GLOUCESTER, Mass.—The 20th edition of the CRAFT Sportswear Gran Prix of Gloucester concluded on Sunday as the second race of the 2018 Vittoria Northeast Cyclocross Series presented by Clif Bar and Cycle-Smart.
Held in Gloucester’s iconic Stage Fort Park, racers navigated the twists and turns of the course around the prominent granite boulder, overlooking Half Moon and Cressy’s beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. With vastly different course conditions from day one, which were wet and greasy, the course was dry and lightning fast.
Ellen Noble (Trek Factory Racing) took her second solo victory of the weekend in the Elite Women’s race and Curtis White (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com) put in a late-race attack to go clear for the double win for the Elite Men.
Noble Doubles Up for Second Straight Weekend
After a dominant win on Saturday, Noble took a more calculated approach to the Sunday race. “Today I went into it with a little bit more tactics. I wanted to get off the front with Erica (Zaveta) and kind of be able to work with her,” said Noble. “She’s up and coming in the UCI races, so it would have been a good opportunity for us to work together and go through some lines.”
Ellen Noble and Crystal Anthony at the start of Sunday’s race. 2018 Gran Prix of Gloucester Day 2. © Peter Pellizzi
But Noble’s plan would shift when Erica Zaveta (Garneau-Easton p/b TLC) crashed early in the race. “I took a weird line, I think I threw her off, so it left me on the front. I wasn’t intending to go solo today. But that’s how it ended up happening. Once I got a gap, I just tried to keep it,” added Noble.
Ellen Noble ended up riding solo to her win on Sunday. 2018 Gran Prix of Gloucester Day 2. © Peter Pellizzi
Zaveta, who finished second, had a strong start by following immediately behind Noble. “I took on Ellen’s wheel and I was following behind really closely,” said Zaveta. “But I slid out in the turns just before the pits. And it was a pretty fast crash, so she got away very quickly. I ended up with Crystal (Anthony) and the group behind me. I ended up riding with them a little until I settled down and figured out the lines again. I had to pit because of my hanger. Towards the end I was like ‘I need to go.’ My rhythm was different than Crystal’s, like where she could go hard was opposite for me. So it wasn’t good to follow her. I attacked then. It was definitely back and forth. She’s really strong. I just need to commit to try to go, and then see if it worked. And it did.”
Crystal Anthony (Liv Cycling) rode to a podium spot for the second day in a row. “Today was a battle,” said Anthony. “Erica and I were going back and forth. She got the last final punch, so she rode really strong. I was happy today to be in the fight. She was savvy. She sat on my wheel until she was ready to go, and then she went.”
Ellen Noble celebrates her second win of the weekend. 2018 Gran Prix of Gloucester Day 2. © Peter Pellizzi
Two for White at Gloucester
The Elite Men’s race proved to be a punchy group race, with riders from Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com dictating the tactics. Cooper Willsey (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com) would lead for several laps before setting things up for teammate White.
Curtis White works en route to his win. 2018 Gran Prix of Gloucester Day 2. © Peter Pellizzi
“The course, today, seemed like it played towards group racing, it was a bit tactical,” said White. “Cooper Willsey was off the front early, so that put pressure on guys like Tobin Ortenblad, Jamey Driscoll. Jamey got to the front (chase group) and closed the gap quick so that we were all together. He had started the attack and strung the field out. Jamey was putting in a good dig with, like, four (laps) to go, and then he unfortunately clipped a stake (fence). It was unfortunate for him, but I think it also worked to my benefit. That was something I had to capitalize on and that was the gap. Once I got the gap, I wanted to crank out some of the fastest lap times that I could, work on accelerations.”
Curtis White celebrates his win. 2018 Gran Prix of Gloucester Day 2. © Peter Pellizzi
The race for second place would continue in the chase group after White made his winning attack.
It would be his teammate Lane Maher who would take the lead in the final turns of the race. “Curtis attacked really hard, so that was pretty much gone, that was the win,” said Maher. “Then it kind of became a race for second. I got to go out to the front of the race for the first time on the last lap. It made it a lot easier, just a lot fewer gaps for me to close. I felt really good, so I decided to attack with a few minutes to go and it stuck. I was happy. I just put my head down and went as hard as I could and hoped for the best.”
