November 2, 2009: Cyclocross racers head to Fair Hill Maryland, just outside Newark Delaware, on November 7 for what many believe could be the most pivotal day in MAC’s 2009 Championship Chase. The Wayne Scott Memorial Xross @ Fair Hill will be the first MAC race of the year where the Elite races will be sanctioned by USA Cycling, rather than UCI. Ironically, that status makes the race even more important within the scope of the MAC season championship because it’s the first opportunity for the points hunters to go head-to-head without the distraction of visiting riders.
“With the New Jersey Weekend drawing riders in search of UCI points, and Whitmore’s Super Cross Cup also being part of the NACT, Fair Hill becomes the most important race on the calendar for the local Elites,” says MAC Director Mike Hebe. “This is the race where Ryan Dewald, Wes Schempf or Andy Wulfkuhle need a win if they are looking to win the series. Also, Arley Kemmerer, Kristin Gavin and Nikki Thiemann need big races to try to get the last podium spot from the C3 stranglehold.”
In a reversal of the irony, though, the rider that may stand to benefit most at Fair Hill is actually an international. Swiss U23 star Valentin Scherz is spending this season racing in America and improving his English fluency, and he has made it known that chasing MAC points is very high on his list of objectives. Though his travel arrangements prevented him from competing at MAC’s opening weekend, he has been a threat at every race he’s attended, and he won Sunday’s mudfest at the Cat and Kitten HPCX. Scherz confirmed his intention of chasing the MAC Championship by being one of the first entries for Fair Hill; signaling, perhaps, that if any American rider wants to win the MAC Championship, they’ll have to go through Valentin first.
And if indeed, it’s “time” for the championship contenders to fly, the Wayne Scott Memorial Xross is the appropriate race. The Elite Men’s and Women’s winners will each be receiving a Citizens Watch courtesy of Citizen and Anemone Jewelry, along with their cash prizes. Other sponsors include Capo sportswear and Spring House Brewing Company.
A full MAC program of amateur classes is also scheduled for the November 7 race. More information on the First State Velo Sport presents Wayne Scott Memorial Xross at Fair Hill can be found at BikeReg.com.
