jhanscom posted on November 15, 2009 21:02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Johnson and Nash Dominate Day Two of the USGP Mercer Cup - Day Two Race Report and Brief Results
November 15th, 2009 (West Windsor, NJ) - On a day that favored his rival, Tim Johnson (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com) buried the field to win the second and sunnier day of the Mercer Cup, part of the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross.
Preparing for the World Championships in her native Czech Republic, Katerina Nash (Luna) continued on her World Class trajectory to win the women's event ahead of a surprisingly strong Amy Dombroski (Schlamm) and Meredith Miller (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized).
After Ryan Trebon (Kona) crushed the field on a muddy Saturday, many expected a repeat on a course that had baked dry for Sunday's race. But he would struggle with a poor start that saw Johnson spring clear on the first lap. Canadian National Champion Geoff Kabush (Maxxis/Rocky Mountain) rode strongly in second position after the first lap, just ahead of a scrum of other contenders that included Johnson's teammate, Jamey Driscoll (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com). Trebon needed two laps to get through traffic to move into third, but Driscoll clung to his wheel in defense of Johnson. By the time he pried Driscoll loose, Johnson's lead proved insurmountable.
Trebon would catch Kabush, but found himself exhausted from the effort to advance farther. Farther back Todd Wells (Specialized) put together a fantastic ride. Recovering from illness and injury, Wells started his 'cross season late. Forced to start from the fourth row, Wells required several laps to advance to Kabush, catching him with two laps to go. He would then go forward to place third behind Johnson and Trebon, but his effort earned him the SRAM Most Aggressive Rider Honors.
In the womens' race, Nash had a surprise challenger early in the race with Dombroski. Although the Czech superstar broke loose, Dombroski never cracked and finished on the pavement within 30 seconds of Nash. For that she would receive honors as the SRAM Most Aggressive Rider. The day also saw another powerful ride from Meredith Miller, who caught and dropped Georgia Gould (Luna) on way to a third place ride.
RACE NOTES:
The Under-23 division of the elite men's race showcased what may be the best field of young talent in the history of American 'cross. Swiss rider Valentine Scherz (Scott) won the division ahead of Danny Summerhill (Garmin) and Gavin Mannion (Hot Tubes). All three were in the top 15 and seven riders under the age of 23 placed in the top 30.
The crowds today were nothing short of fantastic. In one muddy turn followed by stairs, the Mid-Atlantic audience did the West Coast one better. In addition to the San Francisco tradition of placing dollar bills in the mud for backmarkers to earn gratuities, the crowd showered the elite men with snack food giving that muddy section the moniker of the "chips and dip section". The roar was loudest at the end when Johnson, victory at hand, snatched some currency for himself.
Ali Goulet (Church of the Big Ring) pounded out a victory in the Masters 35-plus race that kept him in the series leader's jersey. He also turned a lap a first lap that matched the elite men's time.
Yannik Eckman (Clif Bar Development) swept the weekend in the junior division. Sadly the native of Germany and resident of Colorado is ineligible to represent either America or Germany at the World Championships.
Top Ten Men:
1. Tim Johnson - Cannondale/ CyclocrossWorld.com
2. Ryan Trebon - KONA
3. Todd Wells - Specialized
4. Geoff Kabush - Team Maxxis / Rocky Mountain
5. Jamey Driscoll - Cannondale/ CyclocrossWorld.com
6. Barry Wicks - KONA
7. Davide Frattini - Team FUJI
8. Dan Timmerman - Richard Sachs / RGM Watches
9. Valentin Scherz - PRO CYCLES-SCOTT-NEWWORK
10. Christopher Jones - Champion Systems
SRAM Most Aggressive Rider: Todd Wells
Top Ten Women:
1. Katerina Nash - LUNA
2. Amy Dombroski - Schlamm
3. Meredith Miller - Cal. Giant Berry Farm / Specialized
4. Georgia Gould - LUNA
5. Alison Dunlap - LUNA
6. Alison Sydor - Team Maxxis / Rocky Mountain
7. Laura VanGuilder - C3 Sollay
8. Maureen Bruno Roy - MM Racing p/b Seven Cycles
9. Kari Studley - VeloBela
10. Kaitlin Anntonneau - Planet Bike
SRAM Most Aggressive Rider : Amy Dombroski