November 4, 2009; Conshohocken, PA, USA: The MAC points battles have tightened heading into this weekend’s race at the Fair Hill Equestrian Center in Maryland on Saturday, November 7, and all signs point toward a major reshuffle following the race. Mo Bruno-Roy and Adam Myerson lead MAC’s Elite points championships. As the promoter of the Verge New England Cycle-Smart International, Myerson can be excused for not making the drive to Maryland. And fellow New Englander Bruno-Roy is trying to defend a points lead in both the MAC and New England Series standings and has elected to stay closer to home.
With former MAC champion Davide Frattini unlikely to attend the minimum of seven races this year, in part because of his impending wedding, it is a real opportunity for Mid-Atlantic riders Ryan Dewald and defending champion Wes Schempf to move up in the Elite Men’s standings. But they’ll have to deal with yet another international rider in Valentin Scherz of Switzerland, who is spending the season in America and is targeting the MAC Championship. Scherz won the most recent MAC race in New Jersey and, after not arriving in the USA until after MAC’s opening two races, could rocket up the standings later in the season when riders start dropping races in the best 7 out of 10 races format.
Bruno-Roy’s narrow points lead is in danger not only from defending champ Laura Van Gilder, who is currently in second place on the points table, but also Van Gilder’s teammate Dee Dee Winfield. Kristin Gavin and Arley Kemmerer lurk just behind.
This week’s MAC race at the Fair Hill Equestrian Center will be a barnyard battle that will see the riders actually racing through the barns at Fair Hills’ Fairgrounds. Though Fair Hill is actually in Maryland, it’s proximity to Newark Delaware (home of the University of Delaware), makes it a prime venue for Delaware-based mountain bike and cyclocross riders and clubs. The system of mountain bike trails maintained by the Delaware Trail Spinners is considered one of the best cross-country systems east of the Mississippi River. The Wayne Scott Memorial Xross is being presented by two other groups with Delaware roots: First State Velo Sport and the duplicitously-named Delaware Cross Coalition of Delaware. The course at Fair Hill is a punchy one, with no major elevation changes but many accelerations and some difficult technical sections.
More information on the First State Velo Sport presents Wayne Scott Memorial Xross at Fair Hill can be found at BikeReg.com.
