(Louisville, September 16th)  Reminiscent of a sector at Paris Roubaix, visibility was down to three bike lengths during the start of most races at Huber’s Apple Cross, the Zipp OVCX series opener held on a working apple farm, vineyard and restaurant just outside of Louisville.  Nearly 500 racers participated across all categories.  When the dust settled on the farm roads in the women’s elite race, Wisconsin’s Ashley James (KCCX/Fuji) wowed the crowd by holding off Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld).  With Collegiate track nationals on Thursday and USGP Saturday and Sunday, the next week will be busy for the U23 National Champion.  Throughout the race, third place Marne Smiley (Bob’s Red Mill) impressively continued to close the gap to Antonneau, leaving only a seven second gap at the finish.  After the race Smiley said, “Catching Katie was motivation, but so was staving off Erin Silliman (Corsa Concepts) who was consistently only a few meters behind.” Along with the cash prize, podium finishers were treated to a half peck of Huber’s farm fresh apples and a bag of Bob's Red Mill Honey Oat Granola.

For the mid-afternoon Elite Men’s race the farm was in full fall harvest mode.  Spectators cheered the races from moving hayrides, hay bales book-ended the barriers and apples lined some corners of the course.  According to Joshua Johnson (Bissell-ABG-Nuvo), “From the gun, Bob's Red Mill showed their strength taking the holeshot and creating a train at the front.”  As the race sliced through the hairpins of the orchard, Johnson was the first to attack the Bob’s Red Mill train, initially shedding BRM’s Greg Wittwer.  Now down to Johnson and BRM’s Dillman and Reardon, Johnson said “the game of tactics, attack-chase-attack” began to play out eventually slowing the pace at the front enough for Wittwer to rejoin.  Wittwer attacked with Dillman on his wheel, creating a gap on Johnson.  At the line, Dillman hopped his way to victory with Wittwer and Johnson seconds behind. 

After a one week break to allow riders to travel to the USGP in Madison, the next stop for OVCX is St. Mary’s Child Care Center Cyclocross in Indianapolis on September 30th.  Complete Elite Race results below, all categories at USA Cycling.

ELITE MEN

Andrew

Dillman

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

3

1

0:57:02

Greg

Wittwer

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

4

2

0:57:04

Joshua

Johnson

Bissell-ABG-Nuvo

29

3

0:57:28

Andy

Reardon

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

6

4

0:57:42

Stephen

Bassett

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

5

5

0:58:44

Mitchell

Kersting

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

2

6

0:58:45

Steven

Gordon

XO Communications p/b Cisco Systems

10

7

0:59:18

Frederick

Rose

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

326

8

0:59:21

Andrew

Messer

DRT Racing pb Revolution Bike & Bean

716

9

0:59:38

Christopher

Bogedin

Wolverine Elite Cyclocross Team

17

10

0:59:49

Daniel

Gerow

Wolverine Racing Elite CX

28

11

1:00:04

Chad

Tieman

Team Upland p/b Sustainable Cycling

22

12

1:00:06

David (Shawn)

