Mountain Bike, Cyclo-Cross and Senior Games Race Stuff

Written by Bob Lecznar | 08 December 2010

MOUNTAIN BIKE, CYCLO-CROSS, and SENIOR GAMES RACE STUFF 

The GearLink Racing Machine just keeps motoring along with continued success.

First, in Mountain Biking news:   Geri Laverty and Tony Timonere took the week off.  No, not to rest and recover, but to race Cyclo-cross at the State Championships at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City.  They were joined by teammates Scott Atkins and Kelby Roberts who turned in strong performances and earned some well-deserved podium time for GearLink Racing.    

In Saturday’s pre-championship races SCOTT ATKINS pulled off a 3^rd place Podium finish in the Men’s 35+ race, with teammate KELBY ROBERTS close behind in 6^th place. 

 TONY TIMONERE missed a win by a hair in the Men’s B Cat 3/4 race, as he stormed to a 2^nd place Podium finish.

In the team relay event the threesome of TONY TIMONERE, KELBY ROBERTS, and “temporary” GearLinker DARREN DOWLING (Editor-in-chief of Florida Cycling Magazine) destroyed all comers to finish 1^st  overall.  Super fantastic!

I’ve got to say that even this wordsmith is running out of superlatives to describe just how awesome the GearLink guys’ and gals’ results have been throughout the year, both on and off-road.  Nice job everyone!

In the Sunday State Championship race SCOTT ATKINS turned in another great performance, finishing 4^th.  KELBY ROBERTS finished strong again with a 9^th.  In the Women’s A’s (Cat 1-3) GERI LAVERTY pedaled past all but one of her competitors on her way to a great 2^nd place finish.  And TONY TIMONERE followed up his impressive Saturday results with a strong 5^th place finish in the Men’s B’s (Cat 3/4).

Stay tuned for next week’s Race News in which we will report the results from this weekend’s Florida State MTB Series finale, where Geri and Tony travel to Santos Florida with hopes of more podium fame and glory for the GearLink Racing team.

Meanwhile in other bike racing news, GearLink’s “Italian Stallion”, JOE BECCHETTI, reports from the Florida Senior Games in Cape Coral that he has officially qualified for the National Senior Olympics as the result of his solid finishes in Tuesday’s time trials.  Competing against State Qualifier participants from all over Florida, Joe turned in a spectacular 2^nd place finish in Tuesday’s first TT.  Joe battled the very chilly weather (about 38 degrees at race time) and blustery north winds to best all other comers except for the I-am-not-human Dave Viney.

Although Joe’s second place finish secured his spot in the Nationals which will take place in Houston next June, Joe decided to take another stab at victory and did the second TT about an hour after the first, finishing in 4^th place.  That makes Joe DOUBLY Nationals-eligible.  Two great finishes.  Congratulations Joe.  You rock!

Tomorrow, Joe and I will compete in the final cycling competitions of the Senior Games, two Road Races.  With a race-time temperature predicted to be about 51 degrees, and a 50% chance of rain, and 13 mph winds out of the north, tomorrow’s races won’t be for the faint of heart.  But Joe and I hope to carry on what seems to be a GearLink standard of a “podium-per-race”.  No pressure.  Joe and I will just stay focused on WWJD (What would JARED do?).

Wish us luck!

As always, yours in biking,

Bob Lecznar (Cat. 6 Extraordinaire)