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Tour de Nez - NE
USA, June 22-24, 2006
Main Page Results Overall standings Next Stage
Stage 1 - June 22: Time trial, 5 miles
Zirbel benefits from Baldwin's tardiness in Nez
By Kimberly Baldwin in Verdi, Nevada
"The biggest little city in the world" is the motto for the town of Reno, Nevada, and home to the 6th annual Tour de Nez. Today's opening time trial was a relatively flat course that runs along the Truckee River. An early best time was set by Health Net-Maxxis' strong man Karl Menzies at 6 minutes and 12 seconds. But that was soon bested by Toyota-United's current national time trial champion, Chris Baldwin, who, despite missing his start by a few seconds, posted the new fastest time at 6:04. It looked like Baldwin was going to hold on to first until the very end, when Tom Zirbel, a first year pro riding for Priority Health, came panting through the finish line two seconds faster -- the time by which Baldwin missed his start time.
"I can't believe I was so stupid," said a frustrated Baldwin after the final results were posted. "But Zirbel's a strong rider and has been proving himself all year. It's a great result for him."
"I just returned from Tour de Beauce (in Canada) where it was a slugfest every day," said the 28-year old Zirbel. "I took a few days easy this past week and feel like the fitness I gained from that race is coming into my legs now at just the right time."
Rounding out the podium was Tony Cruz of Toyota-United, coming in just behind Baldwin in 6:08. With three of Toyota-United's riders finishing in the top ten, the team is well placed for tonight's criterium. "Cruz can definitely sprint," said Suzanne Sonye, the team's soigneur. "He's on fire right now."
With most of the teams staying in the Silver Legacy Casino in downtown Reno, the race lends itself to a bit of a different atmosphere compared to most NRC races. Spandex-clad cyclists rolling their bikes through the casino lobby definitely adds a flash of color to the typical gambling crowds. Another fact adding spice to the race is that it's an omnium. NRC points are awarded to the top three finishers in each individual stage, to the leader after each stage, and to the top twenty-five in the final Omnium standings. The winner of the time trial will receive thirty points, whereas the winners of the criteriums are each awarded fifty, and the road race is weighted the heaviest at eighty points for the win. Overall time does not matter so much as the total number of points earned by each rider.
The three-day, four-stage race took off to a blazing start today with the pro men's time trial just outside of Reno in the little town of Verdi. Five kilometers in distance, the course tested riders with an uphill grind, a twisty, turning narrow descent, and finished with a lung-busting uphill kicker. With 118 pro men on the start list and all the top teams in the NRC represented, it was going to be a showdown.
The officials and volunteers did a fantastic job of closing the course and keeping it safe for the riders. The only casualty came when Drew Miller, of Steve Hegg's team, Successful Living, hit a lip on the bridge just before the finish and broke his stem. "I can not believe Drew came out of the crash with barely a scratch on him, " said Hegg. "It could have been much, much worse." Due to the fact that the race is an omnium, riders do not have to complete each stage, and so Miller can still start in tonight's criterium in Truckee, California. "He only has a little road rash on his shoulder," said Hegg. "He's really lucky."
The Tour de Nez bike festival continues tonight with first the Hand-Cycling criterium at 5:30 p.m. followed by the pro men's criterium at 6:30 p.m. With omnium points going 30 deep tonight, the sprinters will be battling it out in front of the Truckee crowd.
Results
