May 21, 2001 (Boston) Three big races into the new season
and a sweep of wins are piling up for Team Harpoon / International
/ Dried Plums. This wonıt be your typical press release yes
weıll cover results, but then youıll hear from the racers themselves.
The team fielded over 35 racers for the first stop on the New
England Championship Series in Burrilville, RI (the Spring Boogie).
Besides providing a revolving billboard on the course for our
sponsors, those 36 racers served up 2 wins and 12 top ten finishes
in the 30 mile race (thatıs a long one for the first race of
the season). Scott Smith from International won the Sport senior
II race and Joselle Crandall (right) won the Sport Senior I
womens race on a grinder of a course complete with plenty of
rocks, roots and a river crossing. Christine Hagg finished 2nd
in the Beginner Womenıs race.
Joselle won again at the Turner Hill Classic on May 13, 2001
winning the Massachusetts State Championship in the Sport
Open Womenıs class. Jacob Ringquist (right) won the menıs 14
and under Massachusetts State Championship. Ben Moody, pictured
at left, finished 2nd in the pro/expert race. Team Harpoon /
International fielded 26 racers and 15 top ten finishes on a
course that featured four tough climbs and four screaming descents.
Two of New Englandıs top developing riders are on the team
Nate Ringquist and Damon Parke continue to push each other and
finished 5th and 6th respectively in the Expert class.
Team Harpoon / International cleaned up at the 2nd stop on
the New England Championship Series 15 racers, 12 top ten
finishes and four wins at the Watershed Wahoo! Ben Moody set
an impossible pace in the Pro/Expert race, winning by six minutes.
Dave Currie (pictured at right) and Kalle Karu also set a blistering
pace (averaging over 12 mph for the race) and finished 1st and
3rd in the Sport Class. Whitney Brown won the Beginner Womenıs
race and Jon McNeill (left) won the Clydesdales race.
The downhillers are putting up great results too, with 3 top
ten finishes in the first downhill race of the season at Plattekill,
NY. Jody Stoddard finished 6th in the pro class. Jody had a
big moment when he came out of the woods onto the fast grass
section. The landing threw the rear of his bike high into the
air, with out missing a beat, he let the rear float to the right
while ridding just the front wheel setting himself up for the
next left turn, then blasting off down the course. Allen Myers
finished 8th in his first sport race. He ran a very fast and
consistent race, making up great time in the fast open sections.
Last year he finished 8th in his first race and went on to claim
first overall. Hopefully he can do the same thing again this
year. Newcomer Tommy Zarr put in a smoking run with a time of
4 minutes, 3 seconds to finish 5th in a very competitive class.
Team Rage / Harpoon / International is the racing team from
New Englandıs largest mountain bike club. Last year, the club
launched Team Harpoon, a mountain bike racing team with a unique
approach to grass roots racing: anyone in the club is welcome
to race for the team from beginners to experts and pros. All
have first-come, first-serve access to sponsorships. In itıs
first-ever season of racing in 2000, Team Rage / Harpoon scored
two New England Championships, a 24-hour win, the Rhode Island
Cup, 30 first place finishes and 35 top three finishes.
Team Rage / Harpoon / International competes on Gary Fisher
bicycles with support from International Bicycle Centers, Pedros,
Bell, Santa Cruz and Panaracer. Riders are fueled by New Englandıs
finest microbrew Harpoon and by the best in all-natural energy
foods California Dried Plums.
Founded in 1986, the Harpoon Brewery distributes its locally
brewed products throughout the Northeast. The Harpoon Brewery's
line of craft beer features nine year-round beers, including
its signature Harpoon I.P.A., and four special seasonal selections.
In June 2000, the Harpoon Brewery purchased the Catamount Brewery
in Windsor, Vermont. For information on Brewery Tours and events,
call 1-888-HARPOON or visit their website at www.harpoonbrewery.com.
International Bicycle Centers in the Boston-areaıs largest
bicycle retailer and has locations in Brighton and Newton, Massachusetts.
International features Gary Fisher, Trek, Santa Cruz, Klein,
Specialized, LeMond, Merlin, Independent Fabrications, Pedros
and other top brands. Visit them at www.internationalbike.com.
Racer Monologues:
I completed my very first mountain bike race at the Spring
Boogie with a 9th place finish in the Senior II Expert class.
As a convalescing competitive runner, I believed that runners
were a masochistic breed. That is until I experienced the blood
and carnage of mountain bike racing. You guys are sick!
Barton Jennings
Okay, so I thought I was sandbagging in Sport Vet. And for
2 laps I was. If I wasn't in the lead, I was definitely top
3. Then after the first "climb" in lap 3 I bonked HARD. To make
a long story short, the thought of another 2 laps like that
was inconceivable. I was looking for a place to bail. The fat
guys in t-shirts started flying past me. The mid pack women
(vets? God please, no!) smoked by. And then, the impossible.
Doug Hoch comes chugging along. He was hurting as well. We were
about half way through lap 3 and agreed we would both bail out
at the car. But when the time came, I guess we just forgot,
or were waiting for the other guy to bail first. So, in an act
of sheer stupidity we suffered through the last lap. I thought
that I had to be hallucinating, Doug Hoch in front of me in
the final lap of a race??!! Anyway, I wouldn't have finished
if not for Doug. He pulled me through the last lap and a half.
I thanked him by smoking his ass in the last 1/4 mile and putting
a few seconds between us at the line. I must say though, hanging
on and finishing like that was much more rewarding than any
race I've won.
Dale Stephanos
I walked up to registration and decided to try my luck at
the Clydedale class (for guys over 200 lbs.). The lady taking
registrations looks at me, looks at the scale, then looks at
me again. "Iım supposed to weigh everyone", she says, "but I
donıt need to weigh you." Ouch. I was so ticked, I won the next
race. She was all the motivation I needed.
Jon
