‘Cross Examination: Gould, Frattini double in NJ; O’Dell, Lloyd smoke 4th NCNCA stop

Georgia Gould (Luna) and Davide Frattini (Colavita-Sutter Home-Cooking Light) reprised their victories at Saturday’s Beacon Cyclocross by winning the second round of a New Jersey double-header, Sunday’s HPCX in Jamesburg.

As on Saturday, Gould tackled both the men’s Category 2-4 and elite women’s races. But while she roared through the men’s field to beat the men on Saturday, on Sunday she was never a factor, finishing 10th and fueling speculation that she was tired.

But the former Verge MAC champion proved that wasn’t the case a few hours later when she stomped to victory in the SRAM Elite Women’s race.

Gould got a poor star, but midway through the first lap she and Maureen Bruno Roy (Independent Fabrications-Wheelworks-SRAM) had gapped the field. Bruno-Roy tried desperately to keep Gould bottled up, but once Gold hit the front the race was effectively over as she powered away to a 1:18 victory over Bruno Roy.

Anna Milkowski (Velo Bella-Kona) raced solo the entire race to finish third, and an elated Erica Yozell (FORT Factory Team) finished a career-best fourth after out-dueling points leader Rebecca Wellons (Ridley Factory Team) and Melanie Swartz (Velo Bella Kona).

In the elite international men’s contest presented by SRAM, Frattini completed the sweep for his New Jersey-based team in a race that unfolded like a grass-track criterium.

Dan Neyens (Hagens-Berman Cycling Team) took the holeshot, but the field was bunched up, sometimes two or three wide. An early group of eight riders formed, including Neyens, Frattini, Adam McGrath (Maxxis-Litespeed), Charles Pendry (Inland Construction-BTD), Ryan Leach (GPOA-Cannondale) and all three of the RGM Watches-Richard Sachs riders — Justin Spinelli, Matt Krause and Jon Hamblen.

Despite constant attacks, nobody was able to get an advantage and it was clear that drafting, in the elite men’s division at least, was playing an important role on this course, tipping the hand in favor of RGM Watches-Richard Sachs.

Pendry was the first to lose contact with the lead pack, and then Neyens dropped off. With three-and-a-half laps to go, Spinelli and Leach lost contact, and Spinelli’s teammates slowed the pace so he could bridge back up, leaving Leach to fend for himself.

With three riders in the lead pack of five, RGM Watches-Richard Sachs took turns attacking, but still nobody could get the advantage. With one lap to go, McGrath was shelled, and when the leaders came back into view toward the finish, it was a two-man duel between Frattini and Hamblen.

Heading in the last set of corners before the barriers just 200 meters from the line, Hamblen tried to pass Frattini. But the Italian rider squeezed him off and held on to win the sprint.

Asked afterward if he was concerned about having so many teammates working against him and McGrath, Frattini replied, “Yes, but I made sure always to have second wheel. When someone attacked, I was each time the first one to cover.” —Ken Getchell

HPCX
Jamesburg, NJ. Nov. 11
Men
1 Davide Frattini, Colavita-Sutter Home-Cooking Light, 1:00:26
2 Jonathan Hamblen, RGM Watches-Richard Sachs, at 0:02
3 Matt Kraus, RGM Watches-Richard Sachs, at 0:13
4 Adam McGrath, Maxxis-Litespeed, at 0:18
5 Justin Spinelli, RGM Watches-Richard Sachs, at 0:33
6 Ryan Leach, GPOA-Cannondale, at 1:00
7 Weston Schempf, C-3-Sollay.com, same time
8 Charles Pendry, Inland Construction-BTD, at 1:44
9 Tyler Wren, Colavita-Sutter Home, at 2:34
10 Nathan Wyatt, Carolina Fatz-SRAM-Santa Cruz, at 2:40

Women
1 Georgia Gould, Luna, 39:44
2 Maureen Bruno Roy, IF-Wheelworks-SRAM-General Catalyst, 1:18
3 Anna Milkowski, Velo Bella-Kona, at 1:51
4 Erica Yozell, FORT Factory Team, at 2:30
5 Melanie Swartz, Velo Bella-Kona, at 2:39
6 Rebecca Wellons, Ridley Factory Team, at 3:08
7 Carolyn Popovic, Team Cicle, at 3:14
8 Betsy Shogren, FORT Factory Team, same time
9 Jennifer Maxwell, Team Kenda Tire, at 4:17
10 Marci Titus Hall, Desalvo Custom Cycles, 4:24

O’Dell, Lloyd smoke NCNCA Cup No. 4
Aaron O’Dell (HRS-Rock Lobster) and Rachel Lloyd (Proman-Paradigm) were victorious in round 4 of the NCNCA Cup presented by Sycip Cycles, held Sunday at Manzanita Park near Monterey, California, and hosted by Central Coast Cyclocross.

Justin Robinson (California Giant-Specialized) has dominated the elite men’s racing in Northern California this season. But on Sunday Robinson was simply overmatched as Rock Lobster riders O’Dell, Josh Snead and David Wyandt unleashed a serious tag-team effort against him.

