In the closing lap of Sunday’s Clif Bar/ECV Cyclo-cross race in Gloucester, Mass., round two of the Verge New England ‘Cross series, Ryan Trebon came up a couple corners and a few squirts of tubular glue short of turning in one of the most impressive set of upset wins in American cyclo-cross memory.

Having won Saturday’s UCI race in Worcester, Massachusetts, Trebon (Kona East) again made the decisive break in Gloucester, storming off the front with Todd Wells (Mongoose-Hyundai) in what seemed likely to end up as a two-man sprint for the win.

But the 22-year-old Trebon pushed too far in one of the course’s many tight, grassy corners, rolling his tire with three-quarters of a lap left to ride. That handed the win to Wells, who had swallowed second the day before in Worcester.

But it would be Wells from that point on

Photo: Chris Milliman

“I put my tire back on,” said Trebon, “but it just rolled again in the next corner, so I had to run a long way to get to the pit and get a new wheel.”

For his part, Wells enjoyed the advantage he and Trebon had established together, soloing home well clear of a small chase group.

“I felt much better today than yesterday, and Ryan was riding so well,” Wells said. “We both were able to make pace, whereas yesterday I wasn’t going as well and he was doing most of the work.”

With Trebon’s trot to the pit pushing him back to ninth, the sprint for third came down to the Clif Bar duo of Jackson Stewart and Andy Jacques-Maynes and hometown favorite Mark McCormack (Saturn-Timex). In a rare miscalculation, McCormack opened the final uphill drag too early, allowing Stewart to slip by on the inside just at the line.

Alison Dunlap (Luna) dispensed with the niceties of tactical riding and simply rode away from the women’s field for her second win in as many days. Gina Hall (Clif Bar) set a brisk pace on the opening lap of the women’s five-lap affair, but Dunlap chased up to Hall on the second lap and dropped her on the third. Hall went back to a small group that included teammate Carmen D’Alusio, but neither Clif Bar rider could mount any kind of assault on Dunlap’s margin.

“That race was a lot easier than yesterday,” said Dunlap after her win. “It was more consistent and hard, not as technical. And my legs felt better too, which always helps.”

Round three of the Verge New England Cyclo-cross series is scheduled for November 16 in Northampton, Mass.

Clif Bar/ECV Cyclo-cross
Elite women
1. Alison Dunlap, Team Luna, 34:02
2. Carmen D’Alusio. Clif Bar, 34:16
3. Mary McConneloug, Seven Cycles, 34:21
4. Gina Hall, Clif Bar, 34:26
5. Anne Grande, Kona, 34:51
6. Megan Monroe, 35:29
7. Anna Milkowski, Gearworks, 35:30
8. Mary Anne Stover, Gearworks, 36:08
9. Rhonda Mazza, Vailla Cycles, 36:22
10. Sarah Uhl, Saturn-Timex

Elite men
1. Todd Wells, Mongoose-Hyundai, 58:59
2. Jackson Stewart, Clif Bar, 59:43
3. Mark McCormack, Saturn-Timex, same time
4. Andy Jacques-Maynes, Clif Bar, 1:00:00
5. Marc Gullickson, Redline, 1:00:31
6. Peter Wedge, Kona-Clarks, 1:00:44
7. Travis Brown, Trek-Volswagen, 1:00:50
8. Dale Knapp, Kona, 1:01:03
9. Ryan Trebon, Kona East, 1:01:25
10. Ben Jacques-Maynes, Clif Bar, 1:01:35