REDMOND, WA (September 13th, 2014) -It was all sun and no rain on a classic Pacific Northwest evening for the 2014 edition of Subaru StarCrossed. Although this year’s edition was unsanctioned, the payout for Elite Men and Women win was the biggest cash payout in US Cyclocross history to date at $2500 for the win, for men and for women.
Beth Ann Orton got her night racing legs ready for a StarCrossed win at Cross Vegas 2014. © MikeAlbright.com / Cyclocross Magazine
The Elite Women’s race was dominated by Oregon rider Beth Ann Orton (Team S&M/Sellwood Cycle Repair) who took an early lead, and never looked back. Orton turned the tables on her fellow competitors who raced CrossVegas, Orton finished 29th in Vegas, and seemed to recover quickly from the desert heat, beating two racers who finished ahead of her just a few days prior. Orton was consistently chased by Jessica Cutler (Jamis Bikesport p/b Bike Law, 19th in Vegas) but in the end, a ten second gap distanced Orton and Cutler. Andi Zolton (Nemesis Racing), coming off of races in China (6th) and Vegas (25th), finished in a solid third place, only 17 seconds behind Cutler.
The Elite Men’s race featured a talented field of riders including former U23 National Cyclocross Champion Zach McDonald (KCCX Elite p/b Challenge Tires), Barry Wicks (Kona), Spencer Paxon (Kona) and Carl Decker (Giant). McDonald was quick to get the holeshot under dark and starry skies, and a selection quickly formed including McDonald, Wicks, Paxon, Decker, Molly Cameron (Portland Bicycle Studio) Russell Stevenson (The Trek Collective) and Kevin Bradford-Parish (Set Coaching/Specialized)
Zach McDonald made more than the few dollars he literally picked up in Vegas at Subaru StarCrossed. © MikeAlbright.com / Cyclocross Magazine
This select group whittled down to six after losing Decker to a mechanical, and then also shedding Paxon after he crashed on the backside of the course. All five riders took turns at the front, and eventually a small gap formed with McDonald and Wicks at the front, and Cameron, Bradford-Parish, and Stevenson chasing. By the bell lap, McDonald began his last lap with a very small gap ahead of Wicks, and maintained his lead and took the $2500 win. See our profile of Zach McDonald’s winning Ridley X-Night here.
Other winners of the day included Joseph Mullan (333FAB CX Factory Team) in the Nuun Singlespeed Men’s race, and Abby Watson (Breadwinner Cycles) in the Women’s Singlespeed race. All results from 2014 Subaru StarCrossed are posted on Turboreg.net.