On lap two, O’Dell attacked and opened up a substantial gap. Robinson tried to make it across, but Snead and Wyandt sat on, giving Robinson no help in the chase. O’Dell went solo for the rest of the race to win by 28 seconds.

Robinson took his frustration out by claiming the sprint for second place ahead of Snead and Wyandt. Cameron Falconer (Hunter-Freewheel) rounded out the top five, another 31 seconds adrift.

Lloyd dominated the elite women’s race, taking off at the gun and never looking back on her way to a two-minute win over Sarah Kerlin (HRS-Rock Lobster) with Josie Beggs (Cal Giant-Specialized) third.

Beggs and Kerlin battled side by side for the runner-up spot until Kerlin opened up a small gap near the finish, crossing 11 seconds ahead of the hard-charging Beggs.

In its inaugural year, the NCNCA Cup brings together five of the best one-day events in Northern California in a “best of the West” competition hosted by each of the region’s leading race series. The series has already made stops in Marin County, Sacramento and Santa Cruz, and wraps up with a double-points race November 25 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, where the grand-prize Sycip CrossDresser frame will be awarded. —Keith DeFiebre

NCNCA Cup, Round 4
Monterey, CA. Nov. 11
Elite men
1. Aaron O’Dell, 1:01:36
2. Justin Robinson, at 0:28
3. Josh Snead, at 0:29
4. David Wyandt, at 0:31
5. Cameron Falconer, at 1:05

Elite women
1. Rachel Lloyd, 36:48
2. Sarah Kerlin, 38:45
3. Josie Beggs 38:56
4. Stella Carey, 39:33
5. Sarah Maile, 39:56

Zugel, Eichers top WI single-speeders
Christopher Zugel (PCW) and Rachel Eichers (Americas Dairyland) won the Wisconsin single-speed championships on Sunday at the Viking Cross at Mandt Park in Stoughton, Wisconsin.

In the men’s championship David Greenblatt (Brazen Dropouts) edged Lee Unwin (Van Dessel) for second. In the women’s race the podium was rounded out by Diane Ostenso (Planet Bike) and Amelia Barber (Brazen Dropouts).

In the elite women’s race Kristin Wentworth (Team Kenda Tire) took a commanding win over Elicia Hildebrandt (PCW) and Monique Karlen (Team Kenda Tire). In the men’s race Brian Conant (Pony Shop) took a hotly contested win over Alistair Sponsel (Colavita) and Bob Downs (Planet Bike).

Viking Cross also raised funds to help send Wisconsin’s top elite racers to the U.S. cyclocross national championships in Kansas City.

Racing resumes in the Wisconsin Cycling Association Cyclocross Series on Sunday, November 18, at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. For more information, see www.wicycling.org and www.madcross.org. — Renee Callaway

Viking Cross
Stoughton, WI. Nov. 11
Single-speed women
1. Rachel Eichers, Americas Dairyland
2. Diane Ostenso, Planet Bike
3. Amelia Barber, Brazen Dropouts

Single-speed men
1. Christopher Zugel, PCW
2. David Greenblatt, Brazen Dropouts
3. Lee Unwin, Van Dessel

Elite women
1. Kristin Wentworth, Team Kenda Tire)2. Elicia Hildebrandt, PCW
3. Monique Karlen, Team Kenda Tire
4. Laura Stark, SemiCustom Paint
5. Shannon Holmes, Capitol Velo Club

Elite men
1. Brian Conant, Pony Shop
2. Alistair Sponsel, Colavita
3. Bob Downs, Planet Bike
4. Jordon Roessingh, IS Corp
5. Gene Tolli, CZ Velo

Barrett and Sawyer take Georgia Cross No. 4Tim Barret (Myogenesis) and Kim Sawyer (BMW-Bianchi) took strong wins in Macon at the fourth stop on the Georgia Cross Series.

The Men’s A race saw an exciting three-man break with Tim Barrett and Casey Magner of Myogensis working over Oscar Clark (FFCC). The two took turns attacking Clark but couldn’t drop him until the sprint out of the final corner when Magner led out Barrett for the win.

In the Women’s A field, Sawyer won going away.

For full results see www.georgia-cross.com. — Adam T. Jones

New course slated for Chicago series
The Chicago Cyclocross Cup heads to Lan Oak Park in Lansing, Illinois, for round five of the series on Sunday, November 18.

Lan Oak Park Cross will be hosted by the South Chicago Wheelmen and supported by City Cyclery, Trek Bicycle Store of Schererville, and Chicago Dough Company.

Lan Oak Park Cross is a new course nestled in a park-like setting featuring open fields, mature trees, and mixture of turf, asphalt, pavers and a sandpit, in a fast and flat course.

Points will be awarded to the top 30 places within eight group categories with the winner receiving an overall series winner jersey. Additional prizes will also be awarded to other top performers.

The series will end with round six on Sunday, December 9, with the Illinois State Cyclocross Championship at Montrose Park in the City of Chicago.

For more, see www.chicrosscup.com.

Got ‘cross? Send your race announcements and reports to crossexam@insideinc.com. Please follow the style as presented above, include riders’ team affiliations and the appropriate credits for writers and/or photographers, and attach your contact information in case we have questions.