10/6 Elite Track Nationals - Madison Los Angeles, CA

5th Place: Guy East / Cody O' Reilley (KG/SN)

Nineteen year old Sakonnet track star Guy East bettered his result from last years Elite Track Nationals by finishing in 5th Place in the Madison event for the teams first ever podium at a National Championships. Guy was partnered with Cody O’Reilley (Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada) and the young duo with a combined average age of 20 road a strong race behind more experienced competition including former Olympians. Guy’s great ride garnered him an invitation to join the U.S. Track National Team in Europe to contest the winter 6 Day track circuit. The Team would like to thank the CRCA Board for helping fund Guy’s trip.

10/6 Tour de Park Long Island, NY

10th Place: Gavi Epstein

Gavi’s end of season form continues to bring results for the team. Last year this event was won by then Sakonnet rider David Wiswell and Gavi was looking to follow in his foot steps by attacking hard and forcing a break away. In the final laps the host G.S Mengoni team brought the break back and Gavi had to switch gears and get ready for a field sprint. Despite Gavi’s massive effort earlier in the race he was still able to sprint his way into the top 10.

10/1 Guttenplan Signs Pro Contract Gainesville, FL

Sakonnet criterium specialist, David Guttenplan, has signed a professional contract for the 2008 season with the new TIME Professional Cycling Team based in Winston Salem, NC. David is recognized as one of the finest young prospects on the criterium circuit and his top placings over multiple seasons was enough to catch the eye of the TIME team which is making its debut on the professional circuit next season. “Riding for the Sakonnet team has been an incredible experience. I can’t wait to see the guys at the big races next year and know that the younger riders will recognize me as a graduate of the program” said Guttenplan. David joins fellow Sakonnet alumni Andy Guptill (Colavita -Sutter Home) and David Wiswell (Nerac.com) in the pro ranks.

9/27 USA Criterium Series World Championships Las Vegas, NV

19th Place: Gavi Epstein

Guy East and Gavi Epstein ended their road race season at the USA Crit Series World Championships on the Strip in Las Vegas. The race took place during cycling industry's largest dealer and manufacturer sales event, InterBike, at Vegas that week. At the start there were dancing girls, lights, music, wagering on the event and not to mention the top honchos of the bike industry watching from the stands. Guy started the event in good position but an early crash sent him to the pit for a free lap while Gavi was caught behind the show and started the event in near to last place. “I spent the whole race moving up as the race was strung out from the start” said Gavi. In the last lap Gavi worked his way into the top twenty and landed himself in good company with the who’s who of the domestic pro peleton.

9/16 Yuasa Battery's 3rd Annual “Right from the Start” Criterium Yuasa Battery, PA

3rd Place: Gavi Epstein

In Gavi’s own words - Editor
“From the gun there was a lot of action as this two PA teams were fighting with each other to win the over PA BAR series. After an early move came back 5 laps into the race I went with a counter move by Ryan Dewald. Ryan and I worked well together for the next 5 or 6 laps. We had a passenger though from the leader of the BAR team who would not work. But even with him we kept going. About half way through the race Ryan and I got caught. It looked very possible that it would be a field sprint with 2 other guys going up the road after us and just dangling at 10 seconds. The leader of the BAR team category Meredith GPOA didn't have a guy up there so they just kept the break at 10 seconds until 5 to go when they got brought back in. Now it was just a fight to the finish to stay at the front. Going into the last corner before the long uphill sprint I was positioned 5th or 6th wheel in line. There was a crash right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and bounced off someone which caused me to be way over geared going uphill, I was still able to come around a few guys who were able to get through the crash but Stephan Kinkaid (Rite Aid) and Joe Whitman were already too far up the road at this point that I was just trying to fend off the guy in 4th place while hammering a huge gear up this hill. In the end I still had half a length on 4th place, finishing in 3rd place and making a few bucks.”

9/5 Zaveta Construction Circuit Race Doyleston, PA

7th Place: Gavi Epstein

In Gavi’s own words - Editor
“This was a 2.5 mile rolling circuit for 40 miles. It was quite windy. The race started out aggressive as I sat and watched who was doing what. 3 laps into the race a break had formed of 3 riders, dangling about 20 seconds off the front. There was a section right before the finish stretch that went downhill and then steep uphill into a right-hand turn onto the finish straight. I figured that I could cause some trouble. I attacked hard when we hit the uphill. John Erdelyi and Michael Chauner (PA Lighting) followed me. We drove it hard and blew past the 3 guys. I think 1 or 2 of them jumped on us and a few more guys bridged up to us to make it 9 guys. Within 2 or 3 laps we had a significant gap to the field. As the race went on I felt like I was loosing power and I was loosing water too. It was pretty hot, but I thought 40 miles didn't deserve 3 bottles. Oh well. On the last lap the break started splitting up. I had to chase back hard to get back with the leaders but 2 had split off the front. All of us came in in groups of 2 or 3. I ended up in 7th place.”

9/4 Pete Siena Memorial Brooklyn, NY

9th Place: Gavi Epstein

In Gavi’s own words - Editor
“This race is a 45 mile circuit race; I think some of you have raced in Prospect before and you may know that it’s always exciting. I was an instigator and a follower of many moves, but on the last lap a break of 3 guys got about 15 seconds in front of the field and stayed there. We were not even going that fast so I was sure they would be swallowed up in the last km. No one picked up the pace which made for a pretty sketchy field sprint. I ended up in 9th place, 6th in the field sprint after sprinting past about 10 guys in the last 150 meters”

9/3 100K Classic Atlanta, GA

12th Place: Robbie Giannini
14th Place: David Guttenplan

A trio of Sakonnet riders tackled this Labor Day NRC event on a hot and muggy Monday morning. Phil Gaimon spent the majority of the day off the front driving a break while Sakonnet sprinters Giannini and Guttenplan kept the front of the field in check. Gaimon’s last ditch effort to stay away was brought back in the closing miles and then it was up to Robbie and David to fly the flag for the team. The 100K finish is one of the most dangerous on the circuit as it finishes on a ski slope like downhill and many riders use a top gear of a 55x11 so as to not spin out. The boys came away with 34 NRC points for the day.