Feb. 14, 2010
FONSECA TAKES 2ND PLACE AT PINE FLAT RR
Piedra, CA – It was a beautiful Valentine’s morning - blue skies and crisp morning air – a stunning way to start the 2010 Pine Flat Road Race. A race whose backdrop is set on the Pine Flat reservoir, with its green rolling hills and clear crystal water of the lake below. Hands down,it's the most majestic and breath-taking scenery on this year’s 2010 Road Racing Schedule.
This year’s race included 45 of the top road racing riders from Northern and Southern California. Don’t let the name “Pine Flat” fool ya… there is nothing flat about this race – a course that demands great levels of endurance, as well as skill to master tough climbs and challenging descents. One of these descents sent one rider off to the hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.
Racing in this year’s event from Team Zenn were Chris Ott and Scott Fonseca. Ott, with a reputation for being a fierce climber, was favored for a result. But due to a previous week’s crash, he had doubts on how his body would respond.
The opening miles displayed everyone at any easy pace enjoying the scenic view that wraps around the lake. However, as mile 6 approached, the first surge pushed forward, including Zenn’s Ott. Yet, as the descent turned skyward, the group was slowly pulled back, and Fonseca put in the first serious move of the day. Fonseca, not known for his climbing abilities, put in a hard charge up the climb that gained him a quick 18- seconds over the group. As he attacked the descent, the 18- seconds quickly increased to 30, as mile marker 13 approached.
Recognizing the danger and seizing the opportunity, Dan Martin (Safeway-Red) set off after the lone Zenn rider and caught Fonseca at the race’s turnaround point. The duo were now in full-speed, as the peloton was now in full flight with team AIAGE at the front chasing. Despite the peloton’s effort, Martin (currently the 2009 Master Canadian Road Champion) and Fonseca (the 2008 Cal Cup winner and Junior National Title holder) road away and stretched their lead to over 4-minutes by mile 40.
Back in the peloton, it was still AIAGE chasing, with SJBC strong man Greg McQuaid lending assistance. This effort was the only counter by the strategic moves of Ott and the remaining Safeway riders that covered all the attacks and let nothing spoil their teammates lead. Up the road, Martin stopped working and was pulled along by Fonseca with 20 miles to go. With their lead starting to shrink and knowing that Safeway would put in hard attacks when the climbs started again, it left Fonseca no choice but to continue to pedal and try to hold on to their lead. Knowing that Martin, a strong climber, would attack once the final climbs started.
And that is just what Martin did with 7 miles to go. Martin attacked on the second to last climb and there was nothing Fonseca could do to respond. Martin bolted over the climb with a 20-second gap, quickly stretching it to a 40-second lead at the finish line.
Fonseca road steadily, knowing that the race win was over, but needed to stay focused knowing that the race behind would blow-up in pursuit when it hit the first climb. And blow up it did - with Safeway’s Jonathan Eropkin and Nick Theobald counter attacking the group until it was only down to four riders chasing which included Fonseca’s teammate Ott. Ott was eventually unhitched on the race’s toughest climb that saw Eropkin, Theobald, and McQuaid ride way from him. Ahead, Fonseca rolled in 40-seconds behind the winner Dan Martin and two minutes later it was Eropkin and Theobald, finishing 3rd & 4th. Ott would ride in to round off the top ten in 10th place.
Afterwards Martin commented, “it was Fonseca that did all the work and deserved a strong 2nd.” Fonseca commented, “With Ott injured I set off on my attack only thinking that maybe I would have enough to get over the first set of climbs and give Ott a break until the final climbs came later. When Martin bridged up I said ‘well this could be even better’. I had no idea that we would put 4 minutes into the group. So I just rode as hard as I could to the finish and hoped for the best.”
