Posted: June 19, 2005

Athletics: Chantal Petitclerc wins opening event in America Race Series

TORONTO- Both the men's and women's races went to a photo finish on Saturday at the $35,000 Rolling Rampage 10 kilometre wheelchair race with Chantal Petitclerc of Montreal earning gold for Canada on the women's side.

The competition is also the first of five in the America Race Series which culminates with four races in the U.S., over the next few weeks.

In the women's 10 kilometre, Petitclerc and Diane Roy of Sherbrooke, Que., waged another epic battle with Petitclerc clocking a course record 25 minutes flat with Roy 0.01 behind. Francesca Porcellato of Italy was third.

Last weekend at Ste-Therese, Que., Roy defeated Peticlerc in a 10 kilometre race.

"I had a much better race than last weekend," said Petitclerc, a quintuple Paralympic Games champion in 2004. "I had a great finish. The course ends on a bit of a downhill slope and I took advantage of my sprinting skills on the last lap. So my entire race strategy was to fend off any attacks and stay within striking distance of the leaders to make my move at the end."

Roy, a double Paralympic medallist in Athens, was also pleased with her race.

"I knew that Chantal would be hard to beat in a sprint style finish," said Roy. "So I tried to attack often to burn the other girls out. It worked somewhat but with that little downhill they were able to reel me back in. On the last two laps I tried to save some strength but I probably should have continued the same strategy."

In the men's 10 kilometre race, Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa, the Paralympic champion in the marathon and 5,000 last year, was the winner finishing ahead of Jeff Adams of Toronto by 0.05 seconds. Raul Mendoza of Mexico was third and Michel Filteau of St-Jean-Baptiste, Que., fifth.

"It was a heartbreaker," said Adams, a five-time Paralympian. "I led to within three feet from the finish and he beat me right at the line. I probably attacked a little too late. I should have gotten more of a jump on him with the downhill finish. It was a very good race for me but not totally satisfying."

Filteau was with the lead group from the start.

"I had a strong race and to finish within 10-15 metres from the leaders is very promising," said Filteau. "I just lacked some endurance at top speed. The race is on a course where it's hard to gain an advantage and it really all played out in the last 700 metres."

The second stop in the series is next Sunday at Long Island, N.Y.