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Bend Cross Series Race #5
Bend, Oregon, November 30, 2003
Tucker escapes after King tumbles
By Brad Cockman
Race number five of the series greeted the racers with the most challenging course set to date. Light rain kept the usually dusty course hard and fast and the possibility of snow was a non-factor due to the unusually high temperatures in Central Oregon. There was a healthy turnout due to the upcoming Cyclocross National Championships in Portland and the lack of any other major races in the area.
The A race saw a battle brewing between Bike Gallery's Troy Tucker and series leader Mark King of Sunnyside Sports. It wasn't until the fourth lap that Tucker was able to get away after King mis-judged a bunny hop of the double barrier section near the start/finish, sending him tumbling over the bars. Tucker increased his lead over the final four laps, while King, bloodied from the mishap, soldiered on to keep the second position. Sunnyside's Mike Schindler rounded out the final podium spot taking third.
Fifteen racers lined up for the B race that saw every kind of bike combination imaginable. Moustache handle barred 'cross bikes, single-speeds and a road bike sans knobbys drew the line for this event. Sunnyside's Karen Kenlan rocketed off to an early lead, but first through the start/finish was Compass Commercial's Jake Norris on his road bike. Luckily for Jake there was not a lot of mud to gum-up the works. Eventually, Half-Fast Velo's Wade Goff, riding a single-speed, would take over the lead and never relinquish it. Nathan Spear of Fred Meyer moved up from fifth to second, and roadie Jake Norris would hang on to take third.
The C race battle was between Brian Englen and Tony Hobkirk. The duo would play cat-and-mouse throughout the four lap race with Englen eventually putting a small gap on Hobkirk. He held this gap all the way to the finish for the win. Hobkirk was second, followed by Sunnyside's Mike Pulzone a not-to-distant third.
The final race of the series will be held Sunday, December 7th barring a major snowstorm that would bury the course and the following weekend the US National Championships will make its way to Portland International Raceway thanks to Club Vivo and OBRA. It's been a healthy season of 'cross in the Pacific Northwest!
Results
Category A 1 Troy Tucker (Bike Gallery) 2 Mark King (Sunnyside) 3 Mike Schindler (Sunnyside) 4 Greg Talbert (Sunnyside) 5 Wade Goff (Half-Fast Velo) 6 Greg Miller (Compass) 7 Brian Spears (Half-Fast Velo) DNF Shawn MacDonald Category B 1 Wade Goff (Half-Fast Velo) 2 Nathan Spear (Fred Meyer) 3 Jake Norris (Compass) 4 Greg Canfield (Hutch's) 5 Brian Spears (Half-Fast Velo) 6 Don Leet (Sunnyside) 7 Carson Miller (Hutch's/Pearl Izumi) 8 Wade Beauchamp (Vulture Cycles) 9 Karen Kenlan (Sunnyside) 10 Joanne Stevenson (Sunnyside) 11 Jon Waldow (SKV) 12 Therese Waldow (Unattached) DNF Matt Plummer DNF Jim Juenger DNF Tracy Smith Category C 1 Brian Englen (Unattached) 2 Tony Hobkirk (Unattached) 3 Mike Pulzone (Sunnyside) 4 Brian Jorgensen (Century Cycles) 5 Erik Jorgensen (Century Cycles) Women 1 Karen Kenlan (Sunnyside) 2 Joanne Stevenson (Sunnyside) 3 Therese Waldow (Unattached) Juniors 1 Carson Miller (Hutch's Pearl Izumi) 2 Brian Jorgensen (Century Cycles) 3 Erik Jorgensen (Century Cycles)
