‘Cross Examination: Sheppard, VanMeter tops in Portland; Smith doubles at Riverside; Hewitt, Taylor rule Cross on the Rock

Chris Sheppard (Santa Cruz-CMG) and Emily VanMeter (River City Bicycles) won their respective races during the fifth stop of the 2007 Cross Crusade November 4 at Barton Park outside Estacada, Oregon.

The men’s race saw a neck-and-neck finish between Shannon Skerritt (Vanilla Bicycles) and Carl Decker (Giant), with Skerritt taking the runner-up spot by a few inches.

In the women’s event, it was a sweep by the River City Bicycles team with Emily VanMeter taking the win ahead of teammates Bridgette Stoick and Dani Dance.

The next Cross Crusade race, slated for November 11 at Estacada Park, will also serve as the “Official UnOfficial World Championship” for single-speed cyclocrossers. Prizes for the world championship include a Vanilla ’cross frame, a custom tattoo and a championship-stripes Speedo.

For more information, see www.crosscrusade.com and www.sscxwc.com/. — Kenji Sugahara

Cross Crusade No. 5
Estacada, OR. Nov. 4
Men
1. Chris Sheppard, Santa Cruz-CMG Mortgage
2. Shannon Skerritt, Vanilla Bicycles
3. Carl Decker, Giant
4. Solomon Woras, Vanilla Bicycles-Stumptown Coffee
5. Ben Thompson, Sunnyside Sports

Women
1. Emily VanMeter, River City Bicycles
2. Bridgette Stoick, River City Bicycle3. Dani Dance, River City Bicycle
4. Patty Buerkle, Vanderkitten
5. Tina Brubaker, Vanilla Bicycles

Smith doubles at Riverside
Shadd Smith (KCCX-Verge) swept the Riverside Cyclocross Festival November 3-4 in Riverside, Missouri, as Michelle Jensen and Sydney Brown (Badger Cycles) split the women’s races.

In the finale to the men’s doubleheader, the battle for second between Jesse Petersen and Mark Studnicki came down to the final sand section, where Petersen attacked, seizing enough of a gap to take the runner-up spot.

In the women’s finale, Brown led from the start. Jensen held on for second with Jennifer Herrell third. — Chris Locke

Riverside Cyclocross Festival
Riverside, MO. Nov. 4
Men
1. Shadd Smith
2. Jesse Petersen
3. Mark Studnicki
4. Adam Mills
5. Nate Woodman

Women
1. Sydney Brown
2. Michelle Jensen
3. Jennifer Herrell
4. Allison Baker
5. Teresa Jarzemkoski

Hewitt, Taylor rule Cross on the Rock No. 3
Mat Hewitt (Oak Bay Bikes) and Bobby Taylor (Arrowsmith) emerged victorious after Cross on the Rock No. 3 November 4 at Beban Park in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

The race also served as the Island Championships.

Race organizer Norm Thibault (Frontrunners) took three bike lengths on the expert group in mere seconds only to crash and leave Drew MacKenzie (Straight Up Cycles) to set the blistering pace for the first lap. Hewitt was the only one who could stay with him, although John Fokkema (Aviawest) was in close pursuit.

MacKenzie flatted, but stuck it out to take home the Lighthouse Brewery prime. Meanwhile, at the front of the race Hewitt was having some chain troubles. Fokkema eventually caught up and the two rode together until the last lap when Hewitt pulled away for the win and the series lead. Thibault rebounded to finish third.

In the women’s race, Amy Herlivinveaux (Experience) took the prime lap only to see Taylor seize the lead at midrace and hold it to the end. Herliniveaux consoled herself with second place and the Lighthouse prime. Katie Rabien (Oak Bay Bikes-Wheelers) finished third.

Cross on the Rock No. 3
Nanaimo, BC, Canada. Nov. 4
Men
1. Mat Hewitt, Oak Bay Bikes-Berg, 51:15
2. John Fokkema, Aviawest, at 0:14
3. Normon Thibault, Frontrunners, at 1:47
4. Russell Anderson Oak Bay Bikes, at 2:12
5. Jeff Riemer, Arrowsmith, at 03:45

Women
1. Bobby Taylor, Arrowsmith, 46:08
2. Amy Herlivinveaux, Experience Cycling Club, at 3:52
3. Katie Rabien, Oak Bay Bikes-Wheelers, -1 lap

Dewald, Popovic win Wayne Scott
Ryan Dewald (Rite Aid) and Carolyn Popovic (Team CICLE) rode away with the spoils November 3 during the Wayne Scott Memorial in Elkton, Maryland.

The fourth round of the BikeReg.com MABRAcross Series, held at the Fairhill Nature Center, treated riders to a swoopy, curvy, technical course that featured two natural barriers, a “sand pit of doom” and lots of tight corners.

In the elite men’s race, Rite Aid teammates Dewald and Stephan Kincaid worked together against Fort Factory Team rider Greg Wittwer.

Dewald escaped at midrace, leaving Kincaid and Wittwer to battle it out for second. Coming into the final turn, the two were even up, but Kincaid prevailed in the sprint.

In the elite women’s race, Popovic gained an early edge riding the sand pit of doom, where most were forced to run. She continued to work this advantage and ran away with the victory.

