THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 22, 1995 TAG: 9509200170
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY XIAOHONG ZHANG SWAIN, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Despite a continuous rain and gusts of chilly wind, the Chesapeake Crit Challenge cycling event drew more than 90 riders to Greenbrier Industrial Park Sunday.
The event featured nine criterium races, which followed a mile-long circuit on Woodlake Circle. The distance of the races ranged from 10 to 30 miles. Riders came from throughout Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland.
The Tidewater Bicycle Association has organized many similar races at the Woodlake Circle site, said Pam Zimmerman, who directed the event.
The race course is suited to criterium races because of its flat surface and easy isolation from traffic.
``There would be twice as many riders if the weather was good,'' said Zimmerman.
The rain caused frequent flat-tire troubles. A few riders dropped out in the middle of a race, worn down by the bad weather and by the fast pace. One cyclist, who slid off the road on his own and crashed, received minor cuts on his arm.
Jonathan Nisbet, 18, of Greenbrier endured the wet day and finished two races. Without much difficulty, he won the 18-mile Junior 15-18 age group race with a time of 49:06.
``It was pretty easy,'' said Nisbet. ``There were only two guys that I had to watch for.''
But the Seniors 1-2-3 race was more of a challenge for Nisbet. He didn't place in it.
``It's a lot harder,'' said Nisbet, a member on the racing team of the Tidewater Bicycle Association. ``There were a lot of breaks.''
The 30-mile Seniors 1-2-3 race was the last race and the highlight of the event. It went with the fastest pace and had the largest group of competitors. After intense breaks and chases, 19-year-old John Hamblen of Manassas reached the finish line first in 1:09:36.
``I'm feeling on top of the world,'' said an all-smiles Hamblen. ``I have won four races so far this year.''
Hamblen has raced for Race Pace Biz, a Baltimore-based cycling team, for two years.
``We have come to this area six or seven times this year,'' Hamblen said. ``It's a good area to race.''
Hamblen's teammate Nima Ebrahimnejad, who was on the Iranian Olympic team at the 1992 Olympics, also praised the Crit Challenge's course.
After two flat tires, 27-year-old Kirby Newman of Richmond still managed to place second.
``I was so determined,'' said Newman. ``I wanted to win so badly.''
Beth Leasure of St. James, Md., was the only female rider among 27 males in the Seniors 1-2-3 race.
``I didn't think I was going to race today,'' said Leasure who finished the race among the last pack of riders. Leasure, who has done a lot racing in Europe and is currently a member of Von Schilt, a Dutch women's racing team, explained that racing with men is a lot more dangerous than racing with women.
``I crashed with men before,'' she said. ``It hurts more (than crashing with women).''
``It was a good race,'' said riders to Pam Zimmerman at the end of the event.
A total of $2,500 cash prizes were awarded to race winners. Trophies were awarded to Capt. Lloyd Goodbred of the Chesapeake Police Department, City Councilman Alan P. Krasnoff and Tim Kerr, provost of the Chesapeake campus of Tidewater Community College, for winning the first three places in the one-mile celebrity race. by CNB