Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./Specialized Factory) and Lea Davison (Jericho, Vt./Specialized Factory Racing) closed Day 3 of the 2014 USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships with respective men’s and women’s cross-country wins, earning the Stars-and-Stripes jerseys at the Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Macungie, Pa., on July 19.
From the beginning of the men’s pro race, which capped a 17-event day, Wells got to the front of the pack and never looked back. During his six-lap campaign, he took down a talented 57-man field in 1:45:27 and earned his third Stars-and-Stripes jersey in the event.
“I really target these events,” Wells said. “I’ve probably been to about 20 Cross-Country National Championships and this is the third one I’ve won, so it seems like once every six or seven years I win one of these things. This is the one I really target.”
As Wells’ lead increased with each pass across the start/finish line, the field behind him shuffled amongst itself, finally seeing Kerry Werner (Banner Elk, N.C./BMC Project Dirt) settle into second in 1:46:59 and Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va./Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition) into third in 1:47:39.
The final top three enjoyed a relatively clean race, yet riders suffered the tumultuous course conditions throughout. Three riders did not finish, while 2013 champion Stephen Ettinger (Bozeman, Mont./BMC Mountainbike Racing) blew two tires, yet was able to forge on and finish the race seventh in 1:50:31. Once in the top three, Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./SRAM Factory) also suffered a flat but recovered nicely and finished eighth in 1:52:05. Mitchell Hoke (Boulder, Colo./UCI CT-WPT: Team OPT) fell victim to the epidemic as well but still placed 12th in 1:54:24.
“Getting here Wednesday, the course was completely open so I got five or six laps in,” Wells said. “Other guys that got in Thursday or Friday, you’re lucky to get in a lap or two. I had already ridden this course quite a bit last year and this year I also got some good laps in and got my lines figured out.”
In arguably the most exciting contest of the day, it took Davison more than four of the eventual five women’s cross-country pro race laps to shake Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./LUNA Pro Team), who traded lead changes with Davison all race before finally falling back, bowing to Davison’s national title-winning 1:43:45 pace. Davison was ultimately able to create separation in the final kilometers of the race, executing well on a switchback climb in the final minutes to defend her 2013 crown.
“I’m happy and in a little bit of shock. I was kind of a wild card coming into this year because this is my second national race of the season,” Davison said. “I spent the beginning part of the season rehabbing—I had hip surgery at the end of January, so I am so incredibly happy to be back racing, and then to be able to win a title is just icing on the cake.”
Gould, who spent the duration of the competition in the lead or within one second of Davison’s clip, took second in 1:44:00.
Evelyn Dong (Park City, Utah) matched the speed and intensity of Chloe Woodruff (Tucson, Ariz.) through the first two laps before breaking off and riding solo in third the remainder of the race. Dong, who was never able to catch the breaking Davison and Gould, was able to create some separation of her own from the remaining 25 riders, finishing third in 1:46:53. Woodruff eventually finished 14th in 2:01:11.
The day’s action prior to the men’s and women’s pro matinee consisted of 15 seniors and masters category 1 races, as well as men’s and women’s singlespeed contests, beginning with the men’s 19-24 race. Bryan Lewis (Charlottesville, Va./University of Virginia) made it two national titles in the last three days, taking the division in 1:37:17 and adding to his 19-29 short track win. Charles Snyder (Richmond, Va.) earned silver in 1:38:05, followed immediately by Cooper Drummond (Springdale, Ark./Team Hammer Nutrition) in 1:38:05. Elizabeth White (Auburn, N.H./University of Vermont) won the women’s 19-24 contest in 1:21:13, pacing runner-up Corrie Osborne (Mequon, Wis./Team Extreme), who finished in 1:34:24, and third place finisher Kara Uhl (Smithville, Texas/Union College-KY) in 1:34:50.
Ronald Catlin (Ray Township, Mich./RBS Cycling) took the jersey in the men’s 25-29 race, crossing in 1:39:56, which bested silver medalist Brian Gordon’s (Corona, Calif./Blackstar Racing) 1:43:38 and Brad Auen’s (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Flatwater Cycling) 1:44:45. On the women’s side of the 25-29 division, Cindy Abbott (Austin, Texas) topped the group with a time of 1:21:46, followed by Jessica Kutz (Danville, Pa./Riptide Cycling) in 1:24:15 and Caroline Dezendorf (San Rafael, Calif./Team Mike’s Bikes p/b Equator Coffees) in 1:25:05.
