Andy Jacques Maynes (California Giant Strawberry) (Image credit: Hyun Lee)
Record crowds, record beer consumption and a surprise winner were the most talked about moments at the 2006 Clif Bar/Hagens Berman Starcrossed Cyclocross race this year. A total of about 2500 spectators packed into Redmond Washington’s Marymoor Park to see some great bicycle racing. The Women’s race was taken by Canadian National Champion Wendy Simms who overcame a three-way battle for the win.
The men’s main event was fast, painful, and exciting and it certainly did not disappoint the rowdy pumped up crowds who had been feasting on Pabst Blue Ribbon in the beer garden all day long. Just a few laps into the race a select group of men pulled away from the rest of the field to form the lead freight train that would never look back. 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-Maynes taking short lived attacks and flyers.
The surprising move of the day was by 21 year old Dan Neyens of the Hagens Berman Cyclocross Team who was able to get a significant gap quickly but a late race bobble ended this excellent move. With a few laps to go Decker moved up with an eye on a late charge but Jacques-Maynes had other ideas and was able to keep the wily Decker at bay and take the win. Kabush would finish third, Chris Mcgovern fourth, and the resurgent Sundt would finish 5th after spending three long days setting up for the event.
