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Mary McConneloug enters the woods on her way to winning again today © Paul Weiss Photo/Video

Mary McConneloug enters the woods on her way to winning again today © Paul Weiss Photo/Video

Sterling, MA – For a second day, Mary McConneloug (Kenda/Seven/NoTubes) and Jeremy Powers (Cannondale /cyclocrossworld.com) were on top of the podiums for Verge NECCS round 12. (See our coverage of Saturday’s Baystate Cyclocross #1 here). With perfect late-fall New England weather and an exciting new twist on a classic course, racers and spectators left Sterling today with an appreciation for the hard work and passion that goes into making an elite level event. Today’s course took riders through a never-before-seen woods section and up a freshly built set of stairs, taking full advantage of the many different elevations and smooth grass across the grounds of Chocksett Middle School.

Mary McConneloug showed the elite women that she means business and has her eyes on a Verge series victory. Just as yesterday, she was able to take advantage of a fast start, create space between her and the competition and use her combination of fantastic power and finesse that have given her much success on the mountain biking World Cup circuit. Behind her, today’s more technical course suited series leader Maureen Bruno Roy better than yesterday’s windy power course and she was able to make the selection riding in second position in front of a trio of Minuteman Road Club riders in Andrea Smith, Anna Barensfeld and Ann D’Ambrusio.

A rolled tubular well away from the pit followed by a second mechanical dropped Smith from contention, leaving Barensfeld and D’Ambrusio to work together and hold on to the final podium spot. On the finishing straight, though, there was no teamwork as the two sprinted for third place; Barensfeld narrowly got the best of D’Ambrusio for her first series podium.

Powers on the run-up © Paul Weiss Photo/Video

Powers on the run-up © Paul Weiss Photo/Video

Jeremy Powers’ victory yesterday was certainly impressive, but today his victory was nothing short of dominant. By the end of the first lap, through a combination of a strong start, deft handling and massive strength, Powers was alone on the front and there he stayed until raising his hands in victory. Behind him, once again, was series leader Dan Timmerman (Richard Sachs/RGM/Radix), seemingly ready to take another second place behind the Cannondale /cyclocrossworld.com racer. Timmerman’s hopes were dashed as Justin Lindine (bikereg.com/Joe’s Garage/IF) made a break out of his chase group, made contact with Timmerman and subsequently left him in the dust. Once again, Lindine rode his bike with absolute ferocity and with his second place matched his previous best result in a Verge race. For his part, Timmerman held on for a comfortable third and the assurance that, as long as he shows up to NBX next weekend in Warwick, Rhode Island, he will win the series title.

The U-23 victory went, to bikereg.com/Joe’s Garage/IF racer, and future attendee of Euro Cross Camp, Jerome Townsend. Second in the U-23 was series leader Luke Keough (Champion System), whose lead over Townsend has narrowed to a mere fifteen points.

The Masters 35+ field was a show of force from Johnny Bold (Corner Cycle). After losing to Westwood Velo’s Roger Aspholm in a sprint yesterday, Bold was determined to show Aspholm that he would not roll over and cede the series. Launching off of the lead group early in the race, Bold was able to maintain a gap over Aspholm and Bold’s teammate, Kevin Hines. Aspholm, unable to drag the weight of an unmotivated chaser up to Bold, resigned himself to a sprint with Hines that he took with relative ease. His hold on the jersey going into the last weekend of the series is a scant ten points.

Elite Juniors lined up © Paul Weiss Photo/Video

Elite Juniors lined up © Paul Weiss Photo/Video

For the fourth race in a row, Evan McNeely (EMD Serono/Specialized) showed that he is the strongest U-19 cross racer in New England, despite living in Canada. The race quickly became a race for second that Jesse Keough (CL Noonan/KAM/Coast to Coast) won, outsprinting third-place finisher Joshua Lehmann (Sunapee) and fourth place finisher Nate Morse (Clif Bar Development Cyclocross Team). Lehmann was confirmed for attendance at Euro Cross Camp this December.

The U-15 Juniors saw a resumption of the battle between Austin Vincent (CL Noonan/KAM/Coast to Coast) and Peter Goguen (Minuteman Road Club). Today, once again, Goguen took the victory with Vincent in second, nearly a minute back and still recovering from sickness. Third place went to My Way’s Nicholas Catlin. Though unable to race the U-15 Juniors, a great performance was put on by 12-year old Emma White (Capital Bicycle Racing Club) with a second place in the Cat 3/4 women’s field to go with her third from yesterday.

