Louis Beaudoin Wins Big in the Napa Valley Inline Marathon

2005 Napa Valley Inline Marathon

Beaudoin Leaves the Field Behind Shortly After Halfway Point in Race

Louis Beaudoin, a relative newcomer to inline racing, won the Napa Valley Inline Marathon today in commanding fashion.

The 24-year-old from Berkeley, Calif., finished the race a full one minute and thirty-two seconds before the next skater.

Finishing behind him were two world-class skaters from the Hyper Racing Team: Dane Lewis and Troy Atwell.

Twincam's Eddy Matzger won the field sprint to take fourth place.

Lewis was leading at the half way point of the two lap road course on the scenic Silverado Trail highway in Calistoga, Calif.

But then he slowed, and the lead pack quickly caught him.

Beaudoin said he felt a little tired on the first lap. "But I felt strong on the second lap, and then Eddy (Matzger) told me to pull out."

He took Matzger's advice, broke away from the pack and gradually built an insurmountable lead.

At one point, injured racer Dan Burger shouted at him from the race support van to "stop relaxing" and skate harder to protect his lead.

"But I wasn't relaxing," Beaudoin said. "I was hurting."

Beaudoin only started inline racing two years ago. He is coached by three-time a2a champ Kim Perkins and often trains with Matzger.

Beaudoin finished the hilly road coarse in a time of one hour, 18 minutes and 20 seconds.

Naomi Shechter, 38, of New York City, won the women's race. She skated in with a time of one hour, 28 minutes and 7 seconds.

Heather Prois finished six minutes later to take second.

Event organizer David Miles said 140 skaters competed in the event, which included a half-marathon.

Top Men Finishers:

Top Women Finishers:

(Posted on Aug. 7, 2005)