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National News: Tour of Missouri - A Canadian Perspective
Published: Sep 12, 2007 - 09:13 AM
Bell Second at Tour of Missouri Opener
<img border="0" align="right" src=http://www.tourofmissouri.com/galleries/0000/0267/Mia_091107_2191.jpg>Zach Bell is seen on the left
With no "big mountains" to climb and a course that better suits a well rounded rider & sprinter Whitehorse's Zach Bell made an impression on the national scene with his second place result in the opening stage of the Tour of Missouri.
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Zach Bell (Symmetrics Cycling Fuelled By FarmPure) just missed out on an opening stage victory in today's Tour of Missouri, taking second place.
A five-man break was clear for most of the 137 kilometres Kansas City stage today, breaking clear just 50 kilometres into the race. The gap ballooned to the 5 minute mark, but was caught on the final city circuits, with less than 10 kilometres to go. With several aggressive and technical corners to go, it was a wild ride to the finish. Zach Bell duked it out against the top North American sprinters, just losing to Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United).
"We came to the final corner and I took the inside line," Bell explained. "The field swing hard right and I went on the left. It was just a touch too early, as it meant I started the sprint with 300m to go. At 50m to go, I saw a shadow. At 25, Ivan passed me. Still, Iím happy with today's result and I hope we can keep it up."
An Interview with Bell by Canadian Cyclist's Amy Smolens
Zach Bell - Symmetrics Cycling fuelled by Farm Pure - 2nd place, Stage 1
AS: How was it out there today?
ZB; Oh, it was pretty good. That break went away pretty early, like 30-40 k in. It was pretty controlled so the sprinters had a pretty good sit-in all day. So coming to the finishing circuits it was just down to us kind of rubbing elbows the whole way in.
AS: Were you able to utilize your track skills?
ZB: Oh yeah. I mean, this finish was a little bit downhill if not just perfectly flat. So I definitely had the speed and the leadout was pretty quick after the last corner. So yeah, once they start getting up to those top-end speeds that's good for me.
AS: When did you see Ivan Dominguez?
ZB: I took a peek under my shoulder with about 50 meters to go and saw a shadow. I knew I went pretty early so I knew that probably there'd be only one or two guys right there with me. When I took a peek under I didn't know who it was, but I knew that if it was him or one or two other guys that I'd be hard pressed in the last 25 meters to hold them off. But you gotta do what you gotta do. Once you've done your move you're committed, so I did the best I could do with it.
AS: How does second place to a guy like Dominguez give you confidence for the rest of the race here?
ZB: Oh, I mean, it's good, I mean I think it just confirms that I do have the speed coming in off the track. I was a little concerned cause the speed, it's a little different, a different kind of speed. But yeah, it just confirms to me today that I should be able to rub elbows with him for most of the week, which was the goal coming, so I'm pretty happy.
<img border="0" align="right" src=http://www.tourofmissouri.com/galleries/0000/0267/Mia_091107_2191.jpg>Zach Bell is seen on the left
With no "big mountains" to climb and a course that better suits a well rounded rider & sprinter Whitehorse's Zach Bell made an impression on the national scene with his second place result in the opening stage of the Tour of Missouri.
_________________________________________________________
Zach Bell (Symmetrics Cycling Fuelled By FarmPure) just missed out on an opening stage victory in today's Tour of Missouri, taking second place.
A five-man break was clear for most of the 137 kilometres Kansas City stage today, breaking clear just 50 kilometres into the race. The gap ballooned to the 5 minute mark, but was caught on the final city circuits, with less than 10 kilometres to go. With several aggressive and technical corners to go, it was a wild ride to the finish. Zach Bell duked it out against the top North American sprinters, just losing to Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United).
"We came to the final corner and I took the inside line," Bell explained. "The field swing hard right and I went on the left. It was just a touch too early, as it meant I started the sprint with 300m to go. At 50m to go, I saw a shadow. At 25, Ivan passed me. Still, Iím happy with today's result and I hope we can keep it up."
An Interview with Bell by Canadian Cyclist's Amy Smolens
Zach Bell - Symmetrics Cycling fuelled by Farm Pure - 2nd place, Stage 1
AS: How was it out there today?
ZB; Oh, it was pretty good. That break went away pretty early, like 30-40 k in. It was pretty controlled so the sprinters had a pretty good sit-in all day. So coming to the finishing circuits it was just down to us kind of rubbing elbows the whole way in.
AS: Were you able to utilize your track skills?
ZB: Oh yeah. I mean, this finish was a little bit downhill if not just perfectly flat. So I definitely had the speed and the leadout was pretty quick after the last corner. So yeah, once they start getting up to those top-end speeds that's good for me.
AS: When did you see Ivan Dominguez?
ZB: I took a peek under my shoulder with about 50 meters to go and saw a shadow. I knew I went pretty early so I knew that probably there'd be only one or two guys right there with me. When I took a peek under I didn't know who it was, but I knew that if it was him or one or two other guys that I'd be hard pressed in the last 25 meters to hold them off. But you gotta do what you gotta do. Once you've done your move you're committed, so I did the best I could do with it.
AS: How does second place to a guy like Dominguez give you confidence for the rest of the race here?
ZB: Oh, I mean, it's good, I mean I think it just confirms that I do have the speed coming in off the track. I was a little concerned cause the speed, it's a little different, a different kind of speed. But yeah, it just confirms to me today that I should be able to rub elbows with him for most of the week, which was the goal coming, so I'm pretty happy.
