This report filed December 11, 1999

By Bryan Jew
VeloNews associate editor

Team GT's Alison Dunlap held off a stiff challenge from a strong women's field at the Saturn USCF National Cyclo-cross Championships to take her third national title in a row, but Marc Gullickson (Boulder Denver Couriers-VooDoo) ended three years of dominance by the McCormack brothers by winning the men's national championships at the Presidio in San Francisco on Saturday.

The day began with world champion Matt Kelly (Trek-Volkswagen) repeating as junior national champion. Kelly bided his time until the third lap of the seven lap race, and then attacked to take the lead ahead of Justin Thompson (Devo), Walker Ferguson (Devo), Alan Obye (Team Grimace) and Toby Swanson (Rad Racing NW). Kelly's move was decisive. The rainbow-clad junior held off the challenge of Thompson and beat the SuperCup leader by 35 seconds.

In the junior women's race, Alicia Genest (Richard Sachs) took an early lead over Magen Long (Specialized) and Allie Warfel (Team Grimace) and then rode comfortably at the front to take the national title. Long was second, taking the junior 10-15 national title.

Following the juniors came the main events -- the elite races -- and the men and the women didn't disappoint the thousands of bell-ringing spectators that packed the Presidio venue on a sunny day.

The women's race started with a bang, with two-time national champion Shari Kain (RLX Polo Sport) going to the front and gassing it. Her blistering start opened up the race, as only Dunlap and Ann Grande (Redline) remained on her wheel by the end of the first lap.

For the next three laps, Dunlap and Grande waged an epic battle, trading off the lead, back-and-forth as they tested each other for weaknesses on the tight, twisty course. Grande tried to press her advantage on the course's one long run-up, but Dunlap stayed with her, stride-for-stride among the din of the crowd, while Kain dangled just behind them.

With five laps to go, Dunlap made her move, attacking on the courses longest paved section and opening up a gap. Grande held it at five to 10 seconds, but could never close in once Dunlap had taken the lead.

Dunlap took her third straight title, beating Grande for the second year in a row. Kain held on for third, while Rachel Lloyd (Gary Fisher-Saab) and Carmen Richardson (Wheelworks-Cannondale) rounded out the top five.

The men's race saw Gullickson go on the attack early, chased by Tim Johnson (CCB-Pedros-Independent Fabrication) and the familiar Saturn trio of Bart Bowen and Frank and Mark McCormack.

Gullickson made a bold move on the third lap, with 45 minutes still to race. The Coloradan attacked the course savagely, out of the saddle at every opportunity, but still never managed a lead of more than 12 seconds over Johnson, who has spent the fall racing the World Cup circuit in Europe.

Behind, Saturn kept up the chase, but on the tight course, their usual teamwork was neutralized, and they couldn't cut into Gullickson's lead. Late in the race, Bowen left the McCormack's to chase Johnson, and caught Johnson on the final lap.

But their was no catching Gullickson, who continued a amazing season that has seen him win two SuperCups, and now the national championship.

On Sunday, Gullickson will try to maintain his slim lead over Bowen in the finals of the SuperCup series, which will take place at the same Presidio venue.

SATURN USCF NATIONAL CYCLO-CROSS CHAMPIONSHIP. San Francisco, California.

Elite men:
1. Marc Gullickson, Boulder Denver Couriers-VooDoo;
2. Bart Bowen, Saturn;
3. Tim Johnson, CCB-Pedros-Independent Fabrication;
4. Mark McCormack, Saturn;
5. Frank McCormack, Saturn;
6. Pete Webber, Independent Fabrication;
7. Damon Kluck, Real Wheel-VooDoo;
8. Justin Robinson, Real Wheel-VooDoo;
9. Travis Brown, Trek-Volkswagen;
10. Dale Knapp, Kona.

Under-23 men:
1. Tim Johnson, CCB-Pedros-Independent, 1:07:02;
2. Damon Kluck, Real Wheel-VooDoo, at 2:10;
3. Andy Jacques Mayne, UC Berkeley, at 3:18;
4. Benjamin Jacques Mayne, The Spokesman, at 3:26;
5. Jed Sheckler, The Valley-GT NW, at 3:27.

Elite women:
1. Alison Dunlap, Team GT, 43:50;
2. Ann Grande, Redline, at 0:15;
3. Shari Kain, RLX Polo Sport, at 0:49;
4. Rachel Lloyd, Gary Fisher-Saab, at 2:02;
5. Carmen Richardson, Wheelworks-Cannondale, at 2:08;
6. Ruthie Matthes, Trek Volkswagen, at 3:10;
7. Kathi Riggert, Independent Fabrication, at 3:10;
8. Gina Hall, Clif Bar, at 3:26;
9. Candy Angle, Bicycle Link, at 3:39;
10. Jodi Groesbeck, at 3:48.

Junior men:
1. Matt Kelly, Trek-Volkswagen, 46:41;
2. Justin Thompson, Devo, at 0:35;
3. Toby Swanson, Rad Racing NW, at 0:39;
4. Alan Obye, Team Grimace, at 0:40;
5. Dustin Rademacher, CRCA-Hot Tubes.

Junior men 10-15:
1. Jesse Anthony, Essex County Velo, 49:46;
2. Ang Sheldrake, Cody Racing, at 1:19;
3. Chris Hill, Essex County Velo, at 1:29;
4. Joshua Geweirtz, NECSA-Richard Sachs, 2:11; 5.
Aaron Bradford, at 2:30.

