November 22, 2004 – The USGP of Cross rolled down the eastern seaboard to
New Jersey with races in the south and Bridgeton and northern Jersey in
Highland Park. With an overall title on the line on Sunday, the races were
especially close and extremely exciting.

Saturday’s event was a fast course with plenty of running and a brutal
stair-step running section. Series leader Maxxis-Giant’s Geoff Kabush held
a slim seventeen-point lead over challenger Ryan Trebon (Kona). At the gun,
Trebon immediately shot to the front of the group with Todd Wells
(GT-Hyundai) in tow. These two stayed away for the first third of the hour
until Wells crashed and dropped his chain, losing his advantage and
getting caught >from behind from the quickly closing group. Trebon
remained on the gas, increasing his gap on each lap. The chasing group of
Wells, Kabush, Barry Wicks (Kona) and a distant Marc Gullickson (Redline)
worked hard together with the exception of Wicks who did his duty to
protect his teammate up the road. With only 2 laps remaining, the race was
clearly for the second podium position and the valuable series points.
Trebon took the win with Kabush attacking the group at a half lap and
riding solo to the silver medal. The final rostrum position ended in a
sprint between Wells and Wicks with the GT-Hyundai rider taking the spot on
the line.

Highland Park was doused in rain for the duration of the weekend creating
extremely sloppy, muddy and slow conditions. The course was likened to a
grass pasture criterium although the morning’s amateur events decimated the
course and created mud troughs throughout much of the parcours. Geoff
Kabush maintained a seven point lead on Trebon meaning the Maxxis-Giant
rider needed to finish within one spot of Trebon and someone else won the
race. On the start, Barry Wicks (Kona) took a flier hoping to string out
the event and reduce the pressure on his teammate Trebon. The chase group
soon came together with Trebon, Kabush, Wells, Mark McCormack (Clif
Bar-Colavita), Adam Craig (Maxxis-Giant) and Andy Jacques-Maynes (Sierra
Nevada) joining Wicks. Constant pressure at the front began to whittle
away at the group with Trebon, Kabush and Wells rolling off the front.

At the midway point of the race, Wells and Trebon accelerated away from
Kabush who began his chase in no-mans land. The Canadian maintained his
position for much of the race until Wicks launched away from the second
chase and began a march forward in hopes of gerrymandering the points in
favor of the Kona squad. A hard charging Craig attempted to cross the gap
to his teammate and aid in the chase of a disappearing Wicks. Craig just
made contact, rolled to the front and towed his compatriot for the bulk of
a lap. With only two to go, it was evident that series leader Kabush would
be relinquishing his leaders jersey to former teammate Ryan Trebon. At
the line, Wells took his first major victory of the season with Trebon in
second and Wicks in third. Adam Craig crossed the line in sixth spot,
Kabush in eighth and Jonny Sundt in eleventh.

Race Results
Bridgeton, NJ USGP #5

1. Ryan Trebon – Kona
2. Geoff Kabush – Maxxis-Giant
3. Todd Wells – GT-Hyundai
5. Adam Craig – Maxxis-Giant

Highland Park, NJ USGP #6
1. Todd Wells – GT-Hyundai
2. Ryan Trebon – Kona
3. Barry Wicks – Kona
6. Adam Craig – Maxxis-Giant
8. Geoff Kabush – Maxxis-Giant
11 Jonny Sundt – Maxxis-Giant