DOMINANT PERFORMANCES AT ROCKBURN CROSS

Team Kenda Tire’s Jennifer Maxwell Wins Mason-Dixon Challenge

Press Contact Information: Rockburn Cross

Ken Getchell, Media Director: kenmacpr@yahoo.com; 610-397-1950

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 9, 2007; Conshohocken, PA, USA: The final race of Mid-Atlantic racing season was marked by a little rain, a little mud and a lot of domination. But it was Kenda Tire’s Jennifer Maxwell who walked away the big winner.

The event was the nineteenth and final round of the Mason-Dixon Cyclocross Challenge, a contest to determine the best all-around rider in the Mid-Atlantic based on the most, best finishes in the Elite and Elite Age-Group divisions. At the start of the Elite Women’s race, Maxwell knew she needed a win to take over the lead in the standings before the men took their turn. Betsy Shogren ( FORT Factory Team) dominated the race, but Maxwell did what she needed to do by finishing as the best age 35+ rider and thus scoring the win she needed.

Maxwell’s win took on additional significance when the Elite Men’s race lined up without pre-race leaders Kyle Hammaker, who was reportedly preparing for final exams, and an injured Roger Aspholm. That left only late-season Masters Sensation Dave Weaver (unattached) in contention for the title. Weaver, a former mountain bike pro, returned to bike racing only this year after a several year stint racing motorcycles. Ironically, his only competition for the title had also made a return to racing this year as Maxwell had spent her free time over the past several years teaching in underprivileged communities in Nicaragua instead of training. Weaver had started the day tied for wins with Maxwell. But, unlike Maxwell, he had no second place finishes. This meant he had to win the race and score wins for both the overall win and best 35+ rider in order to take the title.

Weaver was dominant the week before in the Verge MAC races that put him in contention for the Mason Dixon Challenge, so it seemed, at least on paper, that he had a very good chance to take the race win. Unfortunately for Weaver, C3-Sollay.com’s Wes Schempf didn’t read that paper and stormed away from the start to win the race in dominating fashion and clinch the Mason-Dixon Challenge for an elated Jennifer Maxwell.

Behind Schempf, the day’s best race was taking place as Schempf’s C3-Sollay.com teammate Chris Auer dueled with Blair Saunders of Henry’s Bikes for second place overall. The two kept swapping positions with Auer having the upper hand in the technical sections while Saunders had the horsepower. With a third of a lap left to go, Auer dove inside Saunders with a perfectly executed block pass heading toward the barriers. But only a minute or so later, Saunders out powered Auer through a muddy flat section to take the position by a few bike lengths.

After the event, Maxwell announced that she was donating a portion of her Mason-Dixon Challenge winnings to the Christopher Reeves Foundation in memory of her late father, who was paralyzed. For more information, see www.christopherreeve.org.

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