USA Cyclocross Roundup 13 October 2006
Cyclocross around the USA Reports, Race Schedules, Results

Gran Prix of Gloucester
Ryan Trebon (Kona) won for the second consecutive day and Georgia Gould (Luna) sprinted to the win in the Elite Women’s competition to wrap up the first weekend of the 2006 Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross at the Gran Prix of Gloucester presented by SemEquip.

Elite Men
In a similar start to yesterday’s race, Barry Wicks (Kona), Ryan Trebon (Kona) and Tim Johnson (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com) jumped to an early lead on the rest of the field. Just when it seemed like the three of them would duke it out the entire race, about five laps in Johnson caught the tape before the pit. Trebon attacked and remained in the lead for the duration and Johnson hung in and finished behind him in second. In the battle for third, Wicks was eventually caught by McCormack and Mathieu Toulouse (Team Maxxis Cyclocross). Wicks tried to attack but was pulled back.
It came down to an all out sprint with McCormack edging Wicks for third. Trebon leaves Gloucester with the overall lead and will keep the leader’s jersey going in to Colorado. Also, wit h the win today, Trebon becomes the first to take back to back wins in Gloucester since Erwin Vervecken.

Elite Women
The women’s race saw three of the top riders explode from the start and stay ahead the entire race – Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com), Georgia Gould (Luna) and Wendy Simms (Kona). Yesterday’s winner and returning champion Bessette rode hard the entire race and never ceded first until the final sprint where Gould outsprinted her for the win. Katerina Nash (Luna) and Kerry Barnholt (Tokyo Joe’s/Gary Fisher) rode together for awhile before Nash dropped Barnholt finishing fourth. With today’s win and her second place finish yesterday, Gould takes the overall lead from the returning champion Bessette.

Juniors
In what was arguably the most exciting race of the day, the junior race had it all. The lead group saw six riders in front for most of the day - Jim Lennon (TIAA-CREF/CLIF BAR), Sean Worsech (Rad Racing), Danny Summerhill (TIAA-CREF/CLIF BAR), Alex Coelho (Hot Tubes Development Cycling), Ethan Gilmour (K2 Bike - Okemo - Coyote Hill) and Steve Fisher (Rad Racing NW). Yesterday’s winner Coelho had two separate issues to overcome during the race, crashing once and having his bars slip. He recovered nicely and ended up in fourth. Eventually Lennon, Worsech and Summerhill separated themselves and would remain ahead until the end where it came down to an incredible sprint with Lennon just edging Worsech for the win. With his first place today and fourth yesterday, Lennon takes the overall USGP lead.

U-23
The U-23 race saw Jamey Driscoll (FiordiFrutta) take the win and, coupled with his second place finish yesterday, the overall lead. Nick Weighall (Alan Factory Team) finished second, followed by first year USGP participant Chance Noble (California Giant Strawberries/Specialized) and Jesse Anthony (Team Clif Bar).

Masters
The Masters division saw five riders get off to the front and stay there. Eventually, Richard Feldman (Durance Cycleworks - Lehman Brothers) pulled away from the group and won by about five lengths. Will Black (Lone Star Racing) outsprinted yesterday’s winner Roger Aspholm (Westwood Velo) for second. Dale Knapp (Kona) and Gannon Myall (California Giant Strawberries/Specialized) rounded out the top five. Feldman takes the overall lead.

Race Notes: The Adidas Most Aggressive Riders were Adam Craig (Men), Lyne Bessette (Women), Jamey Driscoll (U-23), Ethan Gilmore (Juniors) and Richard Feldman (Masters)

The stage is now set for the Crank Brothers US Gran Prix of Cyclocross. The series will continue on November 4th in Longmont, Colorado at the Xilinx Cup and on November 5th at the Boulder Cup in Boulder, Colorado.

