2005 World Military Cycling Championships
Results

(4 July 2005, Zegrze Poland) -- The U.S. Armed Forces Cycling Team missed the crucial, race-deciding break at about the halfway point in the 160km road race and coasted to a disappointing 14th place team finish in the World Military Cycling Championships. Earlier in the week, Navy PO1 Shawn Olin and Coast Guard LCDR George Ganoung placed 18th and 21st, respectively, in the 31.2km individual time trial.

The time trial, hosted by the city of Raciaz, was a fast, flat,
out-and-back course. The Slovenian winner, Jani Brajkovic, finished in 38 minutes, 37.08 seconds with an blistering average speed of 48.476 km/h. Poland's Michal Ladosz came in 28 seconds behind for second place and Russia's Stanislav Below was in third at 34 seconds behind the leader. Most of the field finished 2-4 minutes behind Brajkovic who started the season with a contract to ride for Lance Armstrong's Discovery Channel Team beginning 1 August.

Two days later on the first day of July, the road race started in the town of Serock and finished 160km away in Plonsk. The course was more or less flat but with a steady headwind. A mid-race breakaway was predicted by all and so it was no surprise when attack after attack was attempted. Several gained more than a minute but they were quickly reeled in by an anxious peleton. The U.S. Team had guys poised at the front of the group and covered every early break to make sure they were not left out. At about 90km, a group of 15 rode off the front and it was immediately obvious that this was the most dangerous break of the day. Eleven teams were represented -- only The Netherlands, Germany, Sri Lanka and the United States missed the move. The U.S. immediately called everyone to the front of the peleton and drove the group forward in pursuit of the leaders. For what seemed like forever, the gap stayed at about two minutes. The U.S. Team asked Germany for help at the front since they also had no one in the leading group. Inexplicably, the Germans decided not to pursue and left the work to the Americans. By the time the race hit the finishing circuit of 5 X 2.3km, the gap was down to just under a minute. The leading group broke up on the final circuits with and eventually Russian Evgeniy Popov won ahead of Poland's Mateusz Rybczynski and Russian teammate Vladimir Efimkin. The remnants of the leading group followed at 55 seconds behind the winners. The peleton, with the U.S. Team, rolled across the line 12 seconds later. Because team results are based first upon time and then placing, the teams represented in the leading group automatically took the top placings leaving the U.S. in a disappointing 14th. Coast Guard LCDR George Ganoung was the first U.S. athlete to cross the line in 37th place.

The team stayed to participate in the Minister of Defense Trophy race on 4 July. The course was the same 2.3km finishing circuit from the road race. Organized as a points race with points given to the top four riders on every other lap. This 30-lap race was an exciting, fast event for the thousands of spectators lining the course. After the disappointing result in the road race, the U.S. was determined to make a good showing. Getting organized, lining up a lead-out for the sprinters and recovering between was the key to success. The U.S. managed to get several athletes into the point standings with Ganoung placing 14th and Air Force 2Lt Ian Holt 18th out of the 150 race participants.

U.S. Armed Forces Cycling Team:
Coast Guard LCDR George Ganoung
Army Maj Matthew Lorenz
Air Force 2Lt Ian Holt
Air Force TSgt Trent Hornus
Navy PO1 Shawn Olin
Army SSG Michael Gallagher
Air Force SSgt Andy Chocha
Coach: Army Civ Klaus Wolf

For more information about the U.S. Armed Forces Cycling Team, contact Team Manager, Debra Ponzio, at email debra.ponzio@sembach.af.mil