Frangos Race Report
By: Robert Sowers

The Nick Frangos Memorial road race has typically been the consummate sprinter’s race on the Freewheeler’s race calendar. With the rolling course with no significant hill the race has almost always been settled with the sprint at the finish. This year’s race held Saturday 30 June once again came down to the sprint but just barely and not for want of attempts to ruin the sprinter’s day.  Not long after the start Robert Sowers tried to break away and found himself clear of the pack with only Kevin Maier and Dave Ringle in tow. The three worked together off the front but were pulled back by the pack. After a bit of recovery Sowers attacked again but this time was solo off the front, and was once again reeled in. Still not content he went again but in a half hearted effort to pick up the pace of the group. After Sowers was reabsorbed by the pack John Bursell went to the front and began to push the pace along the shore line before the North Douglas hill. Bursell pulled off at the bottom of the hill but no one seemed interested in pushing the only real hill on the course. After safely negotiating the turn around and coming down the hill Sowers attacked again and pulled clear. He maintained the gap going past Fish Creek but then slowly began to come back to the group. Shortly after Sowers was pulled back in Dave Pusich attacked and Chris Scholes went with him. With no one immediately willing to give chase it appeared that Pusich and Scholes might pull free, but the Bursell attempted to bridge the gap and Terry Ward, Casey Colton, Kevin Maier, and Sowers went after Bursell and the everyone was soon back together. With the finish line only a few miles away Kevin Maier attack hard and broke free with the pack waiting for someone to pull him back the gap grew. Finally Bursell took off to bridge the gap but no one else went with him. With Bursell and Maier away the group began to react and started to pull them back but ever so slowly. At the bottom of the hill by Mike Hatch where the race finished it appeared that perhaps the break would work. Chris Scholes could wait no longer and began the sprint at the bottom of the hill and soon everyone was charging to close the gap and position for the sprint. Scholes flew past Bursell and Maier with several other riders close behind. A fading Scholes was able to hang on for the win with Carl Lundquist second, and Dave Pusich third followed by Terry Ward in fourth. Maier was sandwiched between the hard closing Sowers and Dave Ringle. Sowers for all of his early attacks managed fifth with Ringle next and Maier finishing in seventh.