Fiordifrutta Cycling Team – Upcoming Events

Jiminy Peak RR 5/1/2004 Pittsfield MA
Whitcomb Hill RR 5/2/2004 Pittsfield MA

Sterling RR 5/8/2004 Sterling MA
Lime Rock RR,TTT 5/9/2004 Lakeville CT

Tour CT Sun 5/16/2004 Torrington CT

Tour of CT Thurs 5/20/2004 Lime Rock CT
Tour of CT Fri 5/21/2004 New Haven CT
Tour of CT Sat 5/22/2004 Waterbury CT
Tour of CT Sun 5/23/2004 Danbury CT

The Fiordifrutta Cycling Team has forged many interesting out of industry relationships with some of it’s sponsors. Yoozed.com is one of these; they have joined us for 2004 and are involved with the cycling culture not only as a sponsor of our high level amateur team, but also as people who ride.

Matt Solar, CEO and Co –Founder, is currently raising money to support the Jimmy Fund while he and a partner train to ride in the Pan-Mass Challenge, an event for the whole cycling community. This ride from mainland Mass to the outer cape spanning 200 miles raises more money than any other sporting charity. More information can be gathered here. While checking www.yoozed.com you can always reach our team’s website by clicking on the link at the bottom of the home page.

The spring race season is in full swing so the race reports are coming thick and fast. Mike D. writes about another in his string of second place results in Arizona, while Phil Wong writes about the New England squad getting on the podium at a circuit race in Plymouth Massachusetts.

Dietrich 2nd at Collosal Cave Road Race, April 18

The race started out pretty fast as a break was trying to form early on. I just wanted to sit in and try to be patient for once. A few attacks would go and stay away for a little bit but nothing seemed to be working. I had made a few attempts but was quickly covered or chased down. A legitimate break finally formed containing maybe 8 guys. They quickly gained about a minute as the tough course had shrunk the field almost to half. With 18 miles to go, I decided that I needed to make a move and make it stick if I wanted to try to close the 1.5 minute gap to the front 8. I attacked on Pistol Hill around the halfway point and managed to get a good gap, Ted King was not far behind and we ended up working together. We brought the gap to 30 seconds then I went on my own to close the final 30 seconds. I managed to make contact with 6 miles to go. I thought since I had beaten Mike Lange in a 2 up sprint at the Superior Criterium, I could beat him again. I waited for the sprint but I was leading it out up the climb. I decided to hit my brakes and let him go in front. He started his sprint and I couldn't close the gap and managed to get second. Live and learn I guess.

Wong 3rd at Adelphia Grand Prix, April 18

The Fiordifrutta team showed up with six riders for the Adelphia Grand Prix. In attendance were Curt Davis, Donny Mills, Johs Huseby, Rob Hult, Peter Hult and myself. After a short warm-up and race tactic discussions we were off. There was a lot of attacking and counter attacking from the gun as usual. But we made sure we were represented in all moves, with Donny Mills covering lot of early breaks. After I started warming up, I made a few attacks also.

Finally with about 40 miles to go, I got in a break with Mark McCormack (Colavita-Bolla) and Jesse Anthony (ECV). As Mills and Davis patrolled the front, the three of us up front had a good gap after a few laps. So we just kept trading pulls and riding hard, real hard. This went on for the rest of the race. But in the mean time Peter got in a chase group and kept an eye on things. With 1.5 laps remaining McCormack showed his strength and rode away from Jesse and I on the 2.5 mile circuit. We tried to chase but we couldn't put a dent in the gap he got. I sprinted in for third while McCormack took the win and Anthony in second. Peter came in for fifth with the chase holding off the main field. The rest of the boys rolled in soon after, with Davis taking second in the field sprint.

Dietrich 2nd at Mt. Humboldt Road Race, March 13

Mike writes the following race report from this race in sunny Arizona:

Josh Gewirtz and I woke up to do the race at 5 am since all races in Arizona start early because of the heat. We arrived 5 minutes before the start but luckily got in. The race started and immediately went uphill. The field was going really slow and there was already a group up the road so I decided to go. I managed to bridge across and started working.

