CycloCross Power Rankings – Week 14

2009 US Nationals Predictions Results

Here they are, the 2009 US Cross Nationals Results based on my predictions. It was an okay year, I took some big hits with the Masters races and the juniors were sporadic at best. Enjoy, there’s plenty more Nationals and European stuff to come.

Masters Men
30-34: Molly Cameron (-6) – Grant Berry picked up the win against a star-studded field, Cameron was seventh.
35-39: Brandon Dwight (-3) – Jonathan Baker came out on top, in a race where the top four were separated by less then twenty seconds. Dwight finished fourth. (more…)

US Nationals Predictions – Day 4

Day 4 finishes things off in style, with the Collegiate and Elite National Championships. It’s been a crazy few days thus far and today promises to be no exception. Tomorrow I’ll have all the results and points tabulated and we can see how I did. So far, its been a lot of second places for my predicted winners, hopefully today goes better.

Collegiate Men D1: Zach McDonald

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US Nationals Predictions – Day 3

Day 3 wraps up the Master and Juniors races featuring the exciting 17-18 Junior Men and the U23 Men’s race. Both of those races will feature riders heading to Europe and on to Worlds.

Junior Men
17-18: Cody Kaiser

Master Men
30-34: Molly Cameron
35-39: Brandon Dwight
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US Nationals Predictions – Day 2

Day 2 Features a full slew of National Championship races. It’s mostly juniors and women, but there are a few categories thrown in for fun. Here are the predictions:

Junior Women
10-12: Mina Anderburg
13-14: Andrea Casebolt
15-16: Alexis Ryan
17-18: Coryn Rivera
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CycloCross Power Rankings – Week 13

With just one weekend left before the US National Championships, chaos ensued in Portland, leaving more questions than answers. Many, including myself, thought it would be a two-horse race in “the showdown” at the final two rounds of the USGP; however, by the time the dust settled, two new riders had thrown their hats into the ring for a national championship. Todd Wells and Jeremy Powers came-off the previous weekend’s victories to dominate the competition in two of the closest races we’ve seen all year. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the Czech National Champion Zdenek Stybar proved that he’s a force to be reckoned with by winning his second-straight World Cup race. The usual protagonists were there, including a frustrated Niels Albert and a bitterly disappointed Sven Nys, but it was the first time this season we saw daylight     (more…)

US Nationals Predictions – Day 1

There are only a few races on Day 1 of US Nationals that will award an actual Stars and Stripes jersey. The rest of the day is filled with “B” races. Before reading this year’s predictions, be sure to check out how I did last year. I will unveil a modified points system tomorrow along with Day 2 predictions. For now, here’s who I’m looking at tomorrow:

Masters Men
55-59: Gary Thacker
60-64: Phil Bannister
65-69: Rob Lea
70+ – Last year there was a 70-74 Champ and a 75-79. Based on that:
70-74: Ronald Riley
75-79: Walt Axthelm

2008 US National Predictions (Review)

This is the first part of my annual US National Championships predicitons in which I attempt to predict every single National Championship winner. I will break it up a into individual days this year, so it’s a bit easier to digest. To get things going here’s how I did last year:

Points System:

5 Points – Correct Prediction
-1 Point – Each place my prediction finishes out of first.
-3 Points – DNF (more…)

CycloCross Power Rankings – Week 12

Just like last week, we have two new #1 riders in the rankings. Domestically, Jeremy Powers was one of a handful of big name riders to have raced this past weekend, and he won both races he entered. On the other side of the pond, things were a bit more interesting, and very surprising. Zdenek Stybar continued his run with a third straight victory, this time picking up a World Cup race. Sven Nys finally took his 50th Superprestige race victory and appears headed to a possible 10th overall title. In the end, Nys’ 2nd place to Stybar and his sheer destruction of the Superprestige field gave him the #1 nod this week. On both continents, there is no longer one dominant force (although it was refreshing to watch Nys ride away from everyone like the goed oude dagen). (more…)

CycloCross Power Rankings – Week 11

Both continents witnessed dominating performances by two riders this past weekend, Tim Johnson and Zdenek Stybar. Johnson took the solo approach, attacking the lead group at both rounds of the Super Cross Cup on Long Island. He was clearly the best rider in the US this weekend, forcing me to rethink my “sure thing” at Nationals: Ryan Trebon. Stybar’s domination involved a little more luck and a whole lotta speed. The Czech champion used his newfound sprinting skills to win a four-up sprint on Saturday at the GVA Trofee round in Hasselt. On Sunday, Stybar again won in a sprint, this time against Sven Nys after another very fast race. Cleary, these are the two best riders right now on their repsetive continents. Johnson looks poised to carry his form into Nationals in a few weeks, while (more…)