Caroline Nolan and Tobin Ortenblad Double Down on Day 2 for Clean Sweep in Northampton

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (Nov. 10, 2019) - The 2019 Vittoria Northeast Cyclocross Series continued with race number two on Sunday with the Verge Northampton International Cyclocross presented by Cycle-Smart (NohoCX). Now in its 29th year, NohoCX is the oldest cyclocross race in North America sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Elite racers competed for UCI Category 2 points in USA Cycling’s Pro Cyclocross Calendar (ProCX) and the Verge leader jersey for the Vittoria Series.

Caroline Nolan (Voler/Easton/HRS/Rock Lobster) claimed her second UCI win of the weekend in the elite women’s race. Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz/Donkey Label Racing) would attack early and overcome mechanicals to claim his second win on the weekend as well. Both riders extended their Vittoria Series lead.

The first of three race weekends, the Vittoria Series follows competition on classic cyclocross courses in the Northeast, which include Northampton, M.A., Suffern, N.Y., and Warwick, R.I. It is the longest standing UCI cyclocross series in the United States. Athletes compete for points on the USA Cycling Pro Cyclocross Calendar (ProCX), as well as the Vittoria Series overall competition.

In the elite women’s race, a group of three riders including Nolan, Arley Kemmerer (Bike Law Network p/b Piscitello), and Caitlin Bernstein (Easton/ Velocio/McGovern Cycles) would establish themselves as contenders in today’s event. 

“It was fun,” exclaimed Nolan. “The course was super flowy and really dynamic and it played to a lot of different people’s strengths and we had a big group to start and I kind of just wanted to settle in and see where it went. We kind of whittled it down to six and I knew with like three and a half laps, this is too big so I started putting a little bit more pressure on, taking a couple of sections a little harder. We had a really good battle, it was really fun. There were a lot of lead changes, a lot of different tactics. I knew going into the last lap that I had to be front. I knew that with the two run-ups in the back you had to into them first because it was such a short flat power section after.”

Nolan would be first out of the final turn to take a decisive win. Kemmerer and Berstein would finish second and third by mere inches.

“Word on the street is that we (Kemmerer and Nolan) both rode flat tires for maybe the last quarter of a lap,” noted Kemmerer. “We didn’t know that about each other which is good. So I had front flat, which made the end of the race a little interesting. I thought, well, at least it will grip in the corners but I was also a little bit nervous that maybe it wouldn’t because we were going pretty fast in these turns.”

Bernstein, who would finish third, locked onto Nolan’s wheel early and made the lead group. “I felt a little bit stronger today and I was a little more purposeful about getting right to the front. Every time anyone was standing up sprinting out of a straight I was right there and trying to match that.

In the elite men’s race, after Saturday’s bunch sprint finish, Ortenblad would set out to establish an early lead.

“I didn’t want it to be a huge group again,” said Ortenblad. “I took the hole shot and just kind of pinned it and had a pretty big gap right away so I knew that going wire-to-wire was going to hurt but I tried to do it and then had a little slip up of course I can never just make it easy. So then from there it got kind of tactical again.”

After establishing a nearly 30 second lead over Travis Livermon, Ortenblad would slide out and Livermon seized the opportunity and the pair set out on their final two laps together and it would come down to the final turns and finishing sprint.

“I pushed really hard in the last lap” said Livermon, “especially into the woods section. I figured if I was in front and could get any kind of a gap or if he slipped up at all that was it. He didn’t, he stayed right on me. So then coming through the corners I’d kind of slow up a little bit and then jam it real hard out of them and then he came on the inside and then I tried to come on his inside but then he ended up getting it.”

Ben Frederick (ORNOT) would finish third, 33 seconds behind Ortenblad for his second UCI podium of the season. “Today was a lot of riding by yourself in the wind,” said Frederick. “There weren’t any groups to ride in and I ended up having a mechanical so I had to ride the single speed today. I dropped a chain. But it ended up being just as fast and more fun for sure.”

Racing will continue next weekend, November 16-17, in Suffern N.Y. with Supercross Cup. Watch the races unfold in person or by following tweets at @VittoriaSeries. 

For more information and coverage on this weekend’s race in Northampton follow on Facebook and YouTube for race weekend highlights video highlights provided by DirtWire.TV.

