For a while this summer, defending Tour of Anchorage champion Matt Jordan wasn't sure he could squeeze cycling into a schedule so full he barely slept.
Jordan was attending Alaska Pacific University to earn his teaching certificate and interning at Romig Middle School. At night, he worked a 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. shift at Alaska Children Services.
Add infant daughter Madison to the time demands, and Jordan started a downward spiral that included little sleep, a bout with depression, loss of appetite and various sicknesses.
"It was really, really bizarre," Jordan said.
Jordan started cycling again at the end of June and capped off his return to racing on Sunday when he won his second straight Tour of Anchorage title in the men's expert division. He pedaled 60 miles around Kincaid Park in 2 hours, 41 minutes, 12 second to win the four-day, five-stage race by more than two minutes.
"It makes (this win) even better than the last couple years," he said. "(Before Thursday's) prologue I was thinking maybe I will get fifth (overall).
"Even today, I was thinking maybe I will just cramp up and die."
Jordan, 29, one of the top road cyclists in the Arctic Bicycle Club last year, appeared in his last race May 3. When he started cycling again, less than a month remained to train for the Tour.
"I was not doing ... structured intervals, just having fun with it again," Jordan said. "Every night, I was getting better and better."
Jordan battled cramping in several stages of this year's Tour. Thursday, he won the five-mile prologue and a day later finished second in the Clark's Road Hill Climb.
On Saturday, he finished fourth in the downtown criterium and then won the Knik-Goose Bay 35-K time trial that afternoon by almost 30 seconds.
"A lot of guys are like, 'I am going to follow your schedule next year,' " Jordan said. "I'm like, 'Oh yea, see if that works.' "
Jordan finished with an overall time of 4:59:20.
Jordan also helped 17-year-old teammate Josh Yeaton move from fourth to second in the overall standings in the final stage. The pair used strategic racing to post a 1-2 finish for the Kaladi/Subway team, with Yeaton topping Jordan by two seconds in the stage.
"For Josh, we couldn't have scripted it out any better," Jordan said.
On the women's side, perennial stalwart Sheryl Loan captured the expert division with a total time of 4:28:50.
"Last year, I was sort of embarrassed," Loan said of her third-place finish in 2006. "I am really happy with how it all came out."
Her win ended up being easier than expected, and Loan credited it to longer time trial and hill climb stages, which play to her strengths of climbing and endurance.
"That really shook things up," she said.
Loan came into Sunday's stage with a 1-minute, 15-second lead over Sheryl Mohwinkel-Fleming and last year's Tour champion, Shannon Donley.
"The pressure was kind of off," Loan said.
Loan fended off several attempts to pass, including some from her own family.
Daughter Kinsey Loan, who finished third, said she tried to pass her mom several times. Not only did Kinsey get blocked, but mom allegedly tried to run her into marker cones on the course.
"I didn't know it was her," Loan said, laughing. "You can't see behind you."
Find Brian Singler online at adn.com/contact/bsingler or call 257-4335.
Arctic Bicycle Club Road Division
Alaska Club Tour of Anchorage
Sunday's Stage 5: Kincaid Road Race
Women
Expert Women -- 1) Sheryl Loan 2:09:13; 2) Shannon Donley 2:09:13; 3) Wendy Lindskoog 2:09:13; 4) Amber Stull 2:09:13; 5) Janice Tower 2:09:13;6) Kinsey Loan 2:09:13; 7) Janice Sheufelt 2:09:14; 8) Dana Tower 2:09:14; 9) Sheryl Mohwinkel-Fleming 2:09:16;10) Melissa DeVaughn-Hall 2:09:16; 11) Sandy Kern 2:10:11.
Sport -- 1) Katrina Stewart 2:03:06; 2) Petra Davis 2:03:14; 3) Stacy Steinberg 2:03:14; 4) Rebecca McKee 2:03:27; 5) Debora Summers 2:03:42; 6) Jill Mcleod 2:04:03; 7) Anna Burke 2:09:53; 8) Kim Robinson 2:17:14.
