Round 4 of the Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series – Anthony Bounces Back, Bessette Schools the Field

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2007
CONTACT:
Steve Frothingham
(603) 651-6234
steve@crossnut.com

Northampton, Mass. (November 4, 2007) _ Three weeks after his breakthrough victory at the Gloucester Gran Prix of Cyclocross earned him the Verge New England Cyclo-cross Series leader’s jersey, Jesse Anthony confirmed his elite status with commanding victory at the Cycle-Smart International. The first repeat win by a men’s elite racer this season put the leader’s jersey back on the Jamis rider’s shoulders.

The fourth round of the series looked like the Northampton 500; under dry and sunny conditions, the classic New England course was not enough to break apart the group. It was almost two complete laps before NERAC’s Chris Jones and Cliff Bar’s Troy Wells threw down attacks that led to an elite group of five pulling away.

The group of Jones, Anthony, Wells, Wells’s teammate Mark McCormark and Jones’s teammate, Adam Myerson, had tactically minded spectators licking their chops as the NERAC and Cliff Bar pairs traded attacks and the unallied Anthony appeared most eager to break free.

"I don’t like to sit around in a group like that," Anthony said after the race. "But I wasn’t going to just hammer at the front. I would attack and look around the corners to see if I got a gap; if I didn’t, I would sit up."

The five were together for more than half the race, then Wells blew it apart with two and half laps to go. Anthony took over from Wells, catching Jones at the rear of the five. Seeing his series lead riding away, Jones ripped past the others on a paved section leading to a loose run up, and the pursuit began. McCormack fought his way to Jones’s wheel.

"I knew I was in trouble," Jones said later. "Mark wasn’t going to come around, and he’s a lot faster than me in a sprint. But I had to chase."

Anthony was flawless, opening the gap to more than ten seconds to finish with a lengthy victory salute. McCormack, who has said that his goal for the season is winning the 35+ National Championships, showed that he can still race with the youngsters by blowing past Jones on the finish straight to take the silver.

"Sometimes the old Mark comes out of me," he said.

ELITE WOMEN

In a repeat of Saturday’s women’s podium at the Chainbiter 8.0 in Farmington, Conn., Cyclocrossworld.com’s Lyne Bessette rolled away from the women’s field on the first lap, while Independent’s Maureen Bruno-Roy and Ridley’s Rebecca Wellons battled for the second spot, with Wellons once again winning in a sprint.

This time, though, the bronze and silver medallists showed a little more willingness to do battle with the Canadian. It started when Wellons took the hole-shot into the tight right hander just 150 meters from the start line, and kept the power on down to the lower, grassy section of the course.

"I didn’t really plan on getting the holeshot, but once I did, I wasn’t going to give up the lead, especially going into those turns," Wellons said. Her plan?

"I just hoped that when Lyne came by, I could get on her wheel."

Bessette did come by, took the lead going into a sandpit that forced all to dismount, then put the hammer down.

"It was like slow motion, watching her pull away, and not being able to do anything about it," Wellons said.

Bruno-Roy tried to do something, passing Wellons and setting off in a pursuit of Bessette that has blown apart several other women this year. She dangled for two laps before being joined by Wellons. The two battled each other the rest of the day as Bessette compounded her lead. On the last lap, Wellons contained Bruno-Roy, powering in front of her before the tight turns where Bruno-Roy excels, and outsprinting her on the final stretch.

The 2007 Verge NECCS is sponsors include: Verge Sport, makers of quality cycling apparel, and specializing in custom clothing orders; Cycle-Smart: Solutions for Cycling, personalized coaching for all cycling disciplines; BikeReg.com, the official registration service of the NECCS, is the solution for all of your online registration needs for cycling events; Greyhound Juice, warming salves and skin care products for all athletes; and Paul Weiss Photo/Video, the NECCS official photographer and videographer.

Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series:

• October 13 - Gloucester Gran Prix of Cyclocross #1 - Gloucester, MA
• October 13 - Gloucester Gran Prix of Cyclocross #2 - Gloucester, MA
• November 3 - Chainbiter 8.0 - Farmington, CT
• November 4 - Cycle-Smart International - Northampton, MA
• November 24 - Bay State Cyclocross - Sterling, MA
• December 8 - W.E. Steadman Grand Prix - Warwick, RI
• December 9 - Caster's Cyclocross - Warwick, RI

For more information on the 2007 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series please go to www.necyclocross.com