Montana Cyclocross Number 6

Article by John Ross- Outdoor Pulp Magazine www.outdoorpulp.com

Montana Cyclocross race number five, held in Missoula, had riders trying to

survive the course while putting seconds between each other. The start was

a two hundred yard sprint on gravel. Then riders entered the woods for nine

laps mostly on single track.

Jake Hartsoch was first to the woods followed closely by Geoff Proctor,

Brink Kuchenbrod, and Scott Herzig. But Hartsoch hadn’t planned on leading

the first lap.

"I always screw up the start and go out too fast," Hartsoch said. But on

this tight technical course, maybe it wasn’t a mistake to get out ahead.

The course had a few run up sections and the standard barriers to jump over,

but the real obstacle proved to be an overly steep downhill. It spiraled

out of the woods and threw riders down a rutted rocky trail only to dump

them into a flat hairpin turn at the bottom. All the top riders in both the

men’s and women’s categories either crashed on the downhill or missed the

turn at the bottom and wound up in the bushes sometime during the race.

After the downhill and a few more gyrations in the woods, a long flat

single-track section sped things up and also provided the most spectacular

crash of the day.

On the backside of the second lap, the top six riders were still within ten

seconds with Proctor in the lead.

"I didn’t feel good enough to ride away in the beginning," Proctor said.

Kuchenbrod took advantage of the passing room in the grass and got ahead of

Proctor.

"I was just getting into it…when I hit a hole," Proctor said.

"He was going to pass me right back," Kuchenbrod said, but the pass never

came. "I heard the ‘huh’ as he went down hard and the air came out."

One observer said, "It looked like his bike just washed out from underneath

him."

In the crash Proctor injured his thigh and, although he took one more lap,

was unable to finish the race.

"I could barely drive to the gas station to get ice," he said.

With Proctor out, Kuchenbrod led for the rest of the race only a few seconds

ahead of Scott Herzig until the last two laps when Herzig almost caught him.

"I was making mistakes left and right," Kuchenbrod said. "I thought, ‘If I

don’t get it together, [Herzig’s] gonna pass me.’"

Kuchenbrod held on for the win and after a slew of second places he was

happy. "I think that’s my first win in five years," he said.

For the women, Margie Legg lead from beginning to end.

"It was fun," Legg said. "I got to ride my husband’s titanium bike, but I

don’t think it helped much."

Jennifer Carey finished in second place.

"I had her in sight on the second lap," Carey said, "but then I crashed on

the downhill and never saw her again." But none of it dampened her mood.

"It was great cheap entertainment," Carey said after the race.

John Ross

Outdoorpulp

For a photo, visit www.outdoorpulp.com tomorrow

Montana SuperPrestige Cyclocross #5

Missoula, Montana

WOMEN

1 Margie Legg Five Valley Velo

2 Jennifer Carey unattached

3 Andrea Smith Team GAL

MEN'S A

1 Brink Kuchenbrod 55:50 Montana Velo/Sapphire Physical Therapy

2 Scott Herzig 56:37 Montana Velo/Sapphire Physical Therapy

3 Jake Hartsoch 57:47 Five Valley Velo

4 Jim Rucker MSU

5 John Fiore Montana Velo/Sapphire Physical Therapy

6 John Behrens Northern Rockies Cycling Club

7 Matt Seely Five Valley Velo

8 Rankin Holmes NATA

9 Dave Hartman +1 Missoula Bicycle Works

10 Dan Dahlberg +1 Northern Rockies Cycling Club

DNF Geoff Proctor Montana Velo/Sapphire Physical Therapy

DNF Michael Birnbaum unattached

MEN'S B

1 John Weyhrich Five Valley Velo

2 Todd Berg Five Valley Velo

3 Steve Muller +1 Flathead Velo

4 Mark Hauger +1 Northern Rockies Cycling Club

5 Michael Longmire +1 Bike and Sport

6 Fred Michini +1 Five Valley Velo

7 Scott Fisk +2 Great Divide

8 Richard Allen +3 Five Valley Velo

MASTERS 35+

1 John Fiore

2 John Weyhrich

3 Fred Michini

4 Scott Fisk

DNF Geoff Proctor

MASTERS 45+

1 Steve Muller

2 Michael Longmire

3 Richard Allen