Master -- 1) Anne Larche 2:17:02; 2) Leslie Yamauchi 2:17:07; 3) Paula Westhusing 2:17:10 4) Robin Leighty 2:18:14; 5) Diane Mohwinkel 2:20:28.
Beginner -- 1) Amber Bethe 1:40:53; 2) Deborah Clayton 1:41:02; 3) Cathy Janigo 1:41:03; 4) Erika Monahan 1:41:14; 5) Renee Helie 1:41:16; 6) Karen Oakley 1:41:17; 7) Jennifer Williams 1:41:18; 8) Veronica Vania 1:50:19; 9) Missy Anderson 1:50:33.
Men
Expert Men -- 1) Josh Yeaton 2:41:10; 2) Matt Jordan 2:41:12; 3) Seth Downs 2:41:12; 4) Andy Duenow 2:41:51; 5) Will Ross 2:42:32; 6) Darren Mattingly 2:42:32; 7) Brian Bonney 2:42:33; 8) James Stull 2:42:36; 9) Jim Peot 2:42:36; 10) Evan Hyde 2:42:36; 11) Tim Lamb 2:42:39;12) John Bursell 2:42:39; 13) Tom Peichel 2:42:39 14) Brian Dagnon 2:42:39; 15) Andy Garrigus 2:42:39;16) Robert Sowers 2:42:43;17) Kevin Houlihan 2:42:57; 18) Jason Lamoreaux 2:43:01; 19) Ed Sniffen 2:43:04 20) Charles Hsieh 2:43:52; 21) Matt Novakovich 2:47:03; 22) Tony Brugliera 2:47:03;23) Peter Morris 2:47:03; 24) Preston Keating 2:48:58; 25) Chet Fehrmann 2:49:27; 26) Jeff Dusenbury 2:49:38; 27) Ranjodh Gill 2:55:30.
Sport -- 1) Doug Zellmer 2:07:17; 2) Fred West 2:07:18; 3) Brent Gorman 2:07:20; 4) Brion Beerle 2:07:20; 5) Peter VanTuyn 2:07:20; 6) Richard Navitsky 2:07:20; 7) Alex De'Ath 2:07:20; 8) Bill Fleming 2:07:21; 9) Cullen McAlpine 2:07:21; 10) Jon Wolf 2:07:25; 11) Steve Klosiewski 2:08:11; 12) Anson Moxness 2:11:24; 13) Matthew McBride 2:13:39; 14) Luke Kiskaddon 2:17:52 15) Todd Redinius 2:17:56 16) Joe Fish 2:18:31; 17) Jason Kersten 2:18:39; 18) Chris Dabbs 2:18:54; 19) Matt Eley 2:18:54; 20) Christopher Knott 2:22:44; 21) Ed Banas 2:27:50; 22) Will Beveridge 2:40:01.
Master -- 1) Jim Galanes 2:07:19; 2) Greg Hillyer 2:07:19; 3) Casey Colton 2:07:19; 4) Tol Fishburn 2:07:19; 5) Jim Cardwell 2:07:23; 6) Karl Boesenberg 2:07:23; 7) Tim E. Kelly 2:07:23; 8) Reidar Bratvold 2:07:23; 9) Jack Anderson 2:07:24; 10) Rob Spiller 2:07:26; 11) Steve Mulder 2:07:29; 12) Peter Haeussler 2:07:35; 13) Pete Johnson 2:09:00;14David Newman 2:09:01; 15) James Briggs 2:10:18; 16) Jeff Thurston 2:14:54; 17) Bob Eastaugh 2:15:43; 18) Chris Waythomas 2:17:16.
Beginner -- 1) Rick Dennis 2:06:29; David Roes 2:06:39; 3) Ed Witterholt 2:06:53; 4) Curtis Morris 2:06:53; 5) Johnny Kay 2:08:21.
