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Jeanson, Blickem win Tucson opener

By VeloNews Interactive
Published: Mar. 5, 2004

Geneviève Jeanson (Rona) and Ryan Blickem (Aida’s Bail Bonds) were the fastest on the day as the 19th annual Tucson Bicycle Classic got under way on Friday.

The 3-mile Old Tucson McCain Loop time trial on McCain Loop Road in Tucson Mountain Park began with a mile of fast rollers before serving up two miles of 4 to 6 percent climbing to the finish. Blickem covered the course in 7:22, 8 seconds ahead of Michael Jones (Health Net-Maxxis) and a further second up on Scott Blanchard (Eclipse).

Jeanson won in a more convincing fashion, finishing in 8:20, 14 seconds ahead of Jeannie Longo and 26 seconds up on teammate Anna Milkowski.

This year's TBC is dedicated to Garrett Lemire, the 22-year-old University of California-Los Angeles student who died in a collision with a car while trying to avoid a crash in last year’s second stage. Today’s second stage has been named for him – the Gates Pass-Garrett Lemire Memorial Road Race – and his race number, 148, was permanently retired from the race.

Today’s road race will be held on a 21-mile loop through the desert with rollers, fast flats and a steep climb six miles from the finish, followed by a rapid descent to the start-finish. Men race 84 miles, women 63.

The TBC concludes Sunday with the Artisan Prosthetics Circuit Race, on a 5.6 mile loop with 300 feet of climbing. Men race 50 miles, women 39.

Old Tucson-McCain Loop TT
Men
1. Ryan Blickem (Aida’s Bail Bonds), 3mi in 7:22
2. Michael Jones (Health Net-Maxxis), 7:30
3. Scott Blanchard (Eclipse), 7:31
4. Tim Carolan (Landis-Trek-VW), 7:32
5. Austin King, 7:32
6. Adam Bergman (Jelly Belly-Aramar), 7:33
7. Michael Sayer (Health Net—Maxxis, 7:34
8. Will Steinbrecher (Jelly Belly-Aramar), 7:36
9. Scott Price (Landis-Trek-VW, 7:37
10. Jacob Rublet (Landis-Trek-VW), 7:41

Women
1. Geneviève Jeanson (Rona), 3mi in 8:20
2. Jeannie Longo, 8:34
3. Anna Milkowski (Rona), 8:46
4. Deneen Brown (Landis-Trek-VW), 8:58
5. Emilie Roy (Rona), 9:10
6. Maatje Benassi (Excel Sports), 9:15
7. Heather Woodhouse (Team Kenda Tire), 9:19
8. Sima Trapp (Glody’s-Tamarack), 9:23
9. Chloe Black (Terry Precision), 9:25
10. Rosie Garlapow (Terry Precision), 9:28