San Rafael's Lang Takes Road Criterium Win in Sonoma

IMAGE ATTACHED IS OF ANNA LANG, WINNER OF SATURDAY'S ROAD CRITERIUM RACE
AT INFINEON RACEWAY.

 

PHOTO BY STEPHEN SCHARF

 

AGATE ON BOTTOM OF FILE

 

 

 

 

                      

San Rafael Native Lang Takes Road Criterium Win 

At Cougar Mountain Classic

 

SONOMA, Calif. (July 7, 2007) - San Rafael native Anna Lang granted her
own birthday wish by winning Saturday's National Racing Calendar Road
Criterium (NRC) race at the Infineon Cougar Mountain Classic at Infineon
Raceway.

 

Lang, a graduate of Marin Catholic High School in Kentfield, celebrated
her 29th birthday by taking the victory over second place Shelley Olds
(Los Gatos, PROMAN/Paradigm) and third place Kelly Benjamin (Cheerwine
Cycling Team). The one-hour event featured a few breakaways and tight
competition among the 35 entrants in the Elite Women Pro 1/2 class.

 

"I'm an attack sprinter, so I'm able to go longer than some of the
girls," said Lang, who rides for Karl Strauss/SDBC.  "I just knew I had
to make the move before the last two turns if I was going to win."

 

Lang was a solo rider battling multi-rider teams from Webcor Builders,
PROMAN/Paradigm and Cheerwine, which made her victory even more
impressive over the twisting .7-mile course. 

 

"Patience is definitely important when you're riding alone," said Lang.
"I was really watching Kelly Benjamin and Martina Patella because
they're both great sprinters.  It was a great, fast, fun race."

 

Alessandro Bazzana survived a last-lap multi-rider crash to win the
men's 90-minute NRC Road Criterium race.  Bazzana (Team Successful
Living) managed to avoid the five-rider crash with 200 meters left in
the race to post his second victory of the season. He was followed by
second-place Jonathan Cantwell (Los Angeles, Kahala-La Grange) and
third-place Jackson Stewart (Los Altos, BMC Racing Team).

 

Bazzana was second at the time of the incident, which also involved
teammate Ricardo Esculea, who was leading at the time.

 

"Ricardo crashed and I avoided it but the guys in third, fourth and
fifth didn't," said Bazzana, a third-year pro from Italy who now resides
in Ventura. "It was a tight left turn and it happened."

 

In other racing on Saturday, Santa Cruz's Barry Wicks (Kona-Les Gets)
won the mountain bike cross country event over the 7.7-mile course. The
victory continued Wicks' success in the Sonoma Valley as he also won in
short track at last year's Cougar Mountain Classic. Jamie Stamps (Lotus)
won the pro women's cross country feature race.

 

The raceway, which is best known for hosting motor-sports events like
the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and IndyCar(r) Series, has hosted the
Infineon Cougar Mountain Classic since 2004. NRC racing returns to the
Sonoma Valley on Sunday with road-circuit events for both Elite Women
(11:10 a.m.) and Elite Men (12:50 p.m.).

 

In addition to NRC racing, the weekend also features action in SuperD,
cross country and downhill. For more information on the weekend, visit
www.cmclassic.com.

 

 

Infineon Cougar Mountain Classic

 

SONOMA, Calif. - Top-10 results Saturday from the road criterium race at
the Infineon Cougar Mountain Classic at Infineon Raceway. Team and
hometown in parenthesis:

 

MEN

Road Criterium 

Top 10

One hour/.7-mile course

Elite Men Pro 1/2

1.  Alessandro Bazzana (SuccessfulLiving.com P/B Park, Ventura)

2.  Jonathan Cantwell (Kahala-La Grange, Los Angeles)

3.  Jackson Stewart (BMC Racing Team, Los Gatos)

4.  Devon Cutino (California Giant/Specialized, Oakland)

5.  Sean Mazich (Team Waste Management, Phoenix)

6.  Christopher Jones (Nreac Pro Cycling, New Haven)

7.  Jared Barrilleaux (Metromint, San Luis Obispo)

8.  Chuck Coyle (SuccessfulLiving.com P/B Park, Ventura)

9.  Darren Lill (Navigators, Emeryville)

10. Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United Pro Cycling, Agoura Hills)  

 

 

WOMEN

Road Criterium 

Top 10

One hour/.7-mile course

Elite Women Pro 1/2

1.       Anna Lang (Karl Strauss/SDBC, La Jolla)

2.       Shelley Olds (PROMAN/Paradigm, Los Gatos)

3.       Kelly Benjamin (Overland Park, Kan., UCI WPTCheerwine)

4.       Malindi Maclean (Salinas, Jazz Apple Cycling Team)

5.       Karen Brems (Palo Alto, Webcor Builders)

6.       Stacy Marple (Oakland, Team Tibco)

7.       Rachel Heal (Manchester, Webcor Builders)

8.       Flavia Oliveria (Lafayette)

9.       Katharine Carroll (Sausalito, Aaron's Professional Cycling
Team)

10.   Melissa Sanborn (Portland, Wenzel Coaching)

 

 

###

 

 

 

Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts  

May 18-20 

 

Wine Country Classic vintage car races  

June 2-3 

 

Toyota/Save Mart 350

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Weekend 

June 22-24 

 

Infineon Cougar Mountain Classic  

July 6-8 

 

FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals 

July 27-29 

 

CAL-STEAM/KOHLER 

Div. 7 NHRA drag races, presented by Korbel  

Aug. 3-5

 

Motorola Indy 300, presented by Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel

Aug. 24-26

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