For more information on the Crank Brother US Gran Prix of Cyclocross visit www.usgpcyclocross.com Here are today's top 5 from the Crank Brothers US Gran Prix of Cyclocross.
ELITE MEN
1 Trebon Ryan Kona USGP Leader
2 Johnson Tim Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com
3 McCormack Mark Team Clif Bar
4 Wicks Barry Kona
5 Toulouse Mathieu Team Maxxis Cyclocross
Most Aggressive Craig Adam Giant Bicycles

ELITE WOMEN
1 Gould Georgia Luna
2 Bessette Lyne Cyclocrossworld.com USGP Leader
3 Sims Wendy Kona
4 Nash Katerina Tokyo Joe's/Gary Fisher
5 Barnholt Kerry Team
Most Aggressive Bessette Lyne Luna

U23
1 Driscoll Jamey FiordiFrutta USGP Leader
2 Weighall Nick Alan Factory Team
3 Noble Chance California Giant Strawberries/Specialized
4 Anthony Jesse Team Clif Bar
5 Mc Grath Adam Team Maxxis
Most Aggressive Driscoll Jamey FiordiFrutta

JUNIORS
Pos Last First Team
1 Lennon Jim TIAA-CREF/CLIF BAR USGP Leader
2 Worsech Sean Rad Racing
3 Summerhill Danny TIAA-CREF/CLIF BAR
4 Coelho Alex Hot Tubes Development Cycling
5 Gilmour Ethan K2 Bike - Okemo - Coyote Hill
Most Aggressive Gilmour Ethan K2 Bike - Okemo - Coyote Hill

MASTERS
1 Feldman Richard Durance Cycleworks - Lehman Brothers USGP Leader
2 Black Will Lone Star Racing
3 Aspholm Roger Westwood Velo
4 Knapp Dale Kona
5 Myall Gannon California Giant Strawberries/Specialized
Most Aggressive Feldman Richard Durance Cycleworks - Lehman Brothers

CYCLING SHOWDOWN AT GRANOGUE HOTTER THAN EVER
Interest in Delaware Race Intensifies Following This Past Weekend’s Results
If it were a movie, nobody would believe it. But the real-life “script” leading up to the first-ever meeting of cycling superstars Katie Compton, Georgia Gould and Lyne Bessette at Cyclocross races at Granogue Estate in Wilmington Delaware on October 21 added even more dramatic tension this past weekend. The first major event on the 2006 North American cyclocross calendar took place this past weekend, October 7 and 8, at the classic two-day international at Gloucester, Massachusetts, and nothing was resolved.

Canadian Legend Lyne Bessette of Team CyclocrossWorld.com drew first blood by winning Saturday’s first women’s match-up. But Georgia Gould of the Luna Women’s Mountain Bike Team, the reigning Verge MAC Cyclocross and United States National Mountain Bike Champion, responded with a win of her own at Sunday’s race to set up a rematch in Delaware and Pennsylvania in two weeks.

One big story from the weekend was Katie Compton, who received more attention for not racing than many riders do for winning. Compton was busy three time zones away competing in the U.S. Track Cycling Championships with the rest of her of the Spike Professional team in Los Angeles. The smooth surface, banked turns and aerodynamic emphasis could not be more different than the down-in-the-dirt tussle of cyclocross, but the Coloradan is no stranger to either and left the championships with two top-ten finishes and a silver medal in the pursuit behind hard-surface specialist Sarah Hammer. All roads now point to the long-awaited cyclocross showdown between Compton, Gould and Bessette at the Queen Weekend of the Verge MAC Series

If racing both velodrome and cyclocross simultaneously is unusual, so is the rest of Compton’s approach to the sport. Where most others seek individual glory, Compton opted for the decidedly less glamorous, but no less competitive, world of international Paralympic competition. Acting as the sighted pilot for blind racer Karissa Whitsell, Compton dominated their competition taking gold medals and world records. But back home, she took a lot of criticism from people who didn’t understand her lack of selfishness.

Like a professional boxer, Compton prepares for “the big fight” in different ways. In her case, usually by racing and beating the semi-pro men in Colorado cyclocross races and then immediately lining-up and racing against the Elite Women with no rest between the events. In a sport where the top finishers exert themselves so thoroughly that they often collapse in anguish following a race, Compton’s back-to-back races are the stuff of legend. And, while it’s debatable whether Compton’s training and career plans are any more unorthodox than that of fictional boxer movie legend Rocky Balboa’s, there’s no debating that Compton’s the real deal as she has won the past two United States National Cyclocross Championships.

The first-ever meeting between Compton, rising American superstar Georgia Gould and Canadian Legend Lyne Bessette, the 2001 North American Cyclocrosser of the year and one of Canada’s all-time most successful international professional athletes, takes place as part of a larger series of races at the Granogue Estate in Wilmington Delaware and also at the Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show grounds in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania on October 21 and 22. Both races will also include virtually all of the fastest professional men in North America, but such is the stature and anticipation of the first-ever women’s 1:30 pm showdown between Compton, Gould and Bessette that it has completely overshadowed what would normally be one of the most anticipated professional men’s races of the year.

