Jersey Moves: Cervantes Picks His Spot on the Off-Camber to Win Masters 55-59 – Report

It is not very often that cyclocross riders get to say they made a “National Championship” move. After all, how often does a race on the sport’s biggest stage come down to one corner or one feature?

On Thursday in the Men’s Masters 55-59 race, the stage was set for a winning move. Emilio Cervantes and Todd Cassan (Rally Sport Cycling Team) survived an early group of four and took their battle well into the last lap. Cassan led up the climb and was in first position down the descent.

Little did he know, Cervantes had his spot picked out. Most riders were going high on the off-camber along the pond, but Cervantes found a line during pre-ride he thought could give him the ultimate advantage. The California native went low and his wheels hooked up just as planned.

“There were two spots where everybody was going high, but you could go low and carry a bit more speed where it was a little dicier,” Cervantes said about where he made his move. “I didn’t do it during the race because I didn’t want to show it. At the very end at the bottom of the off-camber there was a low line you could rip. It was bumpier, but I could bunny hop the curb and get some speed. I saved it for the end.”

He passed Cassan and would not give up the lead. He sprinted across the finish line to take home his first career cyclocross Stars-and Stripes jersey. His ultimate move wrapped up an exciting race that helped bring early excitement to Thursday afternoon’s races.

What was his key to getting the jersey? Probably a little bit of car racing and a lot of planning.

“I’m a car racer too,” Cervantes said. “And part of car racing is picking different lines, so when I’m pre-riding I’m running off-line everywhere seeing where it’s fast and where there’s grip.”

A Quick Group of Three

It did not take long for the lead selection in the first race of Thursday afternoon to form. After half a lap, a lead group of Cervantes, Cassan and Gunnar Shogren (Pathfinder of WV Race Team) shot off the front. David Turner and Craig Undem (Cycle U) took up the chase.

During the second lap, Undem made it his mission to bridge to the leaders. After a calm, warm morning, the winds kicked up just in time for the afternoon’s races. As the three leaders looked around a bit, Undem was able to grind into the wind on the false flat and close to the front. Halfway through the second lap, the lead group was now four.

Undem’s work took its toll, and a lap later he was dropped. The lead selection was again Cervantes, Cassan and Shogren. A memorable five-lap race was afoot.

The Right Moves

Inside two to go, Cassan decided it was time to force the other two to put their cards on the table. He attacked in the windy false flat, and Cervantes responded while Shogren Dangled.

With a lap and a half left, Cervantes’ title dreams were almost dashed. Heading toward the technical section, he lost control and went through the course tape. He continued down along the course and had to backtrack to get back on the course. Shogren passed him, and then the two had to chase Cassan down. They did, and at the bell, the group was three again.

In the first half of the last lap, Cassan and Cervantes again shook things up by upping the pace in the first half of the lap. They freed themselves from Shogren and the lead trio was now a duo. Either one of the two racers would have to find their spot, or the race would likely come down to a sprint finish.

“We were about five or six seconds up,” said Cervantes. “We basically battled the whole rest of the lap. You know, both of us just trying to kill each other. It was an exciting race.”

Cassan led up the climb and ensuing descents. With the technical off-camber and a narrow trip up to Jurassic Park, being first wheel after the descent was the place to be. However, Cervantes had a plan up his sleeve.

In his other free time, Cervantes dabbles in car racing, which requires top-level line choices of its own to be successful. During pre-ride on Wednesday, Cervantes scouted out about six spots where he thought he had a line on a different line than his competitors. One of these spots was the off-camber at the bottom of the hill.

Cervantes picked his line and dropped to the low line to pass Cassan. His tires hooked up and the lead was his. He kept the lead position, pulled onto the finish straight in first position and ripped off his last effort of the race. The Stars-and-Stripes jersey was his. He had made literally a National Championship move.

Cassan took second and Shogren rolled across to take third.

Full results and a winner interview are below.

