June
'03- iOmega/Orbea controls RR, Ransom takes stage and
GC
iOmega/Orbea's Eric Ransom finished off a near-perfect weekend
with a win in the Eagle Road Race to become the 2003 Tour
of Eagle champion. It was the work of his iOmega/Orbea squad
that made it happen, pulling back multiple attacks on the
last day and keeping a lid on the active peloton to deliver
Ransom to the line, where he nipped George's star Eric Rumps
for the stage. Ransom entered
the day with a healthy, but not easily defended, lead of
about 30 seconds over Rumps and 36 seconds over Lactic Acid's
Kelly Williamson. The day's course was rolling near the
start/finish area but almost pancake flat for the other
52 miles, made up of four laps in North Eagle. With little
wind, the speeds were fast and the attacks persistent, making
life a little tougher for iOmega/Orbea workhorses Tad Hamilton,
Chris Abbruzzese, and Justin Mayfield.
From Jason Dykstra's glorious return
on Friday night, to Ransom's scorching TT, to the hotly
contested final sprint in Sunday's road race, the 2003 Tour
of Eagle was never marked by a dull moment. In the end,
Iomega/Orbea rode a virtually flawless three days and the
crafty Ransom was opportunistic, grabbing a 2nd and two
1st place finishes for the weekend to bring the title to
his team and its Director Gary Casella. Strong rides were
had by many as the Tour of Eagle continued its growth into
Boise's premier Stage Race. Congrats and thanks to all who
played a part in making the race a success. <read
entire story from idahocyclingnews.com> |
