This past weekend was a big one for North American riders. Silver Goose CX hosted the Pan-American Championships in Midland, Ontario. The event offered a C2 race on Saturday and the championships on Sunday. In addition, there were a pair of C2 races at the Really Rad Festival of Cyclocross in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
Justine Lindine won day one of the Really Rad Festival of Cyclocross, but on day two he suffered a mechanical and was unable to pull off the double. Scott Smith picked up the win on Sunday after finishing second on Saturday. Kevin Bradford-Parish was third on Saturday and second on Sunday. Nicolas Lando rounded out Sunday’s podium in third.
As we mentioned, most of the top North American riders were in Canada for the Pan-American Championships. Saturday’s C2 winner was Gage Hecht, followed by Stephen Hyde and Michael van den Ham. On Sunday, Curtis White out sprinted Michael van den Ham for the title with Kerry Werner finishing a distant third.
Here’s how it affected this weeks rankings:
Spencer PetrovPetrov did not race this weekend. He is still recovering from a major concussion, but has shown that he’s still capable of finishing in the top ten. He should be back in action soon, and right in the mix of things.
Stephen HydeUnfortunately, it appears Hyde’s season may be over after a nasty fall on Sunday. Hyde looked like he was on top form on Saturday with a second place finish. He slipped on the stairs on Sunday and hurt his ankle. At this point we aren’t sure how bad the damage is, but things do not look good. It has been a rough season for Hyde, hopefully he can come back (again) at some point this year.
Justin LindineLindine has had a strong season and continued that trend this weekend in Falmouth. He was first on Saturday and looked dominate on Sunday until a mechanical took him out of the lead. He managed to finish fourth after a strong comeback and launches into the rankings for the first time this season.
Jamie DriscollDriscoll took a weekend off as he prepares for a strong second half of the season and a shot at nationals. He remains in the rankings as he is a consistent podium threat.
Lance HaidetHaidet was in Midland this weekend, but didn’t have his best stuff. He was 13th on Saturday and did not finish on Sunday. Haidet is a strong rider and should bounce back soon.
Tobin OrtenbladOrtenblad is still not showing the form we saw earlier this season. With that said, we expect him to peak for nationals, so a minor dip in form is to be expected. He finished seventh on Saturday and ninth on Sunday.
Michael van den HamWe have been watching Van den Ham all season, as he is a regular in our power rankings. Our expectations were for him to podium at the Pan-American Championships and podium this weekend at Canadian Nationals. After finishing third on Saturday and second on Sunday, he has to be the favorite for the maple leaf jersey.
Gage HechtHecht picked up another victory on Saturday in Midland. He has had a strong couple of weeks, winning two out of the past three races he has done. He started out strong on Sunday, but did not finish the race.
Kerry WernerAfter being the number one rider for almost all of the season, Werner’s form seems to be dipping a bit. He was fourth on Saturday and third on Sunday. These are great results, but not what we have seen over the past few months. We don’t expect him to go anywhere and he should be back on top of the podium soon.
Curtis WhiteWhite did not race on Saturday, saving his legs for Sunday. That paid off with a victory and a Pan-American title. Several articles mentioned that White was not a favorite to win, but we have had him in the top three of the power rankings since Gloucester. With a news jersey and a lot of confidence, White should be on the top step of the podium even more in the coming months.
