Cyclocross

Break out the cowbells, wool socks and long underwear, the second weekend of December has arrived, meaning the most important cyclo-cross race of the North American calendar is about to take place. Held in the natural amphitheater of the Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island, the 2005 Liberty Mutual U.S. national cyclo-cross championships is expected to host some of the most tightly contested battles for the stars-and-stripes jerseys in recent memory.

"So why should this weekend be any different? Snow." That was Chris Milliman, in an e-mail promising photos from this weekend's Liberty Mutual U.S. Cyclo-cross National Championships in Providence, Rhode Island. He's seen his fair share of the white stuff while covering 'cross races this fall, and from the look of the shots he sent our way today, he's not seen the last of it yet. The weather was bad enough that two categories – men 30-34 and collegiate men – had to be postponed until Saturday. So take a good, long look at the gallery posted below – and then go throw another

In the perfect send off to what has been a cyclo-cross series with its fair share of bad weather and challenging conditions, the Caster’s Grand Prix, run Sunday in Warwick, Rhode Island as the final round of the 2005 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series, presented racers with the most challenging conditions yet, a lethal combination of fresh snow, freezing temperatures, and even sleet. But if the race day conditions seemed utterly miserable and treacherous to most riders, they were the perfect storm for noted bad weather specialist Tim Johnson (Cyclocrossworld.com-Louis Garneau)

Racers from 15 states and the District of Columbia converged on the Washington, D.C., suburb of Reston, Virginia, on Sunday for round seven of the $30,000 Verge Mid Atlantic Cyclocross Series. The Capital Cross Classic presented by The Bike Lane was the largest cyclo-cross race ever held in Virginia or the district area, with 250 entries comprised of seven classes competing in five events. The featured DARCARS Chrysler International figured to be a wide-open affair with many of the national riders deciding to skip this UCI C2 event for races in Europe or Thanksgiving at home. Stepping into

Tim Johnson knows he’s living right because his decision to come back to cyclo-cross after a three-year absence has Mother Nature’s seal of approval. Johnson (Cyclocrossworld.com-Louis Garneau) is famous for an uncanny knack to ride at a whole other level when the conditions include snow and ice, and that’s just what the 2000 U.S. elite national champion found Saturday at the Gearworks Bay State Cyclo-cross in Sterling, Massachusetts, round four of the 2005 Verge New England Championships Cyclo-Cross Series. With four inches of cold, dry snow covering the tricky course, Johnson was in hog

Tara Ross (Diet Cheerwine) and Jon Hamblen (Fiordifrutta) won the North Carolina Grand Prix Saturday in Hendersonville’s Jackson Park. The UCI event featured a fast, spectator-friendly 3km course dotted with many off-camber sections, a steep "wall," and a set of double natural step-ups. In the women’s elite field, Ross immediately strung out the field immediately. A chase group including teammate Laura Bowles, Samantha Williams (Alan Factory) and Kim Sawyer (Travel Girl) faded over the next few laps as Betsy Schauer (Fort–GPOA!) took over the pursuit. Cara McCauley (CCA-Kona) and Melanie

Four top cyclo-cross racers celebrated victories Sunday night after the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross series finale in San Francisco’s renowned Golden Gate Park. Two riders, Todd Wells and Wendy Simms, enjoyed victories at the scenic Clark Natwick Grand Prix, while two others, Barry Wicks and Lyne Bessette, were awarded overall series titles. Perhaps the biggest winner of the day was the Kona Cyclocross team, which scored both the elite men’s overall series win with 24-year-old sensation Wicks and also took an upset race victory when Simms became the first woman this season to

While it won’t make for the epic imagery usually associated with cyclo-cross, sunny, warm weather is expected in the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend, the site for the finale of the 2005 Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross series. Instead of the snowstorm conditions racers faced at race 3 of the series October 29 in Gloucester, Massachusetts, competitors will revel in the sunbathed tradition of West Coast cyclo-cross. Saturday’s Surf City Cyclocross, at the Watsonville Fairgrounds just outside of Santa Cruz, and Sunday’s Clark Natwick Grand Prix, in San Francisco’s Golden Gate

Johnson and Bessette tops in ConnecticutFarmington, Connecticut -An a ending as rare as it was exciting,Tim Johnson (Cyclocrossworld.com-Louis Garneau) closed out the Elite Men’srace at ChainBIter 7.0 in Farmington, Conn. with a narrow sprint finishwin over Todd Wells (GT-Hyundai). Stop two on the 2005 Verge New EnglandChampionship Cyclo-Cross Series presented by Cycle-Smart, Farmington’sfinal race came down to the final meters with Johnson leading out Wells,racing in his first UCI categorized event of the year, and just barelyholding off the 2004 mountain bike Olympian.“We were trying to

The Southern California Cyclocross Cup reached its halfway point in grand fashion on Sunday as nearly 100 riders took to the European-style course of Hart Park in Bakersfield, California. The course, designed by race director Sam Ames, featured pavement, grass and one short, steep run-up. Two high concrete curbs were a crowd favorite - a few riders were able to bunny hop them, but most stuck to the traditional dismount. In the women’s A race series promoter Dorothy Wong (Kelly) took the win from rival Carolyn Popovic followed by Amy Bowen in third. "It was a tough race but such a good

