Utahns clean house at Nationals

By Dave Iltis

Associate Editor

Two national titles, one Best All-Around Rider award, three silver medals, one bronze, and 5 other top ten finishes - all out of a state with fewer than 400 licensed road racers.

Brad Buccambuso, Logan Race Club, led the troops with the Junior National Road Race Title won in Cincinnati on June 25. Buccambuso had gone out early and established an insurmountable gap. He finished 39 seconds up on Devon Hoff-Weekes. Proving his road race win wasn't a fluke, he took second in the 17-18 boys time trial. Michael Creed won his 15th national title with a time of 24:09 to Buccambuso's 24:10.

Levi Leipheimer, Saturn, formerly of Salt Lake City, won the Senior Men's Time Trial.

Daphne Wilhelm, Team Nissan, was the Best All-Around Rider at Master's Nationals in the women's 35-39 category in Ft. Smith, Arkansas July 7-11. She was second in the criterium, getting edged out by half a wheel in the sprint. She finished third in a break of three in the road race. She finished second in the time trial, sealing her BAR title.

Heather Albert, Charles Schwab (Team Nissan locally), had three stellar finishes in the women's elite events. Her fifth place in the road race was hard fought. "In Kentucky, I attacked once, and I did on the bridge too, but Elizabeth (Emery) was with me. The last part of the bridge was a descent, so I put it in the big ring and pushed the descent. I sprinted the last 200 meters with all I had. I beat her to the line for 5th place." She followed up with 8th in the time trial and 12th in the criterium.

Chris Humbert, 9th and 9th/Powerbar, lived up to his team name with a fantastic 9th place finish in the Elite Men's road race on July 26. Danny Pate of Colorado soloed away for the win.

World Stage Race Champion, Dirk Cowley, 9th and 9th, finished 7th in the 40-44 Men's Road Race at Master's Nationals. Cowley finished 2:10 down on the winner, Rick Sorenson of Casper, Wyoming. Cowley also managed 15th place in the time trial. He posted the fastest time to the turnaround, but punctured soon after and rode in on a flat rear tire. Mark Schaefer also finished 7th in the 35-39 time trial.

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