Advertisement

The men's podium at Rochester: Zach McDonald, Raphael Gagne and Anthony Clark (L to R). © Anthony Clark

The men’s podium at Rochester: Zach McDonald, Raphael Gagne and Anthony Clark (L to R). © Anthony Clark

While looming gray clouds threatened rain all day at Ellison Park in Rochester, New York, today, the sky stayed rain-free as racers sailed around the course, which featured some technical sections as well as some strength-sapping hills.

Day 1 Women's Elite Podium - 1st - Laura Van Gilder, 2nd Mo Bruno Roy and 3rd Natasha Elliott. © Brian Boucheron

Day 1 Women’s Elite Podium – 1st – Laura Van Gilder, 2nd Mo Bruno Roy and 3rd Natasha Elliott. © Brian Boucheron

In the women’s race, it was Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom/Van Dessel), Mo Bruno Roy (Bob’s Red Mill) and Emma White who took an early lead. White was dropped from the leaders and eventually fell back to fifth—an amazing race for the first-year UCI racer, and Van Gilder and Bruno Roy battled in earnest at the front, launching attacks and vying for position. Eventually, Van Gilder attacked—an atypical move for the sprinter—and took the win over Bruno Roy, who easily rolled in for second. Canadian racer Natasha Elliot moved up through the course of the race to round out the podium.

Zach McDonald hops the barriers on Saturday at Ellison Park. © Brian Boucheron

Zach McDonald hops the barriers on Saturday at Ellison Park. © Brian Boucheron

In the men’s race, surprise entry Zach McDonald (Rapha-Focus) was the obvious choice for the winner but Raphael Gagne (Rocky Mountain) was not to be discounted either, after a recent podium finish at Providence two weeks earlier. And the lead of the race played out as spectators expected, with Gagne and McDonald off the front, but the real surprise was that the JAM Fund rider hanging on to that lead group wasn’t season standout Stephen Hyde, but rather, Anthony Clark of “Sick What” fame. Jeremy Durrin, another race favorite, had an early mechanical that ended his race on the first lap.

Mike Van Den Ham and Dan Timmerman scream down the chute on Saturday at Ellison Park. © Brian Boucheron

Mike Van Den Ham and Dan Timmerman scream down the chute on Saturday at Ellison Park. © Brian Boucheron

With three laps to go, Clark was ridden off of the top two, and McDonald and Gagne began to launch attacks on each other. “He went earlier than I expected,” McDonald later said of Gagne’s race-winning move, where he created a small gap on the final climb, leading into the technical descent and taking the win by seconds. Clark, well behind, was still comfortably in third, his first-ever UCI podium.

Racing continues tomorrow, and stay tuned for photos, bike profiles and interviews!

Elite Women Ellison Park Day 1 2013

PlaceLast NameFirst NameTeamTotal LapsLap Down
1VAN GILDERLAURAVAN DESSEL P/B MELLOW MUSHROOM PIZZA BAKERS60:45:49
2BRUNO ROYMAUREENBOB'S RED MILL P/B SEVEN CYCLES60:45:53
3ELLIOTTNATASHARARE VOS RACING-STEVENS60:46:41
4THIEMANNNICOLETEAM CF60:46:52
5WHITEEMMACYCLOCROSSWORLD.COM60:47:05
6MAXIMENKOCASSANDRARARE VOS RACING / VAN DESSEL60:47:16
7HUNTERJULIEPHAUP ST. JOURNAL60:48:06
8MORRISONFRANCESC3-TWENTY20 CYCLING CO.60:48:27
9LYSAKOWSKIKATHLEENCYCLE LODGE60:48:41
10BOWMANBRITTLEEHOUSE INDUSTRIES - RICHARD SACHS - RGM60:48:44
11IVESJENNYVERGE SPORT-TEST PILOT60:49:12
12HURFORDMOLLYNJ/NY COLAVITA WOMEN'S TEAM60:49:19
13BIRCHCHRISTINAJAM FUND / NCC60:49:28
14BARCLAYVICTORIASTAN'S NOTUBES WOMEN'S ELITE TEAM60:49:29
15CUMMINGKATHRYNTEAM YACHT CLUB60:49:40
16SNYDERJESSICAMAC5 BIKES60:49:52
17GROGANJOANNECYCLOCROSSRACING.COM60:50:43
18GILGENJAMIEBLACKSMITH CYCLE60:51:44
19THAMMANTJEINVITA-FCV60:53:03
20GATESVICTORIAJAM FUND / NCC60:54:17
pull -1MASCELLIERINPEANUT BUTTER & CO. HUMAN ZOOM51
pull -2KELLYSIOBHANADRENLINERACER/TO WHEELS42
pull -2PATERSONKELLYWOLVERINE RACING/ACFSTORES.COM42
pull -3DUBEJORDANKEOUGH CYCLOCROSS P/B FELT BICYCLE33
dnf -4LEWISMARINE024
dnf -5YOZELLERICABICYCLE THERAPY / MELITTA25