A day after its national cyclo-cross championships, Canada’s first-ever UCI sanctioned C2 cyclo-cross event took place in Aurora, Ontario, just south of the Saturday’s championship site. While the majority of the field consisted of riders who had ridden the day before, there were a number of Americans, including one significant addition to the men's field: Lyne Bessette's husband and teammate Tim Johnson (Cyclocrossworld.com - Louis Garneau). The pair showed why they are considered among the top riders on the continent this season by riding away from their respective fields to

World champion Sven Nijs of Belgium won round two of the UCI cyclo-cross World Cup on Saturday at Tabor, Czech Republic, and photographer Graham Watson was on hand to capture the action. Nijs, who took the series opener last weekend in Kalmthout, Belgium, narrowly beat Czech Petr Dlask, who finished three seconds behind. Dlask’s countryman Kamil Ausbuher was third at 14 seconds back. Dlask, Ausbuher and Netherlander Gerben de Knegt lit the race up early on, seizing a lead of 20 seconds and forcing the Belgian team to chase. Nijs and Bart Wellens eventually retrieved the leaders, and the

The Michelob ULTRA Grand Prix of Cyclocross races this weekend at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, Massachusetts, marks the East Coast debut of the 2005 Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross. The traditional seaside venue, long one of the highlights of the New England circuit, attracts riders from throughout North America with its guarantee of big crowds, fast racing, and a grab bag of autumnal weather conditions. Whether soaked in late-October sun or blasted by ocean-driven rain, Gloucester’s sweeping, sandy course never fails to foster back-and-forth racing with thrilling sprint

Lynn Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com-Louis Garneau) and Ryan Trebon (Kona) won the Wooden Wheels Cyclo-cross on Saturday. The race at A.I. DuPont’s Granougue estate near Wilmington, Delaware, part of the Verge Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross Series, was a slippery, muddy mess. Bessette took the lead by the end of the first lap, accompanied only by Maureen Bruno-Roy (Independent Fabrications). Idaho’s Georgia Gould (Kona Bikes) got a slow start, but made steady progress through the field, working her way into second place and then setting off after Bessette. As the last lap began, the light rain that

Reigning world champion Sven Nijs (Rabobank) took the opening round of the cyclo-cross World Cup Sunday, beating fellow Belgian Bart Wellens by 42 seconds in Kalmthout, Belgium. Czech `crosser Peter Dlask took third, outsprinting Belgian Erwin Vervecken and Tom Vannoppen just a few seconds behind Wellens. Out of a group of nine riders to slip off the front of the filed early on in the race, only Dlask and Wellens could respond to a powerful acceleration by Nijs. Dlask faded back as after he was forced to change bikes due to a mechanical. Wellens himself encountered troubles and changed

There’s no ProTour in the mud. Unlike its counterpart on the road, cyclo-cross is sticking with the World Cup format, which kicks off this Sunday in Kalmthout in Belgium. After experimenting with the number of races and length of the schedule the UCI has finally settled upon a 10-race series that wraps up January 22, in Hoogerheide in the Netherlands, a week before the world championships in Zeddam. Half of the World Cup races will be in Belgium (three events) and Holland (two). The remainder will be spread out among the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and France. It makes

Wicks, Gould tops in Verge Mid AtlanticOctober 16, 2005, Bridgeton, NJ, USA-Kona riders dominated Sunday’s second race of the $30,000 Verge Mid Atlantic Cyclocross Series with wins in both UCI Elite races, and a convincing podium sweep in the UCI Elite Men’s event in Bridgeton, New Jersey. The three-century-old river port town is the county seat and boasts a city park almost as large as the town itself. Within the park, residents can find a riverside beach, an amphitheater and even a small zoo. Unfortunately for the eastern regulars of the Verge Mid Atlantic Cyclocross Series, the zoo wasn’t

Imagine escaping a weekend of cyclo-cross racing in the Pacific Northwest with nary a raindrop having fallen on your head. You’d feel pretty lucky, right? Well, that luck ran out, way out, for any racer that showed up for Saturday’s opener of the 2005 Verge New England Championships Cyclo-Cross Series, the Downeast Cyclo-Cross in New Gloucester, Maine. Fields already sodden from a week of rain greeted racers, and the rain grew steadier and heavier as the day went on, peaking in intensity for the most anticipated events: elite men and women. But even the hub-deep puddles and wheel sucking

Two very different race stories developed at the Rad Racing Gran Prix of Cyclocross, held at Fort Steilacoom Park in Tacoma, Washington, on Sunday, the second round of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross The first scenario, in the elite women’s event, held a similar plotline to that of one day earlier, as Canadian Lyne Bessette charged to the front of the race and never looked back, crossing the finish line comfortably ahead of an outclassed field. The second, in the elite men’s event, offered up more plot developments than a bestselling-mystery novel, as a six-man lead group

One winner of the opening round of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross was last year’s defending series champion; the other was the only competitor, man or woman, to have won a World Cup cyclo-cross event. So when Ryan Trebon (Kona) and Canadian Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com-Louis Garneau) took convincing solo victories at the Cannondale Stumptown Classic in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise — except that both brought to the start line extenuating circumstances that led many to question whether either rider could dominate a

