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Jeremy Powers had a rough start but chased back on the the lead group, eventually coming through with the win. Todd Prekaski

Jeremy Powers had a rough start but chased back on the the lead group, eventually coming through with the win. © Todd Prekaski

GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS – The first day of the Gran Prix of Gloucester in Gloucester, MA drew top-tier racers from all over the world, lured by today’s UCI Category 1 race on the opening day of the Shimano New England Professional Cyclocross Series. World-class competitors are drawn to New England for the Holy Week of Cyclocross, featuring two of North America’s best races, both including UCI Category 1 races: the Gran Prix of Gloucester and the Providence Cyclocross Festival, only about 70 miles and one week apart.

Racers at the first day of the 2012 Gran Prix of Gloucester faced the course’s trademark off-camber hillside spirals, but with the added challenge of slick mud and deep ruts formed by the wheels of racers in the sold-out races earlier in the day. A long, steep run-up from the beach to the top level of the course sent the riders into thick, tire-gripping mud and challenging turns best suited to the technically proficient racers.

The women’s race got underway under cloudy skies along the ocean’s edge as Great Britain National Cyclocross Champion Helen Wyman, on a stateside winning streak, lined up front and center, with fellow British racer Gabby Day right alongside her. Wyman, in her trademark style, opened a gap early on, with a group of Day, Meredith Miller (Cal Giant/Specialized), hometown sweetheart Crystal Anthony (Cyclocrossworld.com), and Andrea Smith (LadiesFirst) working together to chase Wyman down. Wyman’s gap was strong, however, and she maintained a solid lead until Day launched a flaming attack mid-race. Miller and Anthony, meanwhile, broke away from the field in a race for the final podium spot. Day’s amazing move got her within sight of Wyman, but was not enough to take the win away, and Miller eventually dropped her hammer on Anthony, a newcomer to the front of the Elite race, and took the third podium spot. This surely won’t be the last we hear from Anthony, however, who appears to be only improving this season.

Next up, the Elite men took to the start grid and launched their first race of the Shimano New England Professional Cyclocross Series. The fight at the front of the race pitted the giants of North American cyclocross, including two New Englanders, Tim Johnson (Cyclocrossworld/Cannondale) and Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) along with Oregonian Ryan Trebon (Cyclocrossworld/Cannondale) against top European talent, including Frenchman Nicolas Bazin, British National Cyclocross Champion Ian Field, and Belgian Ben Berden. Although Powers started the race a ways back due to a missed pedal at the start, he eventually worked his way up to make a group of six leaders. It was apparent that crowd favorite Johnson was on top of his form and wanted the win as he led the group around the off-cambers and over the barriers. With the help of teammate Trebon and US Cyclocross Champion Powers, Johnson broke from the Europeans, creating a gap that would endure for the remainder of the race. Trebon first moved into the lead, and Powers followed, gapping Johnson. Berden looked strong, threatening to edge his way up to challenge Johnson for the last podium spot, but Johnson’s excellent form and smooth riding held Berden off. Powers rode away from Trebon to win it, with Johnson not far behind for third.

GP Gloucester not only kicks off the Shimano New England Professional Cyclocross Series, it also launches New England’s Holy Week of Cyclocross, the biggest week of cyclocross racing in the US. Next weekend, October 6 & 7, the Shimano New England Professional Cyclocross Series heads to the 2005 and 2006 U.S. National Cyclocross Championships venue for the Providence Cyclocross Festival. With the first day of the Providence Cyclocross Festival also ranked as a UCI Category 1 race, Gloucester and Providence offer two Category 1 races within 75 miles of each other in one week.

For more series information and to follow the action as it unfolds, follow @NEproCX on Twitter for live race tweets and visit www.NEPCX.com. The title sponsor of GP Gloucester is Great Brewers, an online community of beer enthusiasts, providing the famous Gloucester beer garden, a favorite spot for fans to watch their favorite racers take on the barriers on both Saturday and Sunday. Additional support is provided by Verge, offering quality clothing to the cycling community since 1996; manufacturer of wheels and cycling accessories Mavic; Hammer Nutrition, Gloucester-area cycling organization Essex County Velo, Pedro’s, and Craft. For more information about GP Gloucester, visitwww.gpgloucester.com and follow @gpgloucester on Twitter.

