Cyclocross: MAC # 6 - Beacon Cross UCI C2
Mary McConneloug dominates for solo win. Weighall - Broderick Duel to the finish...

Mid Atlantic Cyclocross Series # 6
Beacon Cyclocross
Bridgeton, New Jersey

The Beatles could have provided the soundtrack fro MAC’s Beacon Cyclocross today. Seattle’s Nick Weighall (California Giant Strawberries - Specialized) outdueled Mike Broderick to win the UCI Elite Men’s division on the long and winding roads through the woods of Bridgeton, New Jersey’s Central Park. Meanwhile, Mary McConneloug might well have been singing “You Say Hello, I Say Goodbye”.

McConneloug and Broderick (KENDA-Seven-NoTubes) were once regulars on the MAC circuit, but this was there first visit since 2004. It gave lots of people a chance to say “hello”. But once the Elite women’s race started, it was simply a case of “goodbye” as McConneloug went to the front and rode away. It was a stacked Women’s field, with defending MAC champion Laura Van Gilder and perennial front runner Dee Winfield of C3 Athletes Serving Athletes, 2008 MAC champion Mo Bruno-Roy (MM Racing presented by Seven Cycles) and proven race winners Arley Kemmerer (Hub Racing), Jennifer Maxwell (ATAC Sportwear present by The Bike Rack) and Carolyn Popovic (guest riding for the promoting Beacon-Cape Atlantic club), among others.

“This is a fast and smooth race course, which I love,” said McConneloug afterward. “But I knew I had to pin it from the start.” Pin it she did, winning by over a minute. Behind her, the race looked more like an Australian Pursuit, with Bruno-Roy and Van Gilder time-trialing to second and third place, respectively.

As happy as she was with her first cyclocross victory of the season, it paled in comparison to the excitement McConneloug exhibited as her husband, mechanic, manager and teammate Mike Broderick dueled with Nick Weighall for his first win of any sort in a number of years.

Unlike the women’s race, the men stayed together for several laps before the first selection was made when Swiss rider Valentin Scherz (Pro Cycles-Scott- Newwork) crashed. The early morning misty rain compacted the sandy soil of the park’s network of single-lane roads, making for perhaps the fastest conditions ever for the annual race. Riders found themselves in pacelines on the winding roads.

Weighall, frustrated with the lack of effort by some in the large lead group, attacked. Broderick went with him and the two worked together to establish a gap that proved insurmountable. Though working together just enough to maintain their lead of the chase group, the two still were able to engage in one of the most intriguing duels of the year, especially in the area surrounding the venue’s signature obstacle: the two-story high “Amphitheater of Pain” run-up.

Like McConneloug, Broderick was using a tubeless set-up based on Stan’s No-Tubes 29er wheels and Kenda clincher tires, and was able to consistently pass Weighall on the sketchy outside line on the approach to the amphitheater run-up, and then hold it on the short, twisty woods section leading into the final turn leading onto the long, paved, uphill finish straight.

This final turn started with a short, steep dirt drop through deeper sand before transitioning onto asphalt as it bent 180 degrees onto the finish straight. It was here that the Weighall – Broderick duel was at its most spectacular. On the fourth lap, Broderick took a wide approach, stuck his leg out, heaved his bike to the side and rocketed away from Weighall. This happened several more laps, before Weighall decided he’d had enough and duplicated the line.

For the next three laps, the two riders rocketed and raced through this corner legs out and bike hung way over like speedway motorcycle racers. With little more than two laps to go, Weighall was able to take the line away from Broderick on the amphitheater approach.

“I have short legs, and he was able to run away from me up the steps,” said Broderick afterward. Weighall, realizing that Broderick suddenly wasn’t next to him, literally ran away from Broderick who was never again able to make contact.

Behind them, the battle for third came down to a sprint with Battley Davidson’s Ryan Dewald holding off Cycle Smart’s Adam Myerson for the third step on the podium after a race-long battle that also included Jonny Sundt and Adam McGrath.

Win or lose, though, Sundt figures to be an important part of Sunday’s MAC Cat and Kitten Cross presented by HPCX in Jamesburg, New Jersey -  the race is also the official, if belated, reception party for Sundt’s marriage to former Elite racer Mandy Lozano.
MAC Series

Elite Men's Results
1 26 Weighall Nicholas California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized
2 16 Broderick Michael KENDA-Seven-NoTubes 1
3 25 Dewald Ryan Battley HARLEY-DAVIDSON 1
4 12 Myerson Adam Cycle-Smart PRO
5 22 sundt Jonny ElGato PRO
6 3 McGrath Adam Team Thule/Van Dessel U23 PRO
7 1 Scherz Valentin PRO CYCLES-SCOTT- NEWWORK U23 PRO
8 21 livermon travis Champion System / Cannondale U23 1
9 2 nelessen guillaume Van Dessel Factory Team 1
10 8 Wulfkuhle Andrew C3-Athletes Serving Athletes 1
11 29 Townsend Jerome BikeReg.com / Joe's Garage / IF U23 2
12 24 Wittwer Greg ALAN North America Cycling Team 1
13 20 Dombrowski Joseph Haymarket Bicycles/Home Visit U23
14 9 Schempf Weston C3-Athletes Serving Athletes 3
15 13 Wyatt Nathan Carolina Fatz pb Santa Cruz Bicycles PRO
16 4 Kincaid Stephan Champion System/Cannondale 1
17 18 Visinski Rickey Echappe Equipment Elite Team PRO
18 23 Buckles Jeffrey ALAN 1
19 19 Driscoll Adam Adventures For the Cure 2
20 6 Elliston Bill Van Dessel Factory Team 1
21 30 Adams Zach C3-Athletes Serving Athletes U23 1
22 15 Burns John Bikeman.com
23 7 cummings stephen Indiana Regional Medical Center 1
24 10 Stubna Mike Indiana Regional Medical Center 2
25 14 Bradley Patrick Rutgers University Cycling Team U23 2
26 31 pronovost hunter Cheshire Cycle Racing - cyclistsarenotrockstars.com
27 5 Ford Bradley South Mountain Cycles 2
DNF 28 Keough Jake Team Champion System U23 1
DNF 17 Kahlenberg Jordan Breakawaybikes.com/Giant Bicycles 2
DNF 27 Keough Nicholas Team Champion System U23 2
dns 11 Fitzpatrick Kirt Sexual Camel 1

Elite Women's Results
1 13 McConneloug Mary KENDA-Seven-NoTubes
2 12 Bruno-Roy Maureen MM Racing p/b Seven Cycles
3 3 VAN GILDER LAURA C3 Athletes Serving Athletes
4 8 Winfield Deidre C3 - Athletes Serving Athletes
5 10 Gavin Kristin
6 15 Carey Amanda Kenda/Trainwitheric.com
7 11 MAXWELL JENNIFER ATAC Sportswear p/b Bike Rack DC
8 7 kemmerer arley Hub Racing
9 16 webber lauri Secret Henry's Team
10 18 Pipes Lenore unattached
11 6 MASON BETH Verge Test Pilot
12 5 Church Kristine Human Zoom/ Pabst Blue Ribbon
13 14 Grim Diane C3 - Athletes Serving Athletes
14 19 Luebbe Andrea Human Zoom / Pabst Blue Ribbon
15 9 Singerman Jessica Wissahickon
16 1 Most Lisa Wissahickon/Engin Cycles

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