The second Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross kicks off Saturday with a pair of Northwestern races – Saturday’s Cannondale Stumptown Cyclocross Classic in Portland, Oregon, and Sunday’s Rad Racing Gran Prix of Cyclocross in Tacoma, Washington. The six-race national series rewards overall winners in the elite-men, elite-women, under-23 and junior-men categories with automatic selection to the U.S. team that will contest the world cyclo-cross championships on January 28-29, 2006, in Zeddam, The Netherlands. All six races will be held under UCI regulations, and leaders’ jerseys will

Redmond, WA - What do mail carriers and ‘cross racers have in common? Rain, hail, and unwavering dedication to their chosen courses. Nearly a thousand spectators proved just as passionate to the sport as true northwest-style (read: “muddy”) cyclocross reigned at the Group Health Velodrome Saturday night.Despite the drenching downpour on the early races at King County’s MarymoorPark in Redmond, WA, our hardy bell-clanging fans still packed the windingcourse and Toña Cerveza Beer Garden, letting riders know they wereall in it together.In stark contrast to last year’s balmy event, this year’s

After two years in Portland, Oregon, the U.S. Cyclo-cross National Championships are moving clear across the country for 2005 – all the way to the 430-acre Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island. The race is scheduled for December 9-11. “As America’s most up-and-coming city, Providence is a natural to host the national championships of one of America’s most up-and-coming sports,” said Mayor David N. Cicilline. “I wholeheartedly welcome the hundreds of cyclists and fans who will converge on Roger Williams Park, and I look forward to spectacular competition against a beautiful New

In light of his recent domination of the sport, Sven Nijs might have expected he’d have an easier time of things in Sunday’s UCI World Cyclo-cross Championships in St. Wendel, Germany; but if the 28-year-old’s winning ride wasn’t easy, it was certainly thrilling. Nijs led home yet another Belgian sweep of the elite men’s podium after a last-lap attack freed him of countrymen Erwin Vervecken and Sven Vantourenhout, good enough for Nijs’ first elite title after a series of past frustrations. Many figured Nijs would ride off the front early, as he had in many recent wins, but after a fast

There were plenty of pre-race favorites going into Saturday afternoon's under-23 race at the 2005 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in St. Wendel, Germany. And Czech Zdenek Stybar was neither at nor near the top of that list. But after soloing away from a select lead group with four laps to go, the 19-year-old from a small town near the German border showed he belonged on that list of chosen riders. Stybar wasn't even the best-known racer on the Czech squad coming into the championships. While Stybar had won his country's elite championship this year, against international

They may be racing in sleeveless jerseys at the Tour of Langkawi, but don't expect to see a lot of bare skin at the 2005 UCI cyclo-cross world championships this weekend in St. Wendel, Germany. Despite the cold, snowy conditions, however, the forecast is for plenty of sweat, if Chris Milliman's pictorial tour of the rolling, 2.8km course is any indication.

A High School English teacher from Helena, Montana and self-proclaimed “Europhile,” Geoff Proctor gives what most U.S. cyclo-cross racers will tell you is their greatest opportunity to gain valuable European racing experience in preparation for the international stage and especially for the world championships. Held over the Christmas-to-New Years holiday out of the USA Cycling U23 house in ‘cross-crazy Belgium, Proctor’s Euro ‘Cross Camp allows twelve Americans the chance to eat, sleep, breathe and race ‘cross. We caught up with U.S. National Cyclo-cross coach and former world-class

The local weather forecast for this Sunday in St. Wendel, Germany, host of the 2005 UCI World Cyclo-cross Championships, calls for near-freezing temps and snow, which should appeal to pre-race favorite Sven Nijs (Rabobank). A slippery, muddy track plays right into the hands of the most dominant rider on the elite ‘cross circuit; then again, Nijs has shown he can win in any conditions in the 2004-05 campaign. Snow, rain, sand, mud, grass, pavement: Sven Nijs can win, and has won, on everything. Having won a total of 20 ‘cross races this season, including six World Cups and the Belgian

Rabobank’s Sven Nijs padded his lead in the UCI’s cyclo-cross World Cup in fine style Sunday, winning the penultimate event of the 11-race series he’s led for most of the season. Nijs beat fellow Belgians Davy Commeyne and Sven Vanthourenhout in the 10th and World Cup race at Hoogerheide in the Netherlands. The win was his 20th major victory of the season. Just a week before the world championships in Saint Wendel, Germany, Nijs confirmed that he is a clear favorite in next Sunday’s race for the rainbow jersey. Nijs, who has made a habit of staying with the lead group until the final laps

Rabobank’s Sven Nijs led a five-up Belgian sweep at the ninth round of the UCI cyclo-cross World Cup in Nommay, France, on Sunday. Nijs, the current Belgian national champion, World Cup leader and a favorite to take the title of world champion in Germany at the end of the month, earned his 19th major win of the season, escaping from an elite group of leaders that included second-place finisher Tom Vannoppen, third-placed Sven Vanthourenhout, Erwin Vervecken and Davy Commeyne, who rounded out the top-five. Reigning world champion, Bart Wellens, who has never quite found his form this season,

