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Weekend 'CrossWrap: Ross, Hamblen win in North Carolina; D.C. doubleheader set for Thanksgiving weekend

Published: Nov. 21, 2005

Tara Ross (Diet Cheerwine) and Jon Hamblen (Fiordifrutta) won the North Carolina Grand Prix Saturday in Hendersonville’s Jackson Park.

The UCI event featured a fast, spectator-friendly 3km course dotted with many off-camber sections, a steep "wall," and a set of double natural step-ups.

In the women’s elite field, Ross immediately strung out the field immediately. A chase group including teammate Laura Bowles, Samantha Williams (Alan Factory) and Kim Sawyer (Travel Girl) faded over the next few laps as Betsy Schauer (Fort–GPOA!) took over the pursuit.

Cara McCauley (CCA-Kona) and Melanie Swartz (Squadra Coppi) eventually made contact with Schauer. As Swartz struggled with a few crashes and Schauer dropped her chain, McCauley saw her chance and rode to second place. Schauer rebounded for third.

The men’s race saw a front group of eight form after the first trip into the woods: Hamblen and teammate Michael Cody, Bart Gillespie (Biogen Idec), Jed Schneider (Alan Factory), Tristan Schouten (Trek-VW), Brent Bookwalter (Easton-Kona), Charlie Storm (Inland Construction), and Jason Tullous (Voodoo).

Attacks were launched and countered until one-and-a-half laps to go, when Hamblen made what proved the decisive move into a head wind, quickly forging a gap and stretching it to 25 seconds by the end. Gillespie outkicked Schneider for the runner-up spot. – Janet Trubey

Results
Women
1. Tara Ross (Diet Cheerwine)
2. Cara McCauley (CCA-Kona)
3. Betsy Schauer (Fort-GPOA!)
4. Melanie Swartz ((Squadra Coppi)
5. Samantha Williams (Alan Factory)

Men
1. Jon Hamblen (Fiordifrutta)
2. Bart Gillespie (Biogen Idec)
3. Jed Schneider (Alan Factory)
4. Michael Cody (Fiordifrutta
5. Tristan Schouten (Trek-VW)

D.C. doubleheader set for Thanksgiving weekend
The Thanksgiving weekend brings a cyclo-cross doubleheader in the Washington, D.C., area — the Tacchino Ciclicross on Saturday in King George, Virginia, and the Capital ’Cross Classic on Sunday at Lake Fairfax in Reston, Virginia.

As round seven in the Mid Atlantic Bicycle Racing Association series, the Tacchino Ciclicross (that’s Italian for "Turkey Cyclocross") will be the last opportunity for racers to score MABRA points before the MABRA Championship in December. For more information, see the Squadra Coppi website, www.squadracoppi.com.

The Capital ’Cross Classic, part of the $30,000 Verge Mid Atlantic Cyclocross Series, represents the last chance for racers in the Mid-Atlantic region to score UCI points before the USCF Cyclo-cross National Championships. For more information, see the race’s website, www.emiracn.com.