October 26/04 4:33 am - A Weekend of US `Cross: Report by N. Chown

Posted by Editoress on 10/26/04
 

Wissahickon and Wooden Wheels Cross
Courtesy Nathan Chown, St.Catharines CC/Fuji Canada

I headed down to the Philadelphia area for a couple of pretty big UCI cyclocross races last weekend.

Aside from 2 or 3 really big guns, all the top U.S. riders were in attendance. Saturday was a great day and the course was pretty much up a huge hill then down that same hill where you hit a road section for 300 metres then back into the turns and mud. There was a prologue lap, about 1/2 the course, and as I found out, had some new turns that were only used onthat lap.

Our start was really fast and I managed to get into the top 12 or so, but the women's race ran long (I did not get to see the prologue course) and I drifted out to the left expecting the right that would normally come up but the prologue did a few new turns and when you get off the train it seems no one is too happy to let you back on. After that I sat in about 25th. We hit the big climb of the day and the top guys already had a good gap. I tried to make up spots and got back into the top 20 but on lap three some guy knocked me over as he was running up the climb (he did say sorry). As I got back up I realized my seatpost had been altered but rideable. After this I pretty much realized it just was not my day and continued to ride hard with one other fellow. We rolled in for 30 and 31 quite a ways off the pace. The race for first sound pretty intense with Barry Wicks attacking and the last downhill technical section to gap Mark McCormack for the win. Which was a good move by him as it was a 300 meter drag on pavement to the finish and most cross guys would have a hard time taking Mark in a sprint, I would guess.

So the next day I just decided to start hard and not do anything stupid as this plan seems to work well for cross races. Sunday's course was not as technical and had more power sections. I had good start and eventually was in a group of 6 fighting for 9 th. After three laps two riders from our group attacked and stayed away. I threw in a few moves and got some small gaps but I would eventually get caught each time by the remainder of our group. On the last lap I made a move on a hill and looked back and saw nobody had responded so I continued to the finish for 12th. Up front it was Mark McCormack, Ben Jacques-Maynes and Barry Wicks again going for the win. Jacques-Maynes attacked with a little under a lap to go and got a little gap, Mark chased but had a little fall and came in for 2nd with Wicks 3rd. Again the race was fast and the tops guys just seem drift away from the 2nd and 3rd groups on the first lap. On Sunday there was a line of about 18 guys and I knew if anyone flattered or stumbled everyone behind then was in trouble. The line got broken up on a bunch on off camber turns and 180's. But it was fun to be in the front group even if it was only for 3 minutes.


Wissahickon Cross Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, October 24th

Elite Men
1. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Sierra Nevada Cycling, 57:32
2. Mark McCormack (USA) Clif Bar/Colavita Olive Oil, at 0:32
3. Barry Wicks (USA) Kona, 0:39
4. Jesse Anthony (USA) Cyclocrossworld.com, 1:02
5. Matt White (USA) NCC / BikeReg.com, 1:11
6. Jackson Stewart (USA) Clif Bar Cyclocross, 1:25
7. Jed Schneider (USA) Alan Factory Team, 2:47
8. Ben Turner (USA) TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar, 2:58
9. Jonathan Baker (USA) Pro Peloton Racing, 3:01
10. Jon Hamblin (USA) FiordiFrutta Elite Cycling Team, 3:04
11. Joshua Snead (USA) Village Peddler p/b Buycell.com, 4:28
12. Nathan Chown (CAN) St Catharines C.C./Fuji Canada, 4:44
13. Mike Yozell (USA) FORT-GPOA !, 4:46
14. Johannes Huseby (USA) FiordiFrutta Elite Cycling Team, 4:48
15. Jeff Weinert (USA) Cane Creek/Saturn of Toledo, 4:49
16. Matt Kraus (USA) Alan Factory Team, 4:58
17. Zak Grabowski (USA) TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar, 5:07
18. Gunnar Shogren (USA) FORT-GPOA !, 5:13
19. Andy Wulfkuhle (USA) Alan Mid Atlantic, 5:15
20. Ryan Leech (USA) FORT-GPOA !, 5:26
21. Jonathan Bruno (USA) Independent Fabrication, 5:43
22. Greg Marini (USA) Bike Doctor, 5:52
23. Joey Thompson (USA) Balance Bar Devo, 6:32
24. Jacob Stechmann (USA) Subway-Express, 6:37
25. Greg Wittwer (USA) Cyclocrossworld.com, 6:59
26. Joseph Reynolds (USA) Wissahickon, 7:05
27. Chris Samuel (USA) Pro Pedals, 7:22
28. Kyle Wamsley (USA) Team Fuji, 7:45
29. Adam Hodges Myerson (USA) Cycle-Smart, 7:47
30. Nathan Deibert (USA) G.D. Campos Lorca, 7:49
31. Jamey Driscoll (USA) Richard Sachs/CYBC, 8:05

At one lap

32. Jeremy Walker (USA) Cane Creek
33. John Hanson (USA) ncc/bikereg.com
34. Joe Piccillo (USA) Evolution Racing
35. Jon Hansen (USA) Team Embestida
36. Nicholas Shaffer (USA) Evolution Racing
37. Jeff Herring (USA) Celo Pacific
DNF. Kristopher Auer (USA) Alan Mid Atlantic
DNF. Les Leach (USA) Wissahickon
DNF. Myron Baker (USA) Verge Sport
DNF. Ryan Trebon (USA) Kona
DNF. Greg Ferguson (USA) FORT-GPOA

