The Night Weasels Came(th): Results, Photos and a Brief Report

The starting crash of the men's race. © Russ Campbell

by Molly Hurford

Night Weasels in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, is one of the key races in the “New England Holy Week of Cyclocross,” and happens yearly between the Gloucester and Providence races. The fields are stacked, and the course is typically muddy, more so this year than usual. The result? A rollicking good time on the makeshift course, set up to go up and down the hill of a ski slope. Racers faced unusually chilly conditions, tons of mud, quite a few broken derailleurs, and a great time was had by all.

While the Cat 3 and 4 men were lucky to race mostly in daylight, by 7:30 when the Elite Women and Cat 4 women took to the course, sections of it were almost entirely dark, and the mud had turned from slippery to nearly unrideable in some places. But still, what’s cyclocross without mud and unexpected obstacles, like the stairs that almost immediately followed the barrier section, which sunk riders into inches of mud as they stumbled through. Lyne Bessette, cheered on by husband Tim Johnson, took the women’s race by storm, leading from the beginning and continuing her dominance throughout. In the men’s race, Justin Lindine did the same, establishing and holding an early lead, followed by Jeremy Durrin and New England’s “godfather of cyclocross,” Adam Myerson.

The race also featured $1999, 19 deep for both the men’s and women’s fields. Since equal payouts are uncommon in bike racing, this was a key feature of the event. Additionally, since the race was put on by CrossResult’s Colin Reuter, results were posted pretty darn quick this morning.

Full Results following gallery.

Full Results: Elite Men

Full Results: Elite Women