The Big Picture: NBX Grand Prix of Cyclocross Elite Men (Day 2)
John Kavouris
SICK WHAT!!!! New England local favorite Anthony Clark (Squid Bikes) brought home a HUGE win on day 2 of the NBX GP of ‘Cross, ahead of Dylan Mcnicholas (Polartec) in 2nd, and Curtis White (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) in 3rd. This win was Clark’s first time on the top step of a UCI podium, and also scored Clark first place in the Verge overall series standings.
Pro-move: Next time you have to shoulder your bike for a run, reach back with the non-shouldering hand to set the pedal/crank for optimal reentry. Adam Myerson (Cycle-Smart) will show you how:
A lap later, and the lead group had been reduced to 4 – Favata having fell off the pace (And eventually would exacerbate a previous injury and DNF as a result. Hope you’re on the mend, Christian!)
Suddenly, Clark’s chances for a win look a bit slimmer. Before dismounting for the sand, Clark realized he has a dropped chain – while the single-ring setups are lighter and faster and simpler and other assorted marketing speak, the simple fact remains: if you do manage to drop your chain, it’s a manual operation to re-fit it and you’re probably going to lose a little time.
White would lead for the next half-lap or so, who then turned pace-making duties over to Mcnicholas. It’s unclear whether White needed to recover, or was trying to play it safe and tactical, letting Mcnicholas do some work having already established a lead on Clark. Regardless of reasoning, a most extraordinary thing occurred with Mcnicholas at the helm. Clark powered through the next half lap, and was catching back on!
Congrats, Anthony, on a fantastic win for the day AND series victory! Not to editorialize TOO much, but this was hands down my favorite race to have watched of the season. Chapeu!