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Cycling

Triathletes raise money for cancer research

By JESSICA FISH
Published July 20, 2005

St. Petersburg's downtown streets were crowded with women triathletes of all ages last weekend.

As many as 300 competitors showed support for ovarian cancer research by participating in the Reebok Women's Triathlon Series No. 2 at Spa Beach. The national series has raised more than $95,000 this year with stops in Chicago and St. Petersburg.

Many women raced in honor of family members who have survived ovarian cancer, while others reached the finish line wearing ribbons and photos in memory of those who did not survive the disease.

Some of the fastest athletes in the area lined up to race in the Sprint Distance event. It consisted of a 375-meter swim, 10-kilometer bike ride and 5K run.

Brianne Gaal of Orlando won the Elite Division title in 1 hour, 7 minutes, 44 seconds. She was followed by last year's champion, Kasey Carroll-Basso of Bradenton, 1:08:23. The top Sprint performer was Palm Harbor's Sharon Beltrandelrio, who enjoyed a 1:06:59 showing. Beltrandelrio, 38, who registered in the 35-39 division, captured attention by crossing the line just after the top elites despite starting several waves back.

"This was a good race for me," Beltrandelrio said. "Now I'm going to Kansas City (Mo.) for the USAT National Championships, then I'll focus on worlds in Honolulu."

Beltrandelrio was ranked 10th in the nation by USA Triathlon and awarded All-American honors in 2004, which was her fourth season of competitive triathlons.

Other area participants making a strong showing over the weekend were Kailand Cosgrove, 14, of Tarpon Springs, fourth overall in 1:10:17; Angie Orr, 28, St. Petersburg, 1:13:31; Tracy Parker, 34, Odessa, 1:13:31; Renee Tillwick, 43, St. Petersburg, 1:14:00; Lenore Rupert, 61, St. Petersburg, 1:32:19; Betty Miller, 74, Lutz, 2:25:35; and Jackie Yost, 77, Treasure Island, 1:52:24.

IRONMAN HAWAII: The list of area athletes who've qualified for the Ironman Triathlon World Championships is growing. The event is Oct. 15 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Among the competitors so far are Marcos Alegre of Largo, Dean Cosgrove of Tarpon Springs, Laura Dewitt of Brooksville, Marty Gaal of Orlando, Heather Gollnick of Bradenton, Art Halttunen of St. Petersburg, Linda Musante of Tampa, Ian Ray of St. Petersburg and Bob Wagoner of Largo.

TOP GUN: Joe Fernandez of Tampa's Florida Race Place Team will play host to the 7:15 a.m. triathlon Aug. 6 at Fort DeSoto Park. The event will consist of a .25-mile swim, 10-mile bike ride and 3.1-mile run. "We have more than 600 triathletes registered," organizer Freddie Rzymek said. "The field will be closed off at 650, so we know that the race will be full." Many triathletes, cyclists, runners and skaters work out at the 1,136-acre park, the largest in the Pinellas County system. Plus, North Beach recently received a No. 1 ranking. Fernandez and his team donate the proceeds from Fort DeSoto triathlons to Friends Of Fort DeSoto, which benefits the park and beaches.

ROLL APPEARANCE: After area fans watch weeks of Tour de France excitement on OLN-TV, they will get the chance to meet commentator Bob Roll. "Bob is coming to visit our shop (on Aug. 19), and we are looking forward to an exciting evening," said Bill Lynch of Team Action Wheelsports. "Riders have been calling us, and we decided that we can only fit 250 people in our shop." Free tickets will be available Aug. 9 at the shop on 66th Street North. Team Action Wheelsports is the headquarters for area mountain bike racers, plus the organization offers Tuesday and Thursday evening rides in St. Petersburg.

Roll, a former Lance Armstrong teammate, lives in Durango, Colo. An on and off-road cyclist, Roll was inducted into the Mountain Biking Hall Of Fame and retired in 1999 after a 20-year professional career. Roll rode Paris-Roubaix seven times and in four Tour de France events, was a member of the 7-11 and Motorola Cycling teams and is an author.

[Last modified July 20, 2005, 00:57:15]