Fast Finishes Carry Arrue to 3 Cycling Wins

Van Nuys cyclist Marcello Arrue has been keeping his backers--and opponents--in suspense to the finish with his come-from-behind style of racing.

Arrue’s furious finishing sprint helped him to three wins Saturday night at the Encino Velodrome.

In the opening event, Arrue, who races for the Montrose team, held off Santa Barbara’s Chris Johnson of the Diamond Back team in the final stretch to take the senior men’s Division I-II miss-and-out.

Less than an hour later in the three-lap sprint final, Johnson opened about a 15-meter gap over Arrue with 1 1/2 laps remaining but Arrue, pedaling frantically in the outside lane with 50 meters to go, slipped past Johnson to win his second race by half a wheel.

Arrue’s sprint was still strong in the 10-lap scratch final as he swooped past Kevin Peck of Subaru/Montgomery for his third win. Earlier, Arrue had come from behind to win his sprint heat over Agoura Hills’ Peter Sullivan of Conejo Velo, taking the qualifying race in the final 200 meters. Johnson and Peck won the other two sprint heats.

Fatigue later plagued Arrue, however, as he faded to fifth--and last--in the 25-lap points race won by Peck (21 points).

Antelope Valley Velo’s Michelle Lehnhoff, a Lancaster resident, held off CeloPacific’s Meg Berry, 36, of Vista, in the final stretch to win the women’s scratch race.