‘Cross Examination: Barnholt, Powers win MAC No. 2; Matter, Wentworth rule Wisconsin; Haskell, McLaughlin claim Chicago

The 2007 Verge MAC Series headed to the rural suburbs of Philadelphia on Sunday for the Wissahickon Cyclocross, a UCI C2 cyclocross at the Ludwigs Corner Horse Show Fairgrounds.

On a day when New Englanders were talking about the previous night’s victory by the Red Sox, another regional team, CyclocrossWorld.com, pitched a no-hitter by finishing one-two for the second consecutive day. Not to be outdone, Colorado’s Kerry Barnholt (Tokyo Joe’s-Van Dessel) imitated her home state’s baseball team, the Colorado Rockies, by sweeping the weekend women’s series.

The fairgrounds are nearly perfect for cyclocross, with steep embankments and technical off-camber corners. A natural amphitheater, it lets spectators see nearly the entire course from from any number of vantage points.

In the women’s race, Catherine Walberg (Kenda Tire) took the holeshot, leading Maureen Bruno-Roy (Independent Fabrications-Wheelworks-SRAM) and Barnholt, with a short gap back to Anna Milkowski (Velo Bella-Kona) and defending Verge MAC champion Betsy Shogren (FORT Factory Team).

As they wound their way through the soft surface of one of the fairground’s horse-show rings, Milkowski started closing on the leader, surging into the lead into the “spiral of doom” that led to the run-up and the Aqua Fina Barrier Preme. All four leaders were clearly shooting for the preme, but Milkowski squeezed out Barnholt to win the cash.

It would be the last time anybody but Barnholt led the race. As in the previous day’s race, Barnholt rode away to win her fourth UCI race of the year by 26 seconds.

Second place came down to a sprint finish between Megan Monroe (BMC-Sports Garage) and the previous day’s runner-up, Rebecca Wellons (Ridley Factory Team). Trying to take advantage of her own strengths and neutralize Wellons’ sprint, Monroe was accelerating hard out of the tight corners. But she pulled a foot out of its pedal exiting the last tight corner, allowing Wellons to catch up and slingshot past her at the finish.

In the men’s race, it was all Powers, all the time. The CyclocrossWorld.com rider attacked on the first lap, won the Aqua Fina Barrier Preme by seven seconds and left the field in his wake. Tim Johnson, (Cannondale-Leer-CyclocrossWorld.com), Barry Wicks (Kona-Your Key.com) and Chris Jones (Nerac) rode together for two laps, with Johnson showing no interest in chasing teammate Powers until he was able to drop the other riders.

Once free of Wicks and Jones, Johnson quickly closed the gap from 23 seconds to 12 seconds, but was never able to get closer than that. Jones, the revelation of the season, dropped Wicks to finish alone in third.

The Verge MAC series returns to New Jersey on November 10 and 11. Saturday’s Beacon Cyclocross, featuring the “Amphitheatre of Pain” in Bridgeton, will be followed by the HPCX race in central New Jersey’s Jamesburg on Sunday. —Ken Getchell

Wissahickon Cyclocross
Round 2, Verge MAC Series
Ludwigs Corner, PA. Oct. 21
1. Jeremy Powers, 1:02:23
2. Tim Johnson, at 0:36
3. Christopher Jones, at 1:13
4. Barry Wicks, at 2:00
5. Troy Wells, at 2:02

Women
1. Kerry Barnholt, 43:53
2. Rebecca Wellons, 44:19
3. Megan Monroe, 44:19
4. Maureen Bruno Roy, 44:38
5. Megan Elliott, 44:55

Matter, Wentworth double up in Wisconsin
Brian Matter (PCW-Trek) and Kristin Wentworth (Kenda Tires) pulled the double victory this past weekend in Wisconsin at the fifth and sixth rounds of the WCA-Planet Bike Cyclocross Series. At Saturday’s Whitewater Trash Dash, Matter held off Jesse and Marko Lalonde (Bob Brown Cycle-BKB) in a three-man sprint for the victory while Wentworth powered away in the womens race. Sunday was the Gibbs Lake Showdown in Janesville, a faster and more technical course. Matter slipped away from Jesse Lalonde on the final lap and Kyle Jacobson (IS Corp) finished third. Once again Wentworth soloed in for the victory in the womens event.

For more, see www.wicycling.org.

