Dan Timmerman (Richard Sachs) ruled the weekend. by Paul Weiss
Last year Dan Timmerman (Richard Sachs/RGM Watches/Radix) made everyone take notice when he was the only rider to keep in sight of last year’s winner Jamey Driscoll, showing he had the skills needed to be successful in cyclocross. Now one year later the Richard Sachs rider has accented to the mountain top by sweeping the top spot in this year’s Green Mountain Cyclocross Weekend and taking the overall series lead after week 1.
Timmerman took advantage of his front row position to establish a lead on the first lap of each day. Saturday quickly turned into a battle for 2nd place, as no one was able to keep the Ithaca, NY rider is sight. Sunday was different, as Joachim Parbo (CCV Leopard Cycles) got rid of the travel bug that plaqued him on Saturday and went after Timmerman to assume the lead. Halfway through the battle the victor was still uncertain, but then Timmerman finally got away for good, and got all the help he needed from teammate Josh Dillon, who sat on Parbo’s wheel and made him do all the chasing. Parbo just couldn’t catch up without the help, but did get the best of Dillon in the sprint to take 2nd on Sunday.
The women’s field was deeper than it ever has been, and was led by defending NECCS champion Rebecca Wellons (Team Plan C), Maureen Bruno Roy (MM Racing p/b Seven Cycles), and Natasha Elliott (Garneau Club Chaussure Ogilvy). Elliot was right at home on the fast and dry parcours on Saturday, easily taking the win leaving Wellons, Vermont native Lea Davison (Rocky Mountain/Maxxis), and Bruno-Roy to fight it out for 2nd. Wellons’ sprinting capabilities was too much, and she won the field sprint with an excited crowd watching over Davison and Bruno-Roy.
Mo Bruno-Roy (MM Racing / Seven Cycles) loved the mud and took the victory. by Paul Weiss
However, Sunday was another day and the wet conditions and much more technical terrain suited Bruno-Roy very well, and she took advantage to easily take the win. Elliott hung on for 2nd to assume the series lead after week 1, and Nikki Thiemann (Human Zoom/Pabst Blue Ribbon) surprised one and all to grab her first podium spot ever in a UCI race. Her double fist-pump as she crossed the line showed everyone she was another rider ready to tackle the big guns and be a force in elite cyclo-cross on the east coast.
Next weekend continues the 3 weeks of racing known as the New England Cross-toberfest, as the series visits the shores of Cape Ann, Massachusetts for the Great Brewers Grand Prix of Gloucester. Gloucester not only serves as week 2 of the Verge New England Championship Cyclocross Series but also hosts the 2nd weekend of 5 for the North American Cyclocross Trophy series, which should bring some of the best talent the country to fight it out at what has been deemed by many as “New England Worlds”.
The Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series will be contested over 7 weekends in 2009, starting with the New England Cross-toberfest of Cycling: 3 straights weekends of UCI calendar racing to be held in Williston VT, Gloucester MA, and Providence RI. After a weekend of much needed rest, the series will continue with stops in New Gloucester ME on Oct 24, Northampton MA on Nov 7, Sterling MA on Nov 28, and the series finale in Warwick RI on Dec 5. This year series is generously supported by Verge Sport, makers of fine cycling clothing and products since 1993; by Cycle-Smart, purveyors of personalized cycling coaching and solutions for riders across the country; by BikeReg.com, the official online registration service of the NECCS; by Paul Weiss Photo/Video, the official photographer of the NECCS, by October Handmade Bicycles, and by Ryders Eyewear. You can visit these sponsors and get more information on the series by going to the web at http://www.cycle-smart.com/neccs.
Photo Gallery:
