October 10/09 15:11 pm - Cross Nationals: U23 Men UPDATES

Posted by Editoress on 10/10/09
 

The U23's are on course.  They will race for 50 min.

It has started to snow and the track has gotten very hard and slippery.  This is causing many crashes as riders are finding it had to get their tires to 'grab' in places.

Lap 1

On the first lap, Evan Guthrie (BC) David Larson (AB) and Simon Lambert-Lemay   (QC) went away and are now clear of the bunch

Lap 2

As they start the 2nd lap the 3 leaders have a gap of 15 seconds on a chase group of 4.  Guthrie is at the front of the lead group setting the pace.

Lap 3

3:15 pm:  Guthrie has been setting a very high pace that his co-leaders are finding hard to match.  Larson has already dropped off and Lambert-Lemay is struggling to keep up and getting dropped on the corners

3:24 pm:  Guthrie is now on his own in the lead and has a 15 second lead on Larson and Lambert-Lemay who are riding together.  Brian Robinson (AB) is 4th but well back.  Larson is having trouble keeping warm, he keeps shaking his hands.

Guthrie is riding his first U23 nationals having just moved up from Junior ranks (he rode Junior at MTB Nationals and Worlds) because the season for cyclocross is starting the 2010 season now.  He will be a U23 for MTB next year as well.

The lap times so far have been ~8:10, the Masters were doing 9 min laps

Lap 4

3:32 pm:  Larson and Lambert-Lemay have been joined by Robinson.  The 3 were working well together, making ground on Guthrie and had brought the gap down to 6 sec, but then a crash by Larson slowed their progress.  Guthrie now has 15 min again

It looks like they will being doing 6 laps, so 2 to go at the end of this on

Lap 5

3:40 pm:  Guthrie's lead is now 20 seconds.  The 3 chasers are still together, so it may be a sprint finish for 2nd and 3rd.  Lambert-Lemay has been having a REAL problem when he has to get off and run - he keeps fgalling down. It appears he is riding with road shoes,  which will give him no grip at all on the slippery ground

Finish

Unofficial

1  Evan Guthrie (BC) Rocky Mountain Bicycles
2  Simon Lambert-Lemay (QC) Ride with Rendall
3  Brian Robinson (AB) CMC/ Bow Cycle
4  David Larson (AB) Pedalhead Roadworks

5 Jared Stafford (ON) Bikesports Racing