July 13, 2002 – Not only did the Saturn racing team win both the men’s and
the women’s race, they also claimed the top three (and unofficially top
five) positions in the men’s race and second place in the women’s race.
Kristy Scrymgeour and Eric Wohlberg were Saturday’s winners in the Ladner
Town Centre Tour de Delta Criterium.

An ultimate spectator event, Saturday night’s criterium provided a treat.
Speakers and bleachers were scattered along the entire race course,
allowing the announcer updates to be heard from the opposite side of the
course. Cowbells, race t-shirts and race hats were on sale to over 1500
spectators attending the event. After some urging from the announcer, $428
was raised from the crowd for one of the men’s primes.

Kim Davidge (Team Saturn) racked up over seven primes while contending for
the win in the women’s race. Her biggest competition came from Team Rona’s
Amy Jarvis and Manon Jutras as well as Team Kappa’s Dawn Berg. With three
laps to go, Davidge attacked off a prime sprint once again and opened up a
ten second gap. Coming around for two laps to go, it was not Kim but
Kristy Scrymgeour that was in the lead, with over eight seconds on the
pack. One lap to go and Scrymgeour opened up her lead to twenty seconds,
securing her win. Davidge won the bunch sprint with Amy Jarvis of Rona
coming in third.

“It was a really nice course, super fast,” Davidge noted. “One thing that
was really good was the crowd, it was incredible. All the way around,
always cheering.”

In the men’s race many unsuccessful attacks went off the front during the
first twenty laps. It was in lap 32 that a group of three riders, including
Saturn’s Jay Sweet, Snow Valley’s Scott Zwizanski and Joe Giuliano (Atlas
Cold Storage/Ital Pasta) broke away from the main pack. This trio managed
to stay away for over ten laps before Andreas Hestler (Rocky Mountain) and
Mark McCormack (Saturn) pulled away from the lead group and caught the
threesome.

From that point the pack was hungry and chased until they caught four of
the five breakaway riders. It was McCormack that attacked the breakaway
group just before they were caught and went solo for a couple more laps.
With nine laps to go however, the pack caught McCormack. Saturn
counterattacked by sending off Canadian Eric Wohlberg who opened up a gap
while his team-mates blocked effectively. The race was now for second
place. With one lap to go the main pack was still together and a sprint
finish was inevitable. None other than four of Wohlberg’s team-mates
claimed second, third, and unofficially fourth and fifth place!

“I thought we had a perfect race tonight.” Wohlberg commented on his team’s
performance in the crit. “We started racing about fifteen laps in or so, we
just started countering, and you noticed that in every one there was a
always a Saturn guy going down the road.” Wohlberg’s girlfriend, Dad, and
step-Mom made it up for the day’s event, making it an extra special win.
“it was really cool to win in front of them!”

There has been great rider support for this week of racing in BC. With
races for both men and women, there is nothing like it in Canada and
organizers are excited for its future. Wohlberg, who raced here last year
on his own, returned with his team-mates for the 2002 event. After the
event, Saturn’s Mark McCormack “stole” the mic from the announcer and
gathered the crowd’s attention. “This is the best bike race I’ve ever been
to!” Coming from a rider who has raced professionally all over North
America and beyond, organizers were naturally pleased.

Unofficial Men’s Pro 1,2,3 Results

1. Eric Wohlberg (Saturn)

2. Ivan Dominguez (Saturn)

3. Jay Sweet (Saturn)

Unofficial Women’s Pro 1,2,3 Results

1. Kristy Scrymgeour (Saturn)

2. Kim Davidge (Saturn)

3. Amy Jarvis (Team RONA)