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Championship Roller Racing Newsline
Olympian Bobby Lea To Ride in Triumph Brewing Company, New Hope PA
The Fifth leg of the pro class Championship Roller Race in Triumph Brewing Company could come down to a head to head showdown between the seasoned 2008 Olympian Bobby Lea, who rides for Bahati Foundation team, and twenty one year old Jackie Simes, Cycle Loft, who set the fastest time for the mile on the CRR circuit this year when he won the 2/20 Emmaus, PA event with a very quick 1:12.37. “Roller racing is unpredictable”, said Lea. I’ve seen messangers walk in off the street and do real fast times. I’m ready for New Hope but Jackie’s strong. You never know what’s going to happen in roller racing.”
Other pro competitors include Delaware State Champion Wim Daniels, who leads the overall series, Master’s National Champion Matt Diefenbach, Alliance Environmental, David “Goliath” Espinoza, riding for Affinity, and roller masher Jon Chambers, Affinity team, who finished second to Simes in last week’s Emmaus race but not before wobbling in his signature erratic style and flying off the rollers to hit the deck with a thud. As spectacular as such a thing looks, fortunately, with no forward movement of rider and bike, roller crashes rarely cause injury.
The New Hope races are a benefit fund raiser for the Young Survival Coalition, http://www.youngsurvival.org/. Promoter Janine Carroll had this to say: “We’re really talking about a night of exciting sports entertainment. Spectators can have dinner, enjoy the Triumph brews, cheer the riders. At the same time we’re generating funds for a worthy cause. It’s win-win”.
Also on the racing card are events for women and an open class for anyone wanting to try. Interest in the women’s class is boosted by the late entry of masters rider Tracy Lea, a legendary pioneer of women’s cycling. “I’ll be in Pennsylvania on business and I fully intend to race,” said the feisty Tracy. “Tri-geeks [triathlon competitors] can push the big gear but can they spin 200 RPMs like I can? – or used to anyway!”, she added. One does not have to wonder how her son, Bobby, became an Olympian.
Pro men race a one mile distance while the women and open classes ride .6 miles. Racing starts a 6:30 pm with individual qualifying time-trials and continues with qualifiers going head to head two at a time through quarter finals, semi finals, and finals, with awards around 9:30 pm. The events are open to the public and the full Triumph Brewing Company menu is available.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/washington-dc-start-to-2012-giro-falling-into-place