Weekend ‘CrossWrap: Pontoni lights up Candlestick; Iowa ‘cross champs; Howe, Wicks win Wooden Wheels ‘cross

By VeloNews Interactive

Pontoni shows the way to the finish line

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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 ‘cross
Former 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 Cameron Falconer for four laps, then took off like a shot, quickly opening an insurmountable lead on the sandy circuit, which had just two dismounts.

By the bell lap, everyone else was racing for second place, a battle that Wyandt won, with Robinson third.

In the women’s race, Gina Hall won her second consecutive Super Prestige victories race by more than a minute over Velo Bella’s Sarah Kerlin. Kerlin kept Hall in sight through the six-lap race, but couldn’t close the gap.

Bay Area Super Prestige Cyclo-cross Series
Candlestick Point Recreation Area, San Francisco, CA. October 25
1. Daniele Pontoni, Selle Italia, 57:14
2. David Wyandt, 58:38
3. Justin Robinson, Bullioro Stil, 58:39
4. Cameron Falconer, Hunter Cycle, 58:42
5. Dan O’Sullivan, McGuire, 59:44
6. John Funke, Sycip, 59:50
7. Perry Paolini, Amgen, 59:52
8. Simon Vickers, Rock Lobster, 59:52
9. Leonardo Sandoval, Bicycle John’s, 1:00:15
10. Phil Roberts, Redline, 1:00:37

Women
1. Gina Hall, 44:20
2. Sarah Kerlin, Velo Bella, 45:16
3. Kate Maher, Missing Link Bianchi, 46:21
4. Hillary Daniels Hunter Cycle, 46:41
5. Allison Baumhefner, ABS/ Hunter, 47:39
6. Sara Baumberger, Sycip, 48:44
7. Erin Kassoy, Velo Bella, 48:49
8. Andrea Mackie, Velo Bella, 48:56
9. Janie Dalton, Missing Link, 49:07
10. Kathleen Hannon, Free Wheel, 49:33

IOWA: State ‘cross champs crowned
Kevin Hankens (Alan Factory) and Lisa Vetterlein (DMOS-Mortgage Solutions) claimed titles on Sunday during the Iowa State Cyclo-cross Championships in Newton.

Hankens avenged three second-place finishes with a convincing victory on the technical circuit at Woodland Park. He rode from the start with Jim Holmes (Alan Factory) and Lee Venteicher (Cyclefarmer.com), then opened a gap on the two mid-race. Holmes ditched Venteicher on the lap before the bell and earned second place. Venteicher came across alone for third.

Vetterlein continued her breakthrough season by dominating the women’s category, taking her fourth victory in four starts over a hard-charging duo of Lindsey Wetzel (ICCC) and Tammy Meehan (ICCC).

Iowa State Cyclo-cross Championships
Newton, IA. October 24
Men 1-3
1. Kevin Hankens
2. Jim Holmes
3. Lee Venteicher

Women
1. Lisa Vetterlein
2. Lindsey Wetzel
3. Tammy Meehan

DELAWARE: Howe, Wicks win Wooden Wheels
Barbara Howe (Velo Bella) and Barry Wicks (Kona) won the Wooden Wheels Cross on Saturday near Wilmington, Delaware.

Held on the grounds of the Dupont family’s Granogue Estate, the latest leg of the Verge Mid-Atlantic Cyclo-Cross Championship Series featured a combination of power sections and tricky technical bits, with two run-ups on each lap.

In the elite women’s race, Marianne Stover (Independent Fabrications-SM Inc.) rocketed off the line and set the pace for most of the first lap. A lead group quickly formed that included Stover; Howe and teammate Christine Vardaros; Anna Milkowski (Rona); Sinead Fitzgibbon (Aquafina/CRCA); Sarah Uhl (Quark); and Mackenzie Dickey (Team Bicycle Alley).

Just as the lead group settled in behind Stover, Milkowski jumped clear, opening a 15-second gap. Vardaros and Howe began chasing, and the rest of the group couldn’t match their pace.

The duo caught Milkowski at the top of one of the run-ups, and from that point on the race was all Velo Bella, with Howe pulling away at the end for the win and Vardaros crossing second. Milkowski held on for third.

The men’s race also saw a tough group take the lead early on: Jackson Stewart (Clif Bar Cyclocross); Matt White (NCC-BikeReg.com); Mark McCormack (Clif Bar-Colavita Olive Oil); Ben Jacques-Maynes (Sierra Nevada Cycling); Jesse Anthony (Cyclocrossworld.com); Tyler Johnson (CYBC–Richard Sachs); and Kona teammates Wicks and Ryan Trebon.

First to drop off were Stewart and White; with four laps to go, the group was down to six and Johnson was beginning to struggle. A lap later, he was gone, and Anthony soon followed.

Trebon, who placed second at Granogue in 2003, was sitting on the group and looked calm as the riders passed the start/finish line with two to go. But he bobbled on a tricky off-camber section and McCormack seized the advantage, leading Wicks and Jacques-Maynes into the final lap.

On the final climb, Wicks charged up the hill, not wanting to face McCormack in a road sprint to the finish. McCormack found himself briefly caught in traffic among some lapped riders and hit the descent a second or two behind Wicks.

The Kona rider flew up the final run–up and dug deep on the pavement, holding off McCormack for the win. Jacques-Maynes beat out Trebon for third.

Wooden Wheels Cross
Wilmington, DE. October 23

Elite men
1. Barry Wicks, Kona
2. Mark McCormack, Clif Bar/Colavita Olive Oil
3. ben Jacques- Maynes, Sierra Nevada Cycling
4. Ryan Trebon, Kona
5. Jesse Anthony, Cyclocrossworld.com

Elite women
1. Barbara Howe, Velo Bella
2. Christine Vardaros, Velo Bella
3. Anna Milkowski, Rona
4. Sinead Fitzgibbon, Aquafina/CRCA
5. Sarah Uhl, Quark

For complete results, see www.monkeyhillcs.com.

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.