Kemmerer and Dobrowski Dominate Raucous DCCX

WASHINGTON DC, October 24, 2010—Arley Kemmerer (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes) and Joe Dombrowski (Haymarket Bicycles-SEAVS) rode away from the competition to victories at the DCCX cyclocross race, race five in the BikeReg.com MABRAcross series, in Washington, D.C. Both riders had their teammates—and race favorites—face mechanical issues, opening the
way to dominating wins on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home. With more than 700 registered riders on a beautiful autumnal day, DCCX exceeded its previous attendance records after DCMTB, the team that organized the race, added new events for single-speeders, tandems and rookies.

Kemmerer overcame an early-race tumble to build a minute gap over the rest of the field in the Dogfish Head Alehouse women's 1/2/3 event with teammate Deidre Winfield. Winfield and Kemmerer traded leads throughout the race, passing riders from lower categories and eyeing each other up for the final sprint. As they came over the last barriers and run-up, Kemmerer stuck to the right and fought off Winfield for the inside line on the tight downhill leading to the finishing straight. Amidst the jockeying for position, Winfield dropped her chain and Kemmerer rode away to victory. The day before the race, Kemmerer taught a clinic on the DCCX course for 40 of the record 79 member women's field and said she enjoyed seeing her charges out on the course racing.  "It was great to see so many women giving it a try,'' Kemmerer said.

In the Family Bike Shop sponsored Men’s 1/2/3 race, Dombrowski's teammate and MABRAcross series leader Jared Nieters got clipped at the start of the elite race, sending him to the pavement. That left teenager Dombrowski, who took second place at last year's race, alone to ride away from the field. He did so with aplomb, while previous winner, Wes Schempf (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes), stomped the pedals in vain pursuit. Dombrowski built up a big lead that began to as Schempf chased hard. But in the end  Dombrowski proved stronger as he
took the win over Schempf. Olympian Bobby Lea separated himself from a three-man chase group and slotted in for third. Nieters chased hard throughout the race but didn’t spend long mourning his loss: He quickly switched bikes, jumped into the single-speed race that took off minutes later, and rode away with the win.

In the Masters 1/2/3 Blair Saunders (Ben's Performance Bikes) made his first appearance at a MABRAcross race this year and showed the field who is boss. He worked up an early lead over a four-rider chase group, led by series leader Kris Auer (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes) and held that lead to the finish. Auer finished second to keep the Verge Sport leader jeresy. In the Men's 3/4 race DCMTB's Matt Donahue made an early charge to take the first-lap prime and build a small gap on the field. He couldn't hold the lead and finished fourth behind winner Andrey Doroshenko (Adventures for the Cure).

DCMTB reworked the course for this year's race, eliminating a long road section and adding in some tight turns in the center of the course. A new set of stairs were added to the fabled run-up, allowing for pointed cheering and heckling from a crowd primed with refreshments from Dogfish Head Alehouse, frites made by DCMTB team members and pancakes from the Dutch Club.

Full DCCX results are here.

Next up in for the BikeReg.com MABRAcross series is All Hallows Cross, which takes place Saturday, October 30, in Hughesville, Md.