Maxwell repeats, Schempf dominates at Day 2 of MABRA’s Howard County Double Cross – UPDATED: Full Results

by Matt Brancheau

Elkridge, MD – Following the hard day of racing Saturday at Howard County Double Cross in Schooley Mill Cross, racers returned for the third edition of Rockburn Cross with continued mild weather but soggy terrain in Elkridge, MD. A newly designed course met with with an improved start and pit that featured punchy climbs and greasy turns.

In the Women’s race, C3-Athletes Serving Athletes’ Leanore Pipes sought to establish herself as the woman to beat by taking the holeshot ahead of Julie Kuliecza of Alan North America Cycling and Jennifer Maxwell of ATAC Sportswear presented by the Bike Rack of Washington DC.  But Maxwell, returning from her victory the previous day at Schooley Mill Cross, would not be caught off-guard.  The lead traded between Pipes, Kuliecza and Maxwell; but Maxwell and Pipes established a lead group of two early in the race.  Maxwell attacked Pipes, but the most recent addition to C3-Athletes Serving Athletes’ formidable elite women’s team was able to respond to Maxwell’s surge.  Maxwell attacked again, dropping Pipes and opening a gap.  Pipes dug deep to regain virtually all of the ground she had lost to Maxwell, but time was against her as Maxwell was able to hold the gap to the end.  Two-time defending Rockburn champion Betsy Shogren of Cannondale Factory Racing/Backyard Bike Club rounded out the top three.

In the men’s race, Wes Schempf of C3-Athletes Serving Athletes dominated the elite men’s field with a solo victory.  Schempf, the returning victor at Rockburn and the reigning champion of the BikeReg.com MABRAcross Series took the holeshot and began distancing himself from all his rivals, ultimately finishing 1 minute 43 seconds ahead of the next finisher from a chase group of four that contained Stephen Cummings of Indiana Regional Medical Center, teammates Greg Wittwer and Dave Weaver of ALAN North America Cycling Team, and Jared Nieters of Haymarket Bicycles/HomeVisit, who led the MABRAcross points leaderboard coming off of Urban Cross on November 15.  The chase would prove hard-fought for second through fifth with Cummings finishing second only 6 seconds ahead of Wittwer, who himself was just one second ahead of Weaver.

The BikeReg.com MABRAcross series concludes the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend
with the MABRA Championships worth 50% more points in Taneytown, MD.

Elite Women Results

Elite Men Results