Held under sunny but cool conditions, the seventh stop of the Southern Cup cyclocross series provided an opportunity for riders to fine tune their form in advance of Saturday’s National Cyclocross championships. The 3km course featured a sand pit, one set of double barriers, a couple of run-ups, a half corkscrew, and some off-camber sections.
Sand Pit Makes The Difference
Leigh Hobson (The Hub Race Team) led at the start of the Elite Women’s race, but Bietola soon took over and held a five second gap at the end of the first lap. A further 15 seconds back was Briana Illingworth (True North) followed by Lapdogs teammates Julie Marceau and Christiane Knobbe.
Hobson dug deep and regained Bietola’s wheel as the pair entered the 20 metre-long sand pit for the second time. Bietola flawlessly powered through the sand but Hobson bobbled slightly, providing her adversary with a gap she wouldn’t relinquish for the remainder of the race. “I had just caught back on to her,” recounted Hobson “and then I was like, okay this is good and then…. the sand. Sometimes you make it and sometimes you don’t and she got another gap and I don’t think I had anything left to try and catch her again.”
Race Notes:
With two wins in as many weeks, Bietola is excited about ‘cross nationals: “I’m looking forward to it. I think I will have a good race next weekend. I’ve been training lots for it so I’m expecting to have a good race.”
Two Master Women riders were in the Halloween spirit. Michelle Cordy (HBCC) was dressed as the Jolly Roger, complete with cutlass in hand. “ARRRR!” She kindly doled out skull and crossbones cookies after the race. Sandra Deegan (Novofit) took to the course in a yellow and black Uma Thurman Kill Bill outfit.
Local Rider Dominates
With the national championships less than a week away, Watson felt a hard ride was necessary to bring his form to its peak. The 28-year old from nearby Craighurst got the holeshot, shifted into high gear and rode away from the Elite Men’s field, winning with a gap of more than three minutes. “I really wanted to blow the legs out for next Saturday before nationals” he explained. “I went out pretty hard right from the start and just tried to make myself hurt as much as possible. I could have maybe gone a little easier and played things a little more tactically but I just wanted to get a really good hard ride in today and really test myself going into next weekend.”
After one lap he had a 30- second lead over Peter Morse (Jet Fuel/La Bicicletta) and Peter Mancini (Esteemtraining.com). Chasing that pair were Mark Brusso (Lapdogs), Bretton Matthews (Total Sports/The Bike Shop) and Tim Carleton (Rideallday p/b Real Deal).
After two laps Watson had nearly doubled his advantage, while Morse had gapped Mancini by 15 seconds. Morse kept the pressure on to secure second place. “It was a tough race, the guys were always within 20 or 30 seconds behind so I had to always check over my shoulder and see where they were,” he said. “If they got close I’d just try and go faster. I always try and save something for the last lap, which I kind of needed today ’cause the guy almost caught me on the last lap. In the last minute of the race I had to drill it.”
With the first two positions seemingly assured, a battle royal ensued for the podium’s third step. Brusso, Matthews and Carleton swept up Mancini and the quartet swapped positions for the rest of the race.
The youngest of the bunch was Matthews but he managed to judge his effort to perfection and was rewarded with a third-place finish. “I started off a little slower, kind of ramping it up and speeding up as the laps went by,” said the 18-year old from Midland.
Mancini finished in fifth and admitted to having made a critical error: “I put in a hard dig with about four to go. I was up in third place and had a good gap and yeah, I think I might have gone a bit too hard with too many laps left.”
Race Notes:
Contrary to Watson’s approach, a number of the usual suspects were not in attendance, presumably saving themselves for Saturday’s big race. Zach Hughes (Norco Factory Team) was at Hardwood pre-riding the course but didn’t take the start.
