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Lindine and Durrin at the barriers on the first lap. © Todd Prekaski

Lindine and Durrin at the barriers on the first lap. © Todd Prekaski

by Cindy Brennan

NEW GLOUCESTER, MAINE – The second weekend of racing in the 2012 Verge New England Pro Cyclocross Series started today in New Gloucester, Maine, where racers faced an exceptionally challenging course. The rain fell hard the night before the racers took to the course at Pineland Farms, ensuring Downeast Cyclocross would live up to its muddy reputation. On redesigned trail sections, racers spent half of their lap in the woods on this foggy autumn day in New England, the remainder of their lap shared between long but muddy power sections along straightaways and challenging off-camber looping turns. The most exceptional course feature today, however, was the mud – as it usually is at Downeast.

Crystal Anthony (Cyclocrossworld.com) is on the top of her game this season, showing exceptional form and growing technical prowess. Her tactic today was similar to her tactic at the first weekend in the Verge Series, at Green Mountain Cyclocross weekend in Vermont: Anthony took a solid gap on the Elite Women’s field within the first half lap of the race. When she re-emerged from the woods, her gap was already up to 30 seconds. Ellen Noble (Trek Cyclocross Collective), Anna Barensfeld (Pedal Power Training), Britlee Bowman (Pedal Power Training), Catherine Sterling (Bikeman), and Frances Morrison (JAM Fund/NCC/Vittoria) followed in a chase group, but the bunch soon began to break up. Barensfeld made a jump, gapping off the rest; while Sterling, and Bowman looked strong slogging through the mud, they were unable to match Morrison’s power as she too rode away. The gaps in the field only grew, Anthony ultimately winning with an incredible lead of two minutes and thirty seconds. Barensfeld, also riding alone once she left her group, rode into a smooth second place, while Morrison motored to third, building an increasing gap on Sterling and Bowman in fourth and fifth.

The Elite Men’s race took to the muddy, chewed-up course next, with mountain biker Mike Garrigan (Stage-Race/Blacksmith Cycle) taking the hole shot. However a shake-up occured in the woods from which Justin Lindine (Redline), Jeremy Durrin (JAM Fund/NCC/Vittoria), Dan Timmerman (RGM Watches – Richard Sachs), and Christian Favata (RGM Watches – Richard Sachs) emerged the leaders, and there they would remain. Timmerman and teammate Favata took the front of the race, riding together until Timmerman slipped away to build a solid solo gap for much of the race. Lindine found his legs, however, building speed to catch Timmerman in the penultimate lap. Lindine and Timmerman rode together until the second half of the last lap, when Lindine attacked on a long, soupy mud stretch to take the win, relegating Timmerman to second. Favata rode alone into a third place finish, Durrin with a great ride for fourth, and Shawn Milne (Cyclocrossworld.com) took fifth in a battle with Anthony Clark (JAM Fund/NCC/Vittoria) and Raphael Gagne (Rocky Mountain Factory).

The action resumes tomorrow, with live results for all the day’s races on CrossResults.com and live updates from the race from @VergeNECXS on Twitter.

Elite Women’s Results:

PlaceFirst NameLast NameTeamTime
1CrystalAnthonyCYCLOCROSSWORLD.COM0:42:48
2AnnaBarensfeldpedalpowertraining.com0:02:32
3FrancesMorrisonJAM Fund / NCC / Vittoria0:03:43
4CatherineSterlingBikeman.com0:04:04
5BrittleeBowmanpedalpowertraining.com0:04:38
6EllenNobleTrek Cyclocross Collective p/b Trk0:04:43
7MaghalieRochettePowerwatts-FTTIME0:04:58
8KarinHolmesRiverside Racing0:05:23
9ChristinaTamilioLadiesFirst Racing0:05:57
10JoanneGroganCyclocrossracing.com0:06:11
11VickieMonahanExpo Wheelmen0:06:37
12NancyLabbe-giguereLadiesFirst Racing0:07:03
13KerryLitka0:07:24
14ElizabethLukowskiNYCROSS.com p/b VOmax0:07:35
15AnaSirianniHUP United0:08:51
16EmilyFlynnTommy and Lefebvre Cycling0:10:16

Elite Men’s Results:

PlaceFirst NameLast NameTeamTime
1JustinLindineRedline1:02:14
2DanTimmermanRGM WATCHES - RICHARD SACHS1:02:24
3ChristianFavataRGM WATCHES - RICHARD SACHS1:04:05
4JeremyDurrinJAM Fund / NCC / Vittoria1:04:47
5ShawnMilneCyclocrossWorld.Com1:04:59
6AnthonyClarkJAM Fund / NCC / Vittoria1:05:34
7RaphaelGagneRocky Mountain Factory1:06:22
8JesseKeoughwww.keoughcyclocross.com1:06:36
9JeremyMartinRocky Mountain Bicycles Factory tea1:06:31
10MichaelGarriganStage-Race/Blacksmith cycle1:07:33
11NicholasKeoughwww.keoughcyclocross.com1:08:28
12DanielChabanovRGM WATCHES - RICHARD SACHS1:09:04
13AdamMyersonTeam SmartStop/Mountain Khakis1:09:30
14MitchBaileyTrek Canada1:09:43
15JoshThorntonSt. Pete Bike and Fitness1:10:34
16EvanHuffBikeReg.com / Joe's Garage1:12:00
17MikeWissellB2C2 p/b Boloco1:12:09
18Jean-philippeThibault-robergeTrek-Bontrager1L
19JoshuaLehmannBoston Bicycle School1L
20DavidWilcoxMAD ALCHEMY / VERGE RIDER COOPERATI1L
21ColinReuterpedalpowertraining.com1L
22JohnBurnsBurns Racing1L
23JohnHerrickUVM Cycling2L
24GeoffreyBouchardnbx bikes/narragansett beer PB : AP2L
25JoshuaFriedmanThe Devil's Gear Bike Shop/New Have2L
26CameronMccormackHot Tubes Development Team3L
27JohnHansonNBX/Narragansett Beer/Apex Tech. Cy3L
28BrendanMccormackHot Tubes Development Team3L
29GregWhitneyPedalpowertraining.com3L