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Fast and furious
By CHASE SQUIRES
© St. Petersburg Times, DADE CITY -- Professional cyclists Roberto Gaggioli and Lynn Brotzman didn't have time to stay in any of Dade City's quaint inns to rest up for the Dade Battle of Brilliance bicycle races. They slept in their car. But they made themselves comfortable at the front of the pack Sunday. The couple claimed the top division in the men's and women's categories.
Hundreds of spectators came out to see the 12-race series, with races for everyone from young children to professional cyclists on a half-mile, six-turn course laid out around the historic downtown courthouse. Organizers said they were thrilled with the participation: nearly 300 cyclists signed up for the races. But they agreed that although the crowd of spectators was an improvement from last year's limited draw, there is still a long way to go. "As far as the organization went, I don't know what more we can do. It went perfectly," said co-founder David Hevia of Kiefer Village Jewels. "I'd say we had about twice as many people out here watching as we did last year. Word is still getting out." Even before the day ended, Hevia and partner J.R. Harrelson were planning for next year. Spectators who did come downtown for the day alternated between watching races and checking out a farmer's market, a small art show, food vendors and a crime prevention exhibit.
The events even brought out a crowd of tiara-topped beauty queens, LeAnne McKendree, Kristen Early, Kristin Rollins and Shannon Schambeau. All from the Dade City area, they competed this summer in the Miss Florida competition and said they came out Sunday to meet people and enjoy the races. Down the street, recreational trail riders Teresa and Pete King of Tampa said they came up to see what road racing was like. "What's amazing is the speed of these racers," Teresa King said. "I don't think you'll see us out there." On the course, the action was intense, leaving a few riders bloodied and bruised. The biggest pileup came during the top race of the day, an hourlong challenge for professional male cyclists that drew a field of 52 vying for a top prize of $1,000 and a Festina watch. Halfway through the race, witnesses said, a man stepped out onto the course on Live Oak Avenue and into the path of the leading racers.
Gaggioli, 39, said he was lucky to escape as racers went down around him. That wasn't the only mishap along the twisting course, which included a stretch of bumpy brick road. University of Florida racer Logan Biniak was one of the first casualties of the day, flipping over the curb and into a parking lot on the first turn, then sliding on his shoulder across the asphalt. "The turn itself is pretty tight, then you've got the bricks," Biniak said. "I slid a little bit, caught a bump and that was it." Biniak's left shoulder, leg and back were scraped bloody, but he said his helmet saved him from serious injuries. The helmet was cracked open, but Biniak said it could have been his skull instead. Other riders went down with blown tires and spinouts around the same turn, from Seventh Avenue onto Live Oak Street, but there were no serious injuries. Gaggioli, a native of Vinci, Italy, travels the country on the racing circuit with Brotzman from their home base in California. The couple raced in South Florida Oct. 7, then in Greenville, S.C., on Saturday before driving all night to arrive in Dade City early Sunday. "I got about three hours' sleep," Brotzman, 25, said after winning her race. Gaggioli has been racing since he was 14 years old and has never had another full-time job. "It's what I've always done," he said. "It's what I love. It's the only thing I've ever wanted to do." He said he enjoyed the tight Dade City course and sections of brick street: "It reminds me of home."
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