Anthony, Bessette win in Northampton

• Photos

By Wendy Booher

Mark McCormack, Jesse Anthony, Chris Jones and Troy Wells

Photo: Paul Weiss

Mother Nature’s about-face to Saturday’s hurricane rains motivated ‘cross fans to come out and witness commanding wins by Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com) and Jesse Anthony (Jamis) on Sunday at the Cycle-Smart International, round four in the Verge New England Championship Cyclocross Series.

Anthony, Chris Jones (Nerac), Mark McCormack (Clif Bar), and Adam Myerson (Nerac) surged ahead in an early break set up by Troy Wells (Clif Bar).

Wells, Anthony, and Jones attacked, leaving Myerson and McCormack dangling off the back. Then Anthony charged ahead on the only run-up, which featured a humbling 30 percent grade. Jones, McCormack, Wells and Myerson fell back slightly, only to catch up with Anthony on the upper level of the two-tiered course.

At 40 minutes in, Myerson attacked from fifth position and held the lead until Wells responded with an attack of his own at the base of the run-up. Attack followed attack until Anthony made the move that stuck.

” I tried to throw down a few times but it wasn’t working out. Everyone was just chasing back,” said Anthony. “Mark actually whispered at one point, ‘Dude, just save it for the end,’ so I chilled out a bit and just waited until an opportune moment.

“There were some lapped riders who didn’t exactly clear the course. Troy attacked, I countered him and, with all the lapped traffic, it kind of broke up the group a bit. I just put my head down from there.”

McCormack, who took second with Jones third, said he “couldn’t go when Jesse went.”

“Troy actually created that attack,” he continued. “he attacked coming through the home stretch after I was done pulling. Jesse followed him really well and counterattacked going into the turn by the parking lot and nobody could go with them because everyone was on the ropes at that point.”

Bessette beats flu and everyone else
Not even a two-week battle with influenza could keep Lyne Bessette off the top step of the podium. Rebecca Wellons (Ridley) took second with Maureen Bruno-Roy (IF-Wheelworks) third.

Bessette says bye-bye

Photo: Paul Weiss

Bruno-Roy answered Bessette’s first-lap charge and climbed smoothly into second position where she sustained a modest gap ahead of Wellons for two laps until Wellons caught up.

“I was just trying to keep up my momentum,” said Bruno-Roy. “When you’re chasing – going really hard, you’ve got something in front of you to go for. Lyne always gets away and we’re not really chasing her anymore. So when Rebecca was able to catch up to me, it gives me something to work with.”

Ahead, Bessette was thinking about racing across the pond.

“I was kind of steady, trying to do the corners a little faster because I usually go slow in the corners and fast on the straightaway whereas in Europe I need to go fast in the corners,” said Bessette. “So, I tried to be smooth, carry a good pace through the corners and breathe in some sections where I could breathe instead of always being on the gas.”

Cycle-Smart International
Northampton, MA. Nov. 4
Men
1. Jesse Anthony, Jamis, 1:01:11
2. Mark McCormack Clif Bar, at 0:05
3. Christopher Jones, Nerac, at 0:07
4. Troy Wells, Clif Bar, at 0:32
5. Adam Myerson, Nerac, at 0:41
6. Matt Shriver, Jittery Joe’s-Sonic, at 0:45
7. Matt White, Fiordifrutta, at 1:15
8. Ryan Leach, GPOA-Cannondale, at 1:15
9. Jamey Driscoll. Fiordifrutta, at 1:15
10. Davide Frattini (I), Colavita-Sutter Home-Cooking Light, at 1:33

Women
1. Lyne Bessette, Cyclocrossworld.com, (Can), 37:49
2. Rebecca Wellons. Ridley, at 0:34
3. Maureen Bruno Roy. IF-Wheelworks-SRAM, at 0:35
4. Anna Milkowski. Velo Bella-Kona, at 1:24
5. Natasha Elliott (Can), Stevens, at 1:37
6. Melanie Swartz. Velo Bella-Kona, at 1:48
7. Sally Annis. NEBC, at 2:00
8. Amy Wallace. RGM Watches-Richard Sach, at 2:03
9. Cris Rothfuss. NEBC-Cycle Loft-Devonshire Dental, at 2:43
10. Perri Mertens (Aus), Cambridge Bicycle-Igleheart Frames, at 2:48

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