GP Gloucester Elite Women

1HelenWymanKona Factory Racing0:43:09  
2GabriellaDayRapha - Focus0:43:15
3MeredithMillerCal Giant/Specialized0:43:33
4CrystalAnthonyCyclocrossworld0:43:41
5MaryMcconnelougTeam KENDA-Seven-NoTubes0:43:42
6JulieKrasniakRapha - Focus0:43:44
7AndreaSmithLadiesFirst Racing0:43:44
8KaitlinAntonneauCannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com0:44:21
9ElleAndersonLadiesFirst Racing0:44:21
10ArleyKemmererC3-Athletes Serving Athletes0:44:44
11MaureenBruno royBob's Red Mill pb Seven Cycles0:44:53
12WendySimmsFRONTRUNNERS0:44:53
13NikkiThiemannTeam CF0:45:35
14LauraVan gilderMellow Mushroom0:46:07
15AmandaCareyVolkswagon Boise Cycling0:46:16
16CatherineSterlingBikeman.com0:46:22
17NatashaElliottThe Cyclery0:46:27
18EllenNobleTrek Cyclocross Collective0:46:52
19SallyAnnispedalpowertraining.com0:46:53
20JulieLafreniereStevens Racing p/b The Cyclery0:46:58
21EvelynBlouin0:47:15
22RebeccaBlattVan Dessel0:47:18
23BrittleeBowmanpedalpowertraining.com0:47:19
24JamieGilgenKallisto / Wheels of Oakville0:47:19
25BethannOrtonTeam S&M0:47:20
26StaceyBarbossaColavita/espnW NJ0:47:27
27AnnaBarensfeldpedalpowertraining.com0:47:43
28ChristinaTamilioLadiesFirst Racing0:47:47
29ChristinaBirchJAM / NCC / Vittoria0:47:48
30CassandraMaximenkoSilverbull targettraining0:47:53
31AllysonTufanoSportif Coaching Group/BPB0:47:54
32KarinHolmesRiverside Racing0:48:16
33SheilaVibertSunapee Racing Team0:48:35
34KathleenLysakowskiCycle Lodge0:48:36
35MarianJamisonLadiesFirst Racing0:48:40
36EricaYozellSouth Mountain Cycles0:48:44
37LoriCookeCycle Lodge0:48:52
38JenniferTillmanC3-Athletes Serving Athletes0:49:08
39VickieMonahanExpo Wheelmen0:49:42
40EmilyFlynnTommy & Lefebvre Cycling0:49:55
41GiuliaRighiCentral Wheel0:50:16
42RebeccaWellonsSeaside Cycle0:50:54
43DeirdreSmithUnattached0:51:01
44ElizabethLukowskiNYCROSS.com p/b VOmax2L
45BeccaScheppsTeam Type 12L
46JocelynMauldinNEBC p/b Cycle Loft2L
47ChristineFortpedalpowertraining.com2L
48PatriciaDowdCYCLOCROSSWORLD.COM3L
DNFCarolineManiRaleigh / ClementDNF
DNFCaitDooleyGeekhouse BikesDNF
DNFNicoleDukeRaleigh / ClementDNF
DNFNancyLabbe-giguereLadiesFirst RacingDNF