The "Weekend 'Cross Wrap" is a service of VeloNews.com.Stories and results are provided by race promoters and are not producedby VeloNews or VeloNews.com. Promoters are welcome to submit race reportsthroughout the cyclo-cross season to Rosters@7Dogs.com.Reports may be edited for length and clarity. Muddy finale for SoCal seriesThe 13-race Southern California Cyclo-cross Cup concluded Sunday at Hart Park in Bakersfield, with more than 100 riders braving the treacherous and wet conditions. The fast, European-style course was turned into a slippery race of attrition with some riders even

Rabobank’s Sven Nijs has captured one of the cyclo-cross world’s most regardedtitles – that of Belgian national champion – for the third time in hiscareer on Sunday. Nijs dominated Sunday’s championship, finishing nearly a minute aheadTom Vannoppen and Ben Berden on the course in Wachtebeke. Defending nationalchampion, Bart Wellens, finished fourth at 1:21. The national title is the most significant in a discipline dominatedby Belgians on the world scene. Belgians consistently sweep the podiumat the world championships – even taking the top five spots at the world’sin Monopoli, Italy in

Enrico Franzoi won the Italian national cyclo-cross championship on Saturday. The 22-year-old finished more than a minute ahead of runner-up Marco Bianco on the course in Rovato, near Brescia in northern Italy. Third-placed Derik Zampedri claimed the U-23 title. In women's racing, Annabella Stropparo took the elite championship in 43:52, with Vania Rossi winning the U-23's in 47:40. Italian national cyclo-cross championshipsRovato, Italy. January 81. Enrico Franzoi, 1:01:492. Marco Bianco at 1:183. Derik Zampedri 1:47 Kupfernagel wins German titleHanka Kupfernagel won the women’s national

When Noel gave me the “time to go” nod from across our expansive 28-person table (all the riders, staff and their spouses/families) at the camp’s final steak-and-frite dinner, it seemed abrupt. The hour was early and we hadn’t yet seen the Belgian dessert tray. Ah, but this is cycling and late nights a la mode aren’t part of the plan. In fact, the end of Euro Cross Camp II took on very much the feel of unfinished business. In this case, some guys were staying on to prepare for a race in Spain two days later, and many of us were flying trans-Atlantic imminently, with the business end on our

Belgian Sven Nijs continues to lead the world cyclo-cross standings, according to world rankings released by the Union Cycliste Internationale on January 3. European-based American pro Jonathan Page is ranked 16th in the world. The rankings include points acquired at any UCI-sanctioned event, including a growing number in the U.S. UCI Cyclo-cross rankings – January 3, 20051. Sven Nijs (B), 2011 Points2. Sven Vanthourenhout (B), 14473. Ben Berden (B), 14044. Erwin Vervecken (B), 12105. Zdenek Mlynar (Cz), 11226. Richard Groenendaal (Nl), 9907. Tom Vannoppen (B), 9228. Petr Dlask (Cz), 9069.

Greetings, all, again,Not a whole lot of time to write when you're doing the Cyclo-cross Warped Tour. "Hellooooo, Surheisterveen ... thanks for coming to the show!" No, really, guys like Groenendaal are in the midst of a 1-3-3 block, as in seven races in nine days! Cyclo-cross stage racing, they call it over here. Tuesday, December 28 (race #3)The Hofstade World Cup was huge. Huge weather (as in Belgian "hard"); huge crowds (for weather that snotty); and huge for the impression it made on its participants. By that, I mean it was a day where you realize how far you've come and how far you've

Series leader Sven Nijs won the seventh round of the UCI’s expanded cyclo-cross World Cup in Hofstade, Belgium, on Tuesday. Nijs, who has dominated the discipline for much of the season, finished ahead of compatriot Erwin Vervecken and Italian Enrico Franzoi. Reigning world champion Bart Wellens and the Netherlands’ Richard Groenendaal finished in fourth and fifth respectively. Nijs dominated the race from beginning to end in classic Belgian conditions: mud, rain and a touch of ice. "It was a true cyclo-cross race,” Nijs remarked. “For me, it means a lot to do well in these conditions and

Hello all,Thanks for the all the emails back! I really am just writing these reports quickly for your general interest, maybe offering a few details that you won't find elsewhere in all the race articles. But these are written hastily, so sorry if I neglect equal coverage of all riders and if I forget a few things... Everything is going well! Yesterday, Diegem SuperPrestige, one of the oldest venues, which obviously holds sway over the UCI rules like the double-pit mandate (there two separate pits a long long ways from each other). I was reckoning that winner and good friend Erwin Vervecken

Two years ago Jonathan Page was in limbo, his up-and-down career as a bike racer was on another upswing, but he was still struggling to keep doing what he loved, and seemed destined, to do. In the winter of 2002, and without a pro contract, Page moved to Belgium to race cyclo-cross, the biggest gamble he’d taken in a cycling career that started in his teens. But the gamble paid off when the New Hampshire native won that year’s rain-soaked U.S. ‘cross nationals in California. The win, along with steadily improving results on the European circuit, earned Page a professional ‘cross contract

Erwin Vervecken Sunday's edition of the SuperPrestige series in Diegem, Belgium, finishing ahead of the formidable Sven Nijs, who maintains a lead in the series. Belgian Sven Vanthourenhout finished third and Dutchman Richard Groenendael took forth. Americans Ryan Trebon, Erik Tonkin, Barry Wicks and Ben Turnerfinished 18th, 27th, 28th and 35th respectively. U.S. 'cross champ, Jonathan Page did not finish. Photographer Marcel Van Hoecke was on scene.Photo Gallery Below1. Erwin Vervecken (B), Fidea 1:02:312. Sven Nys (B), Rabobank, at 0:023. Sven Vanthourenhout (B), Quickstep-Davitamon, at

