Rochester, NY played host to the first C1 race in the United States this past weekend. It was an opportunity to grab early season UCI points for North America’s top riders. Stephen Hyde dominated Saturday’s C1 race while Sunday’s C2 race was a much closer affair. Time to see how that affected this weeks power rankings.
Anthony ClarkDespite having not raced in the US this year, we like how Clark’s early season has gone while racing abroad. We will see how that form, and success, translates here in the states very soon.
Jamie DriscollWith a pair of 9th places in Rochester, Driscoll continues to be very consistent. He may not be a contender for the podium, but he will always remain a threat to crack the top five. The irony of him being number nine in our rankings is not lost on us.
Spencer PetrovOur dark-horse for the weekend, Petrov managed a 12th on Saturday and a fifth on Sunday. That was enough to move him up a few spots. His fifth on Sunday was very impressive and shows that on any given day he can make a run at the podium.
Lance HaidetThe number of U23 riders on this list seems to grow every week. Haidet lands in the top ten this week after a solid performance in Rochester. Last year he was just outside the top ten in many races, so this progression is nice to see. As a result, he should land on a few more podiums this year as well.
Gage HechtWith a pair of top five finishes this past weekend, Hecht remains a true podium threat. Despite being bumped down one spot, Hecht still remains the best U23 rider in the country. It should be interesting to see how he progresses and shines on the bigger stages this season.
Jack KisseberthAfter a stellar fourth place on Saturday, Kisseberth was unable to finish on Sunday due to illness. It’s easy to imagine that he would have been in the battle for the podium had he been feeling better. He drops one spot this week, mostly as a result of Jeremy Powers performance on Sunday.
Jeremy PowersA seventh place in a C1 is nothing to balk about, but according to Powers some bike issues and general unease may have held him back. On Sunday, Powers pushed Stephen Hyde to the limit, narrowly missing out on victory. It appears that the Powers of old is back. As a result, he moves up two spots this week.
Tobin OrtenbladOur top three remain the same this week beginning with Ortenblad. He has three podium finishes in four races this season. He ended up seventh on Sunday, but Saturday’s performance is the one that stands out. Ortenblad methodically moved through the field and outsprinted Kisseberth to take third.
Kerry WernerFour podiums in four races for Werner; a nice way to start the season. Werner looked good in Rochester and continues to be the early season stand out. Nobody was going to beat Stephen Hyde on Saturday and Werner was just behind Powers on Sunday. If anyone can best Hyde, our money is on Werner.
Stephen HydeHyde picked up right where left off by winning both days of racing in Rochester. He finished well ahead of the group on Saturday and was able to hold off Powers on Sunday. We thought he might come in a bit undercooked, but it appears he is ready to go. It will be interesting to see how he does at the first two rounds of the World Cup.