Gordon Wadsworth (Roanoke, Va./Charlottesville Racing Club) crossed the finish line as the new men’s singlespeed national champion, finishing in 1:42:28, ahead of runner-up Jon Brown (Gunnison, Colo.) and Harlan Price (Philadelphia, Pa.), who finished in 1:44:10 and 1:45:08, respectively. On the women’s side,Victoria Barclay (State College, Pa.) took the top time, clocking in at 1:20:43. Nicole Thiemann (Philadelphia, Pa./Rare Disease Cycling) finished second in 1:22:34, followed 11 seconds later by Carey Lowery (Athens, Tenn.) in 1:22:45.
In masters action, Andrew Freye’s (Allentown, Pa.) 1:38:49 effort was good enough to climb the podium in the men’s 30-34 competition, which led Steve Boniface’s (Irvine, Calif./Blackstar Racing) 1:40:14 and Nathan Winkelmann’s (Huntsville, Texas) 1:42:03. With a 1:20:39 pace, Kimberly Quinlan (Winooski, Vt./Bicycle Express Racing) bested her competition, followed by Zdenka Worsham (Raleigh, N.C./Constellation Cycling) 54 seconds later in 1:21:33. Taking bronze, Vanessa McCaffery (Newfield, N.Y./Crystal City Cycling) crossed in 1:27:18.
In the closest 1-2 finish of the day, Jacob Harris (Swanzey, N.H./Createx Racing) edged Tyson Kaman (Fort Collins, Colo./Peloton-Specialized Cycling Team) by the slimmest of margins in the men’s 35-39 as both riders recorded times of 1:41:56. Keeping things close, Mike O’Connor (Coatesville, Pa.) rounded out the top three nine seconds later in 1:42:05. Joanne Grogan (Hinesburg, Vt./Ness Team New England) managed to give herself a bit more breathing room in the women’s 35-39, finishing in 1:19:50, which was 2 minutes, 23 seconds ahead of runner-up Lisa Randall’s (Canton, Ga.) 1:22:13. L. Marie Walsh (Fort Collins, Colo./Peloton-Specialized Cycling Team) posted a 1:23:47 time to take bronze.
Robert McCarty (Cooper City, Fla.) reached the top of the men’s 40-44 podium with a winning time of 1:38:07, pacing Gregg Galletta (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) and Eric Schofield (Richmond, Va./Bon Secours), who battled it out for silver. Galletta nipped Schofield by less than a second, as both men recorded 1:42:50 times. Winning the women’s 40-44 division by 49 seconds, Cassie Smith (Kingwood, W. Va.) posted a 1:22:18 for the win, followed by Bryna Blanchard (Troy, N.Y./Windham Mountain Cycling Club) in 1:23:07 and Kelly Ault (Middlesex, Vt.) in 1:24:39.
Topping the men’s 45-49 division, Michael Yozell (Emmaus, Pa./Kapelmuur Independent) clocked a gold medal-winning time of 1:43:13, topping Ben Williams (Stony Point, N.Y.), who finished close behind in 1:43:45. Michael Rowell (Bedford, Mass./Bell Lap Cycling Club) clinched bronze in 1:44:18. Finishing in 1:23:08, Camerson Urban (Kentfield, Calif.) won the Stars-and-Stripes jersey in the women’s 45-49 category, crossing ahead of Julia Violich (San Anselmo, Calif./Bear Development Team) in 1:25:00 and Stacey Barbossa (Mountainside, N.J./Colavita Racing, Inc.) in 1:25:50.
Closing out masters competition, Robert Eichlin (Easton, Pa.) picked up the men’s 50-54 national championship in 1:44:46. Craig Cozza (Presto, Pa./UPMC-Pro Bikes) earned silver in 1:45:18, while Greg Turner (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Triple Threat Cycling Team) claimed bronze in 1:46:34.
The event concludes with Super D and short track cross-country racing on Sunday. The racing begins at 9 a.m. on the Super D course with seven men’s and six women’s Super D events. The short track cross-country takes center stage in the afternoon with four races spanning 20 minutes plus three laps. The category 1 women’s 17+ race begins at 1 p.m. before the category 1 juniors men 15-18 is set to begin at 1:45 p.m. The penultimate race of the day features the pro women at 3 p.m. before the pro men cap off the weekend with the final event at 3:45 p.m.