Junior women: 1.
Alicia Genest, Richard Sachs, 46:00;
2. Allie Warfel, Team Grimace-Fuji, at 1:31;
3. Alice Pennington, at 2:29;
4. Megan Elliott, ABO Cycle Club, at 2:59;
5. Sarah Uhl, Richard Sachs, -1 lap.

Junior women 10-15:
1. Magen Long, Specialized, 53:36.

This report filed December 10, 1999

By Bryan Jew
VeloNews Associate Editor

Day one of the 1999 Saturn USCF National Cyclo-cross Championships in San Francisco took place on a cool, sunny day at the Presidio on Friday, and seven national champions were crowned.

The big winner on the day was Team Redline, which took three national titles: men 40-49, men 50-and-older and women 30-39. Katie Blincoe was the first of the three winners, in the masters women’s race, where she took the lead at the start and rode away from the rest of the field. Blincoe has had an up-and-down season while battling anemia, but finally put it all together for the national championships. "I finally had a set of legs," she said.

In the women’s 40-and-older race — run concurrently with the 30-39 race — New Hampshire’s Jodi Groesbeck not only dominated her own race, but caught all of the 30-39 field except for the top three: Blincoe, Wanda Howlett and Elizabeth Coleman. Groesbeck powered to an easy win over Kathy Sarvary.

The men’s 40-49 and 50-and-older saw Redline’s Tim Rutledge and Dan Norton sweep the jerseys. Rutledge jumped out to an early lead and held off Scott Wade (Gearworks) and Larry Hibbard (Cane Creek), while Norton beat out Thomas Regan (Charles Schwab) to take the win.

The early masters races gave a hint of what was to come later in the day.

With nearly 100 riders on the course, and with Rutledge and company turning lap times of just over five minutes, the race was a constant stream of riders, with racers being lapped within the first 15 minutes of the race.

The fast times continued in the collegiate races, where Alex Candelario (Colorado) and Nicole Amaral (Cabrillo Community College) rode to the wins.

Defending champion Candelario sported the stars-and-stripes, unaware of the rule prohibiting that in a national championship. He jumped out to a big early advantage, but his race turned rocky when he crashed into a lapped women’s racer, who had fallen in front of him. That allowed challengers Andy Jacques-Mayne (UC Berkeley), Justin Marchacos (Fort Lewis) and Jackson Stewart (Los Gatos) to regain contact. But soon it was Candelario and teammate Brian Hludzinski getting a gap, and when Hludzinski dropped his chain late in the race, Candelario went on to the win.

Amaral had a much smoother ride than Candelario. Picking her way through many of the slower men, Amaral built up a solid lead, and even a dropped chain on the last lap wasn’t enough to jeopardize her win over Lisa Matlock.

The final championship race of the day was definitely the craziest. With 150 starters, the men’s 30-39 contest quickly devolved into a mess of lapped riders strung out over the entire length of the just-over-one-mile course.

At the head of the race, Kevin Merrigan (Otis Guy), Steve Tilford (Jogmate) and Richard Feldman (Durance) made it safely to the front in the early stages. Then on the third lap, Merrigan opened up a gap, while Daryl Price (Boure) began to work his way up through the field. By lap 6, Price had made it all the way up to second place. Unfortunately, the scheduled 45-minute race inadvertently reduced to just over 35 minutes, and Price never had the chance to challenge Merrigan. The Otis Guy rider maintained his slim five second lead for the final lap, and claimed the win, in what he said was the final weekend of cyclo-cross racing of a 14-year career.

The racing continues on Saturday with the junior and elite races, where Matt Kelly, Frank McCormack and Alison Dunlap will be on hand to defend their national championships.

1999 SATURN USCF CYCLO-CROSS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. San Francisco, California.
Women 30-39:
1. Katie Blincoe, Redline;
2. Wanda Howlett;
3. Elizabeth Coleman, Essex County Velo;
4. Anne Lannan, Veritas Software;
5. Camille Moitozo, Real Wheel-VooDoo.

Women 40+:
1. Jodi Groesbeck;
2. Kathy Savary;
3. Marla Emde, Exodus-Cannondale;
4. Marguerite Meyer;
5. Susan Frederickson, Essex County Velo.

Men 40-49:
1. Tim Rutledge, Redline;
2. Scott Wade, Gearworks;
3. Larry Hibbard, Cane Creek;
4. Anton McGready, Real Wheel-VooDoo;
5. Thomas Hayles, Schwab.

Men 50+:
1. Dan Norton, Redline;
2. Thomas Regan, Charles Schwab;
3. Darrell Vreugdenhill, Snow Valley;
4. Phillip Bannister, Putney-West Hill;
5. John Elgart, MCR.

Collegiate men:
1. Alex Candelario, Colorado;
2. Brian Hludzinski, Colorado;
3. Andy Jacques-Mayne, UC Berkeley;
4. Justin Marchacos, Fort Lewis;
5. Adam Watts, Fort Lewis.

Collegiate women:
1. Nicole Amaral, Cabrillo Community College;
2. Lisa Matlock;
3. Heather Irmiger;
4. Heather Peck;
5. Alice Pennington.

Men 30-39:
1. Kevin Merrigan, Otis Guy;
2. Daryl Price, Boure;
3. Richard Feldman, Durance;
4. Greg Frozely, Spring Creek Velo;
5. Steve Tilford, Jogmate.