Conference noted::bicycle

    When was it announced that the citizens race was going to be a
    roadrace?  Since in the past the citizens have raced the same course.
    
    Being just a spectator, I wished I could have watched all of the
    citizens races.  The finish was too confusing with the roadrace.
    A few people I talked to (who raced in teh citizens) were quite
    upset when they found out Sunday morning that it was a road race.

    
    The application for the race stated that the citizen race would
    be a road race. I had an application about a month before the race,
    so all along it was planned to be a road race. For those who were
    upset that the citizen's race wasn't a crit, I herad the organizer
    say that it was either going to be NO citizen race, or a road race.
    The insurance/liability for a citizen crit was given as the reason
    that a road race was chosen.
    
    Although the finish of the road race confused some people
    (they turned the wrong way...), the course in general was exceptionally
    easy to follow, with only 2 turns, and it was challenging! The
    8 miles of uphills, and 12 miles of downhills made for an interesting
    race! It helped to be prepared and ride the course beforehand ...
    
    Mark
    

    It's hard to imagine many people preferring a criterium over a road
    race, at least in citizen races!  I heard it was a nice course,
    although 8 miles uphill sounds pretty brutal.  
    
    Good job, Mark!  Looks like those scorching time trial results carry
    over to road races too.
    
    Now if only there were some TEAM DIGITAL jerseys in blue and white
    to wear in these races.  But that's a subject that's a subject for
    another note.
    

    I was wondering how/what/where the name came from for the race..I
    know a Tom Longsjo that works for DEC in Vegas and was wondering
    if any relation..
    

    re: .4
    
    The Longsjo Classic was named after Art Longsjo, a guy from Fitchburg
    who, back in the 50's, competed in both the winter Olympics in speed
    skating and the summer Olympics in cycling.
                                        
    He was killed driving home from a race in Canada in 1956, I think.
    
    His wife, Terry, works in the Learning Center in Andover, MA, but
    I don't know if your friend in Vegas is related.
    
    Kathy

    Thanks for the info..I got in touch with Tom and asked him about
    it and he did say that it was his brother that was killed..

    	I watched the CAT 1/2/Pro version this race Sunday. I'd
    	never been to any kind of cycle race before, so I enjoyed
    	it very much. Those cyclists really fly.
    
    	Winner of this class was Jeff Slack, I believe. Slack and
    	places 2 and 3 lapped the field before it was over. Slack
    	had a teammate who helped him the last half or so of the
    	race. Race distance was 50 miles.
    
    	Scott

    
     I also attented the races on Sunday from about 11:00 till the end
    of the Classic. This was my first time also to witness a race and
    I enjoyed myself immensly. I did witness the accident in the Cat
    3 race which did require an ambulance at the scene. I've been trying
    to find out if the rider was OK but haven't had any luck.
    
     I know of two Dec'ies who participated in Longsjo events. Do
    you guys care to comment at all on the races/racing, or whatever?
    
    George        
    

    	I raced in the Cat III race. this race was a crazey race. I
    just came up from the Cat IV.  I am racing with the Cat III, I though
    this Cat was going to better then the Cat VI. I was wrong. The Cat
    IV this year is riding Better then the Cat III. I had to use my
    Body weight to keep from being pushed off the road. They did not
    know how to keep there line. I stayed up in the front the  pak.
    the last Lap, second to last turn someone hit me from behind while
    I was in the turn I landed on someones wheel while going through
    the turn. That person held me up through the turn. I was very
    lucky that guy was strong enough to do that. But with that I lost
    a lot of places. I had to sprint up the hill passing as many people
    as I could I ended up getting 30TH place witch paid off $30.
    
    	That crash  the guy hit the sign I was in a small break-away
    I thought the offical should of not slowed us down, but just keep
    us to the left of the crash. Then when the car started to go again
    I ended in the middle of the pak. I had to fight my way back into
    place.
    	The CB team was a big team in our Cat They kept trying to box
    us in while sending there guys up in a break. They never got one
    together good enough to get a break away.
    	I was the one in yellow and black jersy PRO-BIKE
    
    
    Love My Trek
    Mike

    	1990 Fitchburg Classic is this Sunday in, where else,
    	Fitchburg, MA. I was there last year. Hotter than
    	Hades during the Pro/I/II race. Jeff Slack won. He's
    	retired, so...
    
    	I plan on being back there Sunday. Hope the nice weather
    	holds out.
    
    	Scott

    
     The citizen's race is Saturday, 6/30 and the Cat's are off Sunday,
    7/1.... I'll be doing the citizen's 30-39 age group..
    
      Chip

    	I called Mark Riordan last night. He's the contact list in
    	VeloNews.
    
    	He told me that the Citizen races will be Saturday (as
    	Chip mentioned), but they will be on a 3-mile loop at
    	the Wallace Civic Center on John Fitch Highway. These
    	races begin at noon.
    
    	The CAT races on Sunday will use the same course as last
    	year, in town. I believe they start at 9 AM. The Pro/CAT I
    	CAT II race begins at 2 PM.
    
    	Good riding Chip. What do you ride? I might see you there,
    	but I simply be observing.
    
    	Scott

      I'm lookin' forward to it. I'll be in the 30-39 age group...
    
      One main complaint is that the course for the citizen's races
      has been changed every year for the last 4 years...
    
      I understand that there is a climb at the beginning, but the rest
      of the route is gonna be very fast. Plus Rindge Road is crater-city.
      I'm not looking forward to that stretch.
    
