In a fitting conclusion to the season, the Verge MAC powered by Hammer Nutrition travels to the Washington DC area for the Capital Cross Classic presented by The Bike Lane this Sunday, December 3. The Verge MAC barrels into its final UCI-C2 showdown with familiar faces poised to seize control once again, newcomers ready to wrest leadership from the old guard, and someone from Massachusetts willing to jump into the fray and throw a monkey wrench into the whole process.
In the elite men’s division, two-time defending champion Ryan Leech (Meredith Group/GPOA/Cannondale) trails Weston Schempf (FORT Factory Team) by a scant 49 points after seven races. The two traded wins at the last series weekend in New Hope. Schempf, on the other hand, needs only a second place finish on Sunday to clinch the championship. One unexpected entrant is Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home Wine road standout Tyler Wren, who will be making his first Verge MAC start.
On the Women’s side, 2003 and 2004 Verge MAC Champion Betsy Shogren (FORT Factory Team) has roared past her rivals by scoring two consecutive wins in the mud baths of the Guys Racing/Colonial Subaru VW cyclo-cross and Evo-Cross races in New Hope. The fast course in DC, however, would seem to favor Shogren’s closest rival and the revelation of the season - Dee Dee Winfield (Velo Bella/Kona). However, Shogren’s points lead is such that Winfield cannot win the championship herself simply by winning the race - she will need help in the form of other racers finishing in front of Shogren. One racer that Winfield could be counting on is Massachusetts native and occasional Verge MAC interloper Maureen “Mo” Bruno-Roy (Independent Fabrications/Wheelworks). Counting on Bruno-Roy could be a double-edged sword for Winfield, however, as Bruno-Roy was a US National Team member in January and has a Verge MAC victory of her own this year at the HPCX event in New Jersey. A Bruno-Roy victory all but assures Shogren her third championship in four years.
