June 30, 2003 (Hamilton, ON) – Everyone knew that fifteen laps of the gruelling Hamilton 2003 Worlds course, for a total of 198.4 km, would separate the “men from the boys.” What no one anticipated, was that Saturn's Nathan O'Neill would time trial to victory with an almost eight-minute margin at one point.
Because foreign riders were allowed to compete at this year's Championships, there was potential for unusual race tactics. Navigators had Canadian Mark Walters riding for the Maple Leaf Jersey, as did Saturn with their Canuk riders, Charles Dionne and Eric Wohlberg, also battling for the Canadian title.
When Russian Vassili Davidenko (Navigators) and Aussie Nathan O'Neill (Saturn) broke away early with Martin St. Laurent (VW-Trek), the favourites were content to let them go. After St. Laurent got dropped by the two strongmen who were building a substantial lead, the incentive to chase back the two foreigners never materialized. And so began a negative race where all of the Canadian favourites watched each other, creating at times a slower pace than expected. Ultimately, the tough course and the heat proved to be attritious, but as the final laps approached the big Canadian guns found themselves in the same chase group of about twenty riders behind the leaders. Dominique Perras (Flanders/iteamnova.com), who like USPS's Michael Barry was essentially teamless as both were riding for their provincial teams, tried his luck and broke free. Walters, Barry, Wohlberg and Dionne had been attacking each other and when Perras went, there was no response.
“We just sat there, and watched him go,” Walters said, “But I figured that we might as well since all the guys were just chasing each other. I figured that someone else would chase him down – but it didn't happen. It was a strange race.”
By the closing laps, Nathan O'Neill, who had shed Davidenko, still had a commanding lead, as Perras was now riding with O'Neill's teammate, American rider Will Frischkorn (Saturn), who had bridged to Perras from the chase group. Wohlberg, Barry, Dionne and Walters began to organize their 4-man chase effort but it was too late. The gap came down from one minute to 40 seconds on the last lap, but it was too much. Perras crossed the line triumphantly in third, letting Frischkorn, who had been content to let Perras drive the break, cross the line ahead of him for a 1-2 Saturn finish. Walters took the sprint in front of Wohlberg, Dionne and Barry, who without a team, had been forced to be the workhorse of the break that day.
Elite Men's 2003 Road Race National Championships: 198.4 km
1. Nathan O'Neill (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 5.01.33
2. Will Frischkorn (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 3.34
3. Dominique Perras (Can) Quebec Cycling Team 3.35
4. Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Cycling Team 4.22
5. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Saturn Cycling Team
6. Charles Dionne (Can) Saturn Cycling Team
7. Michael Barry (Can) Ontario
8. Czeslaw Lukaszewicz (Can) Quebec Cycling Team
9. Cory Lange (Can) Symmetrics
10. Stig Somme (Nor) Jet Fuel Coffee
11. Joe Giuliano (Can) Atlas Cold – Italpasta
12. Alexandre Lavallee (Can) Trek VW
13. Jean-Francois Laroche (Can) Trek VW
14. Martin St Laurent (Can) Trek VW
15. Christophe Chesseaux (Can) Quebec Cycling Team
16. Aaron Fillion (Can) Ontario
17. Richard Minichiello (Can) Symmetrics