Fraser, Jeanson start fastest at Tucson Classic
- By Patrick O'Grady
- Published Apr. 5, 2002
The 17th annual Tucson Classic kicked off on Friday with the McCain Loop Prologue Time Trial, a three-mile roller-coaster ride through Tucson Mountain Park with a couple miles of uphill — on grades of 4 to 6 percent — to separate the contenders from the pretenders in the three-day Arizona stage race.
Mercury speedster Gord Fraser turned the fastest time among the Pro/I-II men, crossing the line in six minutes, 48 seconds. Teammate Plamen Stoyanov was second, just 11 seconds slower, followed by Jelly Belly’s Mariano Friedick at seven minutes flat.
Defending champ Scott Price (Landis/Trek-VW) was sixth, 20 seconds off the pace.
In the women’s I-III TT, 2001 winner Genèvieve Jeanson (Rona) easily outpaced the field to win in 7:12. Second was Jeannie Longo at 46 seconds back, followed by Elizabeth Emery (NMBRA-NMVS) at 52 seconds.
Today’s stage, the Gates Pass Road Race, is a 21-mile circuit that includes the 12 percent grade of the pass, which comes just six miles before the finish. Elite men are racing for 105 miles, the women for 63.
VeloNews.com will post results and a short race report as soon as they become available.
FILED UNDER: Road
Patrick O'Grady
Patrick O’Grady joined VeloNews as its cartoonist in 1989 and a succession of editors has failed to dislodge him. He was a newspaperman from 1977 to 1991, but it felt too much like work, plus he never got any free bike parts. So he quit for the carefree life of a free-lance rumormonger, and now you have to deal with him, as do we. Sorry ’bout that. O’Grady lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife, Shannon, and their cats, Turkish and Miss Mia Sopaipilla. He has more bikes than chins, but only just barely.