Overall series results
Women
Expert -- 1) Sheryl Loan 4:28:50; 2) Sheryl Mohwinkel-Fleming 4:30:34; 3) Shannon Donley 4:30:34; 4) Wendy Lindskoog 4:32:15; 5) Amber Stull 4:32:37; 6) Janice Sheufelt 4:33:53; 7) Melissa DeVaughn-Hall 4:35:19; 8) Janice Tower 4:36:35; 9) Kinsey Loan 4:37:00; 10) Dana Tower 4:41:02; 11 Sandy Kern 4:46:15.
Sport -- 1) Katrina Stewart 4:35:41; 2) Rebecca McKee 4:39:01; 3) Debora Summers 4:44:06; 4) Petra Davis 4:45:31; 5) Jill Mcleod 4:48:32; 6 Stacy Steinberg 4:54:00; 7) Kim Robinson 5:07:47.
Master -- 1) Anne Larche 4:46:52; 2) Paula Westhusing 4:50:03; 3) Leslie Yamauchi 4:51:56; 4) Robin Leighty 5:05:11; 5) Diane Mohwinkel 5:16:52.
Beginner -- 1) Cathy Janigo 4:04:40; 2) Deborah Clayton 4:07:14; 3) Jennifer Williams 4:07:26; 4) Karen Oakley 4:15:27; 5) Renee Helie 4:15:49; 6) Erika Monahan 4:17:25; 7) Veronica Vania 4:25:37; 8) Missy Anderson 4:31:58.
Men
Expert -- 1) Matt Jordan 4:59:20; 2) Josh Yeaton 5:01:52; 3 Tim Lamb 5:03:00; 4) Evan Hyde 5:03:03; 5) Seth Downs 5:03:48; 6) John Bursell 5:04:26; 7) James Stull 5:04:39; 8) Tom Peichel 5:05:38; 9) Will Ross 5:06:04; 10) Darren Mattingly 5:07:57; 11) Jason Lamoreaux 5:08:18; 12) Brian Dagnon 5:09:39; 13) Andy Duenow 5:10:17; 14) Brian Bonney 5:10:34; 15) Charles Hsieh 5:10:52; 16) Jim Peot 5:11:40; 17) Robert Sowers 5:11:47; 18) Ed Sniffen 5:12:21; 19) Kevin Houlihan 5:13:11; 20) Matt Novakovich 5:13:45; 21) Tony Brugliera 5:13:52; 22) Andy Garrigus 5:15:31; 23) Peter Morris 5:18:11; 24) Preston Keating 5:21:11; 25 Ranjodh Gill 5:23:08; 26) Jeff Dusenbury 5:25:21.
Sport -- 1) Fred West 4:29:03; 2) Doug Zellmer 4:32:57; 3) Steve Klosiewski 4:33:48; 4) Brent Gorman 4:35:55; 5) Bill Fleming 4:36:15; 6) Brion Beerle 4:37:39; 7) Peter VanTuyn 4:38:06; 8) Richard Navitsky 4:38:08; 9) Jon Wolf 4:40:03; 10) Alex De'Ath 4:41:19;11) Matthew McBride 4:44:02; 12) Anson Moxness 4:45:04; 13 Luke Kiskaddon 4:45:42; 14) Cullen McAlpine 4:46:27; 15) Jason Kersten 4:53:11; 16) Chris Dabbs 4:57:51; 17) Will Beveridge 5:17:56.
Master -- 1) Jim Galanes 4:31:03; 2) Greg Hillyer 4:31:16; 3) Casey Colton 4:32:04; 4) Jack Anderson 4:32:46; 5) Jim Cardwell 4:33:42; 6) Steve Mulder 4:34:28; 7) Karl Boesenberg 4:36:12; 8) Tol Fishburn 4:39:03; 9) Tim E. Kelly 4:40:09; 10) Peter Haeussler 4:40:10; 11) Pete Johnson 4:41:05; 12) David Newman 4:43:42; 13) James Briggs 4:48:14; 14) Chris Waythomas 4:51:57; 15) Bob Eastaugh 4:52:21; 16) Jeff Thurston 4:53:28.
Beginner -- 1) Ed Witterholt 4:32:32; 2) Rick Dennis 4:46:28; 3) David Roes 4:47:30; 4) Johnny Kay 4:47:43.
