December 17/00 3:16 am - 'Cross World Cup #4, U.S. 'Cross Nationals Story

Posted by Editor on 12/17/00
 

World Cup 'Cross #4 - Zolder, Belgium

Men

1 Sven Nijs (Bel) Rabobank 1:02:53
2 Petr Dlask (Cze) Czech Republic at 0:05
3 Bart Wellens (Bel) Spaar Select 0:08
4 Tom Vannoppen (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 0:15
5 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) Rabobank 0:28
6 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) RVS Liege 0:58
7 Arne Daelmans (Bel) Den Tip Vorselaar
8 Dominique Arnould (Fra) both s.t.
9 Beat Wabel (Sui) K2 Pro Flex 1:30
10 Kipcho Volckaerts (Bel) Jonge Renners 1:42
11 Peter van Santvliet (Bel) Spaar Select
12 Luca Bramati (Ita)
13 Mario De Clercq (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites
14 Jiri Pospisil (Cze) Czech Republic
15 Wim De Vos (Ned) Spaar Select
16 Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabobank
17 Kamil Ausbuher (Cze) Czech Republic
18 Roland Schatti (Sui) GS Mephisto Romers
19 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Mez Team
20 Bjorn Rondelez (Bel) Spar-Oki
21 Roger Hammond (GBR) Collstrop
22 Vaclav Jezek (Cze) Czech Republic
23 Henrik Djernis (Den)
24 Camiel Van Den Bergh (Ned) Van Vliet-Weba
25 Thomas Frischknecht (Sui)
26 Christian Heule (Sui) Post Swiss Team
27 Valeriano Vandelli (Ita)
28 Gretenius Gommers (Ned) WTC Woerden
29 Tadeusz Korzeniewski (Pol) Ekolog
30 Thomas Bonne (Den)
31 Radomir Simunek (Cze) Czech Republic
32 Igor Tavella (Ita)
33 Marc Janssens (Bel) Palmans
34 Stephen Knight (GBR) Great Britain
35 Robert Glajza (Svk)
36 Stephane Toffoletti (Ita)
37 Tobias Nestle (Ger)
38 Michael Baumgartner (Sui)
39 Matthew Ellis (GBR) Great Britain at 1 lap
40 Marek Cichosz (Pol) at 1 lap
41 David Derepas (Fra) Phonak at 1 lap
42 Tommy Nielsen (Den) at 1 lap
43 Pavel Medved (Svk) at 1 lap
44 Francis Mourey (Fra) at 1 lap
45 Jens Reuker (Ger) at 2 laps
46 Pawel Cierpikowski (Pol) at 2 laps
47 Daniusz Gil (Pol) at 2 laps
48 David Collins (GBR) at 2 laps
49 Radoslaw Czapla (Pol) at 2 laps
50 Vaclav Metlicka (Svk) at 2 laps
51 Gusty Bausch (Lux) at 3 laps
52 Christian Wasmer (Ger) at 2 laps

Standings after # 4

1 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) Rabobank 205 points
2 Bart Wellens (Bel) Spaar Select 173
3 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) RVS Liege 150
4 Mario De Clercq (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites 148
5 Petr Dlask (Cze) Czech Republic 123
6 Tom Vannoppen (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 110
7 Sven Nijs (Bel) Rabobank 106

Women

1 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Farm Frites-Hartol
2 Daphny van den Brand (Ned) 0:56
3 Louise Robinson (GBR)


U.S. 'Cross Nationals - Kansas
(courtesy Patrice Quintero, USCF)

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (Dec. 16, 2000) - Frigid temperatures and 30 mph winds in Overland Park, Kan., Saturday couldn't stop cyclists Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Tim Johnson (Middleton, Mass.). Dunlap claimed her fourth-consecutive 2000 U.S. Cycling Federation National Cyclo-cross Championship elite title, while Johnson claimed his first elite championship.

Dunlap now goes into cycling history as the only woman to win four national cyclo-cross titles in a row. The Team GT rider also ranks as the second-most winningest cyclo-cross champion, male or female, behind Laurence Malone (1975-79 champion).

Saturday's races were threatened by weather conditions that forced the delay of the morning amateur and junior races by 90 minutes. By the women's 1 p.m. start, the sun managed to break through for a short time, shedding some light on the headliner races of the day.

Dunlap made easy work of the women's field, taking the lead by the end of the first lap. SoBe/HeadShok rider Carmen Richardson (Bethel, Conn.) had a jump start in the opening lap, but crashed later.

"I knew in order to do well, you had to be the first or second person in the single track section. I was behind Carmen in that single track, but she crashed and I punched it. Every time I hit a flat section, I just poured it on, especially in the head wind. I knew this was where I could pick up time, and I didn't take any chances in the corners," said Dunlap, who most recently finished seventh at the 2000 Olympic mountain bike race in Sydney, Australia.

Going into Saturday's race, one of Dunlap's toughest challengers was Kona rider Ann Grande (Seattle). By the end of lap two, though, Dunlap already had 15 seconds on Grande, with the Colorado native doubling her lead by the end of lap three.

"It was weird race," Grande said. "Knowing the ground was frozen, I kept telling myself 'stay smooth'. I knew if you went down, it could cost you the race. The biggest thing was the wind. It was blowing so hard that I'd come around a corner, and it would just stop me."

Late in the race, U.S. Olympic resident-athlete Rachel Lloyd (San Anselmo, Calif.) made a charge for Grande, but the Sycip/Novo rider couldn't bridge the gap and settled for third. At the end, Dunlap was happy to have the race behind her.

"I was really nervous this morning. I was trying to win four national titles in a row. If I'd finished anything less than first, I would have been disappointed. It's big relief to have it over. I'm thrilled," Dunlap said.

The men's race proved to be one of the closest cyclo-cross national races in its 26-year history. Friendly rivals, Johnson and Mongoose rider Marc Gullickson (Boulder, Colo.) had been going back and forth all year in the SuperCup Cyclo-cross Series. Both riders were familiar with national cyclo-cross glory. Johnson won two under-23 national titles, while Gullickson won the elite title last year.

Johnson had the advantage of his Saturn teammates Mark McCormack (N. Easton, Mass.) and Bart Bowen (Albuquerque), while Gullickson rode solo. All four riders were clumped together for more than half of the race. Also in the lead group was Kansas local Steve Tilford (Topeka), Dale Knapp (Tacoma, Wash. - Kona) and Alex Candelario (Boulder - Verge). Candelario gave pursuit, but was the first to drop off after a crash.

Gullickson attempted an early attack, but to no avail.

"I got the lead early on. That's what I did last year, and that's what I wanted to do here. But I washed out and crashed in the first lap or two. I took me about three laps to get back up there, and I wasted a lot of energy," said Gullickson.

Johnson and Gullickson did manage to break off together toward the end of the race, putting a sizeable gap between themselves and the field. In the end, though, it was Johnson who had it in him.

"With these kind of conditions, I couldn't put the power to the ground. I'd slide a little bit and just keep sliding," Johnson, who will skip February's world championship in Europe to concentrate on his 2001 road cycling training. "Only the best, strongest and most confident racers could be in the front out there today, and I think that was Marc and I."

Gullickson was disappointed with the loss, but was glad to have put on a good show for the crowd.

"I'm satisfied. Tim is a great racer, and he deserves it. If someone was going to beat me, it was going to be him," Gullickson said.