West, White Wrangle Ws at Verge Northampton International
Race reports and interviews from Noho, where Ws were wild last weekend
The Verge Northampton International C2 cyclocross weekend celebrated its 30th anniversary Saturday and Sunday in western Massachusetts. The event that takes place at Northampton’s Look Park and has been a mainstay of the NECX series, which is sponsored by Cycle-Smart this year.
Noho took place the same weekend as the Pan-American Championships in 2019, so riders were forced to choose between the two, but in 2021, Noho stood alone on the U.S. calendar and brought riders from across the country, many of them getting things going again after a week off following the intense six-week period from GO Cross through Cincinnati.
When talking about the Northampton International, it is nearly impossible to not start with Curtis White. White first raced the event in 2005 when he was a mere 10 years old. As an Elite, White swept both days in 2016, 2017, and 2018, so he came into the race riding an impressive six-race winning streak at Look Park.
While that is history, the here and now was equally as important for the Upstate New York native. After dominating the GO Cross weekend, White struggled with mechanicals, bad days, and other frustrations during the USCX series. Although White has raced well, he had not won a race since Roanoke, and so the trip to the race they might as well dub the GP Curtis White was the perfect chance for White to regain his winning ways as we start the march to Pan-Ams and Nationals.
The event was also notable for another rider with history at Northampton, albeit not quite as much as White.
Ontario native Ruby West first raced at Noho in 2017 at the age of 18. On Day 2 of that weekend, she raced at the front with then-teammate on the Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld team Emma White and took a narrow 2nd-place finish. West used her results that weekend to catapult herself to the NECX series overall for that season.
After racing in Europe during the pandemic, West has been focusing on track racing this fall and is doing an abbreviated cyclocross season as a privateer. Her first race of the 2021 domestic season was on Saturday, and starting that late, it was unknown where she’d be at against riders such as Raylyn Nuss, Erica Zaveta, and Caitlin Bernstein who have been riding the grind since September.
Elite Women - Saturday
With a relatively grassy track punctuated by technical features in the woods, Noho has been known to produce group racing, and that trend was no different in the first Elite race of the weekend.
“This was group racing at its finest,” West said. “The course in NoHo races incredibly fast and it is hard to get separation on. We started fast and it never really slowed as the race went on.”
One lap into the seven-lap race, there was a group of nine riders within 2 seconds of one another. In the second lap, West and Nuss broke free, and Caitlin Bernstein and Erica Zaveta trailed by 8 seconds as the first chase group. Anna Megale, Regina Legge, and Taylor Kuyk-White trailed them by another 5 seconds.
For the rest of the race, West and Nuss traded blows, but neither rider could shake the other thanks to the fast pace. “Raylyn and I eventually split off from the rest of the group and rode most of the race together, testing each other on different sections of the course, but we were never able to shake on another. It was punchy out of every single turn,” West explained.
The race ultimately came down to the final turn. West explained what happened. “I took the inside line on the final 180 degree turn and was able to come out of that corner in first wheel, I sprinted down the finish straight and was able to stay ahead of Raylynn for the win.”
“For me, the next step in my progression is learning race tactics and how to lead,” Nuss told dirtwire.tv. “That is what I came here for, so I was really happy to be riding and racing with Ruby.”
“It came down to the last lap and last corner. I, out of habit, took it wide and left the door open, and she snuck right in and got the win, as she should have. I got outplayed, and Ruby deserved that win today.”
Zaveta and Bernstein had their own battle for the 3rd podium spot throughout the race. Zaveta got a small gap in the penultimate lap and held it to take home her 4th podium finish of the season after also finishing 3rd last Saturday in Indianapolis. Megale rounded out the wide-angle podium.
Elite Men - Saturday
Curtis White has raced at Look Park a few times, so he kind of knew what to expect as the Elite Men’s field that included several top names took the course for their hour of racing. “The Northampton course always seems to favor group racing and tactics,” White said. “With that, we had plenty of fast wheels on the start line that wanted to stay near the front of the race and out of trouble.”
