Housatonic Valley Classic (Stage 5) Results

McCORMACK WINS THE TOUR OF CT

Torrential Downpour Splinters the Field

Danbury, CT (May 23, 2004) - Mark McCormack, Colavita Olive Oil Cycling Team won the Tour of Connecticut with a total of 101 points, besting Charles Dionne, Webcor Builders, and Shawn Milne, Fior di Frutta.

The final stage of the TOC began under sunny skies and high humidity and finished under a torrential downpour peppered with thunder and lightning.   Only 25 finished out of 150 starters.   The pack made it into downtown Danbury for the 14 finishing laps after completing 80 miles around Candlewood Lake Park before the deluge.

Horner and Dominique Perras, Team Ofoto and King of the Mountain winner, charged into town ahead of the group by over 2 minutes with 14 laps to go.   With each lap, the peleton closed the gap slightly, but lacked the power or conviction to reel the two back in.   With seven to go, they closed to just over a minute, but could not shorten the gap.   Lightening and thunder started to threaten as Horner made a successful break and dropped Perras as the skies opened.   With slick roads and visibility cut, it became every man for himself.   After Horner, Dionne placed second and Ciaran Power, Navigators Insurance came in third for the stage.  

McCormack remained strong throughout the tour and came in fourth in Danbury solidifying his overall win.   McCormack now turns his attention to the USPRO race June 6, where he will defend his championship title in peak form.  

WOMEN'S CRITERIUM

Also in Danbury, 34 women out of   51 finished the Housatonic criterium race.   Lauren Franges, Victory Brewing, and Katheryn Curi, Rona, broke away from the start and worked on widening the gap from 30 seconds to an eventual two minutes before racing away with the win.   Lauren Van Gilder came in third.

JUNIORS

Racing for premiums ranging from water bottles, cash and cheesecake, 25 under 18 year old boys raced their own criterium.   At lap eight, a four man break succeeded in getting away and put almost three minutes on the group.   Elliot Gaunt, Main Line, Kirk Carlsen and Michael Wickman, both of Peerless/HNECC, finished 1,2,3.