Pic makes correct decision
FITCHBURG - Tina Pic plans to retire from cycling at the end of the year, but not because she can no longer compete.
Yesterday, Pic, 43, of Buford, Ga., won the Fitchburg State College Circuit Race, the second stage of the 50th annual Fitchburg Longsjo Classic. Pic, riding for the Colavita racing team, took 1 hour 11 minutes 36 seconds to pedal the 34-mile, 11-lap race. Jennifer McRae of Team Type 1 edged Evelyn Stevens of Team Lip Smackers for second, both finishing 5 seconds back.
“I was going to retire at the end of last year,’’ Pic said, “and I had to talk my husband into one more year.’’
Chris Pic used to race at the Longsjo, but retired from cycling five years ago and has been waiting for Tina to join him in doing other things.
Kirk Obee, 32, of Vancouver, won the 75-mile, 24-lap men’s race in 2:35:03 in his first Longsjo in eight years. Darren Lill of Team Type 1 finished second, 3 seconds back.
A five-time criterium national champion, Pic has finished as high as second overall in the Longsjo and has won the FSC circuit race before, so she said she will miss racing in the Longsjo when she finally puts away her bicycle for good.
Pic didn’t take the lead until the final turn up Pearl Street, a steep hill off the John Fitch Highway. Then she pulled away.
“I got up to about 200 meters, and I was cooked,’’ she said. “Then I told myself, ‘OK, I can do another 200 meters. I hope nobody is coming up on me right now.’ ’’
Pic doesn’t know what to expect during today’s third stage, the Wachusett Mountain Road Race, because it will conclude in the center of Princeton instead at the summit of the mountain.
“We’ve never not had that hilltop finish as long as I’ve done it,’’ Pic said, “so it’s really going to shake it up with the different finish line and all the sprints in the middle.’’
Alison Powers of Team Type 1 was awarded the orange jacket as overall women’s leader, but it was later determined that Stevens actually led.
Powers won the Stage 1 time trial Thursday, 4 seconds ahead of runner-up Stevens. By finishing third yesterday, Stevens got a bonus 3-second deduction from her combined time to pull within a second of Powers for the overall lead. Officials didn’t realize until later that in a photo finish Stevens was ruled to have finished 2 seconds ahead of Powers yesterday, enabling her to make up 5 seconds in all.
Pic’s victory yesterday was worth a 10-second bonus deduction, but she still trails Powers by more than 70 seconds overall.
Powers, 29, of Pinecliff, Colo., is racing in the Longsjo for the first time.
Heavy rain fell on and off for about an hour late in the men’s race, then let up before the skies opened up again just after the race ended.
“It makes it a little tricky with the course because it can bring up the oil and make it a bit slick, but you’ve got to adjust to that,’’ Obee said.
Tom Zirbel, Obee’s teammate at Bissell Pro Cycling, remained the men’s overall leader. Zirbel won the stage 1 time trial Thursday. Zach Bell of Kelly Benefit Strategies is in second, 21 seconds back.
“The goal was to keep Tom in the lead’’ Obee said. “That’s the goal for the race.’’ 