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Tru-Rev's Julian Rivera takes a corner during the Miami International Inline Marathon Photo: Jeff Adams, Digital Pixel Design Studios
The Miami International Inline Marathon attracted a diverse crowd that included a U.S. Olympian (KC Boutiette), a 15-year-old speed skating prodigy from Colombia (Tru-Rev's Daniel Gonzalez) and a first-time racer from Austria. Nearly half of the skaters in the front pack were former world team members; and five were present or former world champions: Tru-Rev's Julian Rivera and Brigyte Mendez and Answer Wheels Joey Mantia, Michael Cheek, and Harry Vogel Jr. The number of World Class skaters would have been greater if Team Powerslide had been up for the challenge. But it pulled out of the race, only to show up later for the other outdoor events. (Nonetheless, Mantia and Mendez continued to dominate the competition.) The Start The marathon got off to a slow start. But during the first lap, Joey Mantia took off, and Julian Rivera followed. After four hard laps, the pack finally caught Mantia and Rivera. Skating with the lead pack was Brigyte Mendez, who, though she fell behind later in the race, went on to claim an easy victory in the world-class women's division. Men's Race Mantia led for much of the race and was especially strong on the back stretch. But Tru-Rev's Julian Rivera and Daniel Gonzalez put up a good fight. After chasing down Mantia several times, the Tru-Rev skaters tried a different strategy. Instead of sitting behind Mantia and allowing the pack to catch up, they started going on their own breakaways. The youngster Gonzalez was the first to go. He went past Mantia midway through the race and took a big lead. This put Mantia in an unfamiliar role as chaser. Gonzalez maintained a blistering pace, but eventually Mantia and Rivera caught him. Then, with the chase pack no longer able to bridge the gap, Rivera took his turn. With 13 laps to go, he took off. Mantia followed while Gonzalez fell back. Mantia Takes Charge
With 11 laps to go, Mantia attacked and dropped Rivera for good. The reigning overall world champion went on to win the race, finishing 50 seconds ahead of second-place Rivera. Meanwhile, the chase pack caught Gonzalez. At that point, Answer's Michael Cheek took the lead, although another of Tru-Rev's junior skaters, Michael Garcia, stayed right with him. Pack Sprint Third place was up for grabs until the final lap when former inline champion Harry Vogel Jr, on the comeback trail, poured on a furious sprint that put him across the finish line three seconds ahead of Garcia. In keeping with the international flavor of the event, the awards were handed out by Jorge Botero, the retired world champion and World Cup star from Colombia. The Miami International racecourse proved to be a hit not only with racers, but with spectators, who were able to watch the race unfold on the 1.1-mile banked track at Brian Piccolo Park in South Florida. (Desiree Kameka is the daughter of Tru-Rev owner Desmond Kameka.) Top three men:
Top women:
Complete results can be found at http://www.triandduit.com
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