Gran Prix of Gloucester Day 2: Wyman Dominates and White Repeats

It was another great day of racing action at the Gran Prix of Gloucester. Helen Wyman turned in a  dominating performance as she lead the entire race with Emma White and Crystal Anthony trailing. For the Men’s race, Curtis White repeated his Day 1 winning ways with Michael van den Ham and Danny Summerhill chasing.

Helen Wyman at the GP of Gloucester controls the pace from the front during Sunday’s race. photo: GPGloucester

Wyman Leads Start to Finish Leaving No Doubt for the Podium

Great Britain’s Helen Wyman of Kona led from start to finish taking her second Category 2 race win in this year’s USA Cycling Professional Cyclocross season. From winning the Hole Shot, Wyman set the pace to win in a time of 42 minutes and 28 seconds. On her wheel most of the day was runner-up Emma White (USA) of Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld, 23 second back when they completed the six-lap race. Finishing third, 43 seconds back, was Beverly, Mass.-native Crystal Anthony of Maxxis-Shimano, who also finished third in the same event last year.

“It was a good race. I started well,” said Wyman of her solid win. “I thought if I could keep pushing out of the corners, then I could get the group small and then see what would happen. After a lap and a half, I think it was just me and Emma. I could see that I was making her struggle occasionally. So I just kept going.”

Helen Wyman was all smiles after Sunday’s race win at the GP of Gloucester. photo: GPGloucester

With three laps to go, she created a seven-second gap from White, and she noted that is what made the different. “And then finally I went into the sand, and she must have had a problem there. I had a gap, so I kept going. It’s really hard for anyone to come back when you get a gap on this course.”

Saturday’s winner Ellen Noble did not compete today.

White Rides a Tactical Race on a Dry, Dusty Course for the Win

Curtis White swept the Men’s Elite C2 races, winning the eight-lap race at windy Stage Fort Park in 1 hour, 2 minutes, 32 seconds. He outsprinted Canadian Michael van den Ham of Garneau-Easton Cycling by three seconds for the win. Danny Summermill (USA) of Maxxis-Shimano was third, six seconds behind White.

Curtis White took the win again on Day 2 of the 2016 GP of Gloucester beating out Michael van den Ham and Danny Summerhill.

“The New England Worlds, I’ve been coming here for a long time. It’s something special,” said White, who has his third USA Cycling Pro CX win in two weeks. He attacked with three laps to go, and exchanged the lead with van den Ham several times. When the bell rang for the final lap, he went to the front a final time and did not relinquish that position.

“It was far more of a tactical race. The course seemed like there’s a bit more pedaling involved, a bit more of a power course, the wind played a bit of a factor. There were a couple of points, I hit it in the middle of the race, felt like it was too early, I could feel the wind, hit it with two to go, again, a little too early. One to go was, you know, there were a couple of sections I felt like I could really nail, and try and open up a gap, but it ended up coming back together with a half lap to go. Danny (Summerhill) lead in to the stairs but I was able to get around him and lead through the final corners. I wasn’t really looking behind me at that point; I was all in from there.”

The Men’s Elite C2 race, on the second day of the CRAFT Sportswear Gran Prix of Gloucester, encountered dry, dusty conditions along Massachusetts Bay at historic Stage Fort Park in Gloucester. A lead group of eight riders went out fast, then broke into just three riders, led by local favorite Jeremy Durrin of Nelon Velo Cycling. The Easthampton, Mass. native went down with six laps to go, but was never able to catch the leaders on a windy day. He finished ninth, 57 seconds behind the winner.

Stage Fort Park provides the best seats in the house at the Gran Prix of Gloucester.

“On the Up-Down section, I think Michael van den Ham slowed up a little bit, and brake-checked me. I hit the back wheel and just fell over. A few laps later, he crashed in the same place. I just didn’t have it today. It felt like I was riding over my threshold the whole day, even just sitting in the group. So I was happy to finish. I didn’t think that I was going to finish there for a bit. It was one of those really, really hard days. Those guys at the front really had it today and I did not. I’m glad it is over. And I’m glad I had a good race yesterday,” said Neon Velo Cycling’s Durrin, who was third in the C2 Elite Men’s race on Saturday.

Next weekend Pro CX races will be held in Cleveland, Ohio with the North Coast Gran Prix of Cyclocross and in Washington, D.C. with the DCCX. The Gloucester race is the first of four race weekends that comprise the Vittoria Northeast Cyclocross Series presented by Cycle-Smart. Next on the schedule will be The Cycle-Smart Northampton International in Mass, Nov. 12-13.

2016 Gran Prix of Gloucester UCI C2 Day 2 Results - Elite Women

2016 Gran Prix of Gloucester UCI C2 Day 2 Results - Elite Men