The "Weekend 'Cross Wrap" is a service of VeloNews.com.Stories and results are provided by race promoters and are not producedby VeloNews or VeloNews.com. Promoters are welcome to submit race reportsthroughout the cyclo-cross season to Rosters@7Dogs.com.Reports may be edited for length and clarity. Armstrong, Cruz come to SoCalThe growth and success of the Southern California Cyclocross Cup continues to draw big names(Daniello Pontoni, Andy Jacque-Mayes, Jackson Stewart and Kris Kringle) , big fields and great races, but today's race at Pierce College in Woodland Hills featured 6 time tour

USA Cycling has announced seven automatic nominations and 11 discretionary selections to the U.S. team headed for the 2005 UCI cyclo-cross world championships January 29-30 in St. Wendel, Germany. Automatic selections include elite men Jonathan Page and Ryan Trebon; under-23 Jesse Anthony; junior men Bjorn Selander and Charles Marzot; and elite women Katie Compton and Ann Knapp. Compton, who also races as the sighted half of a Paralympic team, declined her nomination. Page, the top-ranked American in the UCI standings, captured his third consecutive elite men’s championship title December

In an attempt to unseat two-time defending national cyclo-cross champion Jonathan Page (Cervelo-Hot Tubes-Adidas-Mavic), rising 23-year-old talent Ryan Trebon (Kona) put up the fight of his life in a thrilling showdown Sunday afternoon at the 2004 cyclo-cross national championships in Portland, Oregon.

What was expected to be a mano-a-mano battle for the under-23 national cyclo-cross championship between reigning national U23 ‘cross champ Jesse Anthony (cyclocrossworld.com) and the World Cup experience of European-based Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly-Aramark) turned out to be a demonstration of singular skill as the 20-year-old Anthony won his sixth straight national championship, beating Powers by a convincing 1:21 margin on a cold winter day in Portland, Oregon.

When USA Cycling announced that the 2003 and ’04 cyclo-cross nationals would be hosted by the popular Cross Crusade series in Portland, Oregon, images of epic mud-spattered battles immediately sprang to mind. Last year’s championship weekend did nothing to sway that image, as continuous rains turned the course around the Portland International Raceway into a thick, soupy mess.

You get what you pay for, and if you paid your entry fee at the 2004 U.S. National Cyclo-cross Championships, which opened Friday at the Portland International Raceway, you got mud and muck, and plenty of it. For a city that averages almost seven inches of rain during December, Portland was a predictably soggy host to the first race of the weekend, the championship for collegiate and under-23 women. UC-Berkeley Ph.D.

He’s a New England kid with the initials JP, he’s been racing cyclo-cross in Belgium all fall and he will definitely be a factor in this weekend’s U.S. Cyclo-cross National Championships. While two-time defending elite national champion Jonathan Page meets all of the above qualifications, so does Jeremy Powers. Powers, 21, will line up in Portland as one of the favorites for Saturday’s Under-23 national title, but since he’s spent the vast majority of the 2004 ‘cross season in Europe, he could be one of the most overlooked ‘cross specialists in the U.S.

Reston, Virginia - The racers who showed up for the final Verge Mid-Atlantic Series cyclo-cross race, the Fitness Concepts Capital ‘Cross Classic in Lake Fairfax park, Reston, Virginia were winners before the race even started. With just a handful of elite men and women on the start line, virtually everyone who finished was guaranteed a chunk of the prize list. With that in mind, the only thing left to race for was bragging rights, a handful of UCI points and to get in a good workout before next week’s cyclocross nationals. Unless, of course, you were Ryan Leech or Betsy Schauer of the

The "Weekend 'Cross Wrap" is a service of VeloNews.com.Stories and results are provided by race promoters and are not producedby VeloNews or VeloNews.com. Promoters are welcome to submit race reportsthroughout the cyclo-cross season to Rosters@7Dogs.com.Reports may be edited for length and clarity. Frischknecht, Hall Collect Wins at Bianchi ‘CrossSan Mateo -The first half of California’s UCI cyclo-cross doubleheader thisweekend belonged to Gina Hall and Thomas Frischknecht with Hall runningaway from the Women’s field to score a solo victory while the three-timeSwiss Olympian sat with a

As racing goes, cyclo-cross is straightforward – the objective is crossing the line first. But when you get to the final race of a season-long series, as in Saturday’s WE Stedman Grand Prix of Cyclo-Cross in South Kingston, Rhode Island, sub-plots and alternative motivations can come into play. When the day was done, Mark McCormack (Clif Bar-Colavita Olive Oil) and Mary McConneloug had won their respective races and Verge New England series titles, respectively. But more was afoot than met the eye. McCormack entered the final event of the seven-race Verge New England series with a lock on

The "Weekend 'Cross Wrap" is a service of VeloNews.com.Stories and results are provided by race promoters and are not producedby VeloNews or VeloNews.com. Promoters are welcome to submit race reportsthroughout the cyclo-cross season to Rosters@7Dogs.com.Reports may be edited for length and clarity. Brown Wins Colorado 'Cross SeriesBoulder, Co (November 28, 2004 — Travis Brown won the Boulder Racing Cyclo-Cross Series Sunday, closing out the season with five straight wins for a season total of eight wins. Colorado offered three cyclo-cross series to Front Range competitors this season: The

