Johnson and Bessette double up in New Gloucester

The first couple of New England cyclocross swept the top of the podium for the weekend with wins in the Elite Women's and Men's races on day two of the Downeast Cyclocross, round #2 of the Verge New England Championship Cyclocross Series.

Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com) was well warmed and ready to go for the women's race after having competed in the men's B race just beforehand. After the start and the first tour in the woods, she and Katerina Nash (Luna) renewed their battles from yesterday in the front of the field with the rest of the riders left to chase. Unlike yesterday however, Bessette could not get rid of Nash, as the two battled back and forth throughout the race. Bessette was in this position last weekend at Gloucester, when she was beaten by Georgia Gould after leading her the entire race.

Bessette dared Nash to take the front and dictate the pace. The tactic almost backfired as Nash got a last minute gap the last lap in the woods, but Bessette closed quickly in the pit area and eventually stayed the course to the finish, where she topped the mountain bike rider on the sprint finish and took her second win on the weekend. Behind the lead pair was an equal battle between Mackenzie Dickey and Mo Bruno-Roy (Independent Fabrications). The two stayed put until the finish sprint where Dickey's sprinting ability got the best of Bruno and she took the final spot on the podium.

“I learned every lap where I had to be faster,” said Bessette. “I had to be first into the last corner in order to win the sprint. Katerina was fast on the technical downhill but I stayed with her and got ahead to lead out the sprint, it worked out great.”

For full race results, report and photos from NECCS #1 and NECCS #2, click here.