A moderately slow week in the world of cyclocross brought us a few gems that required a bit of digging: Nature Valley Stage 1 wrap, Thijs Al grabs another win, Teva Mountain Games Cross Country results and some American transfer news!
Andy Jacques-Maynes Cracks Top Ten at Nature Valley Stage 1
Andy Jacques-Maynes led the way at today’s first stage of the Nature Valley Gran Prix in Minnesota, finishing in 9th place, 26 seconds behind teammate Tom Zirbel, who won with a time of 12:36 over the 7.2 kilometer course. Former National Champion Tim Johnson narrowly missed out on the top ten, finishing 11th, a further 5 seconds behind Jacques-Maynes and 31 seconds behind the win. Josh Dillon and Jeremy Powers were both ranked in the 30’s with a 30th and a 33rd, respectively. Tomorrow’s racing action takes the Nature Valley GP to downtown St. Paul for a 60 minute criterium.
Thijs Al Continues Hot Streak
The current pecking order of hottest cyclocross rider would include the likes of Marianne Vos on the women’s side and arguably Thijs Al on the men’s side. Al’s form has been spot of on late, with his latest triumph coming in the Tour of Limberg, a Dutch amateur classic that follows many of the roads of the Amstel Gold Race. Al made it into the day’s winning break of 7, eventually attacking as the finish line approached, with only one man able to follow his wheel. Al managed to take home the victory in a two up sprint, putting him at or near the top of the list of cyclocross racers with the best pre-season form.
Wells Comes Close at Teva Games
Todd Wells came close to cracking open the bubbly at the Teva Mountain Games over the weekend, narrowly losing out to Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski by just over a minute. The exact gap between Wells and JHK was 1:12. Adam Craig finished the day just off the podium in 4th place, 4:40 behind Horgan-Kobelski, with Carl Dekker the next highest rated ‘crosser in 8th place. Current National Champion Ryan Trebon finished up the day in 16th place, 13:34 behind JHK.
On the women’s side, Katie Compton continued her assault on the mountain biking hierarchy by taking a commanding win over rival Georgia Gould. Kelli Emmet continued her fine season to date by slotting just inside the top 10 with a 9th place finish.
Richard Sachs Reinforces Cyclocross Lineup
Already possessing one of the most recognizable kits and bikes in all of cyclocross, Richard Sachs has added another weapon to his team’s arsenal, in the form of Dan Timmerman. Timmerman made some waves in the cyclocross scene last season, finishing just off the podium at the Gran Prix of Gloucester and making it onto the podium at the inaugural Toronto International weekend in November. Timmerman will replace Justin Spinelli who will ride under his own flag for the coming cyclocross season.
Wondering what your favorite mudders have been up to? Doing your homework so you can win Cyclocross Magazine’s fantasy cyclocross league next season? We’ve got you covered with our new, weekly report on your favorite top ‘crossers. Each week Jake Sisson will bring you the latest news, gossip, and maybe even a tweet or two on the pro scene. This is installment #12. Installment #11 is here. Got something worth reporting? Let us know!