The group was whittled down to 4 of us at the turn around point, but we missed the turn around and lost at least a full minute. Once we realized we missed it, we started going very hard to try to gain the time gap back up. The final 10 miles consisted of 5 miles of very poor dirt roads and a 5 mile 12 percent climb. I underestimated the climb and attacked my breakaway companions, attempting to go solo the last 8 miles since I knew local strongman Drew Miller was coming from the field. I managed to get away from the break with a large gap going up the climb but I cracked at one mile to go and Drew Miller caught and passed me. I ended up holding on for second, 50 seconds down on Drew, but was disappointed that I couldn't hold on for the win. Josh ended up riding to a top 10 as well. Check out the pictures of me, the prize, and Josh.

Pete Hult Sprints to 2nd at Tufts Criterium, April 3

Pete wrote the following race report:

I met Phil Wong in the parking lot and we proceeded to compare the length of our blossoming mullets while putting on our cherry red team kit. The weather was typical for a New England early spring race: cloudy and in the low 40’s. The 45-lap course was a one kilometer loop with 6 turns, a short steep climb, and a few cobblestone walkways were also thrown into the mix. Phil and I got on the line after doing our warm-ups without a distinct plan in mind other than to race smart. The first 30 minutes or so we shared the work of making sure one of us was in any respectable move, but nothing stuck. Finally about half way through the race, a move started and Phil, having just covered a bunch of attacks, looked at me and asked, “Are you gonna cover that?” I mustered up some motivation and charged off. This turned out to be a wise call on Phil’s part, because this was the break that stuck to the end.

The break had 4 guys in it, and then Larry Perera (Mathis Bros.-Sharper Image) was soloing off the front up ahead. Andrew Knight (Louis Garneau Racing) and myself did the brunt of the work, and we reeled in Larry before long. With 2 laps to go, I decided I’d rather not see this come down to a five-man sprint, because I was sure to get 5th. So, I punched it at the top of the little climb and only Adam Hodges-Myerson (Mathis Bros.-Sharper Image) held on to my wheel. I dragged him around for the next lap, and once again tried to shake him on the small rise, but he held on and tore around me for the win. Meanwhile, Phil patrolled the field for the second half of the race, and then escaped with Ken Dille (ECV) and Jason Baer (Louis Garneau Racing) at the end of the race to snag 6th place. All in all, it was a good time and a respectable start to the season.

Hamblen’s Adventures in Georgia, April 17-18

Perry Roubaix Time Trial and Criterium

The prestigious Perry Roubaix Omnium included a time trial, criterium, and road race (which the team did not enter due to the lengthy drive back to NC). The racing took place in Perry, Georgia, home of Georgia's state agricultural fairgrounds, which served as the location of the start/finish for the time trial. The Fair Society was holding a preliminary sheep sheering and showing competition in the Sheep/Swine building which served as the bathroom facilities for both racers and shepherds. The TT was a 9.5 mile out and back course on rolling highway that was exposed to wind and the expelled gas of hundreds of frightened sheep. Most riders used high tech time trial machines to gain the most aerodynamic advantage, however, Fiordifrutta's Jon Hamblen was looking for a real workout and shunned the use of aero equipment, preferring instead to ride a normal bike with no aero equipment at all. Jon finished in 4th place 30 seconds down on the winner Jake Rosenbarger of Jittery Joe's who was riding a Cannondale time trial bike.

The next race was held in downtown Perry on a flat, four corner .5 mile course. In the Criterium all eyes were on Hamblen as he had set the fastest normal bike time earlier in the day, as well as having won the last criterium in the region with a devastating field sprint. The race started fast as Jon attacked early, only to be chased down by the entire field who then sat up as the race's overall leader attacked and rode just off the front of the group, this same scenario continued the entire race. Hamblen, believing that he had mistakenly entered the women's race sat up several times to turn around and make sure he was in the men's Pro field.

Luckily for the group Jon was just trying to get in a good workout and prepare for the upcoming Athen's criterium, Jon easily chased down Jake each time attacked, then countered his own hard chase. The field would not let him go, though, and Hamblen had to be happy with a field sprint, which he was confident in winning. However, the other riders having seen Jon's sprint out of the last turn on many occasions during the race, decided to make it difficult for him in the last three turns. Jon was swarmed with three turns to go and pushed back to a less than desirable place for the sprint, being about ten riders back with no chance for a win and a high probability of crashing, he sat up and rolled in. A horrible result, but a good workout and fine tuning for the next Saturday's big event.

