Lindine wins opening day in Providence

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Justin Lindine showed a tactical master class on day one of the Providence cyclo-cross, using Dylan McNicholas to build a healthy lead before putting in a lehtal attack with five laps to go to seal a solo win. Lindine had plenty of time to celebrate as he finished 21 seconds in front of next best Evan McNeely.

How it unfolded

The elite men started through a cloud of chaos with several riders getting tangled in the start, from the chaos emerged Adam Myerson (SmartStop/MOB p/b Ridley) and Dylan McNicholas (cyclocrossworld.com) at the front. McNicholas, as he has done at almost every race he’s entered this year, took his holeshot and tried to go with it. By the end of the second lap, McNicholas had put four seconds on the massive group of chasers. The chase seemed happy to let McNicholas dangle, sat back and rode a tempo that kept him on a short leash. Entering the fourth lap, Justin Lindine (bikereg.com/Joe’s Garage) saw what was happening, “Guys were just looking at each other on the pavement and I just had to go.” Lindine quickly caught up to McNicholas and the two immediately began to build their lead.

With five laps to go, Lindine made his move, dropping McNicholas and quietly powering away from his competition. It’s genetally not with devastating attacks that Lindine wins, but by wearing down his competition, and today was no different. Once there was separation, he was gone and rode away to what is easily the biggest victory of his career. Lindine was obviously overjoyed with the victory as he takes over leadership of the Shimano Series.

In the battle behind, McNicholas was comfortably riding in for a second place finish until he flatted his rear tire just after the pit, forcing him to ride gingerly and lose time over the next half of a lap. This gave the chasing duo that had originally been battling for third, the chance to complete the podium. Sharing the work were Canadian U23 Evan McNeely (EMD Serono/Specialized) and mid-Atlantic racer Weston Schempf (C3/Athletes Serving Athletes) – caught and dropped was McNicholas. McNeely freed himself of Schempf as the two made the final turns before the finishing stretch and came across the line second.

The battle of the day was in the group for fourth – this group had peaked at fifteen riders and coming into the final two laps was at its fullest. An awkward crash in a corner took Derrick St John (Stevens p/b The Cyclery), Tyler Wren (Boo Bicycles) and Myerson out of the group with only Wren able to make a full recovery. In the finale, McNicholas bested two Swiss racers based in the mid-Atlantic, Lukas Winterberg and Eric Brungger, both from the Philadelphia Cyclocross School as well as Wren and Canadian Craig Richey (Renner Custom Cyclocross) to finish fourth.