&uot;Oh, man,&uot; Joanna Frangos said as she turned away from the plate glass window at Clara Nell’s Downtown Deli. &uot;I should have pushed myself a little harder.&uot; Frangos, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was one of a small group gathered Saturday morning to see the results from the first leg of the Natchez Bicycle Classic 2000 — the time trial race. Frangos placed 13 in the women’s division.

&uot;I’m not satisfied with my time, but I’m still excited about the race overall,&uot; she said. Frangos came to her first race in Natchez in 1986 and said the Natchez Bicycle Classic is still her &uot;favorite all-time stage race.&uot;

Standing a few feet away, David &uot;Spider&uot; Edwards slapped Gary Zyriek on the back. &uot;He’s the man,&uot; Edwards said, grinning.

Zyriek, who has been coming to the Natchez Bicycle Classic for five straight years, had just found out he placed second in the men’s division with a time of 4 minutes and 38 seconds, only 4 seconds shy of the leader. &uot;I had no idea I had done so well,&uot; he said. &uot;This is a real motivator for the road race — but nerve wracking as well.&uot;

As chief referee of this year’s event, Doug Gerry was impressed with the way the City of Natchez handled the race. &uot;There are very few staged races in this country — we are privileged to be able to do this in Natchez,&uot; Gerry said.

&uot;Everyone recognizes the Tour de France as a staged bicycle race,&uot; he said, explaining that staged racing entails a technical course with high speeds and a cumulative score after all events are finished.

&uot;This race is the same — it just has a smaller format, of course, and less mounts — only 180,&uot; Chief Judge Carol Simmons said. &uot;And there are no pros here, only amateurs.&uot;

&uot;The overall cooperation of the city is remarkable,&uot; Mark Myles, assistant referee, said. &uot;The fact that they barricade the streets for the safety of the riders and have volunteers from the community to ensure further safety says a lot, and actually this race is getting to be well known because of that.&uot;

Later Saturday, under the cool shade of a tree, bicyclists began setting up and making safety checks for the second leg of the Natchez Bicycle Classic 2000 — the road race.

&uot;It was hard this morning, and it’s going to be harder this afternoon,&uot; said Geoff Godsey of Dallas.

&uot;That’s cool though because we heard it was the same course as the Nationals,&uot; said his teammate Jason Cook. &uot;Just knowing that you’re riding the same course that the national champions rode is worth it.&uot;

Natchez hosted the men’s amateur national championship last month.

Brian Bowes of Monroe, La., came in 10th for the time trial of the Classic. &uot;I was only nine places behind where I wanted to be,&uot; Bowes said. &uot;But that’s OK, that first leg of the race is not our fort\u00E9 anyway.&uot;

&uot;There’s a few ahead of us now, but we’re about to bump them out of the way,&uot; laughed David Boles, formerly of Vidalia, La., and now a member Monroe team. &uot;I come back every year and every year it has gotten bigger and better.&uot;

The event continues downtown today with the criterium at 9:30 a.m.