Clark, Sawyer rule Georgia opener
Oscar Clark and Kim Sawyer took the 2007 Georgia Cross Series opener Sunday at the Conyers Cyclocross.

The elite men’s field saw a tight battle that ended in a three-up sprint among Clark, Thomas Turner and Tim Barrett, with Clark taking the win.

In the women’s race, Sawyer went from the gun and soloed away for the victory with Ellen Carroll and Holly Longley chasing to finish second and third.

For more, see www.georgia-cross.com.

Haskell, McLaughlin victorious in Chicago
Summer returned to Chicagoland for the second round of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup on Sunday at Carpenter Park.

Eighty-degree temperatures didn’t stop collegiate sensation Devon Haskell (Get-A-Grip-University of Chicago) from continuing her domination, holding off runner-up June Upshaw (Verdigris Custom Homes) and Debbie Dust (Team Kenda Tire).

In the elite men’s event, Scott McLaughlin (SRAM Factory Team) took the victory followed by Luca Lenzi (Vision Quest) and David Sachs (Vision Quest).

For more, see www.chicrosscup.com.

Chicago Cyclocross Cup No. 2
Carpenter Park. Oct. 21
Men
1. Scott McLaughlin, SRAM Factory Team
2. Luca Lenzi, Vision Quest
3. David Sachs, Vision Quest
4. Joe Farris, WDT International
5. Alistar Sponsel, Coavita Racing

Women
1. Devon Haskell, Team Get-A-Grip
2. June Upshaw, Verdigris Custom Homes
3. Debbie Dust, Team Kenda Tire
4. Holly Klug, Kill Joy
5. Debbie Pielet, Albertos

Selander doubles in Minnesota
Bjorn Selander (Ridley Factory) took back-to-back victories this past weekend in Minnesota, while Linda Sone (Ridley Factory) and Linda Cooper (Great Plains) divided the spoils among them.

Saturday’s race in Darwin, Minnesota, promoted by Flanders Cycles, featured a brutal course of huge climbs and fast single-track. Selander was able to ride away from Adam Bergman (Colavita) and Aric Hareland (Hollywood Cycles) near the end of the race to claim the victory. The women’s race was just as exciting with Sone taking the win.

In Sunday’s Mill City Classic presented by The Hub Bicycle Co-op, Selander, Hareland, and Bergman escaped early, and it wasn’t until Bergman crashed at midrace that there was any separation among the three. In the end, Selander crossed the line first while Bergman overhauled Hareland for second.

The women’s race saw Cooper catch Kyia Malenkovich (Hollywood Cycles) on the finishing stretch to take the victory with Sone rounding out the podium.

For more, see www.mcf.net.

Craig, Buerkle take Cross Crusade No. 2
Adam Craig (Giant) and Patty Buerkle (Webcyclery.com) rode away from their competition October 14 at round two of the Cross Crusade.

More than 910 riders, including more than 160 women, descended on Horning’s Hideout in North Plains, Oregon, to tackle a course that was a mixture of long descents and equally long up-hill sections that favored the power rider.

For more on the River City Cross Crusade, see www.crosscrusade.com. —T. Kenji Sugahara

Cross Crusade No. 2
North Plains, OR. Oct. 14
Women
1. Patty Buerkle, Webcyclery.com
2. Emily VanMeter, River City Bicycles
3. Alive Penningeton, DeSalvo Custom Cycles
4. Alalia Berry, Gentle Lovers
5. Dani Dance, River City Bicycles

Men
1. Adam Craig, Giant
2. Carl Decker, Giant
3. Mark Blackwelder, Gentle Lovers
4. Sean Babcock, Team S&M
Kevin Hulick, Gentle Lovers

Ankney, Taylor take Kansas kickoff
Mathew Ankney (Mercy Cycling) and Glenda Taylor (Wheatland Cycling) won the De Stad Cyclocross Van Kansas series opener on October 14.

Defending champ Shadd Smith (HRRC-Trek Store) finished second with teammate Bill Stolte third.

In the women’s race, Tammy Spray and University of Florida’s Elisabeth Heal finished second and third, respectively.

For more, see www.kansascitycross.com. —Chris Locke

Chris Cross
Lawrence, KS. Oct. 14
Men
1. Mathew Ankney
2. Shadd Smith
3. Bill Stolte
4. Bradley Sullivan
5. Mark Studnicki

Women
1. Glenda Taylor
2. Tammy Spray
3. Elisabeth Heal

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