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Bessette, Wicks fire it up at sweaty Surf City Cyclocross

Published: Nov. 19, 2005
Wicks wants the whole enchilada.
Wicks wants the whole enchilada.
Photo: AbbiOrca.com

With bright sunshine and near-tropical heat, the Aloha spirit was alive and well Saturday in Santa Cruz, California, at round 5 of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross. Hosted by the Northern Californian Velo Bella team, the final round of the Surf City Cyclo-cross series wasn't exactly a day at the beach - unless you count the weather, which inflicted mid-80s temperatures on a field more accustomed to snow, mud and bitter cold than to sweat, salt and baking heat.

Instead of slick ice, racers were met with technically challenging loose and dry conditions, steep climbs and off-camber sections circumnavigating the Watsonville Fairgrounds, just south of Santa Cruz, that kept the competitors on their toes over nearly the entire course.

Winners on the day included Kona’s Barry Wicks, who celebrated his 24th birthday (earlier in the week) with a runaway victory, and Canadian Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com-Louis Garneau), who won her 12th consecutive race of the 2005 cyclo-cross season by the tightest of margins yet, just five seconds ahead of compatriot Wendy Simms (Kona). In junior racing, Danny Summerhill (TIAA-CREF) outsprinted Bjorn Selander (Alan) to take the series lead from Selander heading into the finale in San Francisco on Sunday.

More Kona, Hawaii, than Kona `cross
A tiki-party theme, complete with race staff resplendent in Hawaiian leis and grass skirts, was matched by the unseasonably hot weather that sent Bessette’s husband, new elite-men’s series leader Tim Johnson (Cyclocrossworld.com-Louis Garneau) to race commissaires asking to bend UCI rules and allow water bottle feeds during the men’s race. The request was considered but ultimately denied, with chief referee Phil Miller instructing riders that they could take bottles only in the pit area with a bike change.

This is `cross season, isn't it?
This is `cross season, isn't it?
Photo: Matt McDonald

“I don’t like to open up that can of worms unless I need to,” Miller said. “It’s explicitly not allowed in the UCI rulebook. I know the rule has been overlooked in the past, and if it was in the 90s or getting hotter it would be one thing. But the offshore winds started blowing in and the course had begun to cool off.”

Absent from the race was Kona’s series leader Ryan Trebon, who finished 12th at the GP Stad Hasselt in Belgium Saturday, 2:28 behind race winner and world champion Sven Nys. In Trebon’s absence, his close friend and teammate Wicks took up the responsibilities for Kona in Watsonville. As he’s done all season, Wicks got the hole shot and took the early lead. From there, the 6-foot-5 Oregonian never looked back. Wicks rode all the course’s steep, loose hills, opening his margin back to the rest of the field to some 45 seconds.

“I came here ready to win,” said Wicks, who recently moved to Santa Cruz with his girlfriend. “My girlfriend has been taking me motorpacing up the coast all week, and I knew I was coming into today’s race with great form. With Ryan gone, it was time for me to step up for Kona.”

A chase duo of Todd Wells (GT-Hyundai) and Mark McCormack (Team Clif Bar) set out after Wicks but the effort proved fruitless. Wells managed to shed McCormack in the closing laps to finish second for the third race in a row. McCormack (Clif Bar) took third. Johnson spent the early part of the race riding with Wells and McCormack before trailing off the pace, Though he was passed by a surging Carl Decker (Giant) in the final kilometer, fifth place was good enough for Johnson to pull on the overall series leader’s jersey.

Heading into the series finale, Johnson holds the lead at 166 points, ahead of Wicks and McCormack who are tied with 150 points. With the lowest score thrown out, and Wicks’ lowest score a DNF, the series is still anyone’s guess and should make for an exciting finale in San Francisco on Sunday.

Horner tries something different.
Horner tries something different.
Photo: Matt McDonald

“I wanted to win today, and I want to win the series,” Wicks said. “That’s still my plan.”