Men Masters 55-59 Results: 2018 Reno Cyclocross Nationals

Place	Bib	LAST	First	Team	City ST	Time	Gap
1	812	CERVANTES	Emilio		Lake Forest CA	41:50
2	781	CASSAN	Todd	Rally Sport Cycling Team	Boulder CO	41:54	4
3	809	SHOGREN	Gunnar	PATHFINDER of WV Race Team	Morgantown WV	42:13	23
4	803	SEIB	Donald	BMB Racing	Bryant Pond ME	42:49	59
5	787	UNDEM	Craig	Cycle U	Seattle WA	43:03	1:13
6	811	TURNER	David		Murrieta CA	43:11	1:21
7	800	FENTON	Greg	UC Cyclery/JW Floors	Ramona CA	43:42	1:52
8	825	TROJAN	Jay	Arc En Ciel Racing Team	Lincoln RI	43:46	1:56
9	779	CUMMINGS	Jeff		Bellingham WA	44:19	2:29
10	796	WARREN	Mike	Velo Fratello Cycling Team	Sebastopol CA	44:23	2:33
11	830	MARSHALL	Tim	STONEHAUS/FACTORY TREK	Newbury Park CA	44:27	2:37
12	827	FOY	Gregory		Aptos CA	44:41	2:51
13	786	SMITH	Frank	Feedback Sports Racing	Nederland CO	44:45	2:55
14	794	LASTAYO	Paul	KUHL Cycling Team	Salt Lake City UT	44:46	2:56
15	788	HAMPTON	Patrick	Schnur Racing	Richmond VA	45:06	3:16
16	835	URBINA	Michael		Morgan Hill CA	45:42	3:52
17	806	SOVEREIGN	Dan		Sacramento CA	45:59	4:09
18	824	RICHARDS	Doug	Blue Sky Velo	Longmont CO	46:14	4:24
19	802	MEIGHAN	Robert		San Jose CA	46:23	4:33
20	790	DAHLSTROM	Robert	Boulder Cycle Sport	Boulder CO	46:33	4:43
21	815	KLOTZ	Dean	Leadout Racing	Cameron Park CA	46:33	s.t.
22	805	MASTORAS	Mark		San Bruno CA	46:43	4:53
23	813	ATKINSON	Jim		Los Gatos CA	46:59	5:09
24	810	GERCKE	Emil	Feedback Sports Racing	Casper WY	47:07	5:17
25	820	HILL	Daniel		Truckee CA	47:13	5:23
25	799	HENRY	Mark		Incline Village NV	47:17	5:27
25	816	GUNSALUS	Mark	Corner Cycle Cycling Club	Dudley MA	47:52	6:02
25	795	HAYS	Dave		Roseville CA	48:12	6:22
25	776	PAPPE	James	Cannondale Capo p/b GQ-6 Mast	Bakersfield CA	48:20	6:30
25	808	TIETZ	William		Helena MT	38:55	@1Lap
25	789	SCARBOROUGH	Mike	Reno Wheelmen	Reno NV	38:57	@1Lap
25	804	THORNE	Steven		OR	39:02	@1Lap
25	782	TINLINE	Ross	Pen Velo Racing/Summit Bicycles	San Carlos CA	39:16	@1Lap
25	822	WEAVER	Scott		Bishop CA	39:16	@1Lap
25	807	SCHAUB	Michael	Feedback Sports Racing	Golden CO	39:32	@1Lap
25	797	FLICK	Jeffrey	KUHL Cycling Team	Salt Lake City UT	39:39	@1Lap
25	817	CARPENTER	Thomas	Team Oakland Cycling	Oakland CA	39:39	@1Lap
25	798	DE ANDA	Raul		West Sacramento CA	39:45	@1Lap
25	834	MILIKIEN	Bentley		Truckee CA	40:13	@1Lap
25	792	KOENIG	Mark	Pen Velo Racing/Summit Bicycles	San Jose CA	40:27	@1Lap
41	818	SALVAIL		Pen Velo Racing/Summit Bicycles	Mountain View CA	40:32	@1Lap
42	778	HILLIGOSS		Angry Catfish	Eden Prairie MN	41:01	@1Lap
43	791	KANEKO			El Sobrante CA	41:19	@1Lap
44	831	VRIELING		Funsport Bikes Cycling Team	Modesto CA	43:02	@1Lap
45	785	DOMMEN			San Anselmo CA	43:12	@1Lap
46	833	SEIVERT		ol'Republic/SERT	Grass Valley CA	43:23	@1Lap
47	801	PARENTI		Orange Pedal Cycling	Reno NV	44:11	@1Lap
48	832	RIDGWAY		Colavita Racing Inc.	Santa Rosa CA	44:16	@1Lap
49	838	AFFONSO		Team Oakland Cycling	Emeryville CA	44:49	@1Lap
50	777	SPRINKEL			Sparks NV	44:50	@1Lap

For more from Reno, see our continuing coverage of the 2018 Reno Cyclocross Nationals on our dedicated Nationals page.

Photos from the races and reports are available to license here, with more to be added throughout the next week.

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