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Fraser, Willock collect crowns at Joe Martin

by VeloNews.com

• May 14, 2006
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By Ian Dille, VeloNews correspondent

Fraser takes his third stage and the overall

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

Arkansas has been good to Gord Fraser (Health Net-Maxxis). In the final event of the Joe Martin Stage Race, a technical downtown criterium, Fraser won his third sprint finish and maintained his overall title.

In the women’s race Erinne Willock finished fourth, 10 seconds down on race winner Kori Seehafer, to maintain first in general classification.

Entering the final stage with the top two riders on general classification, Fraser and Scott Moninger, the Health Net-Maxxis racers had one thing on their mind – playing defense.

On a criterium course in downtown Fayetteville featuring eight tight turns and a long, grinding climb to the finish, the team was attentive to every attack.

The race’s main aggressor was Toyota-United, with the wily Ivan Stevic placed in third. Early in the race Toyota-United had two riders, Josh Thornton and Jose Garcia, in a dangerous break initiated by Nick Reistad (Jelly Belly) and Emmanuel Suarez (Monex). The break gained a maximum lead of 30 seconds before it were eventually brought back by an aggressive field.

In the final laps Health Net-Maxxis gained control of the front, but Fraser said he wasn’t sure if he would be able to take the steep sprint finish. However, in the closing meters before the line he emerged from a sprawling mass of 30 racers and narrowly overtook Shawn Milne (Navigators) for the win.

After winning three field sprints and overall, Fraser seemed content with his trip to Arkansas.

“It’s rare for me to win an overall title, especially at a race like this one.” Fraser said of the vertically challenging stage race.

Planned to perfection
The Webcor-Platinum team was flawless during the women’s hour-long criterium.

Willock follows the wheels and collects the win

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

“Our goal was to get someone off in a break and force Dotsie [Bausch] to work,” said Alisha Lion (Webcor-Platinum). “Specifically, I was supposed to cover any attacks by Kori Seehafer (Lipton). Our plan worked to perfection.”

By breaking away with Seehafer in the opening laps of the race, Lion, who was sitting third overall heading into the race, forced the chase upon Bausch (Colavita-Cooking Light), who was in second overall.

Without the ability to take the 15-second time bonus for the win, Bausch wouldn’t be able to make up her six-second deficit to the lead.

Bausch, with the help of teammates Tina Pic and Sue Palmer-Komar, was able to keep the break within 10 seconds, but wasn’t able to close the gap.

“We were just cooked,” she said afterward.

On the final lap Alison Powers (Rio Grande-Sports Garage) attacked hard on the climb to open a gap and finish third while Webcor’s overall leader, Erinne Willock, won the field sprint to take fourth.

For Willock the overall title was her second National Racing Calendar win and Webcor-Platinum’s biggest victory this year.

Joe Martin Stage Race
Fayetteville, AR. May 14
Criterium
Men
1. Gordon Fraser (Health Net-Maxxis), 1:31:08
2. Shawn Milne (Navigators Insurance)
3. Richard England (Priority Health)
4. Brice Jones (Jelly Belly)
5. Alexander Gonzalez (CAICO)
6. Ivan Stevic (Toyota-United)
7. Frank Traviesio (AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork)
8. Frank Pipp (Target Training)
9. Josh Dillon (Fiordifrutta)
10. Scott Moninger (Health Net-Maxxis)

Women
1. Kore Seehafer (Lipton), 57:25
2. Alisha Lion (Webcor-Platinum), at 0:03
3. Alison Powers (Rio Grande-Sports Garage), at 0:10
4. Erinne Willock (Webcor-Platinum), at 0:10
5. Tina Pic (Colavita-Cooking Light), at 0:15
6. Rachel Heal (Victory Brewing)
7. Kristen Sanders (Cheerwine)
8. Katherine Bates (Nurenberg)
9. Andrea Dvorak (TRIA)
10. Maatje Benassi (Excel Sports)

Final overall
Men
1. Gordon Fraser (Health Net-Maxxis). 9:34:23
2. Ivan Stevic (Toyota-United), at 0:21
3. Scott Moninger (Health Net-Maxxis)
4. Nathan O’Neill (Health Net-Maxxis), at 0:23
5. Richard England (Priority Health), at 0:24
6. Anthony Colby (Target Training), at 0:26
7. Andrew Bajadali (Jelly Belly), at 0:29
8. Jason Donald (Team Einstein’s Cycling), at 0:36
9. Predrag Prokic (AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork), at 0:42
10. Brian Dziewa (Mercy), at 0:44

Women
1. Erinne Willock (Webcor-Platinum), 6:49:42
2. Alisha Lion (Webcor-Platinum), at 0:08
3. Dotsie Bausch (Colavita-Cooking Light), at 0:11
4. Kori Seehafer (Lipton), at 0:14
5. Alison Powers (Rio Grande-Sports Garage), at 0:14
6. Tina Pic (Colavita-Cooking Light), at 0:47
7. Felicia Gomez (Webcor-Platinum), at 0:48
8. Sue Polmar-Komar (Colavita-Cooking Light), at 0:52
9. Laura Van Gilder (Lipton), at 0:53
10. Kathleen Billington (TRIA), at 1:07

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