July 15, 2004 – Last night’s race was slightly slower than usual, with the wind coming out of the southeast and high humidity. After six laps, a break developed with Kevin Speacht (Cavern Cycles), Shawn Glass and Bruce Krip (Midweek), Joe Giuliano (Ital Pasta/Belmire Transport), Ed Makarchuk (KHS), and Heath Cockburn (La Bicicletta). By the next lap, this group had grown to 11, with a second chase group of seven about 10 seconds down. But the peloton woke up and all were together by lap 8. For the next five laps, there were a few half-hearted attempts to form another break and on lap 14, Speacht got clear with Atkins, Cockburn and Makarchuk. They were joined within a lap by Giuliano, Don Zuck (Pavan), and Matt Shandro (Independent). This turned out to be the deciding move of the race and the septet steadily increased its lead, losing Makarchuk and then Shandro over the next five laps.

Midweek, Pavan and La Bicicletta were now controlling the bunch and the gap hovered between 25 and 45 seconds. In the last few kilometres, the bunch picked up the pace a notch but at the line, it was Heath Cockburn easily outsprinting the 48-year-old Zuck, with Speacht, Giuliano and Atkins filling in the top five places. The bunch came in only 12 seconds down with Darko Ficko (La Bicicletta) winning the gallop from Dave Fry (Midweek) and Dan Lefebvre (Gears Racing).

Heath Cockburn now leads the prestige series with 25 points followed by Chris Atkins with 23 and Darko Ficko with 19. The Harris+Harris series is still led by Dan Lefebvre with 85 points; Cockburn is second with 75 and Atkins remains in third with 67.

July 8, 2004 – Yesterday’s Harris+Harris Midweek Criterium was wet!
In fact, it made the TTT stage of the Tour look positively balmy.
49 riders started on the long course under a pall of ominous
thunder clouds, and by the tenth lap the skies opened and they were
faced with a “tropical” downpour which didn’t let up until the end of
the race. The organizer decided to cut out the technical portion of
the course and the last 14 laps of the shortened race were on the
oval 1.5K circuit. Despite the awful weather, 28 of the riders stuck
it to the end. A late break by Darko Ficko (La Bicicletta), Nathan
Chown (Gears Racing), Ed Makarchuk (KHS), and Jason Valenti (MBRC)
managed to stay away despite the efforts of Peter Morse (Midweek
Elite) to organize a chase. By the finish, the three remaining
escapees (Valenti being dropped) cruised to a 17 second advantage
over the remains of the pack. Darko winning, with Ed second and
Nathan in third. Chris Atkins (Midweek Elite) won the bunch gallop
from Dan Lefebvre (Gears Racing) and Heath Cockburn (La Bicicletta).

Results:

1. Darko Ficko/La Bicicletta
2. Ed Makarchuk/KHS
3. Nathan Chown/Gears Racing
4. Chris Atkins/Midweek Elite
5. Heath Cockburn/La Bicicletta
6. Dan Lefebvre/Gears Racing
7. Carlos Barros/KHS
8. Kevin Speacht/Cavern Cycles
9. Shaun Glass/Midweek Elite
10.Mark Shaw/ Chain Reaction