2009 USFE Road Cycling, Mountain Bike Series in full swing

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Michael O'Connor
  • 31st Fighter Wing public affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  Military and civilian cyclists and mountain bikers from Germany and Italy descended upon the base of the Dolomite Mountains in Italy April 18-19 to take part in the first race of the 2009 U.S. Forces Europe Road Cycling and Mountain Bike Series.
 
"A very high caliber of athletes participated," said Neville Besignach, 31st Force Support Squadron Dragon Fitness Center varsity sports director. "All competitors were very happy about the organization and the support they got. They were pleased with the results they gained and were pushed in the race itself and by the other competitors." 

The Saber Cycling Team from Spangdahlem, Germany, made the 12-hour drive for the Aviano super cycling weekend with expectations of sunny and warm days for the races and found the contrary once the race was underway April 18. 

About mid-way through the second of four laps around the 6.25 kilometer loop course at Camp Delta, located at the base of the mountain about 10 minutes from the Aviano AB flightline, dark thunderous clouds started rolling in and crackling above the riders. By the start of the third lap, the temperature quickly lowered to about 50 degrees and the rays of the sun turned to rain drops at first, then pouring rain and stinging hail at times. 

"The previously dry river bed climbs became small streams with about four inches of water running downhill," said Hector Rodriguez on the team's public Web site. "The hail and rain pounded racers as they headed down the slick rocky descent prior to the finish. Just as quickly as it came in, the bad weather rolled out. Tired and muddy racers came through the finish just as the sun came back out to warm them up." 

Despite the wet weather conditions, it didn't scare off the mountain bikers or the road racing cyclists. 

On April 19, the road racers found themselves under intermittent rain showers and fierce winds which had cyclists up around the 50 kilometers per hour range with the wind and down around the low to mid-20s against the wind as they sped around the perimeter of the Aviano AB flightline. 

"The flat perimeter road course only had one real turn, which was just prior to the finish, but the backside had a head wind strong enough to discourage any attacks," said Rodriguez. "The group stayed together until the last turn when the sprint for the finish started. I got a pretty good view of the finishers as they blew by me to cross the line. Thanks to the [Dragon Fitness Center staff] for putting on such a great event." 

Hosting events like this take a lot of coordination, said Besignach. Without the support of the U.S. and Italian air base leadership, units and volunteers, as well as the Carabinieri police, Italian Red Cross, and off-base land owners and local constabulary, the success of this year's events would not have been possible. 

The 31st FSS, formerly the 31st Services Squadron, at Aviano Air Base have hosted the first events of this series since 2004. The series first began in 1992. 

RACE RESULTS
Christopher Fritzsche from Aviano Air Base, Italy, and Andrew Overfield from U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, Germany, took home the overall first place finishes in the men's divisions. Antoaneta Fitzpatrick from Aviano and Francesca Corazza from Spangdahlem took home first place honors in the women's divisions. 

In the 25 kilometer men's mountain bike competition, Overfield bested 17 others with a time of 1:19.15, including fellow teammate Christopher Koch who finished second with a time of 1:22.15. 

In the 53 kilometer men's road cycling race, Fritzsche bested 17 other cyclists with a time of 1:29.14 in a photo finish with Christopher Myers of Grafenwoehr, Germany, and Koch of Stuttgart. 

In the 12.4 kilometer women's mountain bike race, Corazza took first place with a time of 1:07.07 besting fellow teammate Patricia Winn who finished second in 1:18.58. 

In the 35.3 kilometer women's road cycling race, Fitzpatrick took first place with a time of 1:16.00 with Corazza finishing second in 1:17.14. 

2009 SERIES DETAILS
Anyone interested in competing and watching any part of the series which concludes with a championship race Sept. 26 at the U.S. Army Garrison in Hohenfels, Germany, can go to http://www.armedforcescycling.org/Regional/regional.htm.