Wulfkuhle and Popovic Crowned Pennsylvania State Champs

by Ken Getchell

Domination was the name of the game at the VisitPA.com Pennsylvania State Cyclocross Championships this year, as all of the open categories were dominated by either a single team or a single person.

When your team name is the same as the race sponsor, it’s always a good idea to make an appearance at the front of the race. That’s exactly what Mike Hebe and new daddy Mike Yozell did in the Elite Masters 35+/45+ race. Only Kurt Reisinger (Wissahickon/Engin Bicycles) was able to join the two VisitPA.com riders, and only for a little while. By the end of the race, Hebe had established a large gap over his teammate Yozell, with Reisinger finishing third. Blair Saunders may have had the ride of the day to finish fourth after crashing mid-way through the first lap. Jeff Cordisco won the 45+ division for C3-Sollay.com, and it wouldn’t be the last that we’d hear from that team on the afternoon.

In the Elite Women’s race, up and comer Lenore Pipes (Zaveta Construction/Cyclesports) took advantage of her usual fast start to lead much of the early part of the race, joined only by Carolyn Popovic of Team CICLE. Once past halfway, however, Popovic dropped Pipes from her wheel and won going away.

The Elite Men’s race was dominated start to finish by Wes Schempf and “Fast Andy” Wulfkuhle of C3-Sollay.com. The black-suited duo raced in formation for the entire race. Kyle Wamsley of Colovita/Sutter Home twice made contact with the two leaders, only to have them raise the tempo and pull away again. By the end of the race, the leaders had nearly a minute on the the rest of the field. To their credit, Schempf and Wulfkuhle raced it out instead of settling for a ceremonial team finish. Schempf had done the majority of the pulls in the race, and led the entire last half of the last lap. The finish at Allentown is a 45 degree bend onto a very short, slightly uphill asphalt finishing straight. It was assumed, by nearly everyone except Wulfkuhle, that whoever got to the final turn first would win. Schempf led out the sprint as Wulfkuhle made his move to the outside of the final turn. He was still behind Schempf as they came around the corner, but Wulfkuhle’s outside line gave him the momentum to edge past Schempf in a very close sprint.

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