Wells brothers ride to national 'cross titles
 Todd Wells captured his second career 'cross title (Photo: Beth Seliga) |
Providence, R.I (December 10, 2005)—USA Cycling awarded two national titles to men named Wells on Saturday as Todd and his younger brother Troy each rode to convincing wins on day two of the Liberty Mutual U.S. National Cyclo-cross Championships in Providence, R.I. on Saturday.
In the weekend’s main event, 29-year-old Todd Wells (GT-Hyundai/Durango, Colo.) captured his second career elite men’s national cyclo-cross championship, validating his 2001 victory with a solid ride over runner-up Ryan Trebon (Kona-Les Gets/Corvallis, Ore.) and three-time defending champion Jonathan Page (Liberty Mutual/Northfield, N.H.).
Earlier in the day, 21-year-old Troy Wells (TIAA-CREF/Durango, Colo.) narrowly edged six-time national champion Jesse Anthony (Clif Bar/Beverly, Mass.) in the U23 race.
In Saturday’s other major category, Daniel Summerhill (Englewood, Colo.) gave the TIAA-CREF squad its second national title of the day with a win in the junior men’s 17-18 race.
Summerhill’s and the Wells brothers’ victories each earned them automatic nominations to represent the United States at the 2006 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships next January in the Netherlands.
After a brutal day weather-wise on Friday, Saturday saw milder temperatures and a snow-packed course that catered to the talents of Todd Wells. Wells led from start to finish in the hour-long race and was seriously challenged by only Trebon, a rising star in the sport, and Page, a well-respected veteran on the international cyclo-cross circuit.
Halfway through the race, Page dropped off the pace and later cited a mild case of food poisoning suffered on Friday as a potential factor in his performance.
In other categories on Saturday, Brent Bookwalter (Lees-McRae College) added a men’s collegiate national cyclo-cross crown to his bronze-medal effort in the U23 race while Melodie Metzger (University of California-Berkeley) captured the collegiate women's crown. Fort Lewis College earned the overall omnium title with 240 points ahead of Lees McRae College thanks to the efforts of Matt Scriver and Tina Dominic who placed second and third respectively as Fort Lewis’ highest placed riders.
2005 Liberty Mutual U.S. National Cyclo-cross Championships
December 9-11
Providence, R.I.
Day Two Event Winners
Elite Men: Todd Wells
U23 Men: Troy Wells
U23 Women: Clara Beard
Junior Men 17-18: Daniel Summerhill
Junior Women 17-18: Arielle Filiberti
Collegiate Men: Brent Bookwalter
Collegiate Women: Melodie Metzger
Junior Men 10-12: Logan Owen
Junior Men 13-14: Benny Swedberg
Junior Men 15-16: Alex Coelho
Junior Women 10-12: Elizabeth White
Junior Women 13-14: Kaitlin Antonneau
Junior Women 15-16: Samantha Schneider
Master Women 30-34: Maureen Bruno Roy
Master Men 30-34: Justin Robinson
For complete results and more information, visit www.cyclocrossnationals.com.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
8:30 a.m.: B women (non-championship event), 45 minutes
9:30 a.m.: B men Under 35 (non-championship event), 45 minutes
10:30 a.m.: B men 35+ (non-championship event), 45 minutes
11:30 a.m.: Master men 50-54, 55-59, 60+, 45 minutes
12:30 p.m.: Course open, awards ceremonies
1 p.m.: Pro/elite men Liberty Cup (non-championship event), 60 minutes
2 p.m.: Elite women, 40 minutes
About Liberty Mutual:
Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group is a leading global insurer and sixth largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. whose largest line of business is personal auto based on 2004 direct written premium. As of December 31, 2004. LMG had $72.4 billion in consolidated assets and $19.6 billion in annual consolidated revenue. The Company ranks 111th on the Fortune 500 list of largest corporations in the United States based on 2004 revenue.
About USA Cycling
Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 54,000 members and 2,000 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information visit www.usacycling.org or contact, USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.
This Article Published December 15, 2005 For more information contact:
