| US National Cyclo Cross Championships
Leicester High School Sponsored by Specialty Racing Products, The Ride Magazine, and the U.S. Cycling Final Results 1. Jan Wiejak (Haro), Washington, N.Y.; 1:02:49 Senior Women 1. Jan Bolland (Volvic PowerBar), Boulder, Colo.; 38:18 Junior Men 1. Tim Johnson (CCB International/Volkswagon), Middleton, Mass.; 44:16 Master Men 45+ 1. Dan Norton (Control Tech/Gregg's Cycles), Seattle, Wash.; 58:02 Master Men 35+ 1. Matt Van Enkevort (Control Tech/Gregg's Cycles), Kirkland, Wash.; 49:58 Master Women 1. Kathy Sarvary (Bruegger's Bagels), Conn.; 42:45 LEICESTER, MASS., Dec. 9 Defending champion Jan Wiejack (Haro), of Washington, N.Y., overtook Mark McCormack (Saturn), of North Easton, Mass., for the Senior Men's stars-and-stripes victory jersey. Daryl Price (Marin), of Durango, Colo., followed in for the bronze medal in a dramatic finish that saw him move up from fifth place in the last lap. McCormack, who is leading New England's 16-race cyclocross series, blasted away from the crowded starting line to take race lead for the first two laps. Wearing a Team Saturn uniform for the first time, local fans chanted his name through the popular run-up areas by the annoucers' stand and pit arena. But Wiejak, a native of Poland who became a U.S. citizen before the 1994 cyclocross nationals, was sure of his own pace. He credited his own consistency with his ability to confidently push through the snow and not slip in the corners to his race-winning tempo. "I just kept my own pace and went through all the corners slow. I knew that to fall I would lose five seconds, and Mark was too close to risk that." Dave Knapp (Control Tech/Gregg's Cycles) rode most of the race in third place, but as the laps passed Swiss rider Leo Windlin and Daryl Price gained ground until they caught him in the last lap. Price made an attack to lead the three, Knapp dropped off, and Price outsprinted Windlin to take third. In the Women's event, Jan Bolland (Volvic/PowerBar), of Boulder, Colo., took the race lead from the start and was never challenged. Bolland, one of the country's best mountain bike racers and a relative newcomer to cyclocross, took the title with 30 seconds to spare, down from a maximum lead of 50 seconds. Last year's champion, Shari Kain (Ritchey), of Half Moon Bay, Calif., caught Laurie Brandt (Ross/Jeep), of Louisville, Colo., just past the Kryptonite hurdles going into the Pedro's pit with one lap to go. In another dramatic sprint, Kain outgunned Brandt for second place. Tim Johnson (CCB International/Volkswagon), of Middleton, Mass., won the Junior Men's race in 44:16 after four riders, including the first rider to cross the line, were disqualified for having failed roll-out. In a testament to New England's development of Junior riders, the top five riders in the category were from the region. Philp Breton of Wells, Maine, was second, and Joshua Thornton (RRCC/Eurotek), of Providence, R.I., was third. Seattle-area teammates won both the Master Men titles. Matt VanEnkevort (Control Tech/Gregg Cycles), of Kirkland, Wash., came from behind to win the Masters 35 race in a time of 49:58, after moving up quickly through the field in the final minutes of the race to overtake Larry Hibbard (Ritchey) of Santa Cruz, Calif., who had led through most of the way. Tom Masterson (World Team), of Fairlee, Vt., who won the title in 1994, placed third. After the race, Van Enkevort said, "In the last stretch down the ballfield, I crashed going around that curve and as I'm sitting there, I'm thinking, 'Second is fine.' But I didn't come here to be second." Dan Norton (Control Tech/Gregg's Cycle) of Seattle, Wash., successfully defended his title in the Masters 45 race. Norton, who was also the promoter of last year's cyclocross championships in his hometown, said "I brought a box of mud with me so I'd feel at home. But I think that i'm going to take home a snowball." The other New England homegrown cyclocrosser to take a title was Kathy Sarvary (Bruegger's Bagels) in the Master Women's race. She won despite a not-complete recovery from a torn calf muscle she suffered in mid-November, which kept her from honing her cyclocross skills in the New England Series. Jeanne Keenan was second, and Robin MacDonald-Foley was third. Not everyone had to stand out in the snow all day to watch the racing. A giant expo area -- held in Leicester Middle School after snow predictions cancelled plans for a huge heated tent in the middle of the race course -- kept cyclocross fans warm and bicycle product manufacturers' booths buzzing. With a mobile Bay Banks ATM machine outside the front door, purchases were strong. After the race and awards, the championship day ended with a rave held at a nearby banquet hall, featuring the fantastic Boston-based bands the Vic Morrows, Vinyl, and Spy. |