Sven Nys has added another to his growing list of Superprestige cyclo-cross victories, handily taking the win at the series’ stop in Gieten in the Netherlands on Sunday. Nys’s win – his 25th career victory in a series that ranks second only to the UCI World Cup – adds to an already formidable lead in the overall standings. Among the day’s most pleasant surprises was the return to form of reigning world champion, Bart Wellens, who has been struggling throughout the early part of the season. Wellens, also last year’s World Cup winner, finished second Sunday, suggesting that that the

Erwin Vervecken won the fourth round of the cyclo-cross World Cup on Saturday in Koksijde, outsprinting compatriots Sven Nys and Ben Berden. It was the 32-year-old Belgian’s first victory of the season, and the fourth time he has won in Koksijde. Belgian racers dominated on the sandy circuit, led by a six-rider group that included Vervecken, Nys, Berden, Tom Vannoppen, Sven Vanthourenhout and world champion Bart Wellens. Wellens fell victim to a puncture, while Vanthourenhout simply fell off the pace. Unwilling to trust his chances in a sprint finish, Nys tried to make a break in the

Belgian Sven Nys continued his winning ways as he won the fifth round of the Superprestige cyclo-cross series in Gavere, Belgium, on Sunday. Nys successfully attacked an elite group of world-class ‘crossers in the closing meters of Sunday’s race to take his ninth win of the year – his second in the series – and to further solidify his hold on the overall lead in the Superprestige. The win is also the 24th Superprestige victory of Nys’s career. Belgian Erwin Vervecken made an early attack, charging off of the front row not long after the start. His Fidea teammate, defending world champion

In cyclo-cross, the combination of a flat course and wet ground means only one thing: a hard muddy slog. With its sapping mud pits, Sunday’s final round of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross, run on the shores of the Raritan River in Highland Park, New Jersey, may have provided the best course preview for December’s national championships in Portland, Oregon. And if that’s the case, race winners Ann Knapp (Kona) and Todd Wells (GT-Hyundai) will lick their chops if the Portland race serves its expected helping of leg-breaking slop. While the Highland Park course offered little

Ben Berden (Saey-Descacht) won the Hooglede cyclo-cross on Saturday in Belgium, outracing Enrico Franzoi (Saeco) and Erwin Vervecken (Fidea). A lead group of seven formed quickly after the start of the race, including Berden, Franzoi, Vervecken, MrBookmaker.com teammates Mario De Clercq and Davy Commeyne, Sven Vanthourenhout (Quick Step), and American Jonathan Page (Cervelo-Hot Tubes-Adidas-Mavic). At midrace, Page could not match the pace of the others and began to fall back; he would eventually finish seventh. Four laps before the finish, De Clercq and Comeyne also had to let the others

The "Weekend 'Cross Wrap" is a service of VeloNews.com.Stories and results are provided by race promoters and are not producedby VeloNews or VeloNews.com. Promoters are welcome to submit race reportsthroughout the cyclo-cross season to Rosters@7Dogs.com.Reports may be edited for length and clarity.NEW JERSEY: Trebon, Knapp rule Beacon Cyclo-crossIf there were any doubts about just how good Ryan Trebon (Kona) is when he’s on form, they were banished Saturday at the Beacon Cyclocross in Bridgeton, New Jersey. Trebon flattened the field in the fifth race of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of

Round five of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross, run Saturday in Bridgeton, New Jersey, could be used in coming years by Kona as a how-to video in the finer points of winning a difficult ’cross race. Kona riders Ann Knapp and Ryan Trebon swept to wins on the fast, twisting and sandy Bridgeton course, though each rider took a different route to their ultimate destinations on the top step of the podium. There can be no doubt that Trebon has been riding a sweet patch of form for the past month. The lanky mountain biker won the fourth USGP race in Gloucester, Massachusetts, at the

It's showdown time in the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross. Going into the final two races this coming weekend, Canadian Geoff Kabush has a slight advantage in the race for the final podium's top step, leading perennial American favorite Marc Gullickson (Redline) by just 34 points. Three other Americans - Ryan Trebon (Kona), Adam Craig (Maxxis Giant) and Mark McCormack (Clif Bar-Colavita) - are each within striking distance and have plenty of motivation to do well. If an American can clinch the series victory, he's assured of a spot on the U.S. team headed to the World

To keep herself motivated in races she’s comfortably winning, Mary McConneloug (Seven Cycles) often imagines racing against her top competition from the West Coast. “Ann Knapp is just around the next corner,” she thinks to herself, “and Gina Hall is right behind me. I have to keep it pegged.” Sunday’s fifth stop on the Verge New England Cyclo-cross Series looked like another day for McConneloug to race against imagined opponents, but a racer on loan from Colorado ended up giving McConneloug a real run for her money. While she spends most of her time racing multi-hour mountain bike events,

