May 23, 2005 - Tour of CT, Tour of Shenandoah

Dietrich Top Amateur Overall at Tour of CT, May 20-22

Fiordifrutta put in a strong showing in their home base of Connecticut, with the whole team riding powerfully in the three day event. Friday’s criterium in New Haven saw Fiordifrutta present at the front of the race, with Chris Rozdilsky and Josh Gewirtz covering many moves. Dan Timmerman got squeezed out in the sprint, but finished next to Dietrich inside the top twenty.

Saturday’s stage is probably the toughest circuit race in US racing, with a huge climb on each of the 15 laps for 8000 ft of climbing over 60 miles. Fiordifrutta riders stuck it out in the front group for most of the day, with Dietrich and Hamblen finishing 8th and 18th. Wong and Timmerman also climbed well and finished in the top 40.

Sunday’s 134 mile stage in cold, windy weather was a tough finish to this year’s event, and Fiordifrutta delivered Mike Dietrich to a strong finish in the front group to hold onto 9th place overall as the top amateur rider. Dietrich had flatted early in the stage, but with the help of Jon Hamblen and Johs Huseby, he was able to return to the field after a 15 minute team time trial effort. Wong, Timmerman, and Matt White also put in an great effort, with five Fiordifrutta riders making it to the finishing circuit in the front group after 115 miles.

You can read complete coverage on cyclingnews.com

Tour of Shenandoah, April 27 – May 1

While some of the team raced in Tour of the Gila out west, the east coast Fiordifrutta riders took on a great stage race down south. Matt White finished 10th Overall, while Hamblen, Cody, and White all made the podium for stage finishes

Stage 1 TT
Uphill time trial on Massanuten Mtn near Harrisonburg, VA. About 3 miles long, mostly uphill, the last 1.5 miles was steep. Fiordifrutta's three man squad of Mike Cody, Matt White, and Jonny Hamblen did their best to climb the hill as fast as they could. It wasn't fast enough, though, with Hamblen ending up 9th on the day.

Hamblen 3rd and Cody 4th in Stage 2 Harrisonburg Criterium
The second stage of this double stage day took place in historic Harrisonburg, the gem of the Shenandoah Valley. A super fast three corner criterium, the FdF boys launched many attacks throughout the race until Hamblen got away with two other riders with only eight laps remaining. Jon forgot his sprinting legs and his mechanic skills and was stuck sprinting in the 13... not enough gear to win on the fast finish stretch. Mike Cody had a much better day, taking the field sprint for 4th on the stage.

White 2nd in Stage 3 Staunton to Homestead
A 70 something mile jaunt from Beautiful Staunton into the hills of the valley and up one climb before descending towards the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, VA. The day was uneventful until the last 15 miles when the climb started. Fdf's Hamblen took the reins and led up the climb, snatching the KOM. On the way into Hot Springs Matt White left the bunch with a TIAA CREF rider and stayed out until the finish. With little knowledge of the race course and no radio to help him, Whitey was at a disadvantage to the TIAA rider. Matt ended up getting 2nd on the day and Jon sprinted in for 4th.

Stage 4 Homestead to Bedford
The longest day of the Tour at 102 miles brought cold rain for our three riders. The first climb out of Homestead woke up the legs, and warmed up riders, while the descent froze us solid again. At the base of descent the early break went away including our own Michael Cody. The field poked along for the next 60 miles and over the next 2 major climbs. Ten miles from the base of the final climb, the big climb, most of the break was back in the field and the pace picked up to try to catch the solo TIAA-CREF rider. As the ascent begin Jon Hamblen put in a vicious attack, but the cold had got the best of him, and he quickly realized that his pace would not continue. This left Matt White as the days strongest finisher, making the second group over the climb and descending into the town of Bedford, sprinting in for 15th place, and climbing a little higher in the overall.

Hamblen 3rd at Meadowmont Criterium Chapel Hill, NC, April 30th

After having quit the Tour of Shenandoah the previous day due to terribly cold rain, warm weather rider Jon Hamblen drove down to Chapel Hill for the Meadowmont Crit, held in the planned neighborhood of Meadowmont. Jon launched early in the race with Jon Wirsing (Snow Valley), Geri Mewitt( Hincapie Sports), Rafael Urzedowski (Navigators), A.T. Stamp (Hincapie Sports), and Shane Martin (Charlotte Sports). The group worked well together until Jon and Jon started attacking with about 10 laps to go. This dropped two riders and left a four man group, which lapped the field in the last 3 laps.

The Hincapie Sports team had the sheer numbers for a lead out and took the race around the last lap with Wirsing and Hamblen in tow. In the last corner Wirsing made a move on the inside of Geri and was met with a big meaty thigh, he managed to stay up but the two swerving riders pushed Hamblen to the outside of the corner. Hamblen couldn't regain speed and ended up 3rd.