Zanini wins Wachovia race

Every June, the people of Philadelphia and professional cyclists from around the world come together for the Wachovia USPRO Cycling Championships. It is the largest bike race in the country and the best-placed American is declared Champion of the United States.

The race, which took place last Sunday, is in its 19th year and its winners in the past have included gold-medal speed skater Eric Heiden in 1985 and four-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong in 1993.

The event includes both a 156 mile men's race and a 57 mile women's race, which both contain many climbs up the infamous Manayunk Wall. The wall is the most difficult part of the course because it is an immensely steep climb and is a launch pad for many attacks.

Stefano Zanini of Italy won the men's race this year with a time of 5:56.21. Zanini out-dueled the rest of the field in a bunch sprint that came down to a photo-finish. He crossed the line centimeters in front of Slovenian Uros Murn. The top American finisher was Mark McCormack, who placed fourth.

"This is my tenth time at Philadelphia and my first time on the podium," McCormack, the new American Champion, said, in front of a huge crowd of fans and media. "It's great!"

Over 500,000 fans were estimated to have been at the race.

"I like to watch the pros to see how its done," Mike Stockslager said. Stockslager travelled from Dover, Delaware with many cycling fans.

The crowd favorite was Trent Klasna, who won the Master of the Mountain award for being the most consistent on the climbs.

The women's race, the Liberty Classic, was won by Lyne Bessette of Canada. She clocked in at a time of 2:23.16. Her victory snapped the streak of German Petra Rossner, who had won the race five consecutive times and six overall.

The route of the race passed through Logan Circle, close to Penn's campus. Many from the Penn community were able to take in the race.

"The energy of both the crowd and the racers was amazing," Penn freshman Jennifer Kessler said.

Many of the Penn cycling team members were also at the race on Sunday.

"It was great to be so close to the action," Stefan Miltchev, a Daily Pennsylvanian reporter, said. Miltchev is a Penn graduate student and a member of the cycling team.

The Penn Cycling Team is a venue for cycling enthusiasts to race or just to go on training rides around Philadelphia. It includes around twenty racers who compete in the East Coast Cycling Conference.

The ECCC includes schools from the Northeast who compete in road races, mountain bike races, and cyclo-cross events. The road season occurs in the spring and has individual and team time trials, criteria and typical road races.

There are men's and women's events that are divided into divisions. The Penn cycling team had a very successful season this year, with many of its racers scoring victories. The winners include Amber Itle, Andrew Schwalm, Annalise Paaby and Sarah Charlesworth.

The Red and Blue concluded the season fifth place in the Ivy League and sixth in the ECCC.

For people interested in any aspect of cycling and not only racing the team is ideal.

"It's a great chance for Penn students to meet," Miltchev said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.