Which model of Tricross were you looking at?

Only the bottom of the line Triple has the 2300 "Thumbshifters". All other models have the paddle shifters as far as I know.

That said, I have a 2010 Tricross. Its the triple model with the 2300 groupset. I absolutely love it. I bought it as my first "roadish" bike, coming from casual mountain biking. I had the intent of using it on trails, but I have yet to do so. 99% of the time I'm on pavement, so I picked up a new wheelset (Soul 3.0SL) and 23c tires. Its a very comfortable, stable bike that ride can spend hours on.

It might not be the fastest bike of the bunch, nor the lightest, but its a blast to ride. It has everything that you are looking for:
1) brake levers on the flats
2) attachment points for fenders and racks
3) conservative geometry
4) carbon fork with zertz inserts