SONOMA, California -- The USA’s home-based cycling star Chris Horner is off to a tremendous start to the 2004 cycling season, and he hopes that success continues May 14-16 at Infineon Raceway during the California Outdoor Sports Championships, presented by Infineon Technologies.
This will mark the first national cycling event in the 36-year history of the raceway, which is best known for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup stock cars and NHRA POWERade Drag Racing.
Horner, who regularly beats Europe’s best when they venture onto American roads, has already captured victories this year at the Redlands Classic and Pomona Valley Stage Race in March, and he followed that by winning his second consecutive Hyundai Sea Otter Classic title. His latest result was a third-place effort behind Lance Armstrong at the Tour de Georgia, a tune-up for the Tour de France.
The men’s Supercuts Circuit Race will take place on Saturday, May 15 (2 p.m.), and span three hours over the twists and turns of Infineon Raceway’s 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course. The raceway’s out-of-view area at the completion of the Carousel, and drastic elevation changes should make for a tactical, competitive race. The women’s Supercuts Circuit Race will precede the men’s race and span two hours.
Horner, who races with the Bay Area’s Webcor Builders Cycling Team, became a household name after beating the winner of the legendary Giro d’Italia to win the T-Mobile International in San Francisco last September. He visited the Sonoma Valley circuit in January.
“The buzz is going around (about this race) and it’s a positive one,” he said.
Horner’s main competition will come from rival teams Sierra Nevada, which features Cool’s Trent Klasna, and Health Net presented by Maxxis. Klasna is a two-time Sea Otter Classic champion and is hopeful of making the 2004 U.S. Olympic team. Teammate Eric Wohlberg (Sunnyvale) and Health Net’s world class road sprinter Gord Fraser should also contend.
On the women’s side, Lyne Bessette (Quark Cycling Team) has been as impressive as Horner, winning both in Pomona and at the Redlands Classic, as well as at the Sea Otter Classic. Team T-Mobile will certainly be a factor behind Kristin Armstrong, who placed second at Sea Otter and was a member of the 2003 U.S. National Team. Christine Thorburn (Webcor Builders) reached the podium at Sea Otter and should also contend.
In addition to the circuit race, the Supercuts Criterium will be held on Sunday for both men and women. They will traverse a shorter version (1.5 miles) of the road course. The men’s race will span 90 minutes, and the women’s 75 minutes. Racing begins at 1 p.m.
