Maxwell And Dombroski Solidify Leads in MABRAcross Points Race

The elite men and women navigated a challenging new course at Schooley Mill Cross in Highland, MD on Saturday.  The 7th race in the BikeReg.com MABRAcross series, hosted by Team BBC, was contested in crisp and clear weather, which made for some very fast racing. Despite some soggy sections on the back side of the course, courtesy of the heavy rains the area had late in the week, the undulating slalom style course favored those who could generate a steady amount of wattage.

In the women’s race Julie Kuliecza of Team Alan North America Cycling stomped up the starting straightaway to grab the hole shot by more than four bike lengths in front of the field of 17 women.  She held that gap for half a lap before the field closed in and a nice pack formed at the front.  As they hit the pavement at the end of the lap Jennifer Maxwell of Team ATAC Sportswear/Bike Rack had worked her way up to the front of the field.  Once she got there, Maxwell wasted little time before pulling away in what would end up being a solo ride to victory.  Behind her Kuliecza was fighting it out with Lenore Pipes of C3/Athletes Serving Athletes when Libbey Sheldon of T.E.A.M Fuji stormed past them to take control of second place.  Pipe’s teammate Elizabeth Harlow joined the group fighting for third and one lap later would pull away with Kuliecza to set up a sprint finish that Kuliecza would win by a bike length.  Pipes rolled in 15 seconds later to claim the last podium spot.

The talk around the park before the start of the men’s race was focused on the tight BikeReg.com MABRAcross points standings.  All the major contenders were on hand to fight it out, including Jared Nieters and Joe Dombroski of Haymarket Cycles, Adam Driscoll of Adventures for the Cure, and the Alan North American Cycling team duo of Dave Weaver and Greg Wittwer.  If any one man could win a couple of the last 3 races then he could take the overall points jersey home with him at the end of the season.

With that said, the holeshot was hotly contested and won by Dave Weaver and Adam Driscoll.  The main contenders would jostle for position at the front for the first 2 laps before Haymarket Cycles teammates Joe Dombroski and Jared Nieters would push off the front together.  Behind them Greg Wittwer solidified himself in 3rd and Wes Shempf and Jeff Bahnson teamed up to lock down 4th and 5th.  Very little changed among the top 5 until lap 4 when Joe got the gap he needed to ensure a long solo ride for the win.  Then on lap 6 Greg Wittwer caught a fading Nieters and took over 2nd place for good while the biggest mover of the day, Tom Jeffrey of Team Natures Path/3Sports, reeled in and passed the duo of Shempf and Bahnson to claim 3rd.  Shempf eventually shook Bahnson loose and they both finished just off the podium in 4th and 5th respectively.

Elite Women Results

Elite Men Results