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2011 Planet Bike Cup USGP, day 2 photos by Wil Matthews

  • By VeloNews.com
  • Published Sep. 25, 2011
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    Wellens goes well

    With two laps to go, Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea) had a 15-second gap over the Page-Trebon duo, and held it to the finish where his victory earned him the USGP series leader's jersey. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Driscoll swaps bikes

    Jamie Driscoll (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com) takes a bike swap during the heavy rains in the first half of the Elite Men's race. The sodden course kept pit activity high. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    McShane masters the masters

    Mike McShane (Bob's Red Mill) solidified his lead in the USGP Masters 45+ series Sunday. McShane has targeted the 2012 UCI Masters World Championships, which will be held in his hometown of Louisville, as a major competition goal. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Heule

    Christian Heule (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com) watches the rain from the comfort of the team compound a few hours before the start of the Elite Men's race. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Batten the hatches

    Morning rain gave way to afternoon thunderstorms, which drenched the Sun Prairie venue. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Mud

    The heavy rain throughout the day left the grassy venue saturated and sloppy. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    The Luna Chix warm up

    Georgia Gould (Luna) warms up with teammate Katerina Nash shortly before the Elite Women's race. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Luna Chix

    Georgia Gould (Luna) leads teammate Katerina Nash on the second lap through the infield. Nash surged past Gould when Gould fell on a tricky turn after the run-up, and maintained the lead to the finish. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Duke

    Nicole Duke (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com) held third for the majority of the race, maintaining a comfortable gap over her chasers but unable to close the gap to the Luna duo of Nash and Gould. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Mo bike change

    Mo Bruno Roy (Bob's Red Mill) takes a clean bike during Sunday's elite women's race from Matt Roy while Cannondale team manager Stu Thorne lends a hand in the background. Bike swaps are less common in the women's races owing to 45-minute race duration, but Sunday's mudfest had many riders swapping bikes every lap. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Wellens warms up

    Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea) warms up before the start of the Elite Men's race. Wellen's victory Sunday placed him in the USGP leader's jersey. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Nash celebrates

    Katerina Nash (Luna) celebrates her victory in Sunday's USGP Planet Bike Cup following a dominating ride through a technical and slippery course. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Page

    Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) takes a quiet moment at staging before the start of Sunday's Elite Men's race. Page turned around his performance from Saturday by staying active in the lead group and securing second place in Sunday's race. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Peeters grabs the holeshot prime

    Rob Peeters (Telenet-Fidea) takes the Avid Shortly Ultimate Holeshot award in the first turn ahead of Saturday's winner Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus.) Photo: Wil Matthews

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    McDonald

    Zach McDonald (Rapha-Focus) scans the course after dropping Yannick Eckmann (Pearl Izumi) who would settle for second. McDonald and Eckmann were trading the U-23 lead up to the final lap. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Wellens celebrates

    Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea) shows the toll of his efforts from Sunday's USGP Planet Bike Cup after crossing the finish following seven technical and difficult laps. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    McDonald warms up

    Zach McDonald (Rapha-Focus) stayed sheltered under the team tent during the afternoon rainstorms, but went on to redeem his difficulties from Saturday by winning the U-23 race. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Nash

    USGP Elite Women's series leader Katerina Nash (Luna) sails over the uphill-approach barriers mid-way through the Sunday race. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Off cambers

    Off-camber sections of the course that were rideable on Saturday were barely runable after Sunday's rains. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    Holeshot

    Elite men stage behind the Avid Shortly Ultimate Holeshot start banner before Sunday's race. The threatening clouds gave way shortly after the start with heavy rain. Photo: Wil Matthews

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    J-Pow

    Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) slipped to ninth place on the technical and slower Sunday course. Photo: Wil Matthews

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