May 13 - Cat's Hill Classic, Los Gatos
Race website and Results

Race photos: Chris Patterson, Kevin King, Shawn Clover Photography, RonaldMariano.com, Itacud Imaging, and Rob Evans

Women's P123 Race Video: Rob Evans

Premier Series Race Report

THORBURN AND JACQUES-MAYNES TAKE THEIR SECOND WINS AT CAT'S HILL

Los Gatos, Calif. (May 13, 2006) - In today's 33rd running of the ST Bikes Cat's Hill Classic, Menlo Park's Christine Thorburn (Webcor-Platinum) and San Jose's Ben Jacques-Maynes (Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada) took their second wins in this classic Northern California race, which pits cyclists against the short, steep grade of its namesake slope.

Jacques-Maynes' win - his second in three years - came along with a third place finish for his Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada teammate Jackson Stewart, the defending Cat's Hill winner.

In the early going of the pro men's race, Eric Wohlberg (Symmetrics Cycling) jumped away from the field just after the start of the 90-minute race, and held a small lead until Jacques-Maynes bridged up shortly after the halfway point.

The pair worked together smoothly and lapped the field inside the last 10 laps, shortly before the race was neutralized while emergency vehicles tended to a rider injured in a crash.

After the race was restarted with 2 laps to go, Jacques-Maynes easily outsprinted Wohlberg, and Stewart finished off a small chase group.

"Once Eric gave it everything on the hill and couldn't drop me, he acquiesced to the reality of the situation," noted a loquacious Jacques-Maynes, who added that he supported the officials' decision to neutralize the race.

In the women's race, Thorburn captured her second-straight win by solo breakaway, although the 2004 Olympian described it as, "much harder than last year."

Riding without any of her Webcor-Platinum teammates, she had to outmuscle a large contingent from the McGuire Cycling team that had the race's fastest sprinter, Laura Charameda, as their ace in the hole.

After a solo break by McGuire's Taitt Sato was reeled back by the Palo Alto Bicylcles/TIBCO team, over the last six laps Thorburn powered away, chased by Jenny Eyerman (Morgan Stanley/24Hr Fitness/Specialized), Brooke Miller (PABW powered by TIBCO), and Melodie Metzger (McGuire Cycling).

Although the pack never really challenged Thorburn, it did catch the chasers on last lap, as Charameda took the sprint for second followed by Miller and Eyerman.

"It's very satisfying to win Cat's Hill and I was very motivated today," said Thorburn.

Other winners in the day's earlier races were Jeff Angermann (Team Spine) in the Masters 35+ 1/2/3, Kurt Bickel (Team Spine) in the Masters 35+ 4/5, Alejandro Mordines (California Giant / Village Peddler) in the Category 5 race, James Badia (Webcor/Alto Velo) in the Category 3 race, Amanda Eaken (Metromint) in the Women 3/4 field, and Patrick Ruggles in the Category 4 race.

In the Juniors fields, race winners were the David Bike Club's Joseph Iannarelli and David Vuilleumier in the 17-18 and 15-16 age groups, Webcor/Alto Velo's Kelly LaFleur in the women's 17-18, Katrina Vorris and Davis Bentley (Team Swift) in the 13-14 age group, and Kendra Higgins and Dustin Benton, both of Team Wolfpack, in the 10-12 age group.

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