Novermber 8, 2005 - Two Wins

This week’s news has Johs Huseby winning his first cross race of the year, Hamblen continuing his winning ways in North Carolina, and Matt White and Michael Cody posting another couple of podium results at UCI cross races. There are also more pictures of Peck’s wins in Gloucester, MA here and here.

Huseby Wins Putney Cyclocross, VT, November 6th

Putney is one of the oldest and longest running cross races in New England and where it all started for me. I grew up several miles away and worked here growing up – so there is a special place in my heart for this race…and I got to bring our one month old son for his first Putney experience! Diane and I had arrived at my mother’s house Saturday afternoon and I went on a short ride to prepare for the race on Sunday. When we got to the race on Sunday, it was overcast and gloomy – but no rain – this was a good thing. Rob Hult was parked right next to us and I knew this would make for a great race. When there is the opportunity for teamwork – it makes it that much more rewarding.

The West Hill folks had added some new terrain to the course this year which made it particularly fun – there is even a small BMX track now behind the shop where they included a big jump! The race started and I took the hole shot, overly anxious to deliver on my home course. I led for the first lap and realized I had a crew of follower’s right behind. 2 laps in after Rob had also taken a turn at the front – we both sat up as it was not our job to tow these guys around for the rest of the race.

Right then John Hanson, from Nerac attacked very ferociously and I jumped right on his wheel. He kept the pressure on for a whole lap and I just sat there waiting for the right opportunity. The next lap, just over the long run-up, Rob was in front and Hanson and a rider from Garneau were just in front of me, and the Garneau rider dropped his chain! Hanson got stuck behind and Rob took advantage – as did I. We accelerated hard and created a gap immediately. Hanson fought hard from behind and looked to be gaining on us several times, but we once again put the gas on and stretched our lead to almost 1 ˝ minutes by the end. I took the win with Hult right behind – a great showing for Fiordifrutta!!!

White and Cody 2nd and 3rd at Lower Allen Classic, November 5th
VERGE Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross Championship Series Round #5 - UCI Cat 2 Lower Allen Twp Park, PA

A beautiful day greeted us on Saturday morning after having our cyclocross season to date resembling a wet, cold mess. The course laid out by the promoter resembled the World Cornering Championships course, which meant that mistakes would not be tolerated in the outcome of the race.

An opening prologue lap with almost no corners helped sort everyone out and soon it was Barry Wicks, Tyler Johnson, and Michael Cody as a lead group with Matt White patiently waiting in the second group. A weakening of Tyler Johnson and consequent surge by Wicks left Cody hanging in no man's land between the Wicks and the chase group which included Matt White, Troy Wells, Ryan Leech, Joshua Snead. A bobble by Wells gave White and opportunity to surge across the gap to Cody and the two took off in pursuit of Wicks and hoping to distance their rivals. Trading pulls through out, White and Cody held Wicks to a 30 second lead until the remaining 3 laps where the pair focused on locking up 2nd and 3rd places ahead of a charging Troy Wells who took 4th.

White and Cody 4th and 6th at Highland Park, NJ, UCI Cat 2, November 6th

Another September like day with tempe in the 70's in November graced our 2 man team of Matt White and Mike Cody. After a single lap to learn the simple dry, flat, and predominantly straight course, the boys lined up on the front row as usual and blasted out of the start gates. Barry Wicks and Ryan Trebon took a substanial lead in the first lap, with White attempting to bridge the gap, he had just made it when one of them attacked again forcing White to settle for the second group. With Cody settled into a group containing 3 TIAA Cref riders they brought back White and quickly went to work on him. White responded to the an attack by Troy Wells and the two become the second group. Wind forced the two riders to work together as neither one could execute an attack which lasted more than 30 seconds. Behind Cody pushed the pace to drop Zak Grabowski, and leave him only Ben Turner to fight it out with. In the final lap White played his last card, to sit on hope that big sprinting Cody would come back. Cody nearly latched on when Wells went full throttle capitalized on the better line in the sprint and was able to take 3rd by an inch, leaving White with 4th. Cody's sprint against Ben Turner was a mirror image giving him 6th.

Hamblen Wins NC Cyclocross Series Race #3, Crossing the Creek, November 6th

Burlington, NC, on another 70-something degree sunny day: can it get any better than North Carolina? Yes, it could have been 95 degrees, Jon's favorite temperature for racing, but it was only 73 and there was racing to be done... Fiordifrutta's Hamblen lined up wearing his long sleeve skinsuit, in order to fight the chilly 73 degree air. His plan was to defend his NC Cyclocross series leaders socks. From the whistle Jon and Savage Hill rider Mark Hekman took the lead and established a gap. The two riders traded pulls for about eight laps then Hamblen attacked through the start/finish area and got away clean. Jon rode hard the remaining four laps to take his third NC Series race in three weeks.