Elite Men Ellison Park Day 1 2013

PlaceLast NameFirst NameTeamLap Down
1GAGNERAPHAELROCKY MOUNTAIN FACTORY0:58:19
2MCDONALDZACHRAPHA-FOCUS0:58:25
3CLARKANTHONYJAM FUND / NCC0:58:52
4MCNEELYEVANNORCO FACTORY TEAM0:59:35
5WATSONANDRENORCO FACTORY TEAM1:00:10
6DODGECAMERONSCOTT BIKES1:00:16
7VAN DEN HAMMICHAELCYCLE-SMART1:00:17
8HYDESTEPHENJAM FUND / NCC1:00:32
9MARIONROBERTAMERICAN CLASSSIC PRO CX TEAM1:00:50
10WELLSJAKESTAN'S NOTUBES ELITE CX1:00:51
11OBERMANCOLEBREAKAWAYBIKES.COM1:01:20
12L'ESPERANCEANDREWNORCO FACTORY TEAM1:01:43
13ST. JOHNDERRICKSTEVENS RACING-THE CYCLERY1:01:56
14TOWNSENDJEROMEBIKEREG.COM / JOE'S GARAGE1:02:03
15MYERSONADAMTEAM SMARTSTOP/MOUNTAIN KHAKIS1:02:03
16TIMMERMANDANHOUSE INDUSTRIES - RICHARD SACHS - RGM1:02:17
17OKEEFESAMC3 - TWENTY20 CYCLING CO.1:02:21
18GARRIGANMIKEVAN DESSEL1:02:29
19DILLONJOSHUABIKEREG.COM / JOE'S GARAGE1:02:39
20GLASSFORDPETERTREK CANADA1:02:52
21ST. GERMAINADAMENGVT / SPECIALIZED1:03:44
22CHABANOVDANHOUSE INDUSTRIES - RICHARD SACHS - RGM1:03:58
23FARABAUGHADAMGARNEAU-QUEBECOR PRO CYCLING TEAM1:04:03
pull -1HUFFEVANCROSSRESULTS.COM-1
pull -2YORKADAMWOLVERINE RACING/TREK-2
pull -2BURKETOMWOLVERINE RACING/TREK-2
pull -2VIALLEALEXANDREESPRESSO SPORT-2
pull -2BURNSCORYFULL MOON VISTA-2
pull -3ERGUINJONORBEA-ORCA-UDABERRI-3
pull -3BASSETTSTEPHENSOPHISTICATED LIVING P/B BOB'S RED MILL-3
pull -3O'BRIENCONORSTEVENS RACING PB THE CYCLERY-3
pull -4LYSAGHTANDREWCUPPOW/GEEKHOUSE/B2C2-4
pull -4VRAMBOUTOLIVIERTHE BIKERY DU NORD-4
pull -5WATERMANKAILINBICYCLE BLUE BOOK/HRS/ROCKLOBSTER-5
pull -6SKOMRAAUSTINTBS RACING P/B PLAN2PEAK-6
pull -6ST. JOHNDERRICKSTEVENS RACING-THE CYCLERY-4
dnf -4LIVERMONTRAVISTEAM SMART STOP-MOUNTAIN KHAKIS-3
dnf -3MESIPAULFAST FRANKIE COACHING/CLR-3
dnf -5KEOUGHNICHOLASKEOUGH CYCLOCROSS P/B FELT BICYCLE-5
dnf -5TIMMERMANMATTCANNONDALE-5
dnf -5KEOUGHJESSEKEOUGH CYCLOCROSS P/B FELT BICYCLE-2
dnf -8DURRINJEREMYOPTUM P/B KELLY BENEFIT STRATEGIES-8
dnf-9FAVATACHRISTIANTRT BICYCLES P/B STANS NO TUBES-9