The slick conditions claimed many riders
With series promoter Matt Ohran out-of-town for the final race the course for the final race of the season was set by his Monavie-Cannondale.com teammates Alex Grant and Bart Gillespie. Despite including a healthy dose of flats and pavement the weather conditions coupled with a loose, rocky section made this race one for the mountain biking crowd.
The women’s event saw the return of Kathy Sherwin (Velo Bella) to the racing season after a season filled with personal tragedy. Sherwin would be challenged by Sarah Kaufmann (Roaring Mouse) and Erika Powers (Revolution/Peak Fasteners) who would be looking to cement her second consecutive Utah Cyclocross series championship.
At the start the snow was falling gently at Fort Buenaventura. Kaufmann, racing in shorts, was’nt chilled by the snowy conditions as she quickly squirted off the front of the pack opening up an early lead.
Erika Powers took up the chase in second position followed by Chantel Olsen (PCIM), Jennie Wade (Church of the Big Ring), Jen Hanks (Revolution/ Peak Fasteners), and Sherwin, who was off to a slow start.
Kathy Sherwin makes her way toward the front
The conditions continued to worsen throughout the race with more snow falling making the course more and more slippery. Sherwin seemed to be struggling the most on the opening lap, after multiple crashes, she remained in fourth position with Kaufmann pulling away.
Sherwin’s willingness to push the pace quickly started to pay off as she became more comfortable with the course the Velo Bella rider began making her way through the field.
Sherwin started by overtaking Olsen followed shortly thereafter by Powers but Kaufmann wouldn’t go down so easily. A talented professional mountain biker, Kaufmann had been out front the entire event using her finely-tuned bike handling skills to amass a substantial lead.
Sarah Kaufmann had another strong cyclocross race
Kaufmann did her best to push the pace up front knowing that Sherwin was looming behind. Still leading at the beginning of the last lap Kaufmann gave everything to hold off the charging Velo Bella rider.
Sherwin was not going to be satisfied with anything less than a win as she powered up to and past the leader. Sherwin led into the final set of barriers, which set her up for a clear run for the finish line.
Kaufmann crossed the line just seconds later finishing off the closest women’s race of the Utah cross season. Erika Powers took the third spot and her second Utah series championship. Olsen crossed the line in fourth with a big gap over fifth-placed Stephanie Skoryenko (University of Utah).
The men started with their usual fury as Gillespie and Grant occupied the lead group joined by Jason Sager (Jamis), Eric Rasmussen (Specialized), and Ali Goulet (Chuch of the Big Ring).
Goulet, who leads the US Gran Prix of Cross series, wasted no time mixing things up at the front. While Goulet focuses on cyclocross, he is an accomplished mountain bike racer and it showed by flawlessly negotiating his way around the snow-packed course. Goulet consistently put pressure on the field with his fast pace and smooth riding through the technical sections.
Ali Goulet was not afraid of the snowy conditions
Gillespie stayed close in the first half of the race but Goulet gapped him around the halfway mark and never looked back.
While Gillespie had a firm grasp on second Jason Sager and Grant challenged each other for the third spot. Sager, who was racing a cross bike for the first time this season - he usually races a converted mountain bike, rode most of the race in third before fading late in the race. Having won the singlespeed race earlier that day, Sager began to run out of energy as the laps wound down. Finally, a crash on the final lap let Grant take the position.
Jason Sager runs the barriers
In the end Goulet crossed the line first. Followed by Gillespie, Grant, and Sager. Reed Wycoff (Contender), also a talented bike handler, took the final podium spot in fifth.
Bryan Gillespie rides one of the technical sections of Saturday's course
Results
1, Kathy Sherwin
2, Sarah Kaufmann
3, Erika Powers
4, Chantel Olsen
5, Stephanie Skoryenko
6, Jen Hanks
7, Heather Edwards
8, Jennie Wade
9, Kelsi Bingham
10, Christy Clay
11, Jessice Morris
12, Laura Patten
Men
1, Ali Goulet
2, Bart Gillespie
3, Alex Grant
4, Jason Sager
5, Reed Wycoff
