2000 Results Results Past winners
Vervecken rules and Bessette emerges as new force on SuperCup circuit
Under an unforgiving autumn sky, a cool mist of reality hit America's best cyclocross riders when World Champion Eric Vervecken of Belgium flexed his muscles at the SuperCup Cyclocross Series opener.
He won with a comfortable gap of 30 seconds over the hometown hero, Tim Johnson (Saturn). The former plaza skate punk from Middleton, Mass., having won the national elite men's champion's jersey last year, dared to draw his sword on the rainbow jersey. Johnson sparred early on, but fell prey to a brutal fourth lap attack by Vervecken.
"I really didn't expect to be the man today," said Johnson, who was the only American capable of going with the Belgian's early surges. "I think with all hometown fans and the great rides I've had here, I dunno, I just went."
"I didn't expect it to be so hard," said Vervecken, noting his surprise at the early counter attacks of Jonny Sundt (K2) and Johnson. After the early shakeout, Johnson clung, and even attacked on, the Belgian draft horse from the town of Herentals.
Closing on Johnson was Marc Gullickson (Mongoose/Hyundai), last year's SuperCup series winner. Gullickson had a bad start, surviving a first-lap hurricane propelled by two-time National Champion Frank McCormack (Saturn). Expecting to set off his brother, Mark, he instead set up Vervecken. After Johnson contained the damage of that barrage, Sundt and Gullickson came up into contact with the leaders. Just off the pace was Mark McCormack.
Vervecken fought to keep the relentless Johnson at bay. Meanwhile the 24-year-old American used his position to keep check on Gullickson. Vervecken won, Johnson second, Gullickson third and Sundt fourth. The race for the fifth spot saw Todd Wells (Mongoose) in his SuperCup debut, mixing it up with both McCormacks and Sten Raeymakers, the highest ranked espoir in Belgium. Finally the McCormack savvy took over, Mark took it with a last-lap attack that put him seven seconds up on Wells, followed by Raeymakers and Frank McCormack.
Women
The starter said, "Go!" and Lyne Bessette went. Like a frightened rabbit, the Canadian road queen fired away from a national caliber field, defeating three-time SuperCup champion Ann Grande (Kona/Voicestream). Bessette, a two-time Fitchburg Longsjo winner and Canadian Olympian, opted against racing the world road championships to relax. Indeed.
She detonated the entire field, leaving Grande to chase, closing to within eight seconds on the final lap but falling short by the finish. "I'm just trying to have some fun," said the soft-spoken Bessette, waving off the thought of competing at the worlds for cyclocross. "Well I was having fun . chasing her," quipped Grande later. After an early scrap between three riders, Carmen D'Aluisio (Clif Bar) pushed forward into third place, followed by Jennifer Nussbaum (Bolla/Bianchi) and local star Emily Thorne (Impella/Cyclocrossworld.com).
In other SuperCup categories, Sten Raeymakers of Belgium won best Under-23 rider, Kathy Sarvary (MidState Velo Club/GearWorlks) won top Masters Honors. Beverly's Jesse Anthony, the junior national champion, crushed a solid field of juniors in his category. Chris D'Aluisio won the men's masters division.
