After 4 hours, 26 minutes and 59 seconds and 120 miles under a bright golden sun, the 2000 United States Elite Men’s National Championship Road Race came down to a sprint.

Steve Cate of Norman, Okla., had just enough sprint left in him to cross the finish line on Main Street first, one second ahead of six other riders to capture the amateur national championship.

Cate, 23, said he saw an opportunity for one final burst coming around the final turn downtown.

&uot;I was in a pack behind three riders coming into downtown,&uot;&160;Cate said. &uot;When I jumped across the finishing hill (Silver Street) I started attacking. Jonathan (Wirshing) and I caught up with the lead group, but when we got to a feeding zone (cyclists could be handed water, food) the rest of the pack caught up with us.&uot;

Curt Davis, who would finish 62nd, then broke out to the front on the last lap.

&uot;I followed him because I knew someone had to go,&uot; Cate said, &uot;Three guys came by me, which was good because I wanted to be third or fourth because the sprint was pretty long.&uot;

Cate, who was first in the under 23-division in the USCF Elite National Championship Road in 1997 in Alttona, Pa., was three or four bike lengths behind Wirshing coming onto Main Street.

&uot;He was only one I was concerned about,&uot; Cate said.

Cate overtook Wirshing with 100 meters to go and held off the rest of the field.

&uot;My sprint really hasn’t been there the last few weeks, but when I stepped on it, it was there,&uot; Cate said. &uot;I went across the line pretty quick. I was going for it. I couldn’t sense anyone behind me, but I wasn’t going to take a chance on anyone passing me.&uot;

Cate credited his teammates on Mercy Cycling out of Fort Smith, Ark., with helping him get the win.

&uot;Ryan (Peterson) went out early and then Shane (Thellman) jumped up on the next attack,&uot; Cate said. &uot;Then on the last lap, Brian (Fagan) led me up the hill (Silver Street) and I jumped across after that.&uot;

Cate, who has been a Category 1 rider for five years, overcame a little early trouble after Thellman had a flat in Kingston.

&uot;It took us five miles to catch back up with the pack,&uot; Cate said.

Then Cate had a blowout.

&uot;Shane had to pull back to help me,&uot; Cate said.

Cate, like most cyclists, said the heat and humidity was tough on the riders, especially coming up Silver Street six times. However, only one cyclist was treated for cramps.

&uot;I’ve from Oklahoma, which is not that far,’&160;Cate said. &uot;I know what kind of effect the humidity can have on you. I know if you put forth a lot of effort, it’s going to take some time to recover. I’ve learned in the past to drink a lot of water every chance I got. There were other people cramping up.&uot;

This is the first year for Mercy Cycling, which is made of regional Category 1 riders.

&uot;We are extremely proud of our group of boys,&uot; said Mercy Cycling Team Director Hector Mendoza. &uot;Any one of the three could have won.&160;&uot;Shane was among the top four in the Olympic Trials (Saturday in Jackson)&160;and Ryan was in the pack for 80 miles before pulling out. Steve stayed back in the pack today (Sunday) while Shane and Ryan attacked. Steve was our trump card, and we played it to win.&uot;

Shawn McCormack of Plymouth, Mass., finished second at 4:27:00.

&uot;With three laps to go, there was a small group out front,&uot;&160;McCormack said. &uot;Curt Davis was out front first and then it slowed down and Tim Johnson got in front. Then&160;I caught a break with (Damon) Kluck and the pack slowed down a bit. I pushed to the front and only one guy went by me while three were behind me.&160;I was happy about that.&uot;

Wirsing of Glen Allen, Va., finished third 4:27:00.

&uot;Steve made a good move early and I just followed behind him,&uot;&160;Wirsing said. &uot;I started to cramp, but I knew I had to push myself.&uot;

The next four riders, all finishing at 4:27:00 were Shawn Willard of Charlotte, N.C.; Matthew Svatek of Carlisle, Mass.; Alex Candelario of Boulder, Colo.; and Damon Kluck of Santa Cruz, Calif.

The race started downtown and made its way out to Kingston for four laps.

&uot;There was a gang of four guys who took off early,&uot; Cate said. &uot;I wasn’t too worried about them. Then a group of eight took off and I told the guys we needed to move with them.&uot;

The pack stayed close together through the first two laps downtown and up Silver Street. Three riders had a five-second lead over the pack on the third lap and a 10-second lead on the fourth and fifth trips up the hill.

Most of the cyclists said they have to encounter hills on most courses, although the humid conditions made Silver Street a tough task.

&uot;The hill was a tough part of the race,&uot; said Johnson, who finished in 61st place. &uot;That’s actually my favorite part of racing because of my size (5-9, 148 pounds). I didn’t find it that difficult, but you better not let the guys who were behind me hear that.&uot;