1 Tom Zirbel (Priority Health) 6.02.81 2 Chris Baldwin (Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team) 0.01.91 3 Bernard Van Ulden (Webcor / Alto Velo) 0.02.18 4 Tony Cruz (Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team) 0.05.45 5 Curtis Gunn (Successfulliving) 0.08.16 6 Karl Menzies (Health Net Presented By Maxxis) 0.09.25 7 Brian Buchholz (Webcor/Alto Velo) 0.11.61 8 Phil Zajicek (Navigators) 0.14.47 9 Randy Reichardt (Bang Salon/Hart) 0.16.25 10 Heath Blackgrove (Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team) 0.16.81 11 Scott Moninger (Health Net Presented By Maxxis) 0.17.36 12 Chris Lieto (Cal Giant /Village Peddler) 0.19.55 13 Andrew Bajadali (Jelly Belly) 0.20.02 14 Derik Archibald (Axleyusa.Com) 0.20.53 15 Michael Telega (Giant /Village Peddler) 0.20.72 16 Daniel Ramsey (Successfulliving) 0.21.83 17 Glen Mitchel (Priority Health) 0.22.47 18 Garrett Peltonen (Health Net Presented By Maxxis) 0.22.50 19 Roman Kilun (Health Net Presented By Maxxis) 0.23.51 20 Gordon Mccauley (Successfulliving) 0.24.02 21 Kyle Barbary (Bmc Racing Team) 0.24.57 22 Chad Nikolz (Broadmark / Hagens-Berman) 0.25.28 23 James Mattis (Giant /Village Peddler) 0.26.25 24 Morgan Schmitt (Broadmark/Hagens-Berman) 0.27.03 25 Whitey Debroux (Team Einstein's Cycling) 0.27.09 26 Kyle Gritters (Health Net Presented By Maxxis) 0.27.97 27 Corey Collier (Rocky Mtn. Chocolate Factory) 0.28.41 28 Ryan Yee (Sucessfullliving) 0.29.22 29 Aaron Olson (Saunier Duval Pro Cycling Team) 0.29.27 30 Christian Kearney (Rhvilla/Montano Velo) 0.31.73 31 John Hunt (Cal Giant /Village Peddler) 0.32.01 32 Jonathan Baker (Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team) 0.33.41 33 Matthew Willinger (Cal Giant /Village Peddler) 0.35.14 34 Rolando Gonzalez (Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Team) 0.35.20 35 Robbie King (Priority Health) 0.35.45 36 Jesse Mendonca (Rhvilla.Com/Montano Velo) 0.35.66 37 Chris Wherry (Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team) 0.35.99 38 Ken Hanson (Bmc Racing Team) 0.36.19 39 Michael Carter (Team Einstein's Cycling) 0.36.72 40 Matty Rice (Jelly Belly) 0.36.96 41 Max Jenkins (Cal Giant /Village Peddler) 0.38.25 42 Salvador Borrego-Crum (Cal Giant /Village Peddler) 0.38.36 43 Craig Mccartney (Wild Oats / Al's Barbershop) 0.38.79 44 Andres Gil (Pacific State Bank/Anderson Homes) 0.38.88 45 Jason Klikna (Bmc Racing Team) 0.38.89 46 Joshua Snead (Rhvilla/ Montano Velo) 0.39.33 47 Mitch Moreman (Rocky Mtn Chocolate Factory) 0.40.10 48 Justin Hale (Bmc Racing Team) 0.40.20 49 Skyler Bishop (Kodakgallery.Com/Sierra Nevada Pro Cycling Team) 0.40.43 50 Sam Johnson (Broadmark / Hagens-Berman) 0.40.62 51 Rand Miller (Club One Fitness/Jamba Juice) 0.40.67 52 Mike Margraf (Webcor / Alto Velo) 0.41.57 53 David Pierce (Club One Fitness/Jamba Juice) 0.43.00 54 Eric Riggs (Lombardi Sports/Klein) 0.43.43 55 Owen Laine (Bmc Racing Team) 0.43.62 56 Dennis Guikema (Rhvilla.Com/Montano Velo) 0.45.21 57 Keith Miller (Gs Lombardi Sports) 0.45.81 58 Brian Kendall (Team Einstein's Cycling) 0.45.95 59 Kyle Colavito (Eclipse Racing) 0.47.03 60 David Rodriguez (Bmc Racing Team) 0.47.80 61 Taylor Kneuven (Broadmark / Hagens-Berman) 0.51.23 62 Shane Peltonen (Eclipse Racing) 0.51.31 63 Doug Ollerenshaw (Health Net Presented By Maxxis) 0.51.39 64 Dan Neyens (Broadmark / Hagens-Berman) 0.51.72 65 Chris Crawford (Club One Fitness/Jamba Juice) 0.52.49 66 Jake Rytlewski (Priority Health) 0.53.31 67 Caleb Manion (Jelly Belly) 0.53.57 68 Ross Berger (Vitamin Cottage) 0.54.12 69 Emiliano Jordan (Eclipse Racing) 0.56.16 70 Aaron Odell (Rhvilla.Com/Montano Velo) 0.56.84 71 Joseph Pinkerton (Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team) 0.57.70 72 Omer Kem (Axleyusa.Com) 0.57.93 73 Ben Stafford (Club One Fitness/Jamba Juice) 1.00.55 74 Jonny Sundt (Axleyusa.Com) 1.00.80 75 Devin Johnson (Broadmark/Hagens-Berman) 1.00.86 76 Mack Chew (Arete' Racing/Vellum Cycles) 1.03.18 77 Graham Simpson (Club One Fitness/Jamba Juice) 1.14.92 78 Jason Karew (Eclipse Racing) 1.16.83 79 Art Rand (Velo Europa-Cyfac) 1.17.21 80 Michael Pruitt (Axleyusa.Com) 1.34.66 81 Brian Lamb (Club One Fitness/Jamba Juice) 1.42.19 82 Adam Curry (Broadmark / Hagens-Berman) 1.43.99 83 Tommy Nankervis (Priority Health) 2.15.63 DNS Andrew Mcdermid (Broadmark/Hagens-Berman) DNS Osvaldo Olmos (Bmc Racing Team) DNS Hector Hernandez (Bmc Racing Team) DNS Patrick Briggs (Cal Giant /Village Peddler) DNS Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team) DNS Jose Garcia (Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team) DNS Scott Blanchard (Eclipse Racing) DNS Jarod Gilyard (Eclipse Racing) DNS Dave Mccook (Jelly Belly) DNS Alex Candelario (Jelly Belly) DNS Matthew Hall (Centurytel) DNS Glenn Fant (Monex) DNS Christian Valenzuela Monex (Didnotstart) DNS Devon Vigus (Monex) DNS Hayden Godfrey (Monex) DNS Drew Miller (Sucessfullliving)