The Cyclocross at Granogue on October 21 and the Wissahickon Cyclocross at the Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show grounds on October 22 are the opening two rounds of the 2006 Verge Mid Atlantic Cyclocross Series -- the “Beast of the East” that has a style and character all of its own, and the biggest cyclocross series in the East. Participation in the amateur preliminary events is open to licensed racers only, who should pre-register for the event at www.BikeReg.com, the official on-line registration service of the Verge MAC series that is fueled by Hammer Nutrition.

Spectator Admission to both events, like all great bicycle races, is free, though there is a nominal $2 parking fee at Granogue. Both races are to be held rain or shine, and in fact “bad” weather actually makes this form of bike racing even more exciting. More information, including directions and race schedules, is available at the Verge Mid Atlantic Cyclocross Series website www.midatlanticcross.com.

LYNE WINS ONE, BEN STRONG AT GLOUCESTER
At the first major gathering of North American cyclocross talent in 2007, Team Cyclocrossworld.com threw down an impressive collection of results at the opening pair of Crank Brothers USGP of Cyclocross events, October 7-8 in Gloucester, Massachusetts. On the Elite Women’s side, Lyne Bessette won one and grabbed 2nd in the other, while Elite Men’s racer Ben Jacques-Maynes finished 5th on day one and 8th on day two.

Heading the 60-rider field from lap one, Lyne won Saturday’s USGP opener in familiar fashion, racing from the front and executing a mistake-free ride. On Sunday, however, Lyne was unable to shake Georgia Gould (Luna), 2nd place on Saturday, and the defending U.S. Cross-Country Champion nosed out Lyne in a two-up sprint to the line.

“Georgia is really strong, she’s National Mountain Bike champ after all, so you can never underestimate her,” said Lyne after Sunday’s second place. “I rode a good race and in the end she was just stronger. But I had a good weekend, my new Thorne bike worked perfectly and I’m excited for the rest of the season.”

In his first major East Coast races in two years, Ben fought through the massive Elite fields to two solid top-10 results. With early breakaways deciding both days’ races, Ben hung tough as the chase groups formed and disintegrated. "This is a good start for me,” said Ben. “I rode the way I wanted to and the speed will come as the season goes on.”

Team Cyclocrossworld.com will race again this coming weekend, Oct. 14-15, with Lyne hitting the openers of the Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series in Maine and Ben enjoying the warmer temps of the Velo Bella Surf City Cyclocross in Northern California.

The Cyclocrossworld.com Cyclocross Team is sponsored by Cyclocrossworld.com, SRAM components, Thorne frames, Louis Garneau clothing and helmets, Mavic wheels, adidas shoes and casual clothing, FSA bars, stems, seatposts, and headsets, Fizik saddles and bar tape, Wetzikon guards, and Geller-Devellis.

15th Annual River City Bicycles Cross Crusade
Set to Invade Hillsboro Stadium
OBRA Portland Cross Crusade
PORTLAND, Oregon: More than 700 mud-speckled cyclocross crusaders will descend on Hillsboro Stadium this Sunday, October 15, for the round two of the River City Bicycles Cross Crusade, the largest participatory cyclocross bike racing series in the world.

And that’s no idle boast. Two weeks ago at Alpenrose Diary the Cross Crusade season opener attracted a record field of 798 riders – the largest one-day cyclocross race ever held in the U.S.

Racing at Hillsboro Stadium starts at 9 a.m. with Beginners and Masters 50+ and continues all day, with the Category A Men and Masters Category A 35+ race at 2 p.m.

The long-running success of the River City Bicycles Cross Crusade – this is its 15th year – has firmly established the Northwest as the country’s most popular region for cyclocross. Each round of the Cross Crusade offers 16 classes of competition, from elite men and women to masters and junior categories. Races vary from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the class. The series, sanctioned by the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association, will pay out more than $20,000 in prize money plus merchandise.

The remaining River City Cross Crusade schedule is as follows:
Race 2 – October 15, Hillsboro Stadium
Race 3 - October 22, Horning’s Hideout
Race 4 - October 29, Halloween Cross Festival Flying M Ranch
Race 5 - November 5, Barton Park
Race 6 - November 12, OBRA Cyclocross Championships, Estacada Timber Park
USGP Finale – November 19, Hillsboro Stadium.