Anthony Clark (Squid Squad) sprinted for third, after making several attacks throughout the race to shake up the group. “Since it was Day 2, I was on the start and super chilled,” said Clark. “I was sitting sixth wheel, and I was like ‘no, I want to go to the front.’ After Curtis attacked, I went to the front. With three or four laps to go, Curtis had a gap, so I just led two of the laps trying to get him back.
“The Cannondale guys were racing as a team. I led the last lap. Then Lane did an attack, I had to cover it and I realized he (Maher) had too big of a gap. So I said ‘I have to lead out the sprint, and Tobin is fast!’ I didn’t even think about it, I just went on the pavement and (pounded it). I just went as hard as I could and didn’t look back. As soon as I crossed the line, I was like “I just got third at Gloucester!’ And that is how it happened.”
The Vittoria Northeast Cyclocross Series continues with races three and four at The Verge Northampton International in Northampton, Mass. at Look Park on November 10 and 11. Noble and White will wear the coveted Verge leader’s jerseys for the Vittoria Series.
Brief highlight videos from dirtwire.tv and results are below.
Highlight Videos
Women's Results: 2018 GP of Gloucester Day 2
| Place | Bib | Name | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ellen NOBLE | Trek Factory Racing | 45:57 |
| 2 | 7 | Erica ZAVETA | Garneau-Easton p/b TLC | 46:45 |
| 3 | 2 | Crystal ANTHONY | Liv Cycling | 47:11 |
| 4 | 3 | Cassandra MAXIMENKO | Van Dessel Factory Team | 47:16 |
| 5 | 5 | Regina LEGGE | Trek Cyclocross Collective | 47:53 |
| 6 | 8 | Natalie TAPIAS | JAM / NCC | 48:17 |
| 7 | 10 | Kelly CATALE | State 9 Racing p/b Vittoria | 48:21 |
| 8 | 22 | Jane ROSSI | Rhode Island School of Design | 48:25 |
| 9 | 4 | Natasha ELLIOTT | Van Dessel p/b Hyperthreads | 48:30 |
| 10 | 17 | Meghan OWENS | Hands-On Cycling p/b Guerciotti | 48:31 |
| 11 | 9 | Brittlee BOWMAN | RSCX - House Ind - DWR - HM | 49:01 |
| 12 | 15 | Leslie LUPIEN | Velocio NECX | 49:34 |
| 13 | 12 | Taylor KUYK-WHITE | Philly Bike Expo | 50:08 |
| 14 | 14 | Elizabeth SHELDON | CXHAIRS DEVO : TREK BIKES | 50:14 |
| 15 | 21 | Clio DINAN | 50:21 | |
| 16 | 11 | Jauron VETTER | Mad Alchemy | Zanconato | 50:27 |
| 17 | 6 | Erin FACCONE | Velocio NECX | 50:37 |
| 18 | 13 | Christin REUTER | Mad Alchemy | Zanconato | 50:50 |
| 19 | 26 | Rhys NIESEN | RMJ Cycling | 51:31 |
| 20 | 19 | Alix NORRIS | Cowbell Racing p/b World Bicycl | 51:36 |
| 21 | 18 | Lily PECK | Aether Racing | 51:50 |
| 22 | 31 | Molly HURFORD | Bikereg Share Coffee | 51:58 |
| 23 | 20 | Heather RICHARD | Ladies First Cycling | 52:05 |
| 24 | 28 | Anna SAVAGE | JAM Fund / NCC | 52:8 |
| 25 | 23 | Whitney WITHINGTON | GREEN LINE VELO driven by Zipca | 52:24 |
| 26 | 16 | Valerie HOPKINS | Riverside Racing | @2Lap |
| 27 | 25 | Emily MOLDEN | Nantucket Velo | @3Lap |
| 28 | 24 | Paige WILLIAMS | BCA/Linen | @3Lap |
| 29 | 29 | Sara MELIKIAN | Competitive Edge Racing | @3Lap |
Men's Results: 2018 GP of Gloucester Day 2