With the conclusion of the Bay State Cyclocross weekend, the Verge NECCS gears up for a final weekend of intense action in Warwick, Rhode Island with the NBX GP of Cross on December 5 and 6. Details can be found on BikeReg.

Photo Gallery by Natalia McKittrick | Pedal Power Photography:

Photo Gallery by Paul Weiss:

Race Results:

Elite Men:

1 Jeremy Powers Cannondale – Cyclocrossworld 0:58:50
2 Justin Lindine BikeReg.com / Joe’s Garage / IF 0:59:15
3 Dan Timmerman RICHARD SACHS – RGM WATCHES – RADIX 0:59:43
4 Jerome Townsend BikeReg.com / Joe’s Garage / IF 0:59:52
5 Josh Dillon RICHARD SACHS – RGM WATCHES – RADIX 0:59:52
6 Adam Myerson Cycle-Smart 1:00:25
7 William Dugan RICHARD SACHS – RGM WATCHES – RADIX 1:00:30
8 Luke Keough Team Champion System 1:00:56
9 Dylan McNicholas CCB Racing 1:01:05
10 Peter Bradshaw Embrocation Cycling Journal 1:02:17
11 Brian Wilichoski CyclocrossWorld.com 1:02:39
12 Michael Broderick KENDA-Seven-NoTubes 1:03:08
13 Alec Donahue Cycle-Smart / NCC 1:03:28
14 Kevin Wolfson Bikereg.com / Joe’s Garage / IF 1:03:28
15 David Wilcox Geekhouse Bikes / Boston Rock Gym 1:03:28
16 Damian Schmitt Sunnyside Sports 1:04:00
17 Adam Snyder Team Jamis 1:04:29
18 Pete Smith Embrocation Cycling Journal / Mad Alchemy 1:04:29
19 Colin Reuter International Bicycle/crossresults.com 1:04:42
20 John Burns Bikeman.com 1:04:50
21 Adam Sullivan Cycle-Smart / NCC 1:04:54
22 Chad Wells Hudz-Subaru 1:05:50
23 Manny Goguen Bikereg.com / Joe’s Garage / IF 1:06:50
24 John Hanson IF/ Lionette’s
25 Kevin Sweeney International Bicycle Center
26 Thierry Laliberte Xprezo
27 Pierre Vanden Borre Embrocation Cycling Journal / Mad Alchemy 2L
28 Ryan Kelly NorEast Cycling 3L
29 Joshua Friedman NYC Velo 3L
30 Jonathan Bruno IF/Lionette’s Cycling Team 3L
DNF Michael Rea NorEast Cycling DNF

Elite Women:

1 Mary McConneloug KENDA-Seven-NoTubes 0:36:38
2 Maureen Bruno Roy MM Racing p/b Seven Cycles 0:37:07
3 Anna Barensfeld Minuteman Road Club 0:37:34
4 Ann D’Ambruoso Minuteman Road Club 0:37:34
5 Rebecca Wellons Team Plan C 0:37:56
6 Amanda Carey Kenda/Trainwitheric.com 0:39:01
7 Anna Milkowski BikeReg.com / Joe’s Garage / IF 0:39:17
8 Rebecca Blatt US Army/ Central Wheel 0:39:17
9 Perri Mertens Embrocation Cycling Journal / Mad Alchemy 0:39:17
10 Arielli Filiberti Dartmouth College 0:31:29
11 Christina Tamilio Minuteman Road Club 0:39:38
12 Marilyn Ruseckas Seven Cycles 0:39:53
13 Emma Bast Cycle-Smart / NCC 0:40:00
14 Crystal Anthony Minuteman Road Club 0:40:08
15 Natalia Gardiol Cambridge Bicycle/ Igleheart Frames 0:40:19
16 Frances Morrison Cycle-Smart/NCC 0:40:19
17 Sally Annis Hub Racing 0:40:57
18 Clara Kelly NEBC/Devonshire Dental 0:41:21
19 Michelle Kersbergen Joe’s Garage 0:41:56
20 Anna McLoon Harvard 0:42:08
21 Allison Snooks Minuteman Road Club 0:42:16
22 Andrea Smith Minuteman Road Club 0:42:24
23 Beth Mason Verge Test Pilot 0:42:50