Mt Holly-Smithville Invitational GP - NE

NJ, USA, August 10, 2002

2001 Results Results Past winners

Rapinski wins Mt Holly-Smithville GP

Rapinski wins
Photo: © Phil Marques

The 4th edition of the Mt. Holly-Smithville Invitational GP took place on August 10, a week after the NYC cycling championship. For the first time this previously amateur-only event allowed professional teams to compete. The date attracted several of the country's top professional teams including Navigators and 7up-Nutrafig and a composite Australian national team made up of riders from Jittery Joe's, iTeamnova.com and some of the other Australian riders living in the T-Town area. The amateur teams were represented by Saturn Developmental featuring the flying rider from Belarus Victor Rapinski, the always strong Cannondale-Wheelworks squad and several of the east coast other top teams including Ready Pac-KMK Sports, Colavita, Ideal Tile-Brielle Cyclery, UPMC-Fuji. The field consisted of 27 teams of 6 riders max, 4 minimum.

The field of 144 riders included riders from 14 different countries showed the growing popularity of this event in southern New Jersey. The course consists of an 12 mile lop which the rider complete 8 times for a total of 96 miles. The course itself is very similar to a Belgian style Kermesse course with long windy wide open roads along with several very technical sections.

From the start several small groups of riders moved off the front to contest the individual sprint competition that was contested from laps 1-7. But none of the group ever saw there lead rise to more than 30 seconds, especially with the main field averaging 28mph. Several of the early sprints laps were won by Kirk Albers (Ready Pac-KMK Sports), Steve Ward (Colavita), Donny Lopez (Ideal Tile-Brille Cyclery) and Larry Perrara (CCB-Volkswagon).
Driving the peloton
Photo: © Phil Marques

Several of the small breakaway groups formed a group with 4 laps remaining in the race. In the group included Rapinski (Saturn Developmental) Freyre (Kissena Sports), Alexandre (Colavita), Albers (Ready Pac-KMK Sports), Ziewack (7up-Nutrafig), Herriott (Think Ink),Svatek (Cannondale-Wheelworks) Power and Leaper (Navigators), Ward (Colavita), and Rogers (Australian National Team). With their lead reaching a maximum of 1:05 on the main field, it looked as the breakaway group was gone for good..

With two laps remaining the main field starting chasing and quickly had the breakaway hovering at 45 seconds. With the breakaway trying to remain organized, their lead was still around 45 seconds but several teams including Cannondale-Wheelworks (who had lost Svatek from the break due to a flat), Ready Pac-KMK Sports (Who also lost Albers from the original breakaway group) were trying organize a chase to bring back the breakaway. Their efforts quickly brought the breakaways lead to under 40 seconds. As the field led by Ziminski (Ready Pac-KMK Sports) came into downtown Mt. Holly, a strong attack by 7up-Nutrafig's Monahan before the start of the final lap separated a small group from the main field of chasing riders. This group quickly made contact with the remains of the original breakaway.

With less than a 35 second lead the breakaway started to attack and counter attack each other until a group of 5 riders escaped Monahan (7up-Nutrafig), Power (Navigators), Freyre (Kissena Sports), Rogers (Australian National team) and Rapinski (Saturn Developmental). Working hard to keep their still dwindling lead of 35 seconds, the breakaway entered the final technical 1 km from the finish. In the final 200m Rapinski (Saturn Developmental) powered away from his breakaway companions with Monahan (7up-Nutrafig) taking 2nd and Power (Navigators) rounding out the podium in 3rd. Rogers (Australian National) took 4th with Freyre (Kissena Sports) coming 8 seconds later for 5th place.

32 seconds later the field was lead in by the Navigator train setting up Davidenko (Navigators) for 6th, Nothstein for 7th and Grichkine taking 9th place. Giving Navigators 4 riders in the top10, and taking their fair share of the $7,000.00 purse.

In the Sprint Competition CCB-Volkwagon Perrara took the 1st place honors with Colavita's Ward taking second and Navigators Power taking the third spot on the podium again.

Mt Holly-Smithville Invitational GP

Photos supplied by Phil Marques

Ideal Tile team owner-rider Christian Young gets in line.
The lead break passes by an irrigation sprinkler in scenic New Jersey
Viktor Repinski wins the Mt. Holly road race
Navigators Ciaran Power leads a break.
Bigman Marty Nothstein put in a solid effort
Psychological warfare in the race caravan
Kevin Monahan endured the hurt and took second.
Marty Nothstein almost reeled in the lead break.
Aussie Tom Leaper rides alongside teammate Davidenko.
Ideal Tile was looking for a repeat win.
Aussie Tom Leaper working up a sweat
Vassili Davidenko stretches his legs.
If you make a face and the wind changes...
Ideal Tile's Jon Bravaman rides through the Garden State.
Follow the moto...
Navigators Vassili Davidenko was working on his tanlines.

Results

1 Victor Rapinski (Blr) Saturn Developmental     3.23.28 (45.61 km/h)
2 Kevin Monahan (USA) 7up-Nutrafig
3 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators
4 Peter Rogers (Aus) Australian national team
5 Eneas Freyre (USA) Kissena Sports                 0.08        
6 Vassili Davidenko (Rus) Navigators                0.32
7 Marty Nothstein (USA) Navigators        
8 Jeff Hopkins (Aus) Australian national team       
9 Oleg Grichkine (Rus) Navigators
10 Roosevelt Martes (Dom) Toga
11 Ryan Oelkers (USA) Australian national team
12 Jean Desrosiers (USA) Hawley-Racksmith.com
13 Sebastian Alexandre (Arg) Colavita
14 Matt Svatek (USA) Cannondale-Wheelworks
15 Jim Carey (USA) Bikery-Fuji
16 Doug Ziewacz (USA) 7up-Nutrafig
17 Charlton Hoag (USA) Old Mill Inn/Libery Cycles
18 Siro Componogara (Ita) Navigators
19 Jura DeAlmedia (USA) Ready Pac-KMK Sports
20 Adam Pantastico (USA) Watchunng Wheelmen-High Gear

Sprint Competition

1 Larry Perrara (USA) CCB-Volkswagon
2 Steve Ward (USA) Colavita
3 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators

Photos

Ideal Tile team owner-rider Christian Young gets in line.
The lead break passes by an irrigation sprinkler in scenic New Jersey
Viktor Repinski wins the Mt. Holly road race
Navigators Ciaran Power leads a break.
Bigman Marty Nothstein put in a solid effort
Psychological warfare in the race caravan
Kevin Monahan endured the hurt and took second.
Marty Nothstein almost reeled in the lead break.
Aussie Tom Leaper rides alongside teammate Davidenko.
Ideal Tile was looking for a repeat win.
Aussie Tom Leaper working up a sweat
Vassili Davidenko stretches his legs.
If you make a face and the wind changes...
Ideal Tile's Jon Bravaman rides through the Garden State.
Follow the moto...
Navigators Vassili Davidenko was working on his tanlines.

Past winners

2001 Alex Lavallee (Can) Kissena Cycling Team
2000 Roosevelt Martes (Dom) TOGA
1999 Johnathan Erdelyi (USA) Ideal Tile-Brielle Cyclery