      P.S. I haven't done it since the road race two years, a real mess....
    
    
          Chip

     There was a fairly strong DEC presence at the Citizen's Longsjo
    last Saturday.
    
     A big congratulations to Charlie Schnare for smokin' the 40+ category
    (hope I didn't reveal something I shouldn't have). He cruised in a good
    70-100 yds. ahead of the pack.
    
     The course was a litte demanding. It started spitting a little during
    my race (30-39), but it was still fun. Nice lung/leg burn on that 3
    hill series. There were some real squirrels in that pack too. Pretty
    scary guys weaving in and out, carelessly jockying around, not holding
    lines. You really had to pay attention in that lead pack. We smoked
    over the finish line (40mph) on the last run. Part of the course was
    like the Paris-Roubaix. Extremely rough, craggy, holes... here's where
    there was weavin'. I just grabbed the bars and ran in a straight line
    hopin' I didn't flat out or hit a foxhole. I really thought it would
    have been a small lead pack, but it stayed together until the last
    loop and the lead pack dissolved to about 15-20.
    
     Still a blast, can't wait 'till next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
       Chip
    

    	I thought the name Charlie Schnare sounded familiar, but I
    	didn't know why.
    
    	I watched Chip race. He was at the front the entire race, due
    	to my cheering him on, no doubt 8-)>. Pretty impressive, what
    	with the hills, etc.
    
    	CAT I, II race yesterday went well until 35 or 40 laps. Then,
    	it started raining hard. A lot of fellas decided to save
    	themselves and abandoned. Wise move, I believe. Took my oldest
    	daughter (16), who was quite impressed with all the nice,
    	shaved legs and well-muscled bodies. Lord knows, she never
    	sees either at home 8-)>.
    
    	First Place:	? Post	(Not list with other riders)
    	Second Place: 	Peter Vollers	NE Cab Door	Ithaca, NY
    	Third Place:	Jeff Rutter	Bolla Wine	Macungie, PA
    
    	Scott	

Saturdays Fitchburg -  Citizens RR

The day started out cloudy and about 65F, cool and damp with a slight Northeast
wind.

I went out and did a 15 mi warm up ride at a brisk pace. Actually a nature call
put me a little behind schedule and I got back to the start/finish line with
5 minutes to spare. 

I was competing in the 41+ age group. Our race was the second group off, we had
four laps to do on a 3 mi circuit RR course. The course start out on a gentle
downhill, then a sharp right turn into a significant hill. Top of the hill
there are a number of turns then a long straight slightly up hill section,
another sharp right turn then a long gentle downhill past the start/finish
line.
                                      
The race, about 30-35 folks went to the line in my age group. My strategy was
to try and arrive at the first turn alone then blast up the hill. Well I got to
the first turn first, then blasted up the hill and was passed by another rider
about 2/3's of the way up. We had a group of 7 together and away from the main
field. We stayed together one complete lap then I did the same thing all over
again. Into the turn then blasted the hill. I open up about 200 yds or a 10-15
second lead on the chase group of 6 behind me. At this point I had 8 mi to go 
and I decided to try and make this lead stick and ride by myself the rest of
the race in time trial mode. I was lucky and made it stick crossing the line
with a 10 second lead to take the win.


Marion Garver from the DEC Hudson facility won the women's race in pretty much
the same fashion that I won mine. I got a bigger kick watching her win because
I could really relate to the effort it take to stay away by yourself with the
bunch behind you.


Well run event, the course had a little of everything, hills, 4 tight turns
and some nice down hill sections.




/Charlie

                                                              
                                                                 

    Luckily, the rain held off for the Cat III race.  I can't imagine
    those two corners at the bottom of the course in the rain.  They
    felt greasy even when they were dry.
    
    Nothing major happened.  No major breaks.  Some killer attacks,
    tho!  I contested one prime for 50 bucks....4 riders to slow though.
    
    They paid 30 deep and I was sure I was in the money until 2 laps
    to go, there was a crash up outside/front of the pack.  I lost all
    kinds of places after a whiteknuckled brake squeeze.  Ended up
    somewhere in the top 35-45 places.  (125 Cat III's).
    
    Jim

    	Jim,
    
    	I got to the circuit just about ten laps from the end of the
    	CAT III race. You shoulda mentioned you'd be riding. We
    	coulda yelled and screamed at you and prodded you on.
    
    	Scott

    HI
    	I was in that cat III race. I kept away from those crashes. I tried
    for one of those fifty dollar prime. but could not take one. I ended up
    in tenth place it paid off 65 dollar. I like that course alot. can't
    wait till next year to try again.
    
    Mike/cyclonauts/pro-bike

    
    	Congrats to Charlie and Marion...good job you two...
        
    	As for the Cat I/II race...Peter Vollers is a name that may
    	be heard from on the Pro Tour some day...This guy has taken
    	a 1st and a 2nd in the NCAA Championships the past two year.
    	He is now moving up the USCF ranks and making a bid to join
    	a pro team next season.
    
        First Place:	? Post	(Not list with other riders)
    	Second Place: 	Peter Vollers	NE Cab Door	Ithaca, NY
    	Third Place:	Jeff Rutter	Bolla Wine	Macungie, PA
        
    	Newc

    Does anyone have results from any of the Longsjo races this past
    weekend?
    
    Kathy

    	Kathy,
    
    	You'll have to check in CASEE::CYCLE_RACING. There's
    	a note in there with some of the results.
    
    	Scott