| Christensen rides ~ | to finish at nationals _TERRACE Mike “Christensen conquered what he called “the toughest ride of my life’ last week to hike to a . 22nd-place finish in the 180-km race in Quebec, . - The gruelling course. saw national championship . road. - more than three. quarters of the 130 racers drop out. Although. Christensen finished well back: but only one other finished the of the leaders, and was-Japped_ my most of them, he called completing the course a major accomplishment. —~__ “Tt was the toughest race I'd ever done in my life,*” he said, : “When I'finished I couldn't even think.’’ - oe The nation's best cyclers con- verged on Mont Joli, Quebec, July 14 to tackle the 13-km cir- cuit for the road race, the main Christensen finished the more _ than five-hour-long race about 30 minutes back of the leaders, but the attrition rate made just ‘finishing seem like victory, “Tt was a really tough race,’ . he said. “More than:100 guys ,- dropped out,’? - - More ‘than a dozen B.C. cyclists competed, he -added, road race — a former Com-. monweaith Games medalist, The powerful winds slowed the riders to a 15-kilometre-per- hour snail’s pace in headwinds, and sent them flying with the tailwind. ‘*At one point in the course we were doing 100 kilometres. per hour on the downhill with the wind,” Christensen recounted, The next day’s criterium saw r “it was the toughest race I'd ever done in my life. When | finished coutdn’t even think,” © : event‘at the national champion- ships. ae -. Christensen said the terrain wasn't very difficult, but gusting. winds made it as challenging as any course the 22-year-old “Terrace rider has takenon, eC “The winds made it tough,”’ he said after the race. “There wereabout 10 crashes in the first-lap. I didn’t crash, but I got caught behind a few, which sort of pushed me back in the positioning.” After the first few laps, a sharp crosswind took hold of most of the course. Christensen said that eliminated the tactic of following in the windbreak of others, used by trailing riders to stay with the leaders. “'The pack Just broke apart there,’’ he said. SCORE BOAR]) Men’s Slo-pitch League Scores: July 13 Westpoint 19, Bill’s Plumbing 16 Rudon Rowdies 1$, Westpoint 12 July 16 SKB Wreckers 9, Rudon Rowdies 7 ’ SKB Wreckers 10, Bill's Plumbing 2 : July 18 Bill’s Plumbing 7, Rudon Rowdies 4 _ Radon Rowdies 13, Bill’s Plumbing 7 Men's Slo-pitch League Standings: Team _ WL PCT GBL Terrace Inn 73 8500 SKB Wreckers 158 .750 2 Rudon Rowdies 1212 500 7 Westpoint 8.9 471 7% | Vic Froese Trucking3 12 .200 Bill's Plumbing 4 18 1182 SLUMBER LODGE TERRACE "4902 Lakelse Avenue 3 _ Phone 6356302 . Licansed! Premises HOURS: | , Weekdays . 6:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Saturday 7:00 a.m, = 8:30 p.m. . “Sunday | ; 8:00 am. = 8:00 p.m, ‘Q000 FAMILY DIRING AT "REASONABLE PRICES ? the Terrace rider drop out about a third’ of the way through the course, The intensity of the rac- ing showed in the number of finishers — 36. Christensen said the event - ‘multi-lap event isn’t his best event, and he wasn’t expected to do well in it. . But: the road race perfor- mance gave him needed’ ex- perience and showed his team ‘coaches he can perform when it counts, “‘What it did was sort of solidify my position on the B.C. team,’’ he said, ‘‘And psychologically it was a real boost to my confidence to be able to race with the best in the country.” He wasn't even to compete in the race as part of the team, because he wasn't going to be Mike Christensen billeted. But another team ‘member dropped out at the last minute and he was given the position. ; Analyzing his performance at the Mont Joli. road race, Christensen said he needs more experience in learning the tactics | .Of racing. “I was strong enough to win, but. I wasn’t smart enough to. win,”’ he said. : Christensen is aiming to make the national team next year, and is also ‘considering going to Europe to train. You can gain so much experience in. such a short amount of time over _ theré,’’ he added. “It’s where it’s at — if you can make it in Europe and do well, you can make the national team here no problem.” His next major race is the Washington Trust Classic — a major seven-stage, six-day tour- ing race at the end of August in Washington state. It’s expected to draw national- and profes- sional level riders, he said. brought top Lower Mainland Heading for perfection SOCCER TYKES got a great chance to sharpen their skills last week at the annual summer Credit - Unian Soccer School, whether through drills or games like the heading contest above. The school talent. instructors to Terrace, exposing Iccal enthusiasts ta the out-of-town station can be even more : $2, $5, $10, of $20 in cash. ~ ° + a o1 play twice on the same «fF ¢. Pull details at participating. eee . * Nuenber of Potentia! Winners | - dpprosimaie Odi of Winning a Ls , Orite fer 10.000 Players 000 Players = to) . ; $i a vw : $2 , $4 rane $10 nn sao. ‘ $500 gas certificntes