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Bessette, Johnson tops in Stedman 'cross
Picking up where they left off two weeks ago, the wife-husband duo of LyneBessette (Cyclocrossworld.com) and Tim Johnson (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com)won Saturday’s W.E. Stedman Grand Prix in South Kingston, Rhode Island,the sixth round of the 2006 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-CrossSeries.
Less than 20 miles from the site of next week’s U.S. national Championships,the penultimate Verge NECCS race went to form, with Bessette dominatingthe Elite Women’s field and Johnson forming an early breakaway and thensoloing in for the Elite Men’s win.On a dry afternoon with temperatures hovering in the high-30s, Johnsoninitiated a strong early move with U.S. National Champion Todd Wells (GT),Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly), and Matt White (FiordiFrutta). The quartetrode well together with White the first to come off. An acceleration byJohnson eventually dropped Wells and Powers and it was clear sailing forthe defending Verge NECCS champ. Powers came in for second with Wells fillingout the podium.Strong start and it stayed that way
As she has done all year in the Verge NECCS races, Bessette set a witheringpace from the gun and never looked back. Even with other regional championsin attendance – recently crowned Verge Mid-Atlantic champ Deirdre Winfield(VeloBella-Kona) and Oregon Cross Crusade winner Rhonda Mazza (Vanilla-S&M)– Bessette showed no mercy in chalking up another win. Winfield took secondwith Mazza coming third.With her fourth win in as many starts Bessette regained the Elite Women’sleader’s jersey, helped in large part by former jersey holder MackenzieDickey (Verge) recording a DNF. The Elite Men’s race tightened considerablywith White (FiordiFrutta) clawing to within 5 points of Series leader MarkMcCormack (Clif Shot) going into the final race. McCormack lost the overalltitle to Johnson in 2005 on the final day of the Series.The seven race series wraps up Sunday with Caster’s Cyclo-cross in Warwick,Rhode Island.
W.E. Stedman Grand Prix, Verge NECCS Round #6
December 9, 2006. South Kingston, Rhode IslandMen
1. Tim Johnson (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com)
2. Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly)
3. Todd Wells (GT)
4. Matt White (FiordiFrutta)
5. Mark McCormack (Clif Shot)
6. Tristan Schouten (Trek-VW-Michelin)
7. Justin Spinelli (RGM Watches-Richards Sachs-Rex Chiu)
8. Johannes Huseby (FiordiFrutta)
9. Matt Kraus (Alan Factory)
10. Eric Tonkin (Kona)Women
1. Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.Com)
2. Deirdre Winfield (Velo Bella-Kona)
3. Rhonda Mazza (Vanilla-S&M)
4. Maureen Bruno Roy (Independent Fabrication-Wheelworks)
5. Christine Vardaros (Lotto-Bodysol)
6. Rebecca Wellons (Gearworks-Spin Arts Cycling)
7. Anna Milkowski (Velo Bella-Kona)
8. Melanie Swartz (Velo Bella-Kona)
9. Betsy Shogren (FORT Factory Team)
10. Cris Rothfuss (NEBC-Cycle Loft)