The Cross Crusade is organized and promoted by Club Vivo, 4409 SW Dosch Road, Portland, OR 97201, 503-806-6943. For complete information on the River City Cross Crusade, visit www.crosscrusade.com. Learn more about the Cross Crusade and all types of bicycle racing in Oregon at www.obra.org site of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association.

PENNSYLVANIA’S “TOUAREG de FOREST”
This weekend, the wildly popular BikeReg.com MABRAcross series moves to the northern side of the Mason-Dixon line that defined the border of the US Civil War for an unusual weekend of cyclocross. On any other weekend, the BikeReg.com series would be the main event, but Saturday’s Volkwagen Iron Cross Lite serves as a very tasty Hors d’Oeuvre to the following day’s main course -- the Fourth Annual Volkswagen Iron Cross. Whereas Saturday’s BikeReg.com MABRAcross event is a traditional format, Sunday’s race takes racers over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house of pain on a 100 km lap of the Michaux State Forest.

Modeled after England’s legendary “Three Peaks” cyclocross race, the Volkswagen Iron Cross Lite is America’s longest Cyclocross race and has attracted a field from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Iron Cross Lite, Iron Cross IV, and the 15km and 30 km Iron Cross Country Trail Runs will all be held in Michaux State Forest, south of Carlisle, PA and will start and finish at the Carlisle YMCA's recently remodeled Camp Thompson, where many participants will stay for the entire weekend at bunkhouses at the camp. New for this year is the Memphis Blues/Wildware Team Cup. For more information on the bike races, and the accompanying trail running races, see www.yellowbreechesracing.org/ironcross.

Volkswagen Iron Cross race weekend is made possible by the generous support of the Volkswagen Dealers of South Central PA, the Tanner Companies, Miller & Cardin PT, Galbraith Pre-Design, Dr. Drew Wellmon II, and many other sponsors.
Proceeds from all of the races will benefit the Carlisle Family YMCA and the Blue Butterfly Fund, which provides funds to assist families with the cost of travel, non-covered medical fees, and general living expenses that are often sacrificed by a family whose child has cancer.
Pre-registration for the bike races remains open only until October 12 on www.BikeReg.com, while trail runners should register on www.RunReg.com.

Verge NECCS Opens with Maine Double
The 2006 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series opens October 14-15 in New Gloucester, Maine with a pair of Downeast Cyclo-Cross events. Using the flexible and tortuous Pineland Farm’s site, Downeast races dish out a rugged mix of ‘cross challenges, creating the most demanding lap on the Verge NECCS. New for 2006, both days of Downeast will carry UCI Cat 2 status, attracting points-hungry racers from across the Northeast.

“We re-designed the course after last year's tractor pull in the mud,” said organizer John Grenier. “The course at Pineland Farms is something that takes your breath away, and I'm not talking about the beautiful fall foliage! There will be plenty of blotchy red cheeks to match the leaves. Each of the two courses emphasizes different skill sets. Day one has short hard efforts without many long breaks while the day two has a couple of fast technical descents that will allow for more recovery but require more skill.

“Each year we've grown bigger and better and now that we have stepped up and made it a two-day UCI Event we feel it will become one of the premier events in the Northeast,” said Grenier.

Downeast expects to host the usual New England favorites 2005 Verge NECCS champion Tim Johnson (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com, Mark McCormack and Jesse Anthony (ClifShot), Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly) and Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com) and defending Verge NECCS champ Mo Bruno Roy (Independent Fabrication) on the Elite women's side.

The 2006 Verge NECCS is sponsored by Verge Sport, makers of quality cycling apparel, and specializing in custom clothing orders; Cycle-Smart: Solutions for Cycling, personalized coaching for all cycling disciplines; Felt Bicycles, builders of the best bicycles in the world: BikeReg.com, the official registration service of the NECCS, is the solution for all of your online registration needs for cycling events; Greyhound Juice, warming salves and skin care products for all athletes; and Paul Weiss Photo/Video, the NECCS official photographer and videographer.

Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series
October 14 Downeast Cyclocross #1 New Gloucester, ME
October 15 Downeast Cyclocross #2 New Gloucester, ME
November 4 Chainbiter 8.0 Farmington, CT
November 5 Cycle-Smart International Northampton, MA
November 25 Bay State Cyclocross Sterling, MA
December 9 W.E. Steadman Grand Prix S. Kingston, RI
December 10 Caster's Cyclocross Warwick, RI