Each Monday, throughout the season, VeloNews.com will happily post race promoters' news releases regarding cyclo-cross races from around theU.S. and Canada. Please send releases and results to "Weekend 'Cross Wrap"in care of VNInteractive@InsideInc.com.Promoters are responsible for the content of those releases.

---

2006 BikeReg.com MABRAcross Series “Ed Sander Memorial Cyclocross
Buckeystown, Maryland - Lilypons Water Gardens inBuckeystown, Maryland, is renowned for its expertise in water gardeningand the wide variety of water lilies it grows. It also a beautifulgarden in its own right, and a place of peace and tranquility – exceptthis past Sunday, October 1, when the BikeReg.com MABRAcross series cameto town with 240 crazed dirt racers and ear-splitting rock music.

Carrying the momentum started by last week’s record-buster at the CharmCity Cyclocross in Baltimore, the Ed Sander Memorial Cyclocross alreadyhad a race-record entry by the time pre-registration closed three daysbefore the race. And, many more racers elected to endure the inconvenienceof registering at the race when they saw the weather report.

The race is a memorial for Ed Sander, who was the garden manager atLilypons and an avid racer with the promoting National Capital Velo Club.He died in 2001 following a tragic training accident, and was buried withan NCVC jersey in his casket. The race is a cooperative effort betweenhis former club, his former employer and many, many sponsors to rememberhim and raise money for a scholarship fund that was created for his son,Chris, who is now 12 years old.

After a tribute to Sander and a moment of silence, the day’s featuredevent for Pro/Elite Men took off through the normally peaceful gardensto the backdrop of Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (long version,of course) – which, according to the album’s liner notes would have roughlytranslated to “In the Garden of Eden,” except for the mass quantity ofbeer that had been consumed prior to the actual writing of the song.What could be a more perfect soundtrack for a cyclocross race in a garden!

Suitably inspired, the Pro/Elite Men proceeded to deliver a dramaticknock-down, drag-out battle in three parts. In “round 1”, WestonSchempf (FORT Frames) took the holeshot and quickly attacked the fieldto establish a gap on the field. Only one rider attempted to bridgethe gap, George “Skippy” Menard (Hunt Valley Bicycles/Marathon Roofing).Schempf established a large, but not insurmountable lead while Menard yo-yo’din no-mans land. Behind them, Menard’s teammate, Sean Galegher wasclosing quickly and the duo of last year’s winner Andy Applegate (SonicCyclocross) and Nathan Deibert (Holmes Cycling/BodyLogicTherapy) establishedthemselves as “best of the rest”.

“Round 2” of this heavyweight fight took place on the one portion ofthe track that was out of sight to the spectators. Applegate andDeibert caught Galegher just as Menard rolled a tire. Simultaneously,Schempf blew-up like an over-extended NASCAR engine. With all thepity of Attila the Hun, Applegate and Deibert attacked and the race wasturned onto its head. The final round played out tactically as bothApplegate and Deibert expected the finish to come down to a sprint.“I knew where I wanted to attack, and I knew I wanted to be in front,”said Applegate. The final corner around the Lilypons store and thefinishing straight are both gravel, and the sprint had already startedwhen they got there. Applegate lead-out, Deibert closed -- but inthe end, a screaming Andy Applegate won the Ed Sander Memorial for thesecond year in a row.

Race Notes:Sean Galegher finished in 3rd after riding the last half-lap on a flattire16 year-old Nick Bax (Hot Tubes) finished 4th in the Pro/Elite RaceDiedre “Grasshopper” Winfield (Velo Bella/Kona) won her second consecutive BikeReg.com MABRAcross race in dominant fashion with a two-and-a-half minute lead over last year’s winner Cara McCauley of Cheerwine.Results: Ed Sander Cyclocross
In memory of NCVC member Ed Sander

