During day two of the Great Brewers Gran Prix of Gloucester Natasha Elliot (Garneau Club Chaussure Ogilvy) took victory in the women’s race while Tim Johnson (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld) was able to take the honors by capitalizing on a strong team in front of home crowds.
The women’s race began with Elliot taking the lead setting a fast pace early on, but Maureen Bruno Roy (Mm Racing P/b Seven Cycles ) managed to work her way to the front on a course that had significantly more twists and turns than the previous day’s race.
Lyne Bessette (October Factory Racing) couldn’t match the effort that saw her on the podium the previous day, but 45-year-old Laura Van Gilder (C3 Athletes Serving Athletes) was on a good day, with the drier conditions suiting her powerful style. In the end, it was Elliot taking the win over Van Gilder, who suffered from an untimely flat in the finale. Bruno Roy held on for third place.
Jeremy Powers (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld) took the lead early in the men’s race, and was quickly joined by Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) followed shortly by Powers’ teammate Tim Johnson. Behind, a chase group solidified containing Jamey Driscoll (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld), Joachim Parbo (CCV Leopard Cycles), Andy Jacques-Maynes (Bissel Pro Cycling), Davide Frattini (Team Fuji), and Derrick St. John (Garneau Cub Chaussure Ogilvy).
Page began to twist the screws shedding Johnson temporarily with his teammate Powers able to hang on. Driscoll then attacked out of the chase group resulting in his two Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld teammates leaving all the work to Page. Page’s repeated attacks to keep Driscoll from bridging across took their toll on a fading Johnson.
But Johnson never gave in, and team Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld played their tactics to a tee, forcing the lone Planet Bike rider to cover everything the three teammates threw at him when Driscoll eventually bridged. An untimely slip by Page saw the struggling Johnson break free from the group and solo in for the victory, while behind Page managed to hold onto second place with Powers taking third and Driscoll fourth.