| Place | Bib | Name | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Curtis WHITE | Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld. | 1:01:04 |
| 2 | 17 | Lane MAHER | Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld | 1:01:23 |
| 3 | 13 | Anthony CLARK | Squid Squad | 1:01:26 |
| 4 | 1 | Tobin ORTENBLAD | Santa Cruz / Donkey Label Racin | 1:01:27 |
| 5 | 7 | Cooper WILLSEY | Cannodale pb CYCLOCROSSWORLD.CO | 1:01:30 |
| 6 | 6 | James DRISCOLL | Pivot-Maxxis p/b Stans-DNA Cycl | 1:01:31 |
| 7 | 5 | Spencer PETROV | Cannondale Pb cyclocrossworld.c | 1:03:14 |
| 8 | 19 | Sam NOEL | Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld | 1:03:22 |
| 9 | 20 | Nicholas LANDO | UVM Cycling | 1:03:33 |
| 10 | 10 | Michael OWENS | RSCX - House Ind - DWR - HM | 1:03:58 |
| 11 | 9 | Merwin DAVIS | Komodo Collective p/b Cycle-Sma | 1:04:02 |
| 12 | 8 | Derrick ST JOHN | Van Dessel p/b Hyperthreads | 1:04:025 |
| 13 | 55 | Marc Andre DAIGLE | 1:04:28 | |
| 14 | 24 | Andrew BORDEN | Your Name Here | 1:04:29 |
| 15 | 11 | Adam MYERSON | Cycle-Smart | 1:04:35 |
| 16 | 12 | Patrick COLLINS | kb PHOTO cx / A-D Bikes | 1:04:36 |
| 17 | 22 | Michael LANDRY | Voler/Easton/HRS/Rock Lobster | 1:04:51 |
| 18 | 23 | Ben FREDERICK | 1:04:52 | |
| 19 | 40 | Addison MINOTT | Daedalus & Allstonvelo | 1:05:01 |
| 20 | 14 | Mathieu BELANGER BARRETTE | Pivot Cycles Ote Canada | 1:05:04 |
| 21 | 34 | Christian SUNDQUIST | Twin Six Metal | 1:05:05 |
| 22 | 35 | Bryan HORSLEY | Sea Sports Cyclery & Outdoor | 1:05:42 |
| 23 | 25 | Breeze KELLER | Velocio Northeast | 1:05:55 |
| 24 | 18 | Benjamin GOMEZ VILLAFANE | Garneau - Easton p/b Transition | 1:06:08 |
| 25 | 26 | Christopher NIESEN | JAM / NCC | 1:06:12 |
| 26 | 31 | Benjamin RYAN | New England Devo p/b Cadence We | 1:06:12 |
| 27 | 43 | Matthew OWENS | UVM Cycling | 1:06:23 |
| 28 | 45 | David MALTAIS | Team Gris | 1:06:35 |
| 29 | 44 | Sean CURRAN | Bicycle Express Racing | @2Lap |
| 30 | 41 | Jacob LEBLANC | Comp Edge Racing | @2Lap |
| 31 | 15 | Andy SCOTT | Riverside Racing | @2Lap |
| 32 | 30 | Zachary CURTIS | BMB Racing | @2Lap |
| 33 | 16 | Ian GIELAR | JAM / NCC | @2Lap |
| 34 | 29 | Kale WENCZEL | JAM / NCC | @2Lap |
| 35 | 33 | Niles GAGNON | Grey Ghost Bicycles | @2Lap |
| 36 | 50 | Colin REUTER | B2C2 p/b JRA Cycles | @2Lap |
| 37 | 37 | Gregg GRIFFO | Park Ave Bike p/b Borah Teamwea | @2Lap |
| 38 | 42 | Gennaro AMENO | GREEN LINE VELO driven by Zipca | @2Lap |
| 39 | 39 | Finnegan OCONNOR | UVM Cycling | @2Lap |
| 40 | 38 | Scott YAROSH | Cyclonauts Racers | @3Lap |
| 41 | 28 | Ben POWERS | Riverside Racing | @3Lap |
| 42 | 52 | Christian NORVOLD | JAM / NCC | @4Lap |
| 43 | 46 | James NORRIS | Cowbell Racing p/b World Bicycl | @4Lap |
| 44 | 49 | Daniel MCCABE | Plant Power Racing p/b Vegan At | @5Lap |
| 45 | 51 | Daniel FITZGIBBONS | GREEN LINE VELO driven by Zipca | @5Lap |
| 46 | 47 | Andrew LOAIZA | Cyclepath PDX | @5Lap |
| 47 | 53 | Shawn MOTTRAM | Sherpa | @6Lap |
| DNF | 4 | Jack KISSEBERTH | Garneau Easton p/b Transitions | |
| DNF | 2 | Jeremy POWERS | Pactimo / Fuji / SRAM | |
| DNF | 48 | Scott MYERS | ||
| DNF | 36 | Travis WOLD | Spin Arts Cycling |