Elite Men (62 starters 11 laps) 1 Erwin Vervecken (Spaarselect) 1.02.45 2 Tim Johnson (Saturn) 0.30 3 Marc Gullickson (Mongoose / Hyundai) 0.52 4 Jonny Sundt (K2) 2.55 5 Mark McCormack (Saturn) 3.24 6 Todd Wells (Mongoose / Hyundai) 3.31 7 Sten Raeymakers (U23) (Goed Verzekerd) 3.41 8 Frank McCormack (Saturn) 3.57 9 Ben Jacques-Maynes (Palo Alto / Bullion) 4.02 10 Peter Wedge (Kona - Voicestream) 4.11 11 Frank Mapel (Yeti / Pearl Izumi) 4.20 12 Justin Robinson (Palo Alto / Bullion) 4.48 13 Johannes Huseby (CCB/Volkswagon/Independent Fabricat 5.05 14 Alex Candelario (Big Shark / Cannondale) 5.41 15 Josh Anthony (U23) (Saturn Development) 5.58 16 Justin Lillie (Trek/Volkswagen) one lap 17 Richard Feldman (Durance Cycleworks) 18 Will Black (Lone Star Racing) 19 Jeff Weinert (Independent Fabrication) 20 Rob Hult 21 Kristopher Auer (LSV/Trek/VW) 22 Jeff Leake (NCC / BikeReg.com) 23 Brandon Dwight (Trek/Volkswagen) 24 J.D. Bilodeau (NCC / BikeReg.com) 25 Justin Spinelli (Saeco) 26 Donny Mills (Wheelworks/Cannondale) 27 Adam Hodges Myerson (BikeReg.com Cyclo-Cross Team) 28 Jeffrey Craddock (CCB/Volkswagon/Independent Fabrication) 29 Shawn McCormack (Saturn) 30 Jon Hamblen (Wheelworks / Cannondale) 31 Christopher Peck (Wheelworks / Cannondale) 32 Geoff Proctor (Montana Velo) Elite Women (22 starters 6 laps) 1 Lyne Bessette (Saturn) 38.48 2 Ann Grande (Kona Voicestream) 0.05 3 Carmen D'Aluisio 1.11 4 jeannette nussbaum (Bolla Bianchi) 1.39 5 Emily Thorne (Cyclocrossworld.com) 1.46 6 Gina Hall (Kona Voicestream) 1.53 7 Mary McConneloug (Jamba Juice) 2.00 8 Shauna Gillies-Smith (Gearworks/SRP) 2.27 9 Christine Vardaros (Jamba Juice) 2.50 10 Rachel Llyod (Team Spine) 3.18 11 Jodi Grosbeck (Putney/West Hill) 3.28 12 Jen Dial (Independent Fabrications) 4.06 13 Heather Szabo (Rocky Mounts-IMBA) 4.24 14 Jennifer Maxwell (Cane Creek) 5.05 15 Kathryn Roszko (BikeReg.com Cyclo-cross Team) 5.15 16 Anna Milkowski (Gearworks/SRP) 5.28 17 Heather Peck (Wheelworks/Cannondale) 5.53 18 Alicia Genest (U23) (Richard Sachs) 6.13 19 Sara Cushman (Gearworks/SRP) 7.53 20 Kerry Litka (Wheelworks/IF) one lap 21 Jenny Olbrich (Wheelworks/Independent Fabrication) Master Women 35+ (7 starters 6 laps) 1 Kathy Sarvary (Mid State Cycling Club) 43.40 2 Susan MacLean (BOB) 0.30 3 Jan Bolland Tanner (Benidorm Bikes) 0.55 4 Elizabeth Coleman (Sobe Headshok) 1.32 5 Yvonne Ilton (Verizon) 2.15 6 Katherine Farago (NEBC/Cycleloft) 7 Margaret Thompson (MVBC / Aegis) Junior Men (13 starters 7 laps) 1 Jesse Anthony (Saturn Development) 44.14 2 John Hanson (NECSA/Coyote Hill) 1.12 3 Konrad LeBas (CCB International) 2.17 4 Chris Hill (NCC / BikeReg.com) 2.28 5 Ben Coleman (NECSA/Coyote Hill) 2.29 6 Matthew Crane (NECSA/Coyote Hill) 2.30 7 Sam Benson (Team Devo) 2.54 8 Art Rand (CCB International) 4.41 9 David Rose (NEBC/Cycle Loft) 10 Kevin Wolfson (NEBC / CycleLoft) 6.40 11 Samuel Smith (Somerset Wheelmen) one lap Master Men 35+ (60 