TOP RACERS DESCEND ON NORTHAMPTON FOR CYCLE-SMART INTERNATIONAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2009
CONTACT:
Jeff Bramhall
Media Coordinator, Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series
(617) 669-5056
jeffrey.bramhall@gmail.com

With the flurry of last-minute registration done, the fields for this weekend’s Cycle-Smart International will showcase some of the best cyclocross racers from the United States and beyond. At the close, over 1150 racers will be coming out to Northampton, MA for rounds nine and ten of the Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series.

In the UCI Elite Men’s field, Richard Sachs/RGM/Radix rider Dan Timmerman will have to bring his A game both days to hold on to his series lead. Cannondale/cyclocrossworld.com teammates Jamey Driscoll and Jeremy Powers, both of whom are having outstanding seasons, will be vying for the top step on the podium. Not to be outdone, pro mountain biker and 2008 Olympian Adam Craig of Team Giant will be making his first New England cross appearance since 2006. U-23 series leader Luke Keough (Team Champion System) will be looking to improve on his second-place behind Timmerman in Maine and to extend his series lead over Jerome Townsend (bikereg.com/Joe’s Garage/IF).

The UCI Elite Women draw a similarly powerful field. Series leader Maureen Bruno-Roy (MM Racing) will have her hands full, trying to extend her lead over Canadian powerhouse Natasha Elliott (Garneau/Club Chaussure/Ogilvy). Mary McConneloug (Kenda/Seven/NoTubes) will continue her return to domestic cyclocross with a trip to Northampton. McConneloug is coming off her first win of the season at Beacon Cross last weekend and with three second place finishes in Verge Series races this year, she is sure to come out firing. Also making her return to New England is C3/Athletes Serving Athletes racer Laura Van Gilder, who is sure to take a stab at victory on the fast Cycle-Smart International courses.

In other action, the three-way battle on top of the Masters 35+ field will resume as Johnny Bold (Corner Cycle), Kevin Hines (Corner Cycle) and current series leader and national champ, Roger Aspholm (Westwood Velo) are all slated to appear. The U-19 race will showcase the rivalry between Jesse Keough (CL Noonan/KAM/Coast to Coast), Joshua Lehmann (Sunapee/S&W/Continental Paving) and Nate Morse (Clif Bar Development Cyclocross Team). In the U-15 cub juniors, Austin Vincent (CL Noonan/KAM/Coast to Coast) and Minuteman Road Club’s Peter Goguen will likely continue their dominance and duel for the top two steps of the podium.

Not to be slept on, the Cycle-Smart Pick Up Party is going to happen on Friday night at six pm at the headquarters of Cycle-Smart and New England Bicycle Consulting in Easthampton, only a few miles from downtown Northampton. Beverages have been generously donated by Ramadon’s Package Store in Three Rivers, MA. In addition, there will be cyclocross videos, snacks, friendly faces, race numbers, pros and podium girls. Details, including directions and witty banter can be found here: http://www.cycle-smart.com/blog/2009/11/04/hey-yo-did-ya-get-a-numbah.

The Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series will continue in Northampton, MA on Nov 7, Sterling, MA on Nov 28, and the series finale in Warwick, RI on Dec 5.  This year series is generously supported by Verge Sport, makers of fine cycling clothing and products since 1993; by Cycle-Smart, purveyors of personalized cycling coaching and solutions for riders across the country; by BikeReg.com, the official online registration service of the NECCS; by Paul Weiss Photo/Video, the official photographer of the NECCS, by October Handmade Bicycles, and by Ryders Eyewear.  You can visit these sponsors and get more information on the series by going to the web at http://www.cycle-smart.com/neccs.

2009 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Schedule:

• Green Mountain Cyclo-Cross Weekend – September 26th and 27th – Williston, Vermont
• Great Brewers Grand Prix of Gloucester – October 3rd and 4th – Gloucester, Massachusetts
• Providence Cyclo-Cross Festival – October 10th and 11th – Providence, Rhode Island
• Downeast Cyclo-Cross – October 24th and 25th – New Gloucester, Maine
• The Cycle-Smart International – November 7th and 8th – Northampton, Massachusetts
• Bay State Cyclo-Cross – November 28th and 29th – Sterling, Massachusetts
• NBX Grand Prix – December 5th and 6th – Warwick, Rhode Island