November 2, 2006 - Cross Results - 2nd and 3rd

Huseby 3rd at Canton Cup Cyclocross, October 29

The annual Canton Cup in Massachusetts is one of the best local races of the cross season. With so few weekends of local races and so many UCI race weekends - this is a joy for more reasons than one. It is only 40 minutes from my house, a major plus, and the course is truly a blast. It is fast and wide open with several technical corners and short steep ups. The course has excellent transitions. It never felt as if they're just throwing something in for no reason.

Matt White and I were the two from Fiordifrutta representing and we knew we would have to battle with Mark McCormack and Jesse Anthony - the ClifBar teammates. Jesse had gone around before the start trying to get us to keep the first few laps easy, but that only lasted so long. Before we knew it the race was off and it was a drag race for the first few hundred meters. Even half way into the first lap, there was still a big group at the front. After 2 laps, we had separated from the rest of the field in a small group of 5. Jesse, Mark, Toby Marzot, Whitey and I were all there. Finally Mark attacked and the four of us kept riding at a similar pace and Whitey soloed across to Mark and left the three of us to fight it out.

Coming into 3 laps to go, we were getting closer and closer to Mark and Whitey. We fought very hard and with an especially hard lap with 2 to go, we caught the two leaders and were back to a group of 5 with one lap to go. Half way through the last lap, Jesse attacked and only Mark could stay with him. This left Toby and I in 3rd and 4th to fight it out as Whitey had gotten a whole wad of grass or maybe it was even twine entwined in his cassette.

White was able to continue, but not at the initial pace he was setting - he was right behind Toby and I. With about 200 meters to the finish line, there was a pit and a couple of sets of barriers. I knew I was stronger than Toby in the finish - so I attacked going into the hurdles and knew I'd come out hot and be ready to finish it all off strong. In the finale, I was third, Toby was just behind me and then Whitey about 15 seconds back.

Peck 2nd at Hardwick Vineyard and Winery Cyclocross, October 28

Chris Peck and Curt Davis lined up in torrential rains that turned an already mountain bike oriented course into a muddy suffer fest. The race in Ashford, CT is known for its technical sections and Davis even decided to start the race on his mountain bike! From the start, Vermont mountain biker Ethan Gilmour jumped away from the front group, leaving Peck to battle with Chris Jones (Target Training) and Dan Cody (NCC).

Gilmour’s technical skills brought him the victory, and Peck, Jones, and Cody traded spots repeatedly after numerous bobbles and falls in the mud. Peck took advantage of two crashes by Cody on the last lap to take second, with Jones in 4th.