For complete details on this event, including a complete schedule, results, course maps and a photo gallery, please visit the event web site. If you can’t make it out for the event, follow all of the action on Twitter using the hashtag #MTBNats.
2014 USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships
Bear Creek Mountain Resort
Macungie, Pa.
July 17-20, 2014
FULL RESULTS | PHOTO GALLERY
Men Pro
| Todd Wells (Durango, CO) | SPECIALIZED FACTORY | 1:45:27 | |
| Kerry Werner (Banner Elk, NC) | BMC PROJECT DIRT | 1:46:59 | |
| Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, VA) | Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition | 1:47:39 |
Women Pro
| Lea Davison (Jericho, VT) | SPECIALIZED FACTORY | 1:43:45 | |
| Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, CO) | LUNA PRO TEAM | 1:44:00 | |
| Evelyn Dong (Park City, UT) | 1:46:53 |
Women Senior 19-24
| Elizabeth White (MANCHESTER NH) | UNIVERSITY OF VERMON | 1:21:13 | |
| Corrie Osborne (Mequon, WI) | TEAM EXTREME | 1:34:24 | |
| Kara Uhl (Smithville, TX) | UNION COLLEGE-KY | 1:34:50 | |
| Elizabeth Lurz (ABILENE) | 1:35:26 | ||
| Jessica Robinson (VERNON) | BLACK BEAR CYCLING | 1:40:20 |
Men Senior 19-24
| Bryan Lewis (ROANOKE) | UNIVERSITY OF VIRGIN | 1:37:17 | |
| Charles Snyder (Richmond, VA) | 1:38:05 | ||
| Cooper Drummond (Springdale, AR) | TEAM HAMMER NUTRITIO | 1:38:53 | |
| Elliott Baring (Cumming, GA) | REALITY BIKES | 1:44:40 | |
| Spencer Rathkamp (Stevenson Ranch, CA) | TEAM MUSCLE MILK/ NP | 1:47:13 |
Women Senior 25-29
| Cindy Abbott (Austin, TX) | 1:21:46 | ||
| Jessica Kutz (DANVILLE PA) | RIPTIDE CYCLING | 1:24:15 | |
| Caroline Dezendorf (SAN RAFAEL) | TEAM MIKE’S BIKES P | 1:25:05 | |
| Hattie Freye (Allentown, PA) | 1:25:22 | ||
| Evie Racette (Fort Atkinson, WI) | LINEAR SPORT MTB | 1:30:33 |
Men Senior 25-29
| Ronald Catlin (Ray Township, MI) | RBS CYCLING | 1:39:56 | |
| Brian Gordon (Corona, CA) | BLACKSTAR RACING | 1:43:38 | |
| Brad Auen (Council Bluffs, IA) | FLATWATER CYCLING | 1:44:45 | |
| Justin Sotdorus (York, PA) | THE BIKE SHAK CYCLIN | 1:45:41 | |
| Tim Racette (Fort Atkinson, WI) | TEAM WISCONSIN | 1:47:39 |
Women Single Speed
| Victoria Barclay (State College, PA) | 1:20:43 | ||
| Nicole Thiemann (Philadelphia, PA) | RARE DISEASE CYCLING | 1:22:34 | |
| Carey Lowery (Athens, TN) | 1:22:45 | ||
| Darlene Phillips (Ansonia, CT) | 1:23:18 | ||
| Melissa Seib (Bryantpond, ME) | BIKEMAN.COM | 1:32:12 |
Men Single Speed
| Gordon Wadsworth (Roanoke, VA) | CHARLOTTESVILLE RACI | 1:42:28 | |
| Jon Brown (Gunnison, CO) | 1:44:10 | ||
| Harlan Price (Philadelphia, PA) | 1:45:08 | ||
| Dillon Van Wart (West Milford, NJ) | TEAM TOWN CYCLE | 1:45:21 | |
| Kevin Schwartz (SKIPPACK) | 1:47:38 |
Women Master 30-34
