Sunday, May 13, 2001 -- Canaan Valley Resort State Park - Canaan Valley, WV
24 Miles of Canaan - WVMBA Point Series #4 (iPO Event Id#: 2622)
Story and photos by Dave McKain

[Details] [Coverage]
[Overall Results] [Results by Class]
Pictures: [Set 1] [Set 2] [Set 3] [Set 4] [Set 5] [Set 6] [Set 7] [Set 8] [Set 9]
[Set 10] [Set 11] [Set 12] [Set 13] [Set 14] [Set 15] [Set 16] [Set 17] [Set 18] [Set 19] [Set 20]
Sets 11 & 12 added 5/17/01 compliments of Diann Clothier
Sets 13 - 20 added 5/30/01 compliments of Warren Catlett
Past Coverage: [1998] [1999] [2000]

Don't look back Nick!

The home town riders ruled the day as Nick Waite and Sue Haywood won the Mens and Womens (respectively) expert classes in the 24 Miles of Canaan. We'll have more pics and coverage ASAP. Meanwhile, check out our early race report from Team Go-Mart rider Ryan O'Connor.

Hello race fans! The 24 miles of Canaan has been kind to me over the past few years. I piped Gunnar there in '99, I cringe just thinking about how bad it felt trying to get away from him on that last lap. Last year went well, although I still haven't found time to use my stay at the Canaan Valley Resort. So this year I hoped to repeat of course. Mr. Wait had other ideas and it's about time! The race started with the obligatory crazy first corner, Ms. Haywood dove to the inside going a lot faster than the rest of us and shook a few of the boys up I think. I promptly got pinched about 10 back as we began the first dirt section. Someone kept telling me, "On your right,...On Your Right...ON YOUR RIGHT..." I don't think he understood the silence but he seemed to understand the logic of the flaring rear wheel.

Duffy, O'Connor and Waite team up

Things started to string out as we climbed on to the open fields before the first sections of singletrack, a stiff headwind greeted us on top and I knew I was a fool to pull the whole pack through it but it was less foolish than following someone else on a course I haven't ridden in a year. Nick Waite, T.J. Platt and I seemed to get away from the main group somewhere into that first lap. Nick is racing for about 14 teams this year, one of which is GoMart, my team, so I consider him a teammate. My first goal was to win the race, second to win with Nick in second, third to have Nick win and place second. Long story short - the third idea seemed to work out. Here's another version as told by a friend. "Yea, I saw everything. O'Connor was drilling them all over the place on the first lap but started looking a little haggard on that second lap. Nick was the smart one, that little punk sat in the whole time and never showed his nose to the wind until he snapped them like cheap pencils on that climb going into the last lap (ed - looks like Nick is learning from his recent stint at road racing). Platt looked strong but O'Connor weaseled his way around him by the end. I know O'Connor's been training but he seems to be getting slower. He did give me and the boys some crazy doughnuts this morning so maybe thats his problem?"

Across the open fields to the finish

As usual, Matt Marcus and Canaan Valley Guest Services put on a great race. The course was changed from its previous configuration and some different trails were used but, all-in-all, it was a fast course. Little (if any) rain had come down in the Valley during the previous week which made the ever present roots just bumps in the trail rather than slippery traps and the temperature at race time was in the 60's.

Although Ryan's race report did a good job presenting the expert class, he didn't mention that Jay Duffy was in the thick of the fray. Nearing the end of the second of three laps, Duffy was in the train with O'Connor and Waite while T.J. Platt was hanging back about 30 seconds. Over the third lap, Platt caught up with Duffy and, at the finish line, was able to take third by a mere second.

After a long absence from the WVMBA circuit, Missy Showman came down from SW Pennsylvania to give it go. For those who haven't been around for a while, Missy and Sue Haywood used to duke it out on a regular basis with Missy sweeping both WVMBA races at Canaan in 1998. After three laps it was Sue taking the win (as well as 9th place overall) followed by Missy in second and Mandi Riddle beating out Cassie Smith (4th) for third.

Moore must be eating his Wheaties

As usual, there was some tight racing in the senior expert circuit. After two laps, Steve Thaxton held a tenuous lead over Matt Ross, Bob Vernon, Mike Boyes and Alan Moore and Don Ciampanelli (All within 3 minutes of the lead). Making his way around the course for the final lap, Moore picked off his competitors, moving from 4th place to take the win. Ross took second followed by Boyes then Thaxton.

In the Junior Expert class, Matt Schlickenmaier made the most of his visit to WV to take the win over David Layman (2nd) and Brady Campbell (3rd). Ian Custer took the win over Joseph Stone (2nd) in the Mens Sport class while Amy Vance won the Womens Sport. In the Jr. Sport class, Adam Lewis took the win followed by Matt Ashburn and, in a battle, Danny Wilson nipped Thomas Krpicak at the line in a photo finish to take third place in the class.

Winners in other classes included Patrick Kildow (Mens Vet Sport), Eric Serdoz (Jr. 14-under), Shelly Ware (Womens Vet Sport), Richard Watts (Mens Masters) and Mary Shultz (Womens Masters). In the battle of the heavyweights, Don Waterhouse continued his dominance of the Clydesdale class taking the win over Dannie Hillary (2nd) and JR Petsko (3rd). For the Beginners it was Tim Andrew and Amber Morgan taking the wins.