The 2021 cyclocross ringer Scott McGill was back racing, and he did a heat check attack in the first lap and got a small gap on the rest of the field. Things came back together after one lap, however, and a full 9 riders were within 4 seconds of one another through the start/finish straight for the first time.
One of the challenges of group racing on a ‘cross course is you never know when being near the front is going to be a difference-maker. Do you expend energy fighting for position or do you sit in and bide your time until later in the race?
On Saturday, White made a fortuitous decision to try and stay out of trouble early on.
“I wanted to stay ahead of the scrum and won the front heading into the technical part of the woods after the first run-up,” White explained. “A couple of corners later, I heard someone clip a pedal and a fall. I didn't know who it was, but I hit the gas and I had a gap.”
“It turned out Gage slipped on a root through a tricky corner and was forced to make chase. I took advantage of his mistake, and was able to extend the gap over the course of the hour.”
White’s unplanned attack gave him a 12-second gap after the 2nd of 9 laps. Gage Hecht, McGill, Brannan Fix, and Tobin Ortenblad took up the chase behind him.
White is more than well aware of how races play out on the Northampton course, but with his big attack, he followed the old adage that when you get a gap, you have to attack.
“I didn't plan on going so early, that is normally a pretty big gamble on this course. That said, the opportunity presented itself and I couldn't pass it up. This is cyclocross, it's part of the game and we all know it.”
White quickly got his advantage up over 30 seconds and then carried a 45+ second advantage into the bell lap before ultimately taking home his first win since Day of GO Cross back in September.
The Aevolo teammates went to the line, with McGill winning the race to the final 180-degree corner, and then Hecht pulling around him to win the sprint and take 2nd. Fix took 4th and 5th.
Elite Women - Sunday
Organizers reversed the course for Sunday’s race, which West admitted caused her some issues, being new at this cyclocross thing in 2021. “It took me the better part of the whole race to figure out the course because my head was still replaying the course from Day 1,” she said.
If group racing was to be on order on Sunday, riders would have to work for it thanks to the efforts of one of the youngest riders in the field. After not racing on Saturday, Lauren Zoerner started “like a rocket” and led the entire first lap. West, Nuss, and Zaveta were the three riders up to the task of following Zoerner’s hot start in the first lap.
In Lap 2, things settled down and a group formed at the front. West, Zaveta, Nuss, Bernstein, Megale, and Kuyk-White grouped up at the front, while Zoerner fell a few seconds off the pace.
The trickiest and most technical parts of the Northampton course are located in two hillier sections in the woods on the north side of the park. One of the features in that section on Sunday was a steep run/ride-up. Once things settled, West was the only rider able to ride the feature, and in the 3rd lap, she made her move.
“I found out that I was the only one riding that steep climb each lap. I figured that out when I got a small gap and just tried to roll that as best as I could. The gap grew from 5 to 10 seconds where it sat for maybe 2 laps,” she said.
West’s lead grew to 9 seconds entering the penultimate lap, but inside two to go, Zaveta, Nuss, and a dangling Bernstein brought things back to make it a small group at the bell.
Knowing she was strongest on the small hill, West did what she needed to do in the bell lap—with mixed results.
“I knew I wanted to be going into that climb first again so I could have a clear shot at riding it, so I forced my way to the front before it,” she said. “Unfortunately, that time up it was one too many for my legs and I had to put a foot down right at the top. Thankfully I was leading and so it just slowed everyone behind me and I was able to keep the lead, which allowed me to ride the last few technical sections how I wanted to.”
West, Nuss, and Zaveta battled hard in the final corners on the lower grassy section, knowing the final sprint was a short one. “The last few corners were argy-bargy as we all knew you had to be into the final corner in first wheel to win the sprint, but I was able to hold that position and come through again for the win in another sprint,” West said. “It was another awesome battle on another blazing fast course.”
Zaveta talked about the final lap with dirtwire.tv. “I should have tried to attack them sooner. I was just kind of like, YOLO, and went on the outside of all these turns. I was like, it’s all about getting to this last corner is the race. I pushed too hard and my front wheel did like a stutter across, and I think that’s where I lost it to Ruby.”
