October 31/04 10:27 am - Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross

Posted by Editoress on 10/31/04
 

Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross - Round 4 ˆ Michelob ULTRA Gran Prix of Gloucester Gloucester MA, Sunday, October 31st
Courtesy Jack Beaudoin

Ryan Trebon (Kona) exorcised his own personal demons on a Halloween Sunday at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, winning Round 4 of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross. Having come close to winning this race on his last two visits, Trebon battled back from adversity all day to hold off a hard-charging Geoff Kabush (Maxxis-Giant) in a tight, two-up sprint in the Michelob ULTRA Grand Prix of Gloucester. Todd Wells (GT-Hyundai) finished just behind the duo, having been the day's major animator.

Trebon, who finished second to Kabush yesterday, said he clearly benefited from the warm sunny conditions that prevailed ˆ just the opposite from the blustery rainstorm that visited Gloucester 24 hours earlier, when Trebon let victory slip from his grasp by bobbling nearly every slick corner.

This time, Trebon left little to chance, leading out on the uphill, paved finish and holding off a hard-charging Kabush.

"It was so dry and fast today," Trebon explained after the race. "I was at 110 percent for the entire race. I was a little surprised Geoff didn't come around because I was spent∑ I was surprised I could hold a straight line coming into the finish."

It was a race of attrition. Trebon, Wells and Kabush were all well placed on the first lap, and were quickly joined by Jonny Sundt (Maxxis-Giant), Mark McCormack (Clif Bar/Colavita Olive Oil), Andy Jacques Maynes (Clif Bar), and another half-dozen racers. One favorite conspicuously absent from the leaders was Italian national champion Daniele Pontoni, who finished the first circuit 30 seconds down and continued to lose more time on each lap. After a bad day on Saturday, Pontoni told guest commentator Tim Johnson (Jittery Joe's) that he had "bad legs."

In contrast, Trebon had great legs, constantly attacking the group with huge efforts that ultimately forced Jacques-Maynes, then Sundt, and then McCormack off the pace. Perhaps the only other rider who could match Trebon's pace was Redline's Marc Gullickson, who fought back desperately from a bad start to join the leaders. But the effort took its toll on the Boulder rider, as he spent the last three laps losing and regaining contact with the Wells-Trebon-Kabush trio.

On the last lap, it was anybody's race, as Wells and Trebon alternated attacks, trying to shake Kabush. "Todd and I have raced together for a long time, and since Kabush won yesterday, we tried to work him over," Trebon conceded.

"Todd and Ryan were giving me the 1-2 punch," Kabush agreed. "I could match most of it, but Ryan was the strongest today."

A mountain biker, Kabush looked like an old road pro as he and Trebon lined up for the sprint, having gapped Wells. "I got in his draft," Kabush laughed, "but he kept accelerating all the way to the line."

With his second place, however, Kabush strengthened his hold on the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross leader's jersey. Maxxis-Giant team director Eric Wallace said the plan had been to try to set up Adam Craig for the win today, but the 23-year-old from Maine had a miserable day, plagued by mechanicals, crashes and all sorts of ghoulish bad luck.

"Kabush is our leader from here on out," Wallace said.

TRICK, NOT TREAT FOR HALL

In the elite women's field, Kona's Ann Knapp finished off a difficult Gloucester double by repeating Saturday's victory with a second win. For the first half of the race, however, Knapp looked to be in serious difficulty as Cyclocrossworld.com's Gina Hall lit the course on fire. But unwilling to back off, Hall crashed heavily into Gloucester's sand pit, lodging her front brake lever into her world. Worse than the damage to her bike was the blow she sustained to her head.

"It took about a lap to sort things out," Hall said. "I had to figure out what I had hurt. And I hurt just about everywhere."

The fall cost Hall her 30-second lead, and she dropped about 20 places behind a lead group of Knapp, Velo Bella rider Barbara Howe, Sven Cycles rider Mary McConneloug and British national champion Louise Robinson. Although she fought valiantly to come back, Hall could manage no better than fifth on the day.

"I think she definitely would have won today," Knapp said of Hall. "I don't think I would have caught her. You saw how quickly she came back after the crash, and I think she was hurt pretty badly."

"I felt great today," Hall said. "When I woke up this morning, I felt I was going to have a great day."

McConneloug finished second in a sprint with Knapp ("Neither of us are great sprinters," Knapp conceded), while Robinson, who was all but anonymous on Saturday, completed a gutsy ride to finish third.

After four rounds, Kabush leads the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross standings, with 154 points. A resurgent Gullickson is second with 120 points, while Trebon leaps into third with 107 points to Craig's 104. Mark McCormack is sitting fifth with 103 points.

Knapp bypassed Hall to take the women's lead, 14 points ahead of her rival and 74 points ahead of Vanilla/S&M rider Rhonda Mazza.

In the U-23 series, Matt White (NCC-BikeRef.com) holds the leaders jersey, while Jesse Anthony (Cyclocrossworld.com) sits in second and Zach Grabowski (TIAA CREF/Clif Bar) is in third.


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