starters 7 laps) 1 Chris D'Aluisio (Specialized) 44.05 2 Scott Wade (Gearworks/SRP) .14 3 Charlie Tarver (HUB OF ASPEN - ASPEN BICYCLE CLUB) 0.47 4 Tim Haitz (syrc) 0.54 5 Gunnar Shogren (Allegheny Cycling) 0.57 6 Paul Curley (Gearworks SRP) 1.35 7 Michael Bernard (Arc en Ciel) 1.36 8 Sam Morse (Mass Bay Road Club) 1.58 9 Timothy Groesbeck (CCB) 2.24 10 Bob Bisson (GearWorks) 11 Bevan Quinn (Putney/West Hill) 3.02 12 Keith Neu (unattached) 3.05 13 James Black (Essex County Velo) 3.07 14 Kevin Vincent (Lone Star Racing Team) 3.26 15 Peter Smuts 3.30 16 Jan Wiejak (Redline) 4.05 17 Tom Stevens (Gearworks) 4.49 18 Doug aspinwall (NCC / BikeReg.com) 4.51 19 Wayne Cunningham (NEBC/Cycle Loft) 4.52 20 Paul Weiss (Portland Velo Club) 5.00 21 Paul Lynch (missing link bicycle club) 5.06 22 Michael Christy (Marianne's) 5.08 23 Donald Vescio (FCC/Net1 Plus) 5.10 24 Jody Dean (Minuteman Road Club) 5.15 25 Dan Collins (BBRC) 5.16 26 Phillip Bannister (Putney / West Hill) 5.22 27 John Mosher (NEBC/Cycleloft) 5.33 28 John Ampe (NEBC/Cycle Loft) 29 Gene Garneau (Mercy Fitness) 30 John Lux (First Capital Velo) 6.21 31 Christopher Shotwell (Team Fiddlehead) 32 James Carrington (BOB) Men B (90 starters 7 laps) 1 Phil Noble (Airborne) 43.41 2 Brian Astell (CCB) 0.58 3 Aaron Millett (essex county velo) 1.17 4 Christopher Chin (All American Bicycle Club) 1.43 5 Matthew Hersey (Liquid Motion) 2.02 6 Troy Michaud (Eurotek) 2.08 7 keith gauvin (benidorm) 2.10 8 Eugene Ruiter (BOB) 9 Michael Shore (BOB) 2.26 10 Steve Roszko (NCC / BikeReg.com) 2.42 11 Tim Gilbert (NHCC/ S&W Sports) 2.55 12 Mike Umbrell (Minuteman Road Club) 3.06 13 Daniel Coady (NCC / BikeReg.com) 3.08 14 Ted Donofrio (Benidorm) 3.17 15 Matthew Stridler (Bicycle Alley) 16 Sean Sullivan (ECV) 3.24 17 Christopher Hensel (RC Cola / Cheerleaders) 3.28 18 Christopher Cyr (Portland Velo Club) 3.32 19 Jean Paul Derosiers (AFD ) 3.37 20 Art Trapotsis (NEBC/Cycleloft) 3.41 21 Mark Donahue (Southern Me. Cycling Club) 3.44 22 John Morrell (Corner Cycling) 3.58 23 Robert Courtemariche (EBCC) 4.02 24 Alex Aitken (ATA Cycles) 25 John Meerse (Buffalo Bicycling Club) 26 Eric Goodson (Boston Road Club) 4.11 27 Matthew Manna (NEBC) 28 Byron Holt (BRC) 4.17 29 Jay Thomas (CCB) 4.40 30 Matthew Bell (Airborne) 4.43 31 John Legere (Benidorm/ Eastern Bloc Cycling) 5.04 32 Jamie Belchak (Killington) 33 Robert Kramer (Mass Bay Road Club) 34 Jason Suderman (Wheelworks) 5.10 35 Matt Wilson (The Bicycle Link) 36 Joe Rodrigues (cyclonauts) 37 Samuel Wheeler-Martenis (CCB International) 5.14 38 Pete Sonkas (Cyclesmith) 5.2 39 Jeremy Krupat (Test Pilot - Verge) 5.23 40 Alan Starrett (Bikeman/Bath Cycle) 5.32 41 Steven Whitehead (Mohawk Valley) 42 David Krattli (PBS Racing) 5.54 43 Michael Cole (Landrys) 6.05 44 Derek Hilton () 6.11 45 Jonathan Murray (DreamBikes) 6.18 46 Ian Modestow (NCC / BikeReg.com) 6.22 47 Ethan Parsons (NCC/Bikereg.com) 48 Todd Crisafulli (Boston