be reckoned with under the expert guidance of Emily Jaffe -
Team Director.
Expert Master Men 30-39 followed the theme of
the day with Bryan Ralston - Headshock and Michael Barrett
- Fat Dog ending up with close to a 3 minute lead from the rest
of the pack. Barrett ended up just 7 seconds back.
In the Expert Master Men 40+ race Paul Curley
- World Team and Scott Wade - Gearworks showed what racing
was all about. Intense. They had the closest times between 1st and 2nd
place with Paul Curley pulling off a win just 3 seconds ahead of Scott
Wade.
Christine Clay of Philadelphia, Pa ran a
perfect race finishing up well ahead of the pack in the Expert Master
Women 30+ with a little over 3 minutes to spare. Christine is no stranger
to being out front - in the '99 Granogue XC race (Montchanin, De) she
finished with a 16 minute lead on a very tough course in severe heat.
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Sport
Joe
Garramone - Wooden Wheels of Felton, De was the fastest
Sport rider OVERALL racing Senior Sport Men 25-29 finishing up with one
of the largest gaps between 1st and 2nd place of the day. He took off
from the start and there was no catching him. (The week before this race
Joe placed 1st OVERALL Sport in the AMBS #2 in Williamsburg, Va). David
Goodrum - TSV placed second, and Paul
Gassler - Wooden Wheels
was 3rd. Wooden Wheels almost swept the podium in the Senior Sport Men
25-29 as Marc Vettori - Wooden
Wheels who was in the chasing group (2nd/3rd/4th/& 5th) for
most of the race dropped off a little just at the end placing 5th around
a minute and a half from the 2nd place rider. Look for a strong showing
for Wooden Wheels this year.
Justin Riddle of Spotsylvania, VA was 1st
Place Senior Sport Men 19-24 with a :38 second lead.
Michael Macci - Avalon Racing won the Sport Master Men 30-39 with
close to a four minute lead!
Gregory Smith - Prince William Elite
won the Sport Master Men 40-49.
Dale Umberger of Lebanon, Pa won the Sport Master Men 50+ with Robert
Lea - Fuji in hot pursuit just 21 seconds back. Mr. Lea spent a
lot of time at the registration booth and keeping everything running smoothly.
A serious distraction from racing - thank you Robert Lea.
Courtney Lower of East Hampton, Ct won
the Sport Women Open.
David Helenski of Conshohocken, PA won the Clydesdale Open with about
a 30 second gap.
Junior
Olympics
Andrew Guptill - Team DEVO
won the Expert Men Junior Olympics 17-18 by about 2 1/2 minutes in
a tough field of competitors that came as far away as Maine and Florida.
Thais
Silva - Team DEVO won the Expert Women Junior Olympics 1-18
proving yet again that Team DEVO has a knack for finding the strongest
Juniors in the country.
Nick VanDine of Jim Thorpe, Pa won the Sport
Junior Olympics Boys 15-16. Wonder where he trains?
Sport Junior Olympics Girls 17-18
was won by Amy Lowry - Fuji.
Beginner Junior Olympic Boys 12-14 was very competitive
with the top four places within one minute of each other. Michael Watkins
of Monrovia, MD pulled away winning with about a 40 second gap.
Caitlyn Tuel of Lyndell, Pa won the
Beginner Junior Olympics Girls 15-16. Beginner
Junior Olympics Girls 12-14 was won by Stephani Jaggard - JAR .
Beginners
Jason Bertsch of Yoe,
Pa won the Beginner Senior 19-24.
Brendan Conway - Bike Line won the
Beginner Senior 25-29.
Eric Maxfield of Highland, Md won the
Beginner Men Master 30-39.
Robert Vaughan won Beginner Men Master
40-49.
Ken Bohrer of Falls Church, Va won
the Beginner Men 50+.
Nicole Cassata of Felton,
De won the Beginner Women OPEN.
Shannon Hall of Montgomery Village,
Md won the Beginner Women 30+.
Special
Olympics
John Drasgow - did
a great job winning the male race.
Wendy Demmler - was an inspiration
to others placing first in the female race.
Syd Lea - showed off his stamina
winning the long course.
Dantrell Hicks - showed skill and
mental toughness winning the trike division.
Shimano
Kids
Van Palmer won the
Kids 2 & under.
Cody Ireland won the Kids 5 &
under.
Eric Rodgers won the Kids 6-7.
Edward Waltz won the Kids 8-9.
Michael Knaus won the Kids 11-13.
Future mountain bike racing stars CONGRATULATIONS! Great job!
Police/EMT
Challenge
This field consisted of 14 teams
competing for two laps (12 miles) in what some would consider a high speed
chase. When the dust settled it was -
- FUJI Police Team
- Montgomery County
- Salisbury Police Department
It was nice to see these protectors of
their communities out having some fun and honing their bike skills. No
paramedics were necessary in this race.
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Mark McCormack - Saturn 