Results
Beginner Men – 11km – Average Speed 16.5km/h
1. Niles Vaivars (Independant – CMU23.4) 0:39:54
2. Nathan Poulton (Independent – CME.4) 0:25
3. Christopher Kozanczyn (Barrie Cycling Club – CME.4) 0:49
4. Jody Brown (Independent – CME.4) 5:21
5. Michael Clark (Independent – CME.4) 6:31
6. Brett Liersch (Hamilton Cycling Club – CME.4) 7:29
7. Scott Packham (Team Silent Sports – XME.S) -1 lap
Under 17 Men & Women – 11km – Average Speed 16.9km/h
1. Connor Nevin (Independent – CMU17) 0:38:57
2. Stefan Milosevic (Chain Reaction/ Molson 67 – CMU17) 1:59
3. Siobhan Kelly (Coachchris.ca/Multisportzone – CWU17) -1 lap
4. Roland Stimpfig (Esteemtraining.com – RMU15) -1 lap
5. Charlotte Creswicke (Independent – RWU13) -1 lap
6. Skye Follas (Esteemtraining.com – RWU13) -1 lap
Under 15 Men – 8.25km – Average Speed 12.0km/h
1. Roland Stimpfig (Esteemtraining.com – RMU15) 0:41:25
Under 17 Women – 8.25km – Average Speed 12.7km/h
1. Siobhan Kelly (Coachchris.ca/Multisportzone – CWU17) 0:38:53
2. Charlotte Creswicke (Independent – RWU13) 3:55
3. Skye Follas (Esteemtraining.com – RWU13) 4:27
Under 17 Men – 11km – Average Speed 16.9km/h
1. Connor Nevin (Independent – CMU17) 0:38:57
2. Stefan Milosevic (Chain Reaction/ Molson 67 – CMU17) 1:59
Master 3 Men – 11km – Average Speed 16.2km/h
1. Steve Smith (Evolution Cycles – CME.4) 0:40:46
2. Chris White (Esteemtraining.com – CMMB.3) 0:08
3. Rob Macewen (Lapdogs Cycling Club – CMMA.3) 0:21
4. Murray Wood (Velocity Cycle And Ski – CMMC.3) 0:21
5. Martin Grimes (Railcity Race Team – CMMB.3) 0:21
6. Stephen Gregory (Independent – CMMB.3) 0:25
7. Trevor Rickwood (Sudbury Cycling Club – CMMB.3) 1:11
8. Brian Rogers (Independent – CMMB.3) 1:21
9. Chris Eckart (Independent – CME.4) 1:29
10. Robert Massicotte (Cyclepathmarkham.com – CMMC.3) 1:38
11. Stephen Chester (Darkhorse Flyers – CMMB.3) 2:32
12. Pary Bell (Darkhorse Flyers – CMMB.3) 2:44
13. Sam Cohen (Canadian Cycling Magazine – CMMB.3) 2:54
14. Mark Montgomery (Lapdogs Cycling Club – RMM.3) 4:21
15. Anthony Whetham (Impala Bicycles – CMMB.3) 4:51
16. Ernest Muzzatti (Pedal Performance Cycling Club – CMMA.3) 5:08
17. Orrin Bowser (Barrie Cycling Club – CMMB.3) 5:09
18. William Packham (Lapdogs Cycling Club – CMMC.3) 5:10
19. Mark Buckaway (Vitess Racing Club – CMMB.3) 6:23
20. Chris Raynor (Newmarket Eagles Cc – CMMA.3) 6:31
21. Richard Pickering (Midweek Cycling Club – RMMA.3) 6:39
22. Don Perry (Newmarket – CMMC.3) 7:09
23. Simon Sharpe (Independent – CMMA.3) 7:40
24. Francis Morrow (Independent – CMMD.3) 8:30
25. Barry Cox (Independent – CMMB.3) 9:28
DNF Jan Kocemba (Impala Bicycles – CMMD.3)
DNF Peter Demos (Muskoka Cycling – RMM.3)
DNS Stephen Corriveau (Independent – CMMA.3)
DNS Don Gilroy (Beaches Cycling Club – CMMC.3)
Master Women – 16km – Average Speed 18.2km/h
1. Lori Kofman (Chain Reaction/ Molson 67 – CWMB) 0:52:44
2. Rachael Mirvish (Wild Bettys – CWMA) 0:51
3. Michelle Cordy (Hb Cycling Club – CWMA) 2:00
4. Leslie Greene (Chain Reaction/ Molson 67 – CWMB) 8:38
5. Tammy Simmons (Trek Store Cycling Club – RWMA) -1 lap
DNF Sandra Deegan (Novofit Cycling Solutions – CWMB)
Junior Men – 16km – Average Speed 20.0km/h
1. William Elliott (Blacktoothgrin – CMJ) 0:47:54
2. Adam Jamieson (Team Hardwood Trek – CMJ) 1:47
