Five inches of snow in Southern New Hampshire did little to slow the action for the final round of the 2002 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series in Merrimack, where Mongoose-Hyundai’s Marc Gullickson wrapped up the series title with a convincing win. U.S. 40+ Champion Jodi Groesbeck scored her first win in a women’s series that has been dominated by Seven’s Mary McConneloug, who had already earned the series title, despite her absence on Sunday.

Heavy Traffic
Calling the Verge Series a priority, Gullickson flew to New England for the final time this year from his Boulder, Colorado home to put his stamp on the overall series title. In fact, the Mongoose-Hyundai rider won all five of the Verge Series races he started, with Johannes Huseby becoming the only elite male other than Gully to win a Verge Series race this season.

The elite men's race started with Jonathan Page (Richard Sachs) winning the start and immediately pulling clear of the field, along with U23 rivals Josh Anthony (Cyclocrossworld.com) and Jeremy Powers (Balance Bar-Devo). Behind them, Gullickson was mired in a large second group for the first few corners, until a spill on a hard-packed snow corner took him further back - outside of the top 10.

As Gullickson spent the next two laps battling back to the lead group, Page demonstrated why he is considered a contender for the US National Championship next week in California, by driving himself and his two companions farther in front of the rest of the field.

Gullickson was not to be deterred however, and by lap three he had used the selective climbs of the American Express Financial Advisors course to make his way back past several groups, and up to the lead group - now being led by Josh Anthony.

Less than a minute after making contact, Gullickson attacked on the flatter fields of the course, and while Page and Powers could not respond, Anthony doggedly clung to the leader for the next half-lap. It was on the steep paved climb nearing the finish of the lap though, where Gullickson finally accelerated away from Anthony for good. The Mongoose-Hyundai rider was on his own for the remainder of the race, just as he likes it.

"I felt really good today,” Gully later recalled. “As soon as I got back up to the leaders I just went."

For the rest of the day, Gullickson's only major challenge was the difficult course conditions, which eventually claimed pre-race favorites Page and Shaun Snodden (Je James).

Page retired after a hard crash in the "shredder" section of the course, a difficult downhill off-camber sweeping turn which was thick mud for the elite men’s race. Page later revealed he started a bit under the weather, and was on a course of antibiotics.

Behind Gullickson, tight battles for the remaining spots went into the final lap. Following Page's retirement mid-race, Anthony was left on his own in second for much of the race. He was caught with two laps to go however by the 2001 Verge Series Champion, Saturn Professional Mark McCormack. The two rode together for a lap, until a vicious counterattack from McCormack through the finish line at one to go immediately dropped the Cyclocrossworld.com rider. McCormack rolled in for second, while Anthony hung on for third just in front of a tight battle between NH rider Justin Lillie (Trek-VW) and Johannes Huseby (Independent Fabrication). One of the early leaders, Jeremy Powers finished seventh overall, and was the second U23 rider on the day behind Anthony.

McCormack finished second in the overall Verge Series, while round 5 winner Johs Huseby finished third.Elite men
1. Marc Gullickson, Mongoose-Hyundai 58:28
2. Mark McCormack, Saturn, at 0:46
3. Josh Anthony, Cyclocrossworld.com U23, at 1:26
4. Justin Lillie, Trek-VW, at 1:31
5. Johannes Huseby, Independent Fabrication-CCB-VW, at 1:47
6. Curt Davis, Wheelworks-Cannondale, at 2:07
7. Jeremy Powers, Team Devo U23, at 2:43
8. Chris Peck, Wheelworks-Cannondale, at 3:02
9. Adam Hodges Myerson, NCC-BikeReg.com, at 3:15
10. Brian Astell, CCB- Volkswagon, at 3:17

Fast start
The women's race started fast, with US 40+ Champion Jodi Groesbeck(Putney-West Hill) taking an early lead along with Gearworks-SRP riderMarianne Stover. As Stover's teammates Anna Milkowski and ShaunaGillies-Smith struggled to stay close, Stover rode at the front with Groesbeck, thinking of the win. Indeed, Stover had beaten Groesbeck the day before in Durham, NH.

By midway through the race, Gillies-Smith overcame her poor start and was back up with Groesbeck in the lead. Just in time too, as Stover fell off the pace as her teammate arrived, and eventually fell to fourth. So the battle on the final two laps was between rivals Groesbeck and Gillies-Smith, the two riders also battling for the second and third spots in the 2002 Verge Series standings as well. On the final lap, a fall by Gillies-Smith heading into the shredder gave Groesbeck all the advantage she needed to cruise in for her first Verge Series win of the season. She joins Carmen D'Aluisio and Series Champion Mary McConneloug as the only women to win a Verge Series race in 2002.

Normally a fast starter, Kathryn Roszko (NCC-BikeReg.com) overcame a poor first lap to charge up through the field for a fine third place - her best result in a Verge Series race to date. Roszko's ability to ride the muddy uphills right after the shredder proved to be the advantage she needed to overcome strong challenges from fourth placed Anna Milkowski, and fifth placed Stover.

With her second place on the day Shauna Gillies-Smith held onto second in the overall series, ahead of Groesbeck, and behind overall winner Mary McConneloug (Seven).Elite Women
1. Jodi Groesbeck, Putney-West Hill 38:36
2. Shauna Gillies-Smith, Gearworks-SRP, at 0:30
3. Kathryn Roszko, NCC-BikeReg.com, at 0:48
4. Anna Milkowski, Gearworks-SRP, at 0:54
5. Marianne Stover, Gearworks-SRP, at 1:07
6. Susan MacLean, Gearworks-SRP, at 1:28
7. Becky Sox, Dansko, at 1:48
8. Alicia Genest, Richard Sachs-UMass, at 1:55
9. Kathy Sarvary, Midstate Cycling Club, at 2:03
10. Sara Cushman, Gearworks-SRP, at 2:56

U.S. junior national champion Jesse Anthony (Saturn Development) tookanother solo victory in the junior race, over GMBC's Jamey Driscoll andCCB's Konrad LeBas once again. Kevin Wolfson (NEBC-CycleLoft) picked upfourth, with Chales Marzot (Corner Cycle) in fifth.

Anthony won the Verge Series convincingly, like Gullickson he won all five races he started. He was followed by the steady LeBas, with Driscoll in third.