Though the battle for the race and series lead was up the road, many eyes were on Saunier Duval-Prodir’s Chris Horner, who came to Santa Cruz for his first-ever cyclo-cross race. The three-time top rider in America wound up a lucky 13th in his major ‘cross debut - a more-than respectable finish considering he had no UCI points and had to start at the back of the bus.

“I felt fine most of the race,” Horner said. “My heart rate was at like 130 beats per minute during the first lap. I think I may have given too much respect at the start, and wasn’t getting around too many guys. It was slow going and my heart rate was low. But then after it started to open up I was able to go through guys and use my strength more. I’ve got the horsepower; I’m just lacking the technique. But I feel like this kind of effort could really suit me.”

Bessette, but barely
Earlier in women’s racing, which began in temperatures hotter than the elite men’s race, Bessette again employed what has become her customary strategy: leap off the front early and ride solo to the finish. But the Canadian national champ wasn’t able to establish the 30- to 45-second lead she’s grown accustomed to, and instead held a tenuous 10- to 15-second lead over Simms to a five-second win. Simms used her well-honed mountain bike skills to ride several of the hills that Bessette chose to run. The resulting time gain allowed Simms to take back precious seconds nearly every lap, coming within a paltry five ticks of catching Bessette outright. But the savvy Canadian champion kept cool under the hot afternoon sun, cementing win No.12 and the overall U.S. Gran Prix title in the process. Georgia Gould (Kona) finished third.

“I’m not going to lie to you, I didn’t feel great out there today,” Bessette said. “The heat was really getting to me. I was dry-mouthed by the second lap and didn’t have any water. I never really felt like I could get into the flow of the course, and I wasn’t comfortable with how close Wendy was. But I don’t want to take anything away from Wendy, she rode a great race.”

Simms made it a real race on Saturday.
Simms made it a real race on Saturday.
Photo: AbbiOrca.com

Simms clearly had mixed emotions at the finish. Though she never made contact with Bessette, she was the first rider to give the undefeated Bessette a serious run for her money.

In what has become the most compelling battle for series supremacy of the 2005 U.S. Gran Prix, TIAA-CREF-Clif Bar junior Summerhill powered away from junior national champion Selander to take a slim six-point lead heading into the finale. Summerhill and Selander have gone back and forth, trading wins since the start of the U.S. Gran Prix. Summerhill beat Selander in a sprint in round 3, but Selander exacted revenge the following day. The winner of Sunday’s finals in San Francisco will win the series overall.

“You can bet that will be a dinnertime topic tonight,” Summerhill joked.

Defending U.S. national under-23 champion Jesse Anthony (Team Clif Bar) cemented his hold on the U.S. Gran Prix U-23 title, finishing as the top espoir in eighth in the elite race. Anthony agreed the conditions were tough, but not unbearable. “Cyclo-cross is an all-weather event. We race ‘cross in 20-degree snow and ice, so we just have to face it when it’s in 85-degree heat as well. Of course, I’d prefer the snow and ice.”

Seattle ‘cross legend Dale Knapp (Kona) also took a firm grasp on the Master 35+ overall with a win at Surf City. Knapp used a fast first lap to establish his advantage, and a furious chase by former mountain bike pro Pete Webber (IMBA) proved in vain.