GP Gloucester Elite Men

1JeremyPowersRAPHA-FOCUS1:00:13  
2RyanTrebonCannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com1:00:29
3TimJohnsonCannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com1:00:35
4BenBerdenRaleigh / Clement1:00:52
5IanFieldHargroves Cycles - Specialized1:00:59
6JameyDriscollCannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com1:01:23
7ZachMcdonaldRapha - Focus1:01:50
8NicolasBazinTeam AUBER 931:02:07
9BrianMatterGear Grinder / Clif Bar1:02:12
10JesseAnthonyOptum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies1:02:13
11DylanMcnicholascyclocrossworld.com1:02:20
12TristanSchoutenOptum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies1:02:41
13ChristopherJonesRapha - Focus1:03:06
14YannickEckmannCal Giant/Specialized1:03:12
15DanTimmermanRGM WATCHES - RICHARD SACHS1:03:15
16EvanMcneelySpecialized Canada1:03:26
17AnthonyClarkJAM Fund / NCC / Vittoria1:03:28
18BradleyWhiteMoms in Tow Cyclocross1:03:50
19TravisLivermonMock Orange Bikes1:03:56
20JustinLindineRedline1:03:59
21JeremyDurrinJAM Fund / NCC1:04:07
22BarryWicksKona1:04:11
23CraigRicheySponsorConnected.com1:04:13
24ChristianFavataRGM WATCHES - RICHARD SACHS1:04:16
25MannyGoguenC.F. Racing p/b Trek Portsmouth1:04:34
26DanielChabanovRGM WATCHES - RICHARD SACHS1:05:08
27NicholasKeoughwww.keoughcyclocross.com1:05:21
28AdamMyersonTeam SmartStop/Mountain Khakis1:05:47
29ErikTonkinKona/Team S&M1:05:51
30JeffBahnsonVan Dessel Factory Team1:06:21
31ThomasSampsonJAM Fund / NCC / Vittoria1:06:26
32AndrewL'esperanceNorco Factory Team1:06:26
33JoelDesgreniersRide With Rendall1:06:26
34MichaelGarriganstagerace1:06:28
35SheldonMillerBikeman.com1:06:30
36AdamSt. germainNBX / Narragansett Beer / Circle A1:06:37
37Marc-andreDaigleGarneau-Qu+?becor1:06:38
38MichaelBroderickTeam KENDA-Seven-NoTubes1:06:58
39ChaseDickensAMERICAN CLASSIC PRO CYCLOCROSS TEA1:10:31
40JesseKeoughwww.keoughcyclocross.com1L
41TroyWellsTeam CLIF BAR1L
42GarrettMcleodTeam H&R BLOCK1L
43JoshThorntonSt. Pete Bike and Fitness1L
44JonathanSchottlerCannondale1L
45SynjenMarroccoCyclocrossWorld.com1L
46JoachimParboChallenge Tires1L
47LukeDemoeEvviva/Stoemper1L
48MarkMccormackClif Bar/Pactimo1L
49PatrickChartrandLes Yables / Rocky Mountain1L
50Jean-philippeThibault-robergeTrek-Bontrager1L
51BenjaminPadillaUnattached2L
52FelixWilberg2L
53SylvainJean2L
54JonathanHamblenMock Orange Cyclocross2L
55GeoffreyBouchardnbx bikes/narragansett beer PB : AP2L
56JohnHerrickUniversity of Vermont2L
57EvanHuffBikeReg.com / Joe's Garage2L
58JohnBurnsBurns Racing2L
59CharlesSchubertBikes Not Bombs / Circle A Cycles2L
60MaksymShepitkoHudson Furniture Racing Team2L
61JeffreyElieRiverside Racing2L
62MatteoDal-cinRide With Rendall2L
63JohannesHusebyCannondale2L
64ThierryLaliberteXprezo - Borsao2L
65AlexCoxCCB Racing3L
66Pierre-olivierBoilySiboire3L
67ColinReuterpedalpowertraining.com3L
68AdamSullivanEmbrocation Cycling Journal3L
69IanSchonB2C23L
70DonnyGreenCycle-Smart Inc.3L
71TimothyDurrinNYCROSS3L
72CaryFridrichMad Alchemy / Verge Rider Cooperati3L
73EvanMurphyNYC Velo3L
74NoahTautfestBicycle ExpressKona Bikes3L
75EricLundgrenJBV Coaching3L
76MatthewGreenRadical Enterprises3L
77KiernanOrangeRide with Rendall4L
78DonaldSnoop jrEssex County Velo4L
79AndrewLysaghtMIT Cycling p/b FXDD4L
80MichaelGarrettMIT-FXDD4L
81MikeWissellB2C2 p/b Boloco4L
82GordonDaniellCRCA/W+D Racing5L
83AlexGrabauSpin Arts Cycling5L
DNFJoshuaLehmannSunapee Racing TeamDNF
DNFGrahamGarberCentral WheelDNF
DNFConorO'brienStevens Racing P/B the CycleryDNF
DNFDerrickSt johnStevens p/b The CycleryDNF
DNFRobertMarionAmerican Classic Pro TeamDNF
DNFFlavienDassonvilleTeam AUBER 93DNF

Got a great photo from Gloucester? Send it along to [email protected] for our Issue 19 “Postcards from Holy Week” Feature!