Website by Ed Collier Photography

Fitchburg Cycling Club / P.O. Box 923 / Fitchburg, MA / 01420

Marketing Director / Bill White / wwhite @ longsjo.com

Executive Director / Ed Collier / ecollier @ longsjo.com

General Questions / info2008 @ longsjo.com

Returning Champions

We’ve invited all of our past champions to be with us this summer. As we get definite word from them, we’ll keep the list updated here, and make posts on our blog. If you’re a returning champion, and plan on joining us for the celebration, please contact Executive Director Ed Collier, or Alan Cote

Arnie Uhrlass - 1961

update: Arnie was riding on Saturday the 13th, and slipped on some sand. He went down hard and unfortunately broke his hip. He’s unable to walk for 8-10 weeks and will miss this year’s event. We wish him all the best and a speedy recovery. Because of his aggressive riding in the late 1950’s and 1960’s, Arnie earned the nickname “THE GOVERNOR”. He was a member of two Olympic Teams as a speed skater in the Winter Olympics in 1960 and as a cyclist in the Summer Olympics were he competed in the 4,000-meter pursuit team in the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.

Courtesy of U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame

Richard Centore - 1962

Richard Centore was second to Arnie Urhlass in 1961, and won the Longsjo in 1962, the same year he won the Tour of Sommerville.

“I’ll be there or else!” - Richard Centore

Franco Potenzieri - 1965

From Article in Staten Island Paper - July 1965 -The 6th annual Art Longsjo Memorial Race was held in Fitchburg, Mass. on July 4th, and as usual, the entire town pitched in to make it a great meet. The senior race was won by Franco Potenzieri of Brooklyn, N.Y.. He beat Steve Arbetman of Long Island by a few yards.

Bobby Phillips - 1971

Bobby Phillips was one of, perhaps the only cyclist to win the Longsjo as both a junior and a senior! Phillips will be returning as a Longsjo champion and also as one of the original “Raleigh Boys”

Bobby Phillips stands with Terry Longsjo

Graeme Miller - 1988

From Fitchburg Sentinel and Enterprise Article:

“It came down to the final lap, five outstanding cyclists giving it there all down the stretch until New Zealand’s Graeme Miller of the IME International Team and one the race favorites, gave it that final thrust in the end to win the $900 first place prize and Gold Medal in a time of 1:55:51, well off last year’s pace of 1:48:40, won by Roberto Gaggiolli.

Kyle Wamsley - 2008

From Cyclingnews.com - Another tough day in the saddle, lead to Kyle Wamsley and his Colavita/Sutter Home team-mates to enjoy the fruits of their labor when they solidified the overall victory of the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic Stage Race.

"I’m happy for the guys because they did so much work for me," said first time NRC stage race winner Kyle Wamsley.

Wamsley took the overall lead after stage two atop Mount Wachusett and continued to build his lead after he won stage three’s circuit race. "My team worked at the front of the race for the last three stages," said Wamsley. "They did a phenomenal ride for me and I really could not have done this with out them.

Jacob Rytlewski - 2007

From the Worcester Telegram and Gazette -

FITCHBURG - At 5 feet 9-1/2 inches and 145 pounds, Jacob Rytlewski couldn't have been much of an imposing physical presence as a high school quarterback in the Midwest. But he sure learned how to carry out a game plan, because it worked to perfection.

The 24-year-old Rytlewski, who entered yesterday's Workers Credit Union Downtown Criterium with a 19-second lead over Symmetrics' Cameron Evans, kept his eye on Evans throughout the 50-mile stage and held onto that margin for the overall men's pro victory in his fourth trip to Fitchburg, even edging Evans at the finish to place 26th for the stage.

Bob Simpson - 1968

“I won at Fitchburg way back in 1968.  I'm definitely coming to the festivities this year and thank you for the invitation. I've included a picture of me from one year before my win.  I've changed a bit since then, but I still raced until about 2002 in the Masters category.”

Jeff Slack - 1985, 1989

update: Jeff has taken a new job in London, and won’t be able to join us for this year’s event. He sends his best wishes for an incredible celebration

Boston Globe - July 3, 1989 Page: 38 Section: SPORTS

FITCHBURG -- In some cycling races, teammates block opponents to assist a rider from their team with the best chance of winning. In others, strategy and tactics mean little because one rider is so dominant. Yesterday, the spectators who lined the downtown area for the 30th annual Longsjo Cycling Classic witnessed such a performance. Jeff Slack, of Braintree-based IME Panasonic, added to his team's growing list of regional and national victories with a commanding triumph in the men's senior professional division. He beat a field of 169, the largest ever. "You train, train, train and then you race, race and race, and you just never know how you are going to feel," said Slack, a Lexington native. "Today I just felt super. Sometimes you feel tired and you count down the laps. But today I just kept going." The 25-year-old jumped in front with a pack of about 15 cyclists with 40 laps remaining in the 55-lap, 50-mile criterium. Some 15 laps later, that group was trimmed to three; Slack was accompanied by Doug Tanner of the Oldsmobile Atlanta club and Steve Pyle of the Gotham City club. This trio set the standard for the remainder of the race, lapping the large pack with 20 laps to go. "Lapping the field is a pretty rare thing to do, but a good thing," Slack added. Slack said a group of 10 riders remained in a second pack that forced him to continue his torrid pace. "We split off that pack and surpassed the others. We worked well together and I felt strong so I just kept going." Tanner took second place and Pyle third. A dejected Pyle said Slack's teammates led interference for the winner several times. "His teammates were all blocking the field to allow him to break away," said Pyle. "When we caught the field, they pulled him off the front and that was it for me."