Dutchman Richard Groenendaal (Rabobank) won Thursday’s Jaarmarktcross Niel, the second round of the Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee Veldrijden, and took the series lead as well. Groenendaal crossed the line with a large margin on runner-up Erwin Vervecken (Fidea), who outsprinted Sven Vanthourenhout (Quick Step), Wim Jacobs (Fidea) and Ben Berden (Saey-Deschacht). Sven Nys (Rabobank), who won the series opener at the Koppenberg, finished seventh. A first-lap crash split the field, Nys, Groenendaal and Tim Van Nuffel (Saey-Deschacht). They gave all they had, though, and succeeded in regaining the

The American Cyclo-cross Foundation, which debuted in 1999 with the mission of helping unfunded U.S. racers travel to the world cyclo-cross championships, has mailed its last check. ACF board member Patrick O’Grady, a contributing editor to VeloNews, said the final check was sent November 10 to U.S. ’cross guru Geoff Proctor, who will once again be running a pre-world’s cyclo-cross camp in Europe from December 23 through January 4. “Geoff said he knew of a couple potential U.S. team members who wouldn’t be able to attend both his camp and world’s if they didn’t get a little financial aid,

The "Weekend 'Cross Wrap" is a service of VeloNews.com.Stories and results are provided by race promoters and are not producedby VeloNews or VeloNews.com. Promoters are welcome to submit race reportsthroughout the cyclo-cross season to Rosters@7Dogs.com.Reports may be edited for length and clarity.MISSOURI The fourth round of the Mid-America Cross Cup had a familarfeel with Shadd Smith (HRRC/Maclaren Racing) edging LBC/Highgear rider,Tony Wilhelm Sunday afternoon at Riverside Park in Kansas City, MO. The2-mile circuit featured a varied mix of terrain including a sand pit, plentyof muddy

France’s Jon Gadret surprised a field of strong Flemish ‘cross men to take a last-lap victory in Vosserm, Belgium, on Sunday. Gadret took advantage of a well-timed attack from Belgian Ben Berden and a tumultuous final lap to scamper off with a victory. The action started early as Dutch champion Richard Groenendaal took a hard fall on a dangerous descent on the opening lap. The 2000 world champion fought back hard, though, and successfully rejoined an elite group of eight leaders, led by his Belgian Rabobank teammate, Sven Nys. Sven Vanthourenhout, winner in Saturday’s race in Eernegem, also

Sven Vanthourenhout won the Flemish Houtlandcross in Eernegem (West-Flanders) on Saturday over Sven Nys with Czech Kamil Ausbuher third. The three racers escaped early, with a group of 11 in pursuit. At midrace, Ausbuher fell off the pace. Then, on the final descent, Nys slowed down and had to put a foot out – Vanthourenhout took his chance and put a gap of 50 meters between himself and Nys that held until the finish. "I had to strike hard, I did not get this victory for free," said Vanthourenhout. "I forced the race from the beginning on, joined by Nys and the Czech. When Nys made a

The "Weekend 'Cross Wrap" is a service of VeloNews.com.Stories and results are provided by race promoters and are not producedby VeloNews or VeloNews.com. Promoters are welcome to submit race reportsthroughout the cyclo-cross season to Rosters@7Dogs.com.Reports may be edited for length and clarity.NEBRASKA: Wilhelm, Neville impressiveDespite a frightful beginning that included two spills in the opening lap, Tony Wilhelm (LBC-Highgear) continued to show impressive form with his third victory of the season and second in the Nebraska Cyclo-cross Series at Pioneers Park on Saturday. The

Tom Vannoppen took Sunday’s round of the Superprestige cyclo-cross seriesin St-Michielsgestel, the Netherlands, out-sprinting Sven Nys in the closingmeters of the race. World champion Bart Wellens, while performing better than earlier thisseason, was still not able to stay with the two leaders at the decidingmoment of the race. Belgian Bart Aernouts began the day’s action with an early attack, ashe gained a few seconds on the field before Nys and Vannoppen charged afterhim and counterattacked. Dutchman Richard Groenendaal and Belgian SvenVanthourenhout gave chase, but the two leaders held

Davy Commeyne (MrBookmaker.com) soloed to victory in the Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne cyclo-cross on Saturday in Dottenijs, Belgium. Teammate Mario De Clercq won the sprint for second place over Sven Vanthourenhout (Quick Step-Davitamon) Commeyne escaped three laps before the finish, leaving behind a group of 10. De Clercq and Vanthourenhout kept Commeyne in sight, but could not keep up and wound up battling for the runner-up spot. Sven Nijs (Rabobank) had another spot of bad luck, taking a big fall in midrace. Luckily, he only suffered a few scrapes. Sunday brings the next round of

The "Weekend 'Cross Wrap" is a service of VeloNews.com.Stories and results are provided by race promoters and are not producedby VeloNews or VeloNews.com. Promoters are welcome to submit race reportsthroughout the cyclo-cross season to Rosters@7Dogs.com.Reports may be edited for length and clarity.CALIFORNIA: Pontoni rules Candlestick Point 'crossFormer world champ Daniele Pontoni hammered the field on Sunday during round two of the Bay Area Super Prestige Cyclo-cross Series at San Francisco’s Candlestick Point Recreation Area. Pontoni marked Justin Robinson, David Wyandt, John Funke and

