July 9, 2005 - Fitchburg

Strong Riding at Fitchburg Allows Fiordifrutta to Put Four Riders in the Top Twenty, July 2-5th

Fitchburg, MA – The 45th annual Fitchburg Longsjo Classic saw top riders from around the nation converge on central Massachusetts in hopes of garnering some National Racing Calendar points and a share of the $18,000 men’s prize list. Friday’s time trial saw Jon Hamblen and Mike Dietrich put in solid riders against the clock for 15th and 19th spots respectively. Saturday’s 75 mile circuit ended in a field sprint, but Peter Hult, Phil Wong spent time off the front representing Fiordifrutta.

Sunday’s queen stage was 100 miles with a climb to the top of Wachusett Mountain Ski Area for the finish. Hamblen took advantage of the battle between the Navigators and Colavita pro teams, and was able to ride aggressively for the last third of the race, ending up in 4th spot on the day. Hult, Dietrich, and Wong all climbed well at the finish for 13th, 14th, and 21st places. Monday’s criterium did not see many changes in the overall classification, and Josh Gewirtz jumped into many moves to make his mark on the race. The Fiordifrutta boys ended up in 5th, 13th, 14th, and 19th spots in the overall classification, making it known once again that they are the premier amateur team in the nation.