 |
|
Home Calendar Race Results Standings Year-Rounder Records Training Equipment Nutrition About the UMCA Site Index |
|
Ultracup riders submit your results for all events!
Sebring 2009
The World Cup and Ultracup Kick Off
“Our sport is healthy!”
by Susan Holt and John Hughes
Ultracycling Cup for ultra riders of the season
A huge field of 182 racers showed up for the eighth annual Sebring races on February 14, 2009. The weekend includes three races:
Despite the economy, 60 racers competed in the World Cup RAAM Qualifier, 36 riders raced the drafting 24 and 86 raced in the 12-hour. Eight handcyclists participated with Thomas Lange (50) cranking out an amazing 403.8 miles. David Holt won overall with 490.4 miles in the World Cup event. James Kern, one of 29 recumbent racers won the 24-hour drafting race with 479.3 miles. World Cup Champion (2008) Carolyn van den Bulk lead the 34 women with 385.9 miles. New to the UMCA, Alan Abbate and Viktoriya Shundrov were the fastest of three mixed tandems with an 344.3 miles. Two of our favorite riders turned in notable performances in the 12-hour. Lew Meyer (75, PA) raced 204.3 miles and Richard Lawrence (83, NC) logged 124.8 miles. Sebring kicks off the two eastern 12- and 24-Hour Challenge Series:
The ultra season is off to a very healthy start!
Lew Meyer (L) congratulates Richard Lawrence after the Sebring ultra bicycle race.
Photo by John & Nancy Guth
No one broke 500 miles this year in the men's non-drafting RAAM Qualifier race, but David Holt (57, CA) came close with 490.4. Andrea Tosolini (46, FL) was second with 486.7, Bryce Walsh (37, IL) was third with 449.1, then Marshall Reeves (age 50-54, FL) with 434.6 and Dave Rudnicki (41, CO) with 430.6. All qualified for RAAM, as did Gunnar Ohlanders (55, Sweden) with 419.5 miles. [To qualify men 18-49 have to ride 425 miles; age 50-59 have to ride 400 miles.]
 |
| David Holt racing to victory at the Sebring 24-hour bicycle race. |
The race starts with three laps of the Sebring auto race track. Racers then complete a 100-mile loop around lake-dotted countryside. After the 100-mile loop competitors race around an 11-mile lap around orange groves. Andrea Tosolini was the first rider to start the 11-mile loop with Holt eight minutes behind him.
Sunny weather with some gusty winds continued through the day. The Californian continued to close the gap and entered the raceway just two minutes 46 seconds behind Tosolini. They traded the lead throughout the night. Both crews yelled the time gaps as the two riders went by, sometimes neck and neck. Holt was crewed by last year's 24-hour winner, Al Smudz, who also rode the 12 hour race, and wife, Susan. He rarely stopped, clocking almost all his laps in a steady 11 minutes. Both riders were still fighting it out until 6:26 am when Holt was enough ahead to clock the last lap and win by 3.7 miles for a total of 490.4 miles.
2008 World Cup champion Carolyn van den Bulk (42, ON, Canada) is off to a great start with 385.9 miles. Lori Dailey (39, GA) was close behind with 370.8 followed by Michele Santilhano (39, CA) with 367.1, Sharon Stevens (40, TX), 362.8 and Vickie Tyer (54, TX), 359.4. Although close, none of them met the qualifying standard for RAAM. [To qualify women 18-49 have to ride 400 miles; age 50-59 have to ride 375 miles.]
In the recumbent division Troy Timmons (43, FL) turned in 427.2 miles, Gary Carter (58, GA) was second with 419.5, and then John Schlitter (52, FL), 408.7, Allen Duhm (60, FL), 382.6, and Chris Kaiser (45, GA), 381.9. Timmons, Carter and Duhm qualified for RAAM (Schlitter has completed RAAM and is qualified for life.)
 |
| Thomas Lange racing 403.8 miles in the Sebring 24-hour bicycle race. Photo by Eddy Rayford. |
On a handcycle Thomas Lange (50) raced 403.8 miles, Keane West (41, FL) rode 351.7 and Viko Merklin (32) rode 303.3 with Patrick Doak (41.MA)) just behind him (292.2 miles).
Drafting 24-Hour
James Kern, back on the racing scene on his recumbent, raced the 100-mile loop, 12 times around the 11-mile loop and then 65 laps around the 3.7 mile track for 479.3 miles. He finished only three laps behind David Holt.
Scott Luikart (47, OH) was first on a convnetial bike with 431.2 miles and Paul Carpenter (50, IL) was second with 415.8. Joe Mann (46, IA) 408.4, Henrick Olsen (44, MD), 408.4, and Dru Dixon (56, MD), 404.4, rounded out the top five.
Leslie Shapiro (47, GA) led the women with 344.6 miles. Caroline Eastburn (48, NC, formerly Caroline Atkins) took second with 322.7 miles followed by Elizabeth Eaken (31, IN), 318.1, and Anne Ledbetter (49, GA), 210.8.
After Kern the other top recumbents were Doug Morgan (44) with 408.4 miles, Andy Sorenson (50), 408.1, and Larry Graham (51, OH), 308.5.
Drafting 12-Hour
Eighty-seven racers competed in the 12-hour. Brett Walker (42, NH) raced 249.9 miles as did John Tanner (53, FL) on his recumbent. Bill Hannon (66, IL) and Doug Jacobs (58, both on recumbents, raced 245.9 miles. Al Smudz (46, MI) turned in 242.5 miles. William Ford (46, IL) and Norman Goldin (59, FL) rolled in with 238.5 miles.
 |
| Muscle car meets hand cyclist at the Sebring ultra bicycle race. Photo by Eddy Rayford. |
In the women's group Erica Weitzman (34, MI) was first with 227.1 miles, then Alison Lowry (33) 208.0 miles, Linda Demma (33, GA) 208.0, and Nancy Guth (59, VA) with 204.3. Sara Kay Carrell (32, KS) was the fifth woman overall on her recumbent with 200.6 miles. Aimee Murphy (34) and Jennisse Peatick (38, NJ) also had very strong rides with 196.6 miles.
Wayne Phelps and Melanie Ashby (FL), recoved from their accident, raced tandem to 215.7 miles.
Handcyclist Mark Dobersch (42, FL) cranked out 113.4 miles.
Ultraracing in 2009 is off to a very strong start!
More information at Sebring website