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Weekend 'cross wrap: Powers, Scwartz in Michigan; Gully, D’Aluisio in Cali'

By Promoters' reports
Published: Oct. 7, 2003

Michigan got a good taste of international cyclo-cross racing on Saturday with the Michael R. Rabe Midwest Cyclo-Cross Championships.

Promoted by Robert Linden of Tailwind Enterprises, the first-time UCI event saw racers come from Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Massachusetts. To make it a true international event, riders even came from as far as Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

The junior men's event saw a tightly fought battle among the top three. Konrad Lebas (Richard Sachs) had to take a change early on due to a problem with his rear wheel, but was able to hold on for the win. Behind him, Wynn Roberts (Baraboo Sharks) was going toe to toe with Derek Laan (Gopher Wheelmen) and was finally able to shake him off to finish second.

In the women's race, it was a local affair as Anne Schwartz (Flying Rhinos) took on Alicia Mayer (Orbea). The two women had gone head to head just one week earlier with Mayer finishing in front of Schwartz, but it was clear that Schwartz had other goals for today. She was able to use her experience and take the win along with the first-place UCI points.

With valuable UCI points on the line to the top five finishers in the elite men's race, it was clear that it wouldn't be an easy day. Local favorites Jeff Weinert and Jon Card (both Tailwind.net/Cane Creek) would have their hands full as out-of-town riders were focused on those points too.

The race saw a fast start with Adam Hodges Myerson (Cycle-Smart) taking the early lead. By mid lap, a strong group had been formed containing Hodges Myerson, Weinert, Card, Mike House (CSK America), Jacob Stechmann (Alan Factory Team) and Phil Noble (Airborne). It was a tough group that would test each other for the lead. Behind, Jeremy Powers (NCC/BikeReg.com) had crashed and was needing to get to the pit. Hodges Myerson, who has been Powers' coach, saw this and went to the front to try and control things until Powers could get back on. Powers did manage to make contact and the group was seven strong.

The next two laps would see attack after attack with nothing getting clear. Some riders were using the course design to try and break things up by creeping into the corners, then punching it out the other side. Still nothing. Finally at the 30-minute mark, there was a lull in the action. Powers saw this as his opportunity and laid down a hard acceleration. Hodges Myerson was sitting second wheel and let him roll up the road. The rest of the field was still in recovery mode and no one else made a counter.

Just behind the field, Paul Martin (West Virginia) was chasing like mad after having a poor start. Martin arrived late to the race and was not able to warm up at all. He was making up ground, but it would be tough to latch on to the group. With three laps to go, Powers was still away and Jacob Stechmann was trying to pull him in, but alas, the group would have none of it.

The group was still intact and on the start of the sixth lap, Martin was finally able to make contact, but it was now clear that Powers was going to stay away. Barring any mechanical mishap, Powers was looking to collect his first victory at the elite UCI level. Once the group got the bell, House tried a last lap attack that was covered by Hodges Myerson with Martin trying to block for House. The group tried little attacks here and there, but they were all covered with no one countering. It was looking like a good sprint was on their hands.

On the backside of the course just before the finish, Card spilled to the ground causing Noble and Stechmann to lose contact. Card wouldn't regain either as his wheel had shifted in the dropout.

Down to four riders now, Hodges Myerson attacked into the barriers opening a small gap going into the last corner. Weinert was holding his wheel, but couldn't come around in the sprint for second. Martin and House rounded out the top five.
Courtesy Tailwind Enterprises

Men:
1. Jeremy Powers, NCC-Bikereg.com; 2. Adam Hodges Myerson, Cycle-Smart; 3. Jeff Weinert, Tailwind.net-Cane Creek; 4. Paul Martin, West Virginia; 5. Mike House, CSK America; 6. Jacob Stechmann, Alan Factory Team; 7. Phil Noble, Airborne; 8. Jon Card, Tailwind.net-Cane Creek; 9. Nate Griffith, Ford-Giant Bikes; 10. Kurt Rees, Athletest by Design

Women:
1. Anne Scwartz, Flying Rhino CC; 2. Alicia Mayer, Orbea; 3. Renee Schroeder, Maple Leaf; 4. Anne Grofvert, Riverfront Cycling; 5. Julie Lewis, Team Lake Effect

Juniors:
1. Konrad Lebas, Richard Sachs-CYBC; 2. Wynn Roberts, Baraboo Sharks; 3. Derek Laan, Gopher Wheelman; 4. Scott Stewart, Cannondale Midwest; 5. Todd Elenz
Redline’s Marc Gullickson had another scrap on his hands in Sunday’s Bay Area Super Prestige season opener in Brisbane, five minutes south of San Francisco. A week ago he tangled with Adam Craig and the Northwest’s top racers and eventually emerged with a win under the lights.

This Sunday he lined up with Northern California’s playmakers on another short course (average laps just under five minutes) and beat off the challengers in a dusty display of prowess to run his 2003 season record to a perfect 2 for 2. On the grid he faced the Red Guard from Clif Bar, Andy Jacques-Maynes and Jackson Stewart, plus the partners from the Family Cycling Center’s team: Ben Jacques-Mayne and Justin Robinson. On the first three laps, these five plus John Funke, Matt Dubberly, and Aaron O’Dell created a move on the rest of the 37-man roster with Stewart setting pace and Gullickson figuring out the lines he wanted to use.

Dubberly and Funke were the first casualties, trailing by the third lap and then O’Dell, in a breakout ride, started to lose some ground. By the fourth lap Gullickson had all the course knowledge required and began to gap the others. Andy Jacques-Mayne was the survivor and on a fast course was able to sit on Gullickson’s wheel until he needed a bike change with six laps to go. That was all that was needed and Gullickson added 10 seconds a lap and earned a 54 second victory over Jacques-Mayne. After Stewart and Ben Jacques-Mayne followed in another 30 seconds down the race with the greatest drama unfolded on the final lap. With UCI points to only the first five riders in a Cat 3 race, the heat was on for that fifth and final spot – and four riders made a great show. Chris Pietrzak, Matt Dubberly, John Funke, and Justin Robinson coalesced with six laps to go and continually tried to shake each other loose. All four at one time looked like they might come off the back and implode but each had a remarkable recovery and in the final half lap, just after the run-up in front of the finish line, Robinson had the last squeeze on the throttle to take that final podium spot.

Jonny Sundt’s ironic remarks about NorCal UCI races ("Whoever doesn’t travel from California will probably be ranked 10th in the World") may prove to be most prophetic in Women’s UCI events. With no Elite racers from out of town, the race was primarily amongst the quartet from Northern California who raced together in Monopoli in the last World’s.

Clif Bar’s Carmen D’Aluisio and Gina Hall, Ritchey-Redline’s Rachel Lloyd and Velo Bella’s Christine Vardaros as they were the only riders to finish on the same lap. In the opening laps it was Lloyd lighting place on fire with the Clif Bar team in pursuit. After a couple of laps D’Aluisio put Lloyd inside the pressure cooker as she regained the lead and Gina Hall smothered Lloyd.

Vardaros maintained a steady rhythm just aft of the flying trio and the quartet form Monopoli all finished within 90 seconds of each other – D’Alusio escaping on the final lap for the win with Hall guarding against a final Lloyd attack.
Courtesy Pilarcitos Cyclesports


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