Adams

Carbon Racing

16

13

1:00:06

Michael

McShane

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

325

14

1:00:27

Robert

Kendall

Papa John's Racing Team

705

15

1:00:33

John

Francisco

Red Zone Cycling

30

16

1:00:35

David

Hauber

Bicycle Sport Inc. /Rooibee Red Tea

20

17

1:00:48

Adam

Rodkey

Speedway Wheelmen

12

18

1:00:49

Luke

Haley

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

7

19

1:00:50

Michael

Kennedy

Scheller's CXecutioners

703

20

1:00:54

Clayton

Omer

Papa John's Racing Team

31

21

1:01:01

Nolan

McQueen

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

8

22

1:01:13

John

Gatch

RGF Cleveland Clinic pb Felt bicycles

328

23

1:01:21

Keith

Lucas

BRS Racing

334

24

1:01:45

Samuel

Dobrozsi

Swallow Bicycle Works

25

25

1:01:55

Jason

Monk

Team WHAYNE

9

26

1:02:06

Michael

Crouch

Swiftwick Factory Racing p/b Cumberland Transit

11

27

1:02:09

John

Mandrola

Papa Johns Racing Team

333

28

1:02:17

James

Billiter

BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing

13

29

1:02:35

Alistair

Sponsel

The Pony Shop

27

30

1:02:41

Anthony

Viton

BSM Cycling

19

31

1:02:41

Joshua

Prater

Speedway Wheelmen

15

32

1:03:12

Timothy

Beirne

Better Cycling/Papa Johns

331

33

1:03:26

Michael

Schulze

BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing

329

34

1:03:39

Raymond

Smith

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

1

35

1:04:10

Brian

Andriot

Bicycle Sport Inc. / Rooibee Red Tea

702

36

1:04:19

Peter

Hills

Merrill Lynch Cycling

701

37

-1LAP

William

Sherman

Shamrock Cycles

708

38

-1LAP

David

Ansel

Team Upland p/b Sustainable Cycling

24

39

-1LAP

Ashton

Wischmeier

DRT/ Revolution Bike and Bean

23

40

-1LAP

Steve

Bivens

Breck's Bicycle Shop

710

41

-1LAP

David

Musich

Scheller's Racing Team

713

42

-1LAP

Patrick

ODonnell

  

33

43

-1LAP

Ed

Jaramillo

MOAB/Middle Tennessee Velo

717

44

-1LAP

Matthew

Lerner

Schellers Fitness and Cycling

718

45

-1LAP

Blaine

Heppner

Don Walker Cycles Racing

706

46

-1LAP

David

Neis

Merrill Lynch Cycling

704

47

-1LAP

James

O'Loughlin

TEAM HUNGRY*

711

48

-1LAP

Ryan

Hubbs

Speedway Wheelmen

32

49

-1LAP

Mitchell

Graham

BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing

707

50

-1LAP

Steven

Gers

BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing

700

51

-1LAP

Joseph

Bellante

BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing

330

52

-1LAP

Jeremy

Chambers

MOAB Bike Shop

26

53

-1LAP

Brian

Collier

BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing

719

54

-1LAP

Chris

Freter

Echelon Cycling Team

336

55

-2LAP

Christopher

Nevitt

Scheller's Racing Team

14

56

  

Nathan

Roberson

Don Walker

709

57

  

David

Hart

ZWS Bertolli

332

58

  

Jeff

Schoeny

Merrill Lynch Cycling

715

59

  

Lance

Fagerberg

Papa John's Racing Team

327

60

  

 

 

ELITE WOMEN

Ashley

James

KCCX

  

1

0:35:20

Kaitlin

Antonneau

Cannondale

  

2

0:35:51

Marne

Smiley

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

  

3

0:35:58

Erin

Silliman

Corsa Concepts Cyclocross Team

  

4

0:36:07

Katie

Arnold

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

  

5

0:36:35

AnnaJean

Dallaire

Papa John’s Racing

  

6

0:36:50

Kiersta

Tucker

Be Real Sports / Wood N Wave

  

7

0:37:34

Erika

Howard

Secret Cycling

  

8

0:37:41

Bridget

Donovan

BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing

  

9

0:37:43

Elizabeth

Cobb

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

  

10

0:37:46

Teri

Meek

Don Walker Cycles Racing

  

11

0:38:07

Cooper

Ambjorn

Team CNC

  

12

0:38:18

Sarah

Fredrickson

Speedway Wheelman

  

13

0:38:28

Mary

Penta

VO2 Multisport

  

14

0:38:35

Janelle

Renschler

Speedway Wheelmen

  

15

0:38:54

Jessica

Owings

MOAB Cyclocross

  

16

0:39:16

Nicole

Borem

Don Walker Cycles Racing

  

17

0:39:32

Katherine

Santos

Red Zone Cycling

  

18

0:39:35

Geraldine

Schulze

BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing

  

19

0:39:37

Staci

Mandrola

Papa Johns Racing Team

  

20

0:40:13

Sarah

Swallow

Swallow Bicycle Works

  

21

0:40:16

Rebecca

Zink

Shamrock Cycles

  

22

-1LAP

Valarie

Gossage

Speedway Wheelmen

  

23

-1LAP

Melissa

Stelter

    

24

-1LAP

Mackenzie

Green

QCW Lionhearts

  

25

-1LAP

Karin

Reed

Team Dayton / Secret Cycling

  

26

-1LAP

Lindsay

Rodkey

Speedway Wheelmen

  

27

-1LAP

Emily

Falk

Red Zone Cycling

  

28

-1LAP

Karen

Elmore

Outdoor Ventures

  

29

-1LAP

Jerel Lynn

Waide

Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross Team

  

30

-1LAP