The North American season continued with two pairs of UCI C2 races in Colorado and Massachusetts. Curtis White won both days of the CRAFT Sportsware Gran Prix of Gloucester in Massachusetts. On the other side of the country, Gage Hecht and Brannan Fix picked up victories at the US Open of Cyclocross in Colorado. Both races provided exciting action on challenging courses. They also had an effect on this weeks rankings.
Here’s how this weeks rankings stack up:
Michael van den HamVan den Ham did not race this past weekend, but remains a top ten contender in any race he starts. He has looked consistent all season and should remain a threat for the podium. There’s a pair of C2 races in Canada, along with DCCX in the states this upcoming weekend. However, he is not on the start list for either one. Perhaps he’s taking another week of rest and training as he gears up for a strong second half of the season.
Jeremy PowersPerhaps the biggest story of the weekend was Powers return to action in Gloucester. His exact words were “After a couple of weeks on and off the bike I’m not in amazing condition, but making my way back up.” This showed in his 31st place on Saturday and DNF on Sunday. We expect to see Powers return to top form relatively soon and think he will once again be in the mix for a podium spot.
Anthony ClarkClark moves up a spot after another impressive week of racing in Gloucester. He was eighth on Saturday and landed on the podium, in third, on Sunday. Clearly, Clark is capable of reaching the podium on any given day and is a consistent top ten contender.
Tobin OrtenbladAs we mentioned last week, it appears Ortenblad has cooled off a bit. It’s a long season, even with Nationals in December, so timing things just right takes some skill. With that said, a seventh and fourth place finish is nothing to scoff at. Ortenblad should continue to be a top ten finisher and is on pace to become a podium regular once again.
Lance HaidetHaidet moves up a few spots after an impressive weekend in Boulder. Haidet was just off the pace, finishing second on Saturday and third on Sunday. The US Open of Cyclocross has a slightly lower caliber field than the one in Gloucester, but his strong and consistent results are impressive none the less.
Jamie DriscollDriscoll continues his strong season with a third on Saturday and a sixth on Sunday in Gloucester. We have moved him up and down our rankings all season. In fact, we kicked him out of the rankings a few weeks ago. At this point, Driscoll is clearly on form and a podium threat at every race he enters.
Stephen HydeIf you follow Hyde on Instagram or any of his social media outlets, you will see his positive attitude shine through. He’s still in recovery mode, but we expect him to come out strong once he’s ready. For now, he will remain in the mix in our Power Rankings.
Gage HechtHecht picked up a victory on Saturday in Boulder and a seventh place on Sunday. After all the travel and strong results in September, it’s nice to see that Hecht continues to be a strong force at the front of these races. Look for him to continue to land on the podium as the season goes on.
Curtis WhiteWhite has continued to climb the rankings all season. After a solid start to the season, White continues to impress. His pair of victories this weekend in Gloucester show that he’s capable of reaching the podium on any given weekend. It’s nice to throw him in the mix as one of the many podium contenders on this list. Perhaps North American racing is where the action is.
Kerry WernerWerner took a much deserved break this past weekend. He will be back in action at DCCX this weekend and should podium both days. In fact, we expect him to be on the top step of the podium.