Hamblen Wins Rock Hill Criterium, April 3

Rock Hill, SC, The first Crit of the year in the Carolina's, a challenging test for riders on a 9 mile course with several turns and a small hill ( I don't think this is the hill referred to in the city's name, Rock Hill, but it is a hill nonetheless ). The race started fast and stayed fast all day, many riders tried to escape including Scottie Weiss (Yost Racing), Joey D'Antonio (Cycles de Oro), Chris Harkey (Bianchi-Hincapie Sports), and Diego Garavito (Outdoor Lighting). Meanwhile, our boy Hamblen put in the attacks for Fiordifrutta on nine or ten occasions.

Jon rode solo a number of times and with small group several times during the forty lap, 36 mile race. With twelve to go Hamblen went away with Andy Applegate (Cane Creek, former part-time New Englander), the two rode steadily sixteen seconds ahead of the field for ten laps until they were caught by three others and soon the field. Jon stayed in the top three for the remainder of the race, giving riders a feel of his bony elbows each time they tried to steal his spot, he held strong and waited. With two turns to go, Diego from Outdoor Lighting made a jump and got a small gap on the rest, Hamblen waited. In the last turn a Colavita-Bolla rider tried to jump up to Diego, Hamblen got on his wheel and waited. It was a headwind up the finish stretch, so, the field led by the Colavita guy quickly caught and past the Outdoor Lighting rider who was blowing up in the last two-hundred meters, Hamblen waited. One hundred meters to go and Jon jumped hard, passed the Colavita dude and took the field sprint win!

Marblehead Circuit Race, April 4

Johs Huseby writes this report:
Phil Wong, Pete Hult and I were there to represent Fiordifrutta. I almost missed the race because of the time change and luckily there was minimal traffic which allowed me to scoot to the venue in a very short time. I changed in the car as I was driving up, unpacked my bike from the trunk of the car, registered, pinned my number and rolled to the start - a classic Curt Davis warm-up. The race started out pretty easy and within a couple of laps I ended up in a break of seven. It lasted for about 4 or 5 laps and then we got joined by 10 to 15 more, but were soon swallowed by the field. A couple of other small breaks tried to escape without luck - with one of the three of us in every move. Finally with a few laps to go, I got to the front and let the boys from Mathis Bros do the majority of the work. Just before the final kilometer - Mark McCormack jumped and was able to hold off the field and I was in decent position, but ended up only in 7th. Phil and Pete were not far behind. Then the rain started falling - we did a short warm down and then got into our warm clothes for the drive home. Welcome to the 2004 New England kick-off!

Mike Dietrich writes the following reports from sunny Arizona:

Dietrich 6th at Superior Road Race, April 3

The superior RR was a super hilly 64 mile course with 2 KOM's and a few pretty big climbs. I attacked and took the first KOM. After that I sat up for a while, not paying attention, and a break of 5 got away early. Basically after the break went a few guys made some attacks but no one wanted to chase. I was getting frustrated because the break was gaining huge time and we were riding about 20mph. Every time anyone would try to get away the whole field would follow. After a little bit of this I was angry and decided that I didn't wake up at 5:00 am to ride 20 mph, so I pulled, a lot. One other guy and I chased for about 45 miles bringing the break back on the final climb. I ended paying for my time on the front and could only manage a 6th place finish. I did get a good workout though!

Dietrich Wins Superior Collegiate Criterium, April 4th

My first collegiate criterium was 40 minutes long and a pretty technical hard crit course. There was a good climb that I knew would have an effect on the race. The course was really wet from the rain which I thought would make it really dangerous since there was a downhill turn into a road that was no wider than a pickup truck. I went right from the start, had a gap on the first turn into the climb and went with it. The race turned into a 40 minute TT effort. I lapped the field and went right through since I thought it would be safer and came within 5 seconds of lapping the field a second time taking my first collegiate win.

Dietrich 3rd at Superior Criterium (Pro/1/2), April 4th

I was pretty toast from the collegaite race which ended about 10 minutes before the start of the PRO12 race. The first lap started and I nearly got dropped. I eventually recovered and made it to the front a couple laps later. I saw a dangerous break go and I knew I had to go so I went as hard as I could go and managed to barely make it across. There were 6 of us, we lapped the field and took off again. I didn't do much work since I did enough pulling the day before and was really tired from the collegiate race. Two guys managed to stay away and I took the sprint for 3rd!