VERGE NECCS HEATS UP IN NOVEMBER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2009
CONTACT:
Jeff Bramhall
Media Coordinator, Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series
(617) 669-5056
jeffrey.bramhall@gmail.com

The domestic cyclocross season begins its home stretch this weekend with the 19th annual Cycle-Smart International at Look Park in Northampton, Massachusetts. Many of the fields in the New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series are still too close for breathing room, while others have some top-notch riders playing catch-up.

The Elite Men’s field has been dominated thus far by Richard Sachs/RGM/Radix rider Dan Timmerman who picked up victories in rounds one and two in Vermont and solidified his position on top by sweeping rounds seven and eight in New Gloucester, Maine. He holds a substantial lead over U-23 leader Luke Keough (Team Champion System), fellow Sachs rider Josh Dillon and Tim Johnson (Cannondale/cyclocrossworld.com).

At the top of the Elite Women’s field is MM Racing’s Maureen Bruno-Roy whose consistency has given her an edge over second place Natasha Elliott (Garneau/Club Chassures/Ogilvy). Each has three wins in the first eight rounds, but Elliott’s absence from the Providence Festival of Cyclocross has cost her dearly.

Like the Elite Men, the U-19 field has splintered, leaving CL Noonan/KAM/Coast to Coast racer Jesse Keough on top with Joshua Lehmann (Sunapee/S&W/Continental Paving) and Nate Morse (Clif Bar Development Cyclocross Team) fighting to get back in the race.

Perhaps the most exciting battle of all has been in the Masters 35+ field where Roger Aspholm (Westwood Velo), Johnny Bold (Corner Cycle) and Kevin Hines (Corner Cycle) have been trading blows all season. Seven of the eight victories and 20 of the 24 podium spots have gone to one of these three. With three weekends left in the series, the three are separated by only twenty points with Aspholm on top, Bold ten points back in second and Hines in third.

Austin Vincent (CL Noonan/KAM/Coast to Coast) and Peter Goguen (Minuteman Road Club) are vying for the top slot in the U-15 Cub Juniors field. These two have locked up the top two steps on the podium in each race this season with Vincent taking the top step five times to Goguen’s three.

A reminder about registration for the Cycle-Smart International, many fields are nearing closure with some already reaching capacity and there is no day-of registration. Pre-registration can be found online at http://www.bikereg.com/events/Register.asp?EventID=9486. Registration will close on Thursday at 5:00 PM ET.

The first ever Cycle-Smart Pick Up Party hosted by New England Bicycle Consulting will take place at Cycle-Smart Headquarters in Easthampton, just four miles from downtown Northampton from 6 until 9 on Friday night. This event will be a low-key celebration of the great sport that is cyclocross and the close-knit community that it fosters. There will be beer, snacks, drinks, music, pro racers and numbers to pick up. The party is free and all are welcome. "Come drink beer, talk to people, get numbers, and get dirty." Details and directions are here: http://www.cycle-smart.com/events/neccs/schedule/csi/news/2009/11/04/cycle-s mart-pick-up-party-directions.

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