JUNIOR NATIONAL CYCLING : San Diegan Rolls to Criterium Victory

A San Diegan won the criterium at the U.S. Cycling Federation Junior Nationals in the girls’ 13-15 age division, another San Diegan finished second in the girls 16-17 division and no one’s sure exactly who won the boys’ 17-18 division.

In the girls 13-15 criterium, an 18-lap, 20-kilometer race run around an undeveloped block on Sorrento Mesa, Crystal Waters of San Diego made a move going into the final turn that pulled her in front of Susan George, who had been the race’s most aggressive cyclist, and finished first at 37:03.

George, of Schnecksville, Pa., placed second.

In the girls’ 16-17 race, Denise Mueller of Encinitas wasn’t so lucky. She was right on the back wheel of victor Jessica Greico from Emerson N.J. for much of the race, but could not catch her in the end.

Greico won the event for the second consecutive year at 34:34 and Mueller placed second despite having to coast the last 20 yards because her left foot slipped off the pedal.

Kenneth Fritts of Rancho Palos Verdes won the gold in the boys’ 13-14 age division at 32:35 (18-laps, 20-kilometers) and Nick Feid of Kingwood, Texas took the national championship in the boys’ 15-16 division at 35:22 (21-laps, 25-kilometers).

And then there was the boys’ 17-18 division.

Oh sure, results were handed out to the media, but no medal ceremony was held.

The race was marred with three laps to go when a rider crashed going into the second turn. When racers passed the scene, two officials and several volunteers tried to “neutralize” the race, but four riders who had broken from the field and were 11 seconds ahead of it, got by.

The pack eventually broke through, too, but not before it was slowed down and possibly taken away from a chance to catch the leaders.

Anyway, Kevin Monahan of Wyckoff N.J. crossed the line first, completing the 42-lap, 50-kilometer race in 1:09:43. He led a pack of five riders which all crossed right behind him: Eric Harris, Colorado Springs; Erich Kaiter, Boxford, Mass.; Mike Porter, Gig Harbor, Wash.; and Colby Pearce, Boulder, Colo.

Then the rest of the field started coming in, all with the same complaint.

“We couldn’t catch the break (away pack) because the officials were in the road,” said Race Jones of Hacienda Heights.

Those who were slowed down by the officials agreed that they could have caught the pack had there been no hindrance.

“A pack that size can go so much faster than the break,” said Pat Springob of Brookfield, Wis.

The top finishers, however, argued that point.

“I planned my move with four laps to go,” Monahan said. “They weren’t going to catch us.”

At one point after the race, the cyclists were called back to the finish line and told the final five laps would be re-run.

That never happened. About 10 minutes later, it was announced the results would stand, but the medal ceremony would be delayed until 5 p.m. today to give the USCF time to review the tapes.

Cycling Notes

Mike Orr, who won his preliminary heat on Saturday with apparent ease, finished 41st in the final. His coach, Todd Starnes, said Orr’s purpose in the final wasn’t to win as much as it was to keep any breakaways from getting far ahead of the pack, which would allow his teammates, sprint specialists, a shot at winning in the end. The strategy worked to a degree. Starnes said because Orr did pull breaking riders back several times, Eric Harris and Erich Kaiter, Orr’s teammates, were able to finish second and third respectively. . . . The U.S. Olympic Committee finally showed up with bottles to conduct drug screening. On Friday, the committee went to considerable expense and even rented four hotel rooms in Borrego Springs, where the team time trials were held, in order to do testing. The screening was called off when officials realized they left behind the bottles. . . . Eleven cyclists who were in crashes during the day’s five races, were taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital. All were released.