Betsy Shogren (Fort Factory) took second ahead of Kristen Kelsey (Evolution Cycles). — Marc Vettori

Wayne Scott Memorial
Elkton, MD. Nov. 3
Men
1. Ryan Dewald, Rite Aid
2. Stephan Kincaid, Rite Aid
3. Greg Wittwer, Fort Factory Team
4. Mark Kutney, Van Dessel Cycles
5. Blair Saunders, Secret Henry’s Team

Women
1. Carolyn Popovic, Team CICLE
2. Betsy Shogren, Fort Factory Team
3. Kristen Kelsey, Evolution Cycles
4. Jennifer Maxwell, Team Kenda Tire
5. Elizabeth Harlow, Hunt Valley Cycles

Other winners
Masters 3-4: Michael Kolb, First State Velo Sport Men’s 3-4: Erin Linder, Hunt Valley Cycles Women’s 3-4: Kristy Swope, CSE-CSs-Riptide Cycling Juniors 17-18: Sam O’Keefe, C3-Sollay.com Men’s 4 winner: Luke Sandusky Juniors 16 and under: Steven Kendall, NCVC-Inova Health 55+: Leo Pizzini, Secret Henry’s Team

Verge MAC series is Jersey-bound
The chase for the prestigious Verge MAC Championship moves to New Jersey November 10-11 for a double-header of UCI cyclocross racing.

The weekend kicks off with the high-speed chutes, sand pits and infamous “Amphitheatre of Pain” of the Beacon Cyclocross. The following day brings the HPCX in Jamesburg. “There was a major push last year to get these two races back onto the same weekend,” says Verge MAC Media Director Ken Getchell. “It only makes sense to schedule the state’s two biggest races together to make them as attractive and economical as possible to pros and amateurs, who need to travel long distances to get to New Jersey.” Both races will be points events for the college teams of the powerful Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference, with the collegiate program running concurrently with the regular Verge MAC classes. In fact, Sunday’s HPCX race will be a fund-raiser for the 2006 conference champions (and race co-promoters), the Rutgers University Cycling Team. Proceeds will assist the Scarlet Knights when they travel to the U.S. cyclocross national championships. Saturday’s Beacon Cyclocross, meanwhile, will raise money for Beacon Animal Rescue through its food concession. The animal-rescue organization, which is not associated with race sponsor Beacon Cycling & Fitness, rescues domestic animals facing euthanasia in shelters. For more information, see BikeReg.com.

Juniors win Queen City trophies
Nineteen junior racers collected Queen City Junior Cyclocross trophies November 4 following the Gun Club ‘Cross in Miamiville, Ohio.

Sponsored by Queen City Wheels Bicycle Racing Club of Cincinnati, the Queen City Junior Trophy was a mini-series within the larger 15-race Ohio Valley Cyclocross (OVCX) series. The points competition was intended to offer junior racers within the region an intermediate objective, and for those in the greater Cincinnati area, a shot at a trophy without having to travel too far. The best four out of the six OVCX races within the greater Cincinnati area were counted in the mini-series.

At least seven of the trophy winners are training for the U.S. cyclocross national championships in Kansas City and will use the remainder of the Ohio Valley Cyclocross and Cap City Cyclocross races to hone their fitness and skills. —Douglas Dobrozsi

Queen City Junior Cyclocross Trophy
Boys 9-10
Ian McShane, Red Zone, 10, 200
Andrew Rademacher, Queen City Wheels, 10, 185
Michael Gruenwald, 10, 176
Sam Crecelius, Red Zone, 10, 94
Ryan Madis, Pista Elite, 9, 47
James Franciso, Red Zone, 9, 47
Will Mandrola, Red Zone, 10, 44
Gavin Haley, Red Zone, 10, 38
William Birchwell, Queen City Wheels, 9, 36

Boys 11-12
Erik Madis, Pista Elite, 11, 100
Simon Cooper, Red Zone, 11, 97
Andrew McAllister, One Call Now / Project Velo Racing, 12, 91
Christopher Ceccoperi, Queen City Wheels, 11, 50
John Francisco, Red Zone, 12, 50
Derek Schappacher, Queen City Wheels, 12, 41

Boys 13-14
Samuel Dobrozsi, Queen City Wheels, 13, 147
Drew Bercaw, Pista Elite, 13, 100
Luke Haley, Red Zone, 13, 50
Vincent Nold, Red Zone, 13, 50
Daniel Bush, Red Zone, 14, 0

Boys 15-16
Jarrett Frauhiger, Queen City Wheels, 15, 197
Brian Hammond, Bikesource, 16, 138
Brandon Lach, Turner Logistics, 16, 94
Adam Leibovitz, 16, 50
Cory StClaire, Turner Logistics, 16, 44
Porter Saxon, 16, 41

Boys 17-18
Ambrose Dobrozsi, Queen City Wheels, 17, 150
Daniel Bartholomew, BGI, 17, 50

Girls 9-10
Eden Webb, Red Zone, 9, 100
Rachel Dobrozsi, Queen City Wheels, 10, 97

Girls 11-12
Hannah Mossman, One Call Now-Project Velo Racing, 12, 200
Samantha Nissen, Queen City Wheels, 12, 141

Girls 13-14
Colleen Morris, One Call Now-Project Velo Racing, 14, 100

CrossVegas coming to a TV near you
The first broadcast of the Excel Sports CrossVegas race will air Saturday, November 10, at 3 p.m. MST, according to event organizers DBC Events of Boulder, Colorado.

The first-year cyclocross race was held September 26 in Las Vegas and was taped for later broadcast on Altitude Sports and Entertainment Network. More than 4000 spectators attended the race, which was won by Ryan Trebon (Kona-YourKey Mortgage) and Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com).

The 30-minute show features exciting race footage of the UCI Cat. 2 race, which was held at night under the lights at the Desert Breeze Soccer Complex. The 1.8-mile course featured fast grass sections and multiple climbs, covered on bike and foot, that tested the best cyclocrossers from across the U.S. as well as some foreign riders who took advantage of the timing with the Interbike trade show to compete.

Check your local listings for the channel in your area.

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