Zajicek, Abbott win Colorado series kickoff
Phil Zajicek (Health Net-Maxxis) and Mara Abbott (Team High Road) won the kickoff to the 2008 Tour of Colorado race series on Saturday in Boulder. The 9.14-mile Excel Sports Sunshine Hill Climb up Sunshine Canyon served up 3226 feet in elevation gain with a maximum grade of 23 percent. Conditions didn’t make the climb any easier, with temperatures in the low 40s under cloudy skies at the start and mid-30s with snow at the finish.
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Photo: courtesy Tour of Colorado
Phil Zajicek (Health Net-Maxxis) and Mara Abbott (Team High Road) won the kickoff to the 2008 Tour of Colorado race series on Saturday in Boulder.
The 9.14-mile Excel Sports Sunshine Hill Climb up Sunshine Canyon served up 3226 feet in elevation gain with a maximum grade of 23 percent. Conditions didn’t make the climb any easier, with temperatures in the low 40s under cloudy skies at the start and mid-30s with snow at the finish.
Abbott must have been in a hurry to get it over with — she set a record in the women’s race, finishing in 49 minutes, 26 seconds, eclipsing the previous mark of 50:29, set in 2004 by Ann Trombley.
Andrea Dorak (Colavita-Sutter Home) took the runner-up spot, crossing in 53:23, with teammate Tiffany Cromwell third in 55:42.
The men’s race was a more closely fought affair, with Zajcek winning in 45:06, 22 seconds ahead of Jonathan Baker (Vitamin Cottage) and 25 up on 3, Scott Tietzel (Jelly Belly).
Up next in the seven-race series is the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic May 24-26 in Durango. For more, see the Tour of Colorado website.
Results
Tour of Colorado
Excel Sports Sunshine Hill Climb
Men
1. Phil Zajicek, Health Net-Maxxis, 45:06
2. Jonathan Baker, Vitamin Cottage, 45:28
3. Scott Tietzel, Jelly Belly, 45:31
4. Ned Overend, Specialized, 45:37
5. Dan Porter, Team Rio Grande, 45:57
Women
1. Mara Abbott, High Road, 49:26
2. Andrea Dorak, Colavita-Sutter Home, 53:23
3. Tiffany Cromwell, Colavita-Sutter Home, 55:42
4. Michelle Steiner, Rocky Mounts, 56:20
5. Erin Huck, Tokyo Joe’s, 56:32