The Resolution Cross Cup kicked off on Saturday in Garland, Texas. Temperatures were warm and the sun was out for the Saturday of cyclocross racing.
Elite Women
With full sun overhead and balmy 60-degree temps, 26 elite women lined up to stake their claim at the 2019 edition of the Resolution Cross Cup in Garland, Texas. Last year’s champion Courtenay McFadden honed her lines pre-riding the course on Friday afternoon, giving a technical clinic to local racers and hoping to secure another win.
From the whistle, the field was fully on the gas and set a blistering pace up the long climb of the start straight. French champion Caroline Mani led the women out, with McFadden and Ellen Noble, fresh off of two wins at Tulsa’s Ruts n’ Guts last weekend, right on her heels.
Three-time Canadian National champion Maghalie Rochette quickly took command of the race. An elite group formed at the front with Rochette, including McFadden, Noble, Mani, Texas pro racer Sammi Runnels and Raylyn Nuss. Each lap through the wooded, technical section the women jockeyed for position, leveraging their skills to shave precious seconds.
On the final trip out of sight, Rochette, Mani and McFadden battled for the podium.
Rochette emerged first, besting her competitors through the tight turns and steep climbs. She stayed away to seal her win, with Mani and McFadden rolling in for second and third. Nuss, Jackson and Runnels rounded out the top six.
Elite Men
The UCI men ignited with the whistle and set off to complete seven laps of the 3K+ course in warm, dry conditions in Garland, Texas. Three-time Canadian National Champion Michael Van Den Ham took the holeshot, leading the field up the long, grinding uphill start straight.
Van Den Ham maintained his lead throughout the race, with a chase group forming comprised of Cody Cupp, Jamie Driscoll, local pro racer Tyler Cloutier (Dallas) and Cody Kaiser. Following each pass through the wooded section, Van Den Ham added to his lead building a double-digit second gap. Cupp and Driscoll chased in second and third, with Driscoll passing and moving into second with three laps to go on the lap clock.
With one lap to go, Van Den Ham had amassed a 20-second lead and pulled away to secure the win on day one of the Resolution Cross Cup. Driscoll and Cupp finished second and third, with Kaiser finishing fourth. The next threesome mounted a spirited, uphill sprint, with Cloutier snagging fifth and Kevin Bradford-Parish and Andrew Giniat rounding out the top seven.
Sunday’s forecast calls for temps to top 70 degrees, surely keeping the competition hot for highly sought after UCI points.
Top 5 results for the Women and Men are below.
Elite Women Top 5
1. Maghalie Rochette
2. Caroline Mani
3. Courtenay McFadden
4. Raylyn Nuss
5. Jenn Jackson
Elite Men Top 5
1. Michael van den Ham
2. Jamey Driscoll
3. Cody Cupp
4. Cody Kaiser
5. Tyler Cloutier