Zaveta held on for 2nd, with Nuss taking 3rd. Bernstein and Megale rounded out Sunday’s wide-angle podium.
West talked about what it was like being back racing cyclocross.
“It honestly felt so incredible to be back racing ‘cross. I really had forgotten how much fun racing cyclocross is, especially Stateside. Last year was obviously a tricky one for me, and the races in Europe just have such a different vibe to them, so being back at the New England events felt incredible. Seeing all the friendly faces that I hadn't seen in so long and some beautiful weather both days made it a dreamy start to my season!”
Elite Men - Sunday
After White benefitted from a Hecht error on Sunday, it was his turn to experience some strife from early in the race.
“I made a mistake through some tight rooted corners and slid out,” White said. “I was off the bike, but was able to regain composure and position pretty quickly. I think Gage heard my slip and capitalized on it immediately. By the time I made my way to the front of the chase, I heard the gap was at 8 seconds.”
Two laps into the race, Hecht had an advantage on a chase led by White, Fix, and Lance Haidet. One could argue it was a similar situation to Lakewood Nationals, with Hecht off the front and White leading the chase, tantalizingly close behind. The stakes were not quite as high—even though White’s seven-race Noho winning streak was on the line—but White was still concerned. “In my head, bells were ringing and lights were flashing. I had to shut this down as soon as possible.”
In the 3rd lap, White and company brought Hecht back, and a group that included Hecht, White, Fix, Haidet, Ortenblad, and Stephen Hyde bunched up at the front.
The lead selection ultimately whittled down to White and Hecht, with Fix turning in a strong ride as well. “Brannon Fix was having a strong race and remained in contact with Gage and me up until the final couple laps, which definitely added an element of excitement to the race,” White said.
On Day 2 of Cincinnati, Kerry Werner upped the pressure late in the race in a bid to force White into a mistake. On Sunday at Noho, White assumed the role of aggressor. “I tried to have longer, drawn-out efforts through the technical sections of the course to try and force a mistake. I felt like I had Gage on the ropes a few times, but he was able to stay in contact.”
The two were together at the bell, and White knew what that meant. “I felt like it would come down to a sprint, and I was preparing for it,” he said.
White explained how the final lap played out.
“In the final half lap, Gage made a very good pass on my outside and won the last critical feature, which was a steep ride-up that could easily be a run-up with a mistake. We both had clean runs at the feature, and I came out of the woods right on his wheel.”
“With about 500 meters to go, Gage had a split second of hesitation, and I jumped as hard as I could. I knew I had to lead the last series of turns, and that was my final opportunity to pass. I've raced Northampton many times and know how the race plays out. I've sprinted against Jeremy Powers and Stephen Hyde for the win here, and I felt like I was able to take those experiences into Sunday.”
White won the race to the final corner and held of Hecht in the sprint to take the win.
“It ended up in a sprint, and I came around the corner in second place and thought I could come around him, but there just wasn’t enough distance for it. It was a good race though,” Hecht told dirtwire.tv.
Fix finished 3rd, perhaps riding a bit of the Bulletin Bump magic to his best finish of the season.
“I knew Curtis and Gage were going to battle,” Fix told dirtwire.tv. “Gage missed out on the opportunity to battle with Curtis yesterday, so I knew it was going to be mano-a-mano today. My goal was to stay with them as long as I could. I came around with six to go and thought, oh man, this is going to be a long day, and then proceeded to come back to them every lap and hold on until the finish. I surprised myself a bit; I would have liked to mix it up in the sprint, but it was a really good day to spend some time with the lead group.”
Ortenblad finished 4th and everyone’s favorite Dutch privateer Gosse van der Meer took 5th.
Results are available for Day 1 and Day 2 on the Bulletin site. The four-race Cycle-Smart NECX series concludes this weekend at the Really Rad Festival of Cyclocross in Falmouth, MA.