Men
1. Andy Applegate (Sonic Cyclocross)
2. Nathan Deibert (Holmes Cycling/BodyLogicTherapy)
3. Sean Galegher (Hunt Valley Bicycles/Marathon Roofing)
4. Nick Bax (Hot Tubes)
5. Ryan McKinney (Team Snow Valley)
6. Weston Schempf (FORT*)
7. George Menard (Hunt Valley Bicycles/Marathon Roofing)
8. Andrew Wulfkuhle (ADG/Joe's Bike Shop/C3)
9. Kyle Hammaker (Trek VW/JBL)
10. Stephen De Lisle (FORT Frames)
11. Mark Kutney (Van Dessel Factory Team)
12. Greg Wittwer (FORT Frames)
13. Scott Van Asten (Alan Factory Team,)
14. Bryan Butts (Bianchi/GP/SPBRC)
15. Chris Newell (Hunt Valley Bicycles/Marathon Roofing)
16. Sean Mealey (Hunt Valley Bicycles/Marathon Roofing)
17. Joseph Piccillo (Evolution Racing)
18. Glenn Turner (MLC-BiKyle)
19. Mica Paul (NCVC/Inova Health System)
20. Chris Mayhew (Wissahickon)
21. Erik Leaver (NCVC/Inova Health System)
22. Seek Michael (Human Zoom Cycling)
23. Chris Pickett (NCVC/Inova Health System)
24. Goodwin David (Human Zoom Cycling)
24 starters-24 finishersWomen
1. Dierdre Winfield (Velo Bella/Kona)
2. Cara McCauley (Cheerwine)
3. Marjan Huizing (DC Velo/Martens Volvo)
4. Sonja Evers (NCVC/Inova)
5. Jennifer Bodine (Artemis)
6. Beth Mason (C3/ADG/Joes)
7. Laura Hanlon (FUJI)
8. Jessica Hill (TRails End Cycling)
9. Stephanie Swinerton (Cheerwine)
10. Kelly Yoder (Allegheny)
11. Marisa Peacock (Potomac Velo)
11 starters - 11 finishersClif Bar/Hagens Berman Starcrossed Cyclocross
Redmond, Washington - Record crowds, record beer consumptionand a surprise winner were the most talked about moments at the 2006 ClifBar/Hagens Berman Starcrossed Cyclocross race this year. A totalof about 2500 spectators packed into Redmond Washington’s Marymoor Parkto see some great bicycle racing. The Women’s race was taken by CanadianNational Champion Wendy Simms who overcame a three-way battle for the win.The men’s main event was fast, painful, and exciting and it certainlydid not disappoint the rowdy pumped up crowds who had been feasting onPabst Blue Ribbon in the beer garden all day long.Just a few laps into the race a select group of men pulled away fromthe rest of the field to form the lead freight train that would never lookback. This select group included Andy Jacques-Maynes, Carl Decker,Jonny Sundt, Chris Mcgovern, Dan Neyens, Morgan Schmitt, Geoff Kabush,and Russell Stevenson.Stevenson pinned it from the start with Kabush, Sundt, Decker, and Jacques-Maynestaking short lived attacks and flyers. The surprising move of theday was by 21 year old Dan Neyens of the Hagens Berman CyclocrossTeam who was able to get a significant gap quickly but a late race bobbleended this excellent move.With a few laps to go Decker moved up with an eye on a late charge butJacques-Maynes had other ideas and was able to keep the wily Decker atbay and take the win. Kabush would finish third, Chris Mcgovern fourth,and the resurgent Sundt would finish 5th after spending 3 long days settingup for the event.Men
1. Andy Jacques-Maynes (CalGiant)
2. Carl Decker (Giant Bicycles)
3. Geoff Kabush (Maxxis)
4. Chris Mcgovern
5. Jonny Sundt (Hagens Berman)
6. Russell Stevenson (BenaroyalResearch)Women
1. Wendy Simms (Kona)

---

Each Monday, throughout the season, VeloNews.com will happily postrace promoters' news releases regarding cyclo-cross races from around theU.S. and Canada. Please send releases and results to "Weekend 'Cross Wrap"in care of VNInteractive@InsideInc.com.Promoters are responsible for the content of those releases.