Dwight and Myrah clinch 40-44 & 45-49 titles

For the second-consecutive day, the masters riders opened and closed the day's racing. The first competition of the day was the men 45-49, who tangled with the 2.1-mile course left frozen by plummeting temperatures and an overnight freeze.

The rigid ruts throughout the course were no match for 1996 Olympian Don Myrah, who competed in the Olympic debut of discipline of mountain biking in Atlanta. Myrah bested the 64-rider field with a time of 49:10. Jon Cariveau (Moots) hung with Myrah though the first three of the five-lap race, but a dropped chain on the penultimate lap cost him valuable time. Myrah secured the seventh national title of his career while Cariveau, who finished 58 seconds back, earned the silver ahead of bronze medalist James Coats (California Giant Cycling).

"This is exactly what I thought it would be," Myrah said of the course. "After last night when it was all loose I knew it would freeze up hard this morning. It was a matter of picking really clean lines, which there aren't that many. Just whatever I could find."

The second race pitted 81 of the nation's best men 40-44 against each other. After the first of the five laps, Adam Myerson (SmartStop-Mock Orange Bikes p/b Ridley), Brandon Dwight (Boulder Cycle Sport) and Pete Webber (Boulder Cycle Sport) were off the front and opened a large gap on the field. The two Boulder Cycle Sport teammates worked together to leave Myerson 30 seconds behind as they completed their second circuit and 47 seconds back after their third. On the second-to-last lap, Dwight opened a seven-second cushion on Webber and a 90-second advantage on Myerson before riding solo to victory.

"I tried to be conservative where you could go down pretty easily and just tried to push hard where it was safe," Dwight said. "Even up to the last lap I almost caught a rut and almost went right into the barrier. So you really had to stay focused through whole race."

The evening's masters races had a distinct New England flavor to them with both winners residing in that region.

In the men's 35-39 contest, Brian Wilichoski (Cyclocrossworld) rode away with the stars-and-stripes jersey, but not without some anxious moments. On the last of the five-lap competition, Wilichoski pulled his foot out of the pedal, but accidentally hit the brake pad, knocking it into his spokes. Wilichoski dismounted, pulled the brake pad out and rode to the finish line. Christopher Case (Feedback Sports Racing) and Scott Frederick (Inland-Back to Dirt) locked horns in a battle for the silver and bronze medals. Case crossed the finish line just two seconds ahead of Frederick to earn second place, while Frederick secured the bronze. Weston Schempf (Charm City Cycling LLC), who had to forego an early lead due to a mechanical problem, rallied to finish fifth.

"I could see them," Wilichoski said of Case and Frederick. "I had a good gap like two laps in then I started fading a little bit and I started making mistakes and I’m looking back and they are closing and my eyes are blowing out of my head. It was everything I had to keep it together."

Dylan McNicholas (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld) rode away with the men's 30-34 race to cap the day's racing. McNicholas opened a 30-second lead after the first lap. As the sun set during the race allowing the ground to harden slightly, McNicholas flew through his second lap in 8:56 before finishing his third circuit in only 9:01 to help him win the first national championship of his career.

With the top step of the podium decided, a three-rider bunch fought for second, third and fourth. Matthew Pacocha (BikeRadar.com), Robert Marion (American Classic Pro Team) and Jake Wells (Stan's NoTubes) offered no quarter in their battle. Pacocha attacked the group late to secure the silver medal. Marion saved his best lap for last to edge Wells by four seconds to earn the bronze medal.

"I made my way through traffic, I started at the back. Made contact with the leaders on the first lap over the top of the hill. I went over the top a bit faster and that's where I got my gap. And just tried to grow it."

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