THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 22, 1994 TAG: 9407200160
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOHN GORDON, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
You can teach an old dog new tricks, and Chesapeake's Gerald Teeuwen is the first to admit it.
Teeuwen captured a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games at Roanoke last weekend for the 20-mile bicycle race for the 55-60 age group with a time of 49 minutes and 26 seconds.
``It wasn't much of an effort,'' he said modestly.
However, he admitted that part of the secret may have been his new bicycle. This was a shock to local bicycle enthusiasts who have always regarded Teeuwen as a traditionalist.
``If you're going to change, do it right,'' he said. ``These new bicycles have better technology, and I just made a step in the right direction.
``In fact, I don't know how I rode that old bike so long.''
Teeuwen wasn't the only bicycle race winner with a Chesapeake connection. Lynn Sullivan took a gold medal in a 40-mile race with a time of one hour and 53 minutes.
A former resident of Chesapeake, Sullivan is a physical therapist who lives in Richmond. She has been gone from here two or three years, according to Teeuwen, but Sullivan still calls Chesapeake home.
BIKE RACES RESUME: The Tidewater Bicycle Association is resurrecting a race series here later this month and August that will serve as training events for area riders.
Pam Zimmerman, race promoter, says the action will be at the Greenbrier Industrial Park on Woodlake Drive on July 31 and Aug. 21 for three public classes and three licensed divisions.
``It's a good location because we don't have to shut down any major streets,'' she said. ``And we picked up a couple of vacant dates.''
The TBA held a similar summer series for several years, but did not have it last year. Other clubs started doing low-key training races, and the local group decided to resume its activity.
Zimmerman says the public events, which start at 10 a.m., will include a category for those under 19, those over 30 and an open race. And there will be a special prize for the first woman finisher.
Licensed racing will begin at noon. Fees are $12 and helmets are required.
FIRECRACKERS PLACE SECOND: The Chesapeake Firecrackers 16-and-under softball team won a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games at Roanoke last weekend.
Coach Christi Childress' charges had a 5-1 record and finished behind Richmond's Screaming Eagles. Rain canceled a chance for the Firecrackers to play Richmond in a playoff contest.
The Firecrackers dropped the first tourney game to Richmond, 10-6, but came back to beat Irby's All Stars of Roanoke, 26-5, the Roanoke Mustangs, 24-1, Chesapeake's Twisters, 11-1, the Churchland Truckers, 10-6, and the Tidewater Stars, 15-2.
Jaynene Allen led the Firecrackers at the plate by slugging five home runs. Andi Baswell, Anna Oliver and Jennifer O'Brien all hit over .500 for the tournament.
Next tourney for the local club will be an ASA event, which will be in the Tidewater area Saturday. by CNB