Lyne Bessette - ’99,’00,’01,’02

Lyne has won the Longsjo more than any other racer, and we are honored to have her return! From Lyne’s website: www.lynebessette.com

“I've been in the cycling world for more than a decade and some of you know me as the Girl from Quebec or Tim's wife! I participated in 2 Olympics, multiple World Championships, World cup podiums, Grand Tour winner, Commonwealth gold medalist, Pan Am Games silver medalist and have been Canadian National Champion on the Road, TT, Track and Cyclocross.”

Eric Wohlberg - 2001

From cyclingnews.com - As the afternoon light started to fade and the wind began to die down the race contenders began to come across the finish line. Mercury looked to be unbeatable as they held the top four spots until the final four riders crossed the line. It was Moninger's time of 26.03.90 which became the unbeatable barricade to the rest of the group until Navigator's Adham Sbeih came home with a time of 26.00.02.

This impressive time was only beaten by Saturn's Eric Wohlberg, who managed a great effort to side in just under the 26 minute mark at 25.43.43, claiming the stage.

Photo by Jonathan McElvery

Photo by Jonathan McElvery

Photo by Jonathan McElvery

Doug Dale - 1970

From the Fitchburg Sentinel and Enterprise: Doug Dale, a 23-year-old June graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, set a new course record of one hour, 59 minutes and 48 seconds to win the 11th Annual Arthur M. Longsjo Jr. Memorial Bike Race here Sunday. Dale likened his victory here Sunday as to that of a baseball player breaking out of a prolonged slump.

Bob Simpson winning the ’68 Longsjo - Image courtesy of Bob Simpson, and Fitchburg Sentinel and Enterprise

Karen Mackin - ’92

Karen’s incredible performance in the 1992 Longsjo tends to get overlooked because of another racer who shall remain nameless. Karen has returned to road racing and will be racing in front of her family in the Women’s 3/4 category.

Stephanie Roussos - ’91

Stephanie was the first female winner of the Longsjo after it was expanded to a multi day format in 1991. Stephanie is now working as a soigneur for Team Type 1, and she will be working and celebrating with us this year!

Soigneur Stephanie Roussos feeds her team in Danbury.

(photo by Ben Barnhart)

Shawn Milne - 2006

Navigators Insurance's Sean Milne continues to be the surprise of the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic. The usual sprinter, who won yesterday's field sprint, attacked from within the final breakaway of ten to climb the Wachusett Mountain solo, taking the stage and putting enough time into Heath Blackgrove (Toyota-United Pro) for the overall lead.

"The was first time I had won a race where I didn't have to sprint against someone to win," said Milne. "But I still had to go as hard as I could to win."

Jonathan Page - 2005

In order to upset the rolling Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada team, which occupied the first two places entering today's criterium finale, third place Jonathan Page and his Colavita/Sutter Home team would have to both win the stage, earning him the ten second bonus to tie race leader Dominque Perras, and ensure Perras finished without a top three time bonus. The tie would then be broken on the fact that Perras is without a stage win. A tall order for most teams, but with criterium specialists like Juan Jose Haedo and Mark McCormack at the helm, the planets aligned, with Colavita/Sutter Home going 1-2-3 -- Page, McCormack and Haedo.

For Colavita/Sutter Home, this is two stage races (both in New England) where they pull a rabbit out of the hat at the very last moment for the overall win.

Mark McCormack - 2004

PRINCETON - Sometimes it pays to take the advice of an older brother. That's what Mark McCormack learned yesterday in the third stage of the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic bicycle race that ended here at the summit of Wachusett Mountain.

While McCormack didn't win the 104-mile stage - he was edged by Mark Walters - McCormack's second-place finish was good enough to vault him into first place overall after three days in the four-day stage race. He is 24 seconds ahead of teammate Will Frischkorn going into today's criterium.

Photo by Jonathan McElvery

Catherine Cheatley- 2008

The women’s race also came down to a bunch sprint as the Cheerwine and Colavita/Sutter Home teams covered each other moves during the 28-lap race. Flurries of attacks in the final la, and then it came down to the perennial adversaries, Laura Van Gilder (Cheerwine) and Tina Pic (Colavita/Sutter Home). And US Crit Champion Pic took the victory ahead of Van Gilder. Megan Guarnier (Proman) riding solo took third.

In the final general classification, New Zealander Catherine Cheatley (Cheerwine) kept the leader’s jersey followed by Kristin McGrath (Colavita/Sutter Home) and Robin Farina (Cheerwine).

Frank McCormack- ’96, ‘98

FITCHBURG - Saturn is not only No. 1 on four wheels, it can do it on two, too.

Leicester's Frank McCormack and Dede Demet made it No. 1 in the Longsjo Classic yesterday, McCormack easily taking the men's overall title and Demet, the Saturn team member from Boulder, Co., taking the women's overall title in the 39th running of the Longsjo Classic.