| Kimberley Quinlan (Winooski, VT) | BICYCLE EXPRESS RACI | 1:20:39 | |
| Zdenka Worsham (Raleigh, NC) | CONSTELLATION CYCLIN | 1:21:33 | |
| Vanessa Mccaffery (Newfield, NY) | CRYSTAL CITY CYCLING | 1:27:18 | |
| Misty Tilson (Harrisonburg, VA) | PRO TESTED GEAR | 1:28:10 | |
| Joy Adams (Mccall, ID) | SHO-AIR MINNESOTA CY | 1:29:46 |
Women Master 35-39
| Joanne Grogan (Hinesburg, VT) | NESS TEAM NEW ENGLAN | 1:19:50 | |
| Lisa Randall (Canton, GA) | 1:22:13 | ||
| L. Marie Walsh (Fort Collins, CO) | PELOTON-SPECIALIZED | 1:23:47 | |
| Jessica Hill (Joppa, MD) | 1:26:18 | ||
| Jennifer Tillman (Owings Mills, MD) | JOES BIKE SHOP RACIN | 1:26:53 |
Women Master 40-44
| Cassie Smith (Kingwood, WV) | 1:22:18 | ||
| Bryna Blanchard (Troy, NY) | WINDHAM MOUNTAIN CYC | 1:23:07 | |
| Kelly Ault (Middlesex, VT) | 1:24:39 | ||
| Melissa Mertz (Elizabethtown, PA) | 1:29:43 | ||
| Karen Krasley (Coplay, PA) | 1:32:08 |
Women Master 45-49
| Cameron Urban (Kentfield, CA) | 1:23:08 | ||
| Julia Violich (San Anselmo, CA) | BEAR DEVELOPMENT TEA | 1:25:00 | |
| Stacey Barbossa (Mountainside, NJ) | COLAVITA RACING INC. | 1:25:50 | |
| Katina Walker (Tully, NY) | 1:34:23 | ||
| Melanie Black (HOUSTON) | MELLOW JOHNNY’S CYCL | 1:35:19 |
Men Master 30-34
| Andrew Freye (Allentown, PA) | 1:38:49 | ||
| Steve Boniface (Irvine, CA) | BLACKSTAR RACING | 1:40:14 | |
| Nathan Winkelmann (Huntsville, TX) | 1:42:03 | ||
| Matthew Spohn (West Chester, PA) | THE PERFORMANCE LAB | 1:43:18 | |
| Adam Williams (Harrisonburg, VA) | PRO TESTED GEAR | 1:43:23 |
Men Master 35-39
| Jacob Harris (Swanzey, NH) | CREATEX RACING | 1:41:56 | |
| Tyson Kaman (Fort Collins, CO) | PELOTON-SPECIALIZED | 1:41:56 | |
| Mike Oconnor (Coatesville, PA) | 1:42:05 | ||
| Ezra Lusk (Cartersville, GA) | 1:42:44 | ||
| Robert Stine Jr (West Warwick, RI) | NEW ENGLAND CYCLING | 1:42:57 |
Men Master 40-44
| Robert Mccarty (Cooper City, FL) | 1:38:07 | ||
| Gregg Galletta (Dobbs Ferry, NY) | 1:42:50 | ||
| Eric Schofield (Richmond, VA) | BON SECOURS | 1:42:54 | |
| Matthew Boobar (Stratton Mountain, VT) | 1:43:37 | ||
| Thomas Rodgers (Greensboro, NC) | E3: ELITE HUMAN PERF | 1:44:12 |
Men Master 45-49
| Michael Yozell (Emmaus, PA) | KAPELMUUR INDEPENDEN | 1:43:13 | |
| Ben Williams (Stony Point, NY) | 1:43:45 | ||
| Michael Rowell (Bedford, MA) | BELL LAP CYCLING CLU | 1:44:18 | |
| Jerry Garcia (Dona Ana, NM) | 1:45:54 | ||
| Timothy Zimmerman (Jupiter, FL) | 1:45:55 |
Men Master 50-54
| Robert Eichlin (Easton, PA) | 1:44:46 | ||
| Craig Cozza (Presto, PA) | UPMC/ PRO BIKES | 1:45:18 | |
| Greg Turner (Thousand Oaks, CA) | TRIPLE THREAT CYCLIN | 1:46:34 | |
| Donald Seib (Bryant Pond, ME) | BIKEMAN.COM | 1:47:02 | |
| Alec Petro (Duxbury, MA) | CORNER CYCLE CYCLING | 1:47:17
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