Lindine wins on day one of Downeast 'cross weekend

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The second weekend of racing in the 2012 Verge New England Pro Cyclocross Series started today in New Gloucester, Maine, where racers faced an exceptionally challenging course. The rain fell hard the night before the racers took to the course at Pineland Farms, ensuring Downeast Cyclocross would live up to its muddy reputation. On redesigned trail sections, racers spent half of their lap in the woods on this foggy autumn day in New England, the remainder of their lap shared between long but muddy power sections along straightaways and challenging off-camber looping turns. The most exceptional course feature today, however, was the mud - as it usually is at Downeast.

Crystal Anthony (Cyclocrossworld.com) is on the top of her game this season, showing exceptional form and growing technical prowess. Her tactic today was similar to her tactic at the first weekend in the Verge Series, at Green Mountain Cyclocross weekend in Vermont: Anthony took a solid gap on the Elite Women's field within the first half lap of the race. When she re-emerged from the woods, her gap was already up to 30 seconds.

Ellen Noble (Trek Cyclocross Collective), Anna Barensfeld (Pedal Power Training), Britlee Bowman (Pedal Power Training), Catherine Sterling (Bikeman) and Frances Morrison (JAM Fund/NCC/Vittoria) followed in a chase group, but the bunch soon began to break up. Barensfeld made a jump, gapping off the rest; while Sterling and Bowman looked strong slogging through the mud, they were unable to match Morrison's power as she too rode away.

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The gaps in the field only grew, Anthony ultimately winning with the substantial margin of two minutes and thirty seconds. Barensfeld, also riding alone once she left her group, rode into a smooth second place, while Morrison motored to third, building an increasing gap on Sterling and Bowman in fourth and fifth.

The Elite Men's race took to the muddy, chewed-up course next, with mountain biker Mike Garrigan (Stage-Race/Blacksmith Cycle) taking the hole shot. However, a shake-up occurred in the woods from which Justin Lindine (BikeReg), Jeremy Durrin (JAM Fund/NCC/Vittoria), Dan Timmerman (RGM Watches - Richard Sachs), and Christian Favata (RGM Watches - Richard Sachs) emerged the leaders, and there they would remain.

Timmerman and teammate Favata took the front of the race, riding together until Timmerman slipped away to build a solid solo gap for much of the race. Lindine found his legs, however, building speed to catch Timmerman in the penultimate lap. Lindine and Timmerman rode together until the second half of the last lap, when Lindine attacked on a long, soupy mud stretch to take the win, relegating Timmerman to second.

Favata rode alone into a third place finish, Durrin with a great ride for fourth, and Shawn Milne (Cyclocrossworld.com) took fifth in a battle with Anthony Clark (JAM Fund/NCC/Vittoria) and Raphael Gagne (Rocky Mountain Factory).

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