Bicycle Club/Community Bike) 6.26 49 Richard Battaglia (Southern Maine CC) 6.3 50 Greg Montello (ECV) 6.44 51 Craig Jaeger (Cyclesmith) 6.48 52 Andrew Mills (Trek VW) 6.5 53 Nik Andersson () 7.02 54 David Katz (Boston Road Club) 55 Daniel Abbe (Mountain City) 7.06 56 Jeff Gauthier (GMBC/Excite/Smartfuel) 57 Scott Collins (team casterama) 7.11 58 Euclides Amado (Stedman) 7.19 59 Robert Luebbers (GMBC/Excite/Smartfuel) one lap 60 Christopher Owen (NCC / BikeReg.com) 61 John Buster (Putney) 62 Shaun Berry (Farina s) 63 Joel Dexter (Bikeman/Bath Cycle) 64 Tim Guilbeault (Providence Velo) 65 Malcolm Toynbee (NEBC/Cycleloft) 66 Shawn McDonald () 67 Ryan Themig (Boston Bicycle Club/B2C) 68 Anders Larson (Liquid Motion) 69 Zac Daab (Seven) 70 Matthew Crews 71 Andrew Parsons (BRC/Vintage) 72 Michael Bertinger (Knapps) 73 Ian Everard 74 Mike Salvatore (seven cycles) 75 Mark Arrington (BRC/Vintage, etc./ATA cycles) 76 Jose Martinez (Boston Bicycle Club/Community) 77 Steven Bonadio (NEBC/Cycle Loft) 78 Vincent Galullo (Boston Road Club) 79 Gregory Prodanas (essex county velo) 80 Daniel Klein Collegiate Men (10 starters 7 laps) 1 David Werling (Uconn) 45.25 2 Michael Cody (Universiry of Vermont) 0.16 3 Joseph Alachoyan (University of Massachusetts Amherst 1.53 4 Pete Martel (University of Massachusettes) 2.36 5 David Sachs (Universiry of Vermont) 4.56 6 Aron Kansal (JWU) 5.09 7 Edward C. Parsons Jr. (Yale University) 6.30 8 Matt Montros (Universiry of Vermont) one lap 9 Mark Robson (Uconn) Beginner Men (30 starters 4 laps) 1 Marvin Wang (Boston Road Club) 28.03 2 David Schachte (Team Hawaiian) 0.07 3 David Keefe (Boston Bike) 0.23 4 Larry Beheucourt (CCB) 0.30 5 Joshua Bardige (CCB International) 0.33 6 Michael Sherlock 0.43 7 Michael Weh 0.52 8 Carson Thoreen 0.56 9 Robert Bauer (Minuteman road Club) 2.08 10 Dave Alden 2.25 11 Leo Kolshorn (3D / HP) 2.35 12 Jeffrey Guy (Alleghany Cyclery) 2.50 13 Bruce Thompson (Minuteman Road Club) 3.00 14 Brian Bicki (Team Hawaiian) 3.08 15 Paul Brais (Team Hawaiian) 3.15 16 Daniel Hurley (BRC) 3.20 17 Dan Tieger (ECV) 3.36 18 Tim Lucia (NEBC/CycleLoft) 3.37 19 Billy Whitcher (NHCC) 3.47 20 Jason Arcelay (NEBC/Cycleloft/EMC) 4.37 21 Benny Ma (Bennetts Bicycles) 5.17 22 David Lafond (Northeast Bicycle Club/CycleLoft) 5.50 23 Rod Mitchell 5.51 24 Mark Powers 6.36 25 Doug Saab (Crank Racing) one lap 26 Ken Bonanno Beginner Women (8 starters 4 laps) 1 Michele Smith (Wheelworks/IF) 33.33 2 Joanne MacAyeal 0.24 3 Michelle Kersbergen (NCC / BikeReg.com) 0.38 4 Melissa Smith (Wheelworks/IF) 0.44 5 Kathleen Shaw (Verizon) 1.03 6 Abby Keiser (Farinas) 1.10 7 Susanna Whitcher (NHCC) 8 Martha Wilson Cub Junior (5 starters) 1 Charles Marzot (Corner Cycle Cycling Club) 2 Matt Beriau (Bike Alley) 3 Robert Crowther (NCC / BikeReg.com) 4 Christopher Clements (Hamilton) 5 Sean Verrinetz (Hamilton) Courtesy of PEP Results
Men 2000 Mark McCormack (USA) Women 2000 Anne Grande (USA)