The 2005 Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross concludes November 20 in San Francisco, California.Results
2005 Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Race No. 5
Surf City Cyclocross, Watsonville, Calif.Men
1. Barry Wicks (USA), 1:06:23
2. Todd Wells (USA), At 1:17
3. Mark Mccormack (USA), At 2:02
4. Carl Decker (USA), At 2:26
5. Tim Johnson (USA), At 2:40
6. Andy Jacques-Maynes (USA), At 2:59
7. Erik Tonkin (USA), At 3:03
8. Jesse Anthony (USA), At 3:06
9. Alan Obye (USA), At 3:50
10. Matt Shriver (USA), At 4:30Women
1. Lynn Bessette (Can), 44:41
2. Wendy Simms (Can), At 0:05
3. Georgia Gould (USA), At 1:23
4. Christine Vardaros (USA), At 1:36
5. Melissa Thomas (USA), At 1:48
6. Rhonda Mazza (USA), At 2:22
7. Josie Beggs (USA), At 2:28
8. Ann Knapp (USA), At 2:34
9. Brigette Stoick (USA), At 2:49
10. Maureen Bruno Roy (USA), 2:52Junior Men
1. Danny Summerhill (USA), 42:47
2. Bjorn Selander (USA), At 0:02
3. Chance Noble (USA), At 0:03
4. Tejay Van Garderen (USA), At 1:41
5. Jerome Townsend (USA), At 2:08
6. Stephen De Lisle (USA), At 2:45
7. Alex Howes (USA), At 2:59
8. Ian Megale (USA), At 3:00
9. Tucker Olander (USA), At 3:40
10. Carson Miller (USA), At 3:44
11. Logan Loader (USA), At 5:26
Masters Men 35+A
1. Dale Knapp, Kona 48:31
2. Pete Webber, IMBA, At 0:16
3. Mark Noble, Amgen, At 0:30
4. Richard Feldman, Durance Cycleworks, At 0:54
5. Chris D'aluisio, Morgan Stanley, At 1:06
6. Gannon Myall, Calgiant/Specialized, At 1:20
7. Jesse Scatton, Bullseye Cycling, At 1:30
8. John Gallagher, Cole Sport, At 1:31
9. David Eastwood, Art by Opsal, At 1:32
10. James Coats, Amgen, At 1:43Series standingsMen
1. Tim Johnson (USA), Cyclocrossworld.com/Louis Garneau, 166 points
2. Barry Wicks (USA), Kona, 150
3. Mark McCormack (USA), Clif Bar, 150
4. Ryan Trebon (USA), Kona, 140
5. Adam Craig (USA), Giant, 137
6. Carl Decker (USA), Giant, 95
7. Erik Tonkin (USA), Kona, 89
8. Shannon Skerritt (USA), Vanilla Bicycles, 65
9. Matt Shriver (USA), Kona/Easton, 57Women
1. Lyne Bessette (CAN), Cyclocrossworld.com/Louis Garneau, 250
2. Wendy Simms (CAN), Kona, 143
3. Ann Knapp (USA), Kona, 141
4. Barbara Howe (USA), Velo Bella, 140
5. Melissa Thomas (USA), Tokyo Joes, 128
6. Rhonda Mazza (USA), Team S&M/Vanilla Bicycles, 119
7. Georgia Gould (USA), Kona, 116
8. Christine Vardaros (USA), Velo Bella, 86
9. Stacey Spencer (CAN), Cycle Smart, 68
10. Maureen Bruno Roy (USA), Independent Fabrication, 59Under-23 Men
1. Jesse Anthony (USA), Clif Bar, 240
2. Troy Wells (USA), TIAA CREF/Clif Bar, 187
3. Christian Meier (CAN), Symmetrics, 114
4. Mitchell Peterson (USA), Balance Bar/Devo, 103
5. Daniel Neyens (USA), Rad Racing NW, 94
6. Braden Kappius (USA), TIAA CREF/Clif Bar, 90
7. Zachary Grabowski (USA), TIAA CREF/Clif Bar, 70
8. Adam McGrath (USA), Redline Racing, 64
9. Morgan Schmitt (USA), Redline Racing, 63
10. Thomas Magrath (USA), Vertical Earth, 44Junior Men
1. Danny Summerhill (USA), TIAA Cref/Clif Bar, 220
2. Bjorn Selander (USA), Alan Factory Team, 214
3. Alex Howes (USA), TIAA Cref/Clif Bar, 172
4. Chance Noble (USA), Scary Fast, 146
5. Stephen Delisle (USA), Hilton CC/Contes, 100
6. Jerome Townsend (USA), Team Coyote Hill, 90
7. Tejay Van Garderen (USA), TIAA Cref/Clif Bar, 90
8. Tucker Olander (USA), Team Rio Grande, 69
9. Ian Megale (USA), Fred Mayer, 66
10. Carson Miller (USA), Fred Mayer, 58

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