3. Tommy Waldeck (Shorthills Cycling Club – CMJ) 3:13
4. Morgan Macphee (Soigneur Race Services Race Te – CMJ) 9:59
Master 2 Men – 16km – Average Speed 20.6km/h
1. Jamie Sprules (Chain Reaction/Molson 67 – CMMA.2) 0:46:41
2. Bob Bergman (Canadian Cycling Magazine – CMMB.2) 0:21
3. Brad Hunter (Lapierre Canada – CMMA.2) 0:25
4. John Provart (Chain Reaction/ Molson 67 – CMMA.2) 1:10
5. Adrian Jackson (Independent – CMMB.2) 1:11
6. Michael Cranwell (Lapdogs Cycling Club – CMMB.2) 1:12
7. Mark Sugita (Independent – CMMA.2) 1:57
8. Peter Kofman (Chain Reaction/ Molson 67 – CMMC.2) 1:57
9. Edmond Mellina (Lapdogs Cycling Club – CMMB.2) 2:09
10. Andrew Rucklidge (Wheels Of Bloor – CMMB.2) 2:09
11. Christopher Strahm (Cycles London Racing Team – CMMA.2) 2:22
12. Bob Tomsic (Canhear Uganda – CMMA.2) 2:48
13. Remi Laroche (Independent – CMMA.2) 2:55
14. Kevin Tearle (Team Chch – CMMA.2) 3:09
15. Brien Ross (Total Sports The Bike Shop – CMMC.2) 3:14
16. Hugh Hill (Esteemtraining.com – CMMB.2) 3:19
17. Giles Marshall (Chain Reaction/ Molson 67 – CMMC.2) 3:41
18. Shawn Conlon (Cyclocrossracing.com – CMMB.2) 3:54
19. Rob Cheskey (Cyclepath Oakville Race Team – CMMC.2) 4:06
20. Mark Macdonald (Total Sports – The Bike Shop – CMMC.2) 4:06
21. Ron Spencer (Velocity Cycle And Ski – CMMC.2) 4:12
22. Chris Yeates (Cycle Solutions/Angry Johnny’s – CMMB.2) 4:17
23. Jeff Ker (Kurzawinski Coach/ Six S Erp C – CMMB.2) 5:00
24. Thomas Mackay (Independent – CMMC.2) 6:17
25. Mark Herbst (Racer Sportif/Mattamy Homes – CMMC.2) 7:17
26. Scott Enns (Lapdogs Cycling Club – CMMB.2) 8:23
DNF Don Macphail (Cycles London Racing Team – CMMB.2)
Elite Women – 16km – Average Speed 19.1km/h
1. Laura Bietola (3 Rox Racing – CWE.2) 0:50:20
2. Leigh Hobson (The Hub Race Team – CWE.1) 0:26
3. Julie Marceau (Lapdogs Cycling Club – CWE.3) 1:58
4. Briana Illingworth (True North Cycles – CWE.2) 2:31
5. Christiane Knobbe (Lapdogs Cycling Club – CWE.1) 4:56
6. Annie Foreman-Mackey (Team Chch – CWE.3) 7:12
7. Elyse Nieuwold (Elyse Nieuwold – RWE.3) 8:51
Master 1 Men – 22.4km – Average Speed 21.7km/h
1. Jon Barnes (Trek Canada Mtb Team) 1:02:03
2. Paul Greene (Chain Reaction/ Molson 67) 0:35
3. Ed Makarchuk (Sound Solutions) 0:48
4. Mark Pagell (Independent) 0:57
5. Graham Tutti (Red Truck Bear) 1:18
6. Edgars Apse (Darkhorse Flyers) 2:19
7. Stephane Marcotte (Darkhorse Flyers) 3:12
8. Brian Kelly (Nacsworld.Com) 3:44
9. Graham Jones (Sweet Petes) 3:57
10. Paul Reinis (Lapdogs Cycling Club) 4:31
11. Kevin Watson (Sound Solutions) 4:50
12. Chris Wood (Sound Solutions) -1 lap
13. Glenn Cameron (Sound Solutions) -1 lap
14. James Bongard (Sound Solutions) -1 lap
Elite Men – 22.4km – Average Speed 23.3km/h
1. Andrew Watson (Norco Factory Team) 0:57:48
2. Peter Morse (Jet Fuel Coffee/ La Bicicletta) 3:47
3. Bretton Matthews (Total Sports The Bike Shop) 4:16
4. Timothy Carleton (Rideallday.Ca Cc P/B Real Deal) 4:32
5. Peter Mancini (Esteemtraining.Com) 4:56
6. Mark Brusso (Lapdogs Cycling Club) 4:57
7. Colin Busby (Chain Reaction/ Molson 67) 7:17
8. Scott Fitzgerald (Lapdogs Cycling Club) 7:17
9. Matt Zdriluk (Primary/Sram/Trek) 8:38
10. Greg Marshall (Hb Cycling Club) 9:33
11. Alan Reain (Lapdogs Cycling Club) -1 lap
12. Adam Poll (Waterloo Cycling Club) -1 lap