Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 5, 2001
Many local bicycle racers and triathletes have end-of-the-season competitions in October.
They put away the training wheels and swim fins. Out comes the racing wheels and Ironman gear when the full moon appears.
Tallahassee will be the destination for mountain bike racers Saturday and Sunday. They will compete in the Florida State Championship Series events at Tom Brown Park. The FSCS races will include all categories, such as expert men and women, sport men and women, beginner men and women, juniors, masters and clydesdales.
Directions: From I-10, take 90 to Capital Circle, proceeding south 1 mile, turn east behind the prison. The host hotel will be Best Western, (850) 656-2938.
For information, go online to www.goneriding.com, or call (352) 873-9279.
ALOHA SPIRIT: Thirty-six triathletes have ventured off for the Ironman Triathlon World Championships. The ultimate challenge in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, is set for Saturday.
Here's the list of Florida Ironman competitors: Joe Bonness, 45, Naples; Bruce Buchanan, 61, Fernandina Beach; Farshad Charmforoosh, 35, Orlando; Dean Cosgrove, 41, Tarpon Springs; Glenn Cottrill, 39, Panama City; John Donahue, 31, Tavenier; Jim Emmick, 47, Clearwater; Jorge Florin, 42, Windemere; Marty Frezza, 57, Jupiter; Douglas Gregory, 44, Tampa; James Harris, 37, Apopka; Stacie Hernandez, 43, Jacksonville; Tami Hofstetter, 40, Windemere; Rod Jette, 34, Orlando; Seliena Kromash, 29, Orlando; Babette Kulka, 58, Hallandale; Erik Lange, 33, Key Biscayne; Cameron Loos, 29, Gainesville; Jerry Mandello, 51, West Palm Beach.
Angie Matsoff, 26, Ft. Lauderdale; Thomas Mayes Jr., 36, West Palm Beach; Judith Sweeney, 33, Jacksonville; Sean Moloney, 44, Bradenton; Steve Pettit, 40, Atlantic Beach; F. Leigh Phillips III, 44, Lighthouse Point; Carlo Rego, 34, Miami Lakes; Oscar Rodriguez, 36, Miami; Robert Roller, 42, Tallahassee; Eric Rothchild, 45, Boca Raton; Juan Carlos Sandoval, 39, Tampa; Lara Shaw, 29, Tampa; Danny Stevens, 48, Dunnellon; Peter Valesares, 35, Tampa; James Vance, 39, Palm Beach; Susan Wallis, 47, Ponte Vedra Beach; and Racheal Wood, 38, Deeerfield Beach.
MAD DOG IRONMAN PROFESSIONALS: Professional triathlete Laura Drake-Gullett of St. Petersburg will represent Atlanta, and Peter Kropko, who recently trained in Tierra Verde with relatives Kevin Doel and Susan Kropko-Doel, will represent his native Hungary.
Both of the St. Pete Mad Dogs have cracked the top five in major Ironman races this season, giving them hope for top performances in Kona. IRONMAN NOTES: Log on to Ironman's web site, www.ironmanlive.com, for live race reports from Kailua-Kona. The cannon will boom at 7 a.m. at Dig Me Beach on Kailua-Bay, signaling the start for 1,500 triathletes from all over the world. The competition will consist of a 2.4-mile swim, biking 112 miles and a 26.2-mile run. Last year's winners were Peter Reid of Canada (8 hours, 21 minutes, 1 second) and Switzerland's Natash Badmann (9:26:17).
This year's prize is $325,000, which will be equally divided between male and female professionals. Each winner's share will be $70,000.
TV COVERAGE: The Ironman Triathlon World Championship will be broadcast by NBC on Nov. 11, 4-6 p.m. More than 50-million viewers worldwide see the event each year.
BRILLIANCE CRITERIUMS: Area bicycle racers will be sprinting for the ringing cash bell when Kiefer Village Jewels and Team American Classic present the Dade Battle Of Brilliance Criteriums on Oct. 14 in downtown Dade City.
Ellen Kast of Team American Classic is looking for volunteers to work the fast, flat .5-mile course, which is excellent for spectators and photographers.
The best riders in the southeast are expected to compete for $7,000 in cash prizes, crystal designer awards and watches.
There will be races for juniors, women, masters, all USA Cycling categories and the premier Pro 1-2 event.
Competition starts at 8 a.m. World champion wheelchair athletes Michel Bond and Scott McNeice, both of St. Petersburg, have returned from racing in Europe and are expected to dominate their handcycle event.
For information, call Kast, (813) 885-2473, or e-mail her at ellen@tampabay.rr.com.
OTT GIVES DOG REWARD: Suncoast Cycling Club rider Joel Ott of Clearwater frequently enjoys fall bicycling on the Pinellas Trail.
Several weeks ago, he punctured a tire and found himself without a spare tube.
Just then, a group of local triathletes out of a long training ride noticed Ott. One individual stopped to give his emergency spare to Ott.
Upon returning home, Ott went on the internet and discovered that the description of the friendly stranger matched that of St. Pete Mad Dogs club founder Rue Morgan. The next day, Ott mailed a generous bike shop gift certificate to Morgan's St. Petersburg home..
SIESTA KEY TRIATHLON: One of the area's last sprint triathlons of the season is the Siesta Key Triathlon.
The event -- a 1-kilometer swim, 21-kilometer bike ride and 5-kilometer beach run -- is scheduled for Sunday at Siesta Key Beach, just south of Sarasota. First waves leave the beach at 7:15 a.m.
Registration is available in elite, age group, clydesdale and relay team divisions.
For information, call race director Stan Gorski, (941) 924-7953.