Elite Women
1. Barbara Howe (USA) Velo Bella, 44:33
2. Mackenzie Dickey (USA) Team Bicycle Alley, at 1:36
3. Anna Milkowski (USA) RONA, 1:38
4. Tara Parsons (USA) CRCA / Aquafina, 2:04
5. Melissa Maurer (USA) Evolution Racing, 2:26
6. Betsy Schauer (USA) FORT-GPOA!
7. Sami Fournier (USA) Velo Bella, 2:51
8. Marianne Stover (USA) Independent Fabrication/SMRT Inc., 3:04
9. Celeste Drumm (USA) HUP United, 3:14
10. Pauline Franscone (USA) Mystick Velo, 3:30
11. Caroline Hacker (USA) Evolution Racing, 3:33
12. Amber Itle (USA) Yellow Breeches Racing, 3:49
13. Sinead Fitzgibbon (USA) Aquafina / CRCA, 4:00
14. Kami Tremblay (USA) LSV / Kelly, 4:12
15. Maryann Martinez (USA) CCB/Volkswagen, 4:27
16. Dorothy Wong (USA) Kelly Bike Company, 4:47
17. Megan Clark (USA) Cycle-Smart, 5:13
18. Sarah Uhl (USA) Quark, 5:25
19. Susan MacLean (USA) Gear Works/Spin Arts Cycling Team, 5:31
20. Melanie Swartz (USA) Squadra Coppi/IM Saab, 5:45
21. Jennifer Maxwell (USA) National Capital Velo Club, 7:11
22. Lisa Most (USA) Wissahickon, 7:36
23. Lesley Honsberger (Can) St.Catharines C.C., 8:06
24. Alicia Genest (USA) Richard Sachs, 8:36
25. Lisa Vible (USA) First State Velo Sport, 8:51
26. Tammy Ebersole (USA) Evolution Racing, 9:35
27. Michelle Suplick (USA) Wissahickon, 9:47

At one lap

28. Katherine Farago (USA) NEBC/Cycleloft
29. Donna Anderson (USA) Evolution Racing
30. Bonnie Stoeckle (USA) Evolution Racing
31. Jill Neumann (USA) Evolution Racing
DNF. Christine Vardaros (USA) Velo Bella

Wooden Wheels Granogue, Delaware, October 23rd

Elite Men
1. Barry Wicks (USA), 58:37
2. Mark McCormack (USA), 0:10
3. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA), 0:13
4. Ryan Trebon (USA), 0:19
5. Jesse Anthony (USA), 1:16
6. Tyler Johnson (USA), 1:20
7. Jackson Stewart (USA), 1:51
8. Matt White (USA), 2:44
9. Jed Schneider (USA), 2:53
10. Jonathan Baker (USA), 3:08
11. Ben Turner (USA), 3:30
12. Johannes Huseby (USA), 3:49
13. Joshua Snead (USA)
14. Ryan Leech (USA), both s.t.
15. Jon Hamblen (USA), 4:12
16. Jeff Weinert (USA), 4:22
17. Greg Marini (USA), 4:31
18. Jonathan Bruno (USA), 4:38
19. Gunnar Shogren (USA), 5:26
20. Joseph Reynolds (USA), 5:34
21. Jamey Driscoll (USA), 5:46
22. John Hanson (USA), 5:52
23. Matt Kraus (USA), 5:54
24. Joey Thompson (USA), 6:07
25. Kristopher Auer (USA), 6:09
26. Greg Wittwer (USA), 6:25
27. Leslie Leech (USA), 6:32
28. Jacob Stechmann (USA), 6:34
29. Greg Ferguson (USA), 6:57
30. Adam Hodges Myerson (USA), 7:12
31. Nathan Chown (Can) , s.t.
32. Chris Samuel (USA), 8:23
33. Kyle Wamsley (USA)
34. John Degele (USA)
35. Mike Yozell (USA)
36. Nathan Deibert (USA)
37. Curt Davis (USA)
38. Jeff Herring (USA)
39. Myron Baker (USA)
40. Zak Grabowski (USA)
41. Joseph Piccillo (USA)
42. Ryan Dewald (USA)
43. Jon Hansen (USA)
44. Jeremy Walker (USA), all s.t.
DNF. Bobby Lea (USA)
DNF. Konrad Lebas (USA)
DNF. Ben Harper (USA)
DNF. Andrew Wulfkuhle (USA)
DNF. Nicholas Shaffer (USA)

Elite Women
1. Barbara Howe (USA), 46:02:00
2. Chrisstine Vardaros (USA), at 0:10
3. Anna Milkowski (USA), 0:14
4. Sinead Fitzgibbon (USA), 1:57
5. Sarah Uhl (USA), 2:45
6. Katrina Davis (USA), 2:46
7. Mackenzie Dickey (USA), 2:51
8. Marianne Stover (USA), 3:04
9. Betsy Schauer (USA), 3:22
10. Amber Itle (USA), 3:33
11. Dorothy Wong (USA), 3:43
12. Caroline Hacker (USA), 3:59
13. Melanie Swartz (USA), 4:05
14. Celeste Drumm (USA), 4:21
15. Sami Fournier (USA), 4:46
16. Pauline Frascone (USA), 4:53
17. Jennifer Maxwell (USA), 5:28
18. Lisa Most (USA), 5:47
19. Kami Tremblay (USA), 6:11
20. Susan MacLean (USA), 6:22
21. Megan Clark (USA), 6:36
22. Alicia Genest (USA), 7:10
23. Lisa Vible (USA), 9:20
24. Michelle Supland (USA), 9:52
25. Katherine Fargo (USA), 10:20
26. Lesley Honsberger Can
27. Tammy Ebersole (USA)
28. Tina Kunstbeck (USA)
29. Catherine Powers (USA)
30. Jill Neumann (USA), all s.t.
DNF. Maryan Martinez (USA)