Sven Vanthourenhout (Quick Step-Davitamon) won the second heat of the Superprestige cyclo-cross series on Sunday in Hamme-Zogge, Belgium, outsprinting Tom Vannoppen (MrBookmaker.com) and Sven Nys (Rabobank) during the sprint to the finish. Nys, the series leader, had a bad start, hitting one of the iron barricades with his shoulder. It seemed to slow him somewhat initially, but soon he was back to his old self, bunny-hopping the barricades. Only Vanthourenhout and a very strong Vannoppen could keep up with Nys. The last three laps they stayed together, and it was Vanthourenhout taking a

The "Weekend 'Cross Wrap" is a service of VeloNews.com.Stories and results are provided by race promoters and are not producedby VeloNews or VeloNews.com. Promoters are welcome to submit race reportsthroughout the cyclo-cross season to Rosters@7Dogs.com.Reports may be edited for length and clarity.PENNSYLVANIA: Fort-GPOA rules Evo CrossFort-GPOA teammates Betsy Schauer and Mike Yozell rode to wins in round two of the 2004 Verge Mid-Atlantic Cyclo-Cross Championship Series on Sunday in Buckingham, Pennsylvania. Thunderstorms Saturday night heralded a cold front that brought low temperatures

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Belgian Sven Nijs scored his 23rd victory in the famed Superprestige cyclo-cross series, taking an event in Ruddervoorde, Belgium, on Sunday. Nijs fought hard after an early strong start by Belgian rival Sven Vanthourenhout. But Vanthourenhout lost momentum when he misjudged his line, crashed and saw Nijs scamper past him. Vanthourenhout teamed up with Ben Berden to give chase and the pair was soon joined by a surprisingly strong Richard Groenendaal. Still, even with that kind of horsepower in the chase, Nijs managed to stay off the front, crashing only on the final lap, a mishap that did

After the summer she had on the racecourse and in the courtroom, you could pardon Mary McConneloug (Seven Cycles) for taking some time off from racing. But the 2004 Olympic mountain biker finds cyclo-cross in New England too fun to miss. In her first race on home soil in 11 months, the two-time defending New England series champion led the opener of the 2004 Verge New England Cyclo-cross Series in new Gloucester, Maine from start to finish. Showing the fitness that won the her the lone cross-country starting position for the U.S. at the starting line in Athens, McConneloug rocketed off the

Amber Itle (Yellow Breeches Racing) and Ryan Leech (Fort-GPOA) claimed victory on Saturday as the 2004 Verge Mid-Atlantic Cyclo-Cross Championship Series kicked off in New Castle, Delaware. Rain on Friday made the Blue Diamond Park course even more treacherous in its second running, and a multi-rider pile-up in one of the muddy turns caused a split in the elite women’s field that sent Itle, Melanie Swartz (Squadra Coppi), Betsy Schauer (Fort-GPOA), Caroline Hacker (Evolution Racing) and First State Velo Sport teammates Josie Shew and Lisa Vible off the front. Itle took the lead on the

Sven Vanthourenhout (Quick Step) won the Cyclocross Middelkerke in Belgium on Saturday, nearly a lap up on his nearest competition. Davy Commeyne was second with Peter Van Santvliet third. World champion Bart Wellens (Fidea) took a fall and stopped during the race. Wellens wasn’t seriously hurt, and will start Sunday’s Superprestige race in Ruddervoorde. Frank Vanderbroucke (MrBookmaker.com) started his first cyclocross today, finding himself lapped after three go-rounds, along with Nico Mattan (Relax-Bodysol). After his strong showing today, Vanthourenhout clearly is on the right track to

MAINE: Verge New England series starts SaturdayThe 2005 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series kicks off Saturday in New Gloucester, Maine. The difficult course designed by Tom Stevens provided a shocking introduction to last year’s series, but a slightly modified version should make for a friendlier but still challenging event this year. Last year’s elite men’s winner, Mark McCormack (Clif Bar-Colavita Olive Oil), will line up alongside third-place overall Ben Turner (TIAA-CREF-Clif Bar), under-23 world’s team member Matt White (NCC-BikeReg.com), and former Canadian national

At 4:45 a.m. Sunday morning, 23-year-old cross-country sensation Adam Craig woke up in Lake Tahoe, California, after a long night spent as the best man at his high-school friend’s wedding. Less than 12 hours later, the Maxxis-Giant rider crossed the finish line as the winner of the Grand Prix of Cyclo-Cross held at Fort Steilacoom Park in Tacoma, Washington. Clear skies and warm weather marked a contrast to Saturday’s Cannondale Stümptown Gran Prix, held in Portland, Oregon, as did the fast, spread-out 4.4km course that differed from the muddy hairpin turns found surrounding the Alpenrose

It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. With the new 10-racecyclo-cross World Cup kicking off on Belgian turf and Belgians sweepingthe world’s podium for the past three years, one might suspect that itwould be a Belgian who would take top honors at Wortegem-Petegem,Belgium, on Sunday. But the Czech Republic’s Zdenek Mlynar emerged at the front of a 20-ridergroup to take the first round of the 2004/05 World Cup. Because it hadn't rained for days in the usually wet environs of thisFlemish hamlet, the course was unusually hard and fast. Indeed, coupledwith the UCI’s recent aversion to tough

[nid:29504]If the standard perception of Northwestern cyclo-cross racing conjures images of mud splattered riders battling it out in the driving rain, then the opening round of the inaugural Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross did nothing to change that image.