Caroline Nolan Scores Day 1 Northampton Victory, Tobin Ortenblad Claims Close Sprint

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (Nov. 9, 2019) - The 2019 Vittoria Northeast Cyclocross Series kicked off with race number one on Saturday with the Verge Northampton International Cyclocross presented by Cycle-Smart (NohoCX). Now in its 29th year, NohoCX is the oldest cyclocross race in North America sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Elite racers competed for UCI Category 2 points in USA Cycling’s Pro Cyclocross Calendar (ProCX). Riders were met with sunny skies and cold conditions on a compact, fast and flowing course at Look Park. 

Caroline Nolan (Voler/Easton/HRS/Rock Lobster) powered away from the competition in the elite women’s race to take a solo win. Tobin Ortenblad would outsmart a group of eight riders in an exciting sprint. Both riders claimed the Vittoria Series lead and will wear the Verge Sport leader’s jersey in Sunday’s race.

The first of three race weekends, the Vittoria Series follows competition on classic cyclocross courses in the Northeast, which include Northampton, M.A., Suffern, N.Y., and Warwick, R.I. It is the longest standing UCI cyclocross series in the United States. Athletes compete for points on the USA Cycling Pro Cyclocross Calendar (ProCX), as well as the Vittoria Series overall competition.

In the elite women’s race, Nolan would establish control of the front of the race with the help of Regina Legge (Trek Cyclocross Collective). A group of four racers would emerge with Nolan, Legge, Arley Kemmerer (Bike Law Network p/b Piscitello), and Caitlin Bernstein (Easton/ Velocio/McGovern Cycles) fending off the charging chasers.

“It was one of those races where I knew it was my race to win and my race to lose,” said Nolan. “There were a lot of strong women out there so the first couple of laps we kind of just stayed as a group and worked together and it was nice because you could see where people’s strengths and weaknesses were and where my strengths and weaknesses were.”

Later, Nolan would distance herself from the group and make an attempt to fend off the chasers. “I was noticing on the run-up I was getting a little bit of separation and then the really steep shoot down into the sand I was riding really well so on lap three I just tried to capitalize on those parts and get some separation in the woods.”

Nolan would come into the finish line solo, 17 seconds ahead of Legge. “I knew Caroline was going to be really fast,” said Legge, “and in the woods she got me. Every single lap she gained time on me.” Legge would hold off Kemmerer who, in the end, would outsprint Bernstein.

“I didn’t realize how close the finish line was until the last turn,” said Kemmerer. “And I was waiting for Caitlin Bernstein to come from behind but I led into that turn and then the finish line was literally right there.”

In the elite men’s race, group racing tactics would rule the day. A group of eight riders would establish themselves several laps into the race and remained together until the final sprint.

“Definitely stayed together quite a bit,” observed Ortenblad. “The course is super wide with a lot of grass and fast stuff. So it really wouldn’t stretch out to much expect for the upper rooty, rocky spots. It was a little bit windy so it definitely was nice to have a tactical race today.”

“I knew going into the last lap I didn’t want to be anything further back than like third place the whole time,” continued Ortenblad, “and Ben Frederick seemed pretty content to give it full gas from basically the whole last lap. Ben went for it. I was pretty content to stay there, he’s a good rider and you can trust him in the corners. It was basically a race for the corner so I just made sure I was into the corner first.”

Ortenblad would narrowly edge out Lando and would claim the win in fifty-seven minutes and fifty-six seconds. Lando would finish in second ahead of Ben Frederick.

Nick Lando (Competitive Edge Racing), who would finish second, put in attacks throughout the race to test the waters and eventually determined it would come down to a final sprint. “I sat third wheel,” said Lando. “Ben Frederick was on the gas for that whole last lap so I figured he was going to be pretty smoked. And I knew obviously Tobin was the guy to watch so I stayed on his wheel.”

Ben Frederick (ORNOT) would finish third, after leading the entire final lap. “Going into the finish there was eight of us, and I didn’t want to have someone that I hadn’t seen all race just all of a sudden come out of nowhere. So I thought my best shot was just give it and see what happened.”

Racing will continue Sunday in Northampton. Watch the races unfold in person or by following tweets at @VittoriaSeries. Follow on Facebook and YouTube for race weekend highlights video highlights provided by DirtWire.TV.