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By John Verheul
Saturday, December 8, 2001 goes down in the annals of the NCC as a day that will live in infamy. This was the first annual NCC club cyclo-cross championship in Nonotuck Park, Easthampton. Riders who were present for the 11:00 AM parade lap and subsequent start were greeted by a calm, overcast sky, and balmy 40 degree weather.
Some riders chose this day to break out "special" cyclo-cross gear. Examples of this were Adam Hodges Myerson in his NCC one-piece ski suit (complete with footsies), John Verheul and Jeremy Powers with their helmet visors worn as a tribute to Mongoose star Todd Wells, and Michelle Kersbergen with her "helmet," or lack thereof. People with Dutch ancestry were allowed to race without a helmet on this special day.
Ailing NCC star Alec Donahue was on hand to officiate, with the always cheerful help and support of the Crowther Family. Ian Modesto, Icon Kersbergen-Modesto, and Beacon Kersbergen-Modesto were the gracious course marshals. Beacon even added extra "course markings" to the already well-constructed parcours. Dogs and bike races are always an excellent match.
As soon as the gun sounded, it was "dark horse" Verheul, a new club member, taking the hole shot and leading for much of the first lap. The only rider to respond was Hodges Myerson, who shared some of the work in the first lap as the two built a lead that would prove insurmountable. Steve Roszko held onto third for much of the first lap until he was overhauled by a storming J.D. Bilodeau, coming back from an early mechanical, an apparent stick in his derailler. Bilodeau was clearly distracted by his impending first date with the mysterious Ms. Holly later that evening. Mercury team mechanic "Steady Dan" Coady rode alone in 5th for much of the race, while a group formed behind him of Jeremy Powers, Kathryn Roszko, Peter Hutchins, and Doug Aspinwall. A second group formed behind that, including Mark West, Brian Geddes, Garth Brown, and Dan Statz (who would later flat). Michelle Kersbergen and Robert Crowther were locked in a tight battle just behind.
By lap 2, it was clear the win would be contested by the Cycle-Smart "brain trust" of Verheul and "My Way" Myerson. While the two settled into a comfortable pace, the attacking soon commenced. One rider would make a short attack, forcing the other to respond. The two eyed each other warily, with not a word exchanged. By lap 3, cagey Myerson was fully warmed up, and began a series of attacks to try to dislodge the tenacious newcomer.
Verheul was quoted later: "it got really tactical on lap 2, but it's always tactical when Adam is there. At least that's what Chris Peck said." Hodges Myerson responded by asking "does my ass look big in this ski suit?"
Regardless of who had the larger ass (Myerson without a doubt), the race came down to the final half lap. Verheul took the lead on the penultimate paved section, looking to lead into the woods. Myerson left a gap looking to take a run at the lead on the inside of two turns in a row, but was denied. Verheul continued to lead down the final descent, up the final run-up, and onto the pavement for the finish with Myerson was glued to his wheel. Myerson accelerated past in the final meters, wowing the substantial crowd with his trademark awkward victory salute.
Several boring minutes later...James Douglas Bilodeau rolled in alone for 3rd place, followed by a self-penalized Steve Roszko (who had ridden around a hurdle and subsequently gapped himself in fairness) and Dan Coady. The tightest sprint to the line was taken by Doug Aspinwall, the first Master, over women's winner Kathryn Roszko for 8th. Unlike some cyclo-cross competitors this season, Doug did not raise his arms after beating Kathryn.
1 Adam Hodges Myerson (My Way/NCC Ski Team) Club Champion 2 Gianni Vertool (Mongoose/Todd Wells Tribute Band) 3 J.D. Boilermaker (JDPU) 4 Steve Roszko (Kathryn.com) 5 Dan Coady (HorseTeef Auctions) 6 Peter Hutchins (Team Kendra) 7 Jeremy Powers (Devolution/Cycle-Smartass) Junior Champion 8 Doug Aspinwall (NCC MVP) Masters Champion 9 Kathryn Roszko (Steve.com) Women's Champion 10 Mark West (GetSmark) 11 Brian Geddes (Zanconato Custom Cycles) 12 Garth Brown (Mixed Salad) Triathlete Champion 13 Dan Statz (NCC) 14 Robert Crowther (NCC) Cub Junior Champion 15 Michelle Kersbergen (NCC) Helmet-free Champion