Note: we made a minor mistake last week in saying the Cincy CX Festival was a C2 both days. Saturday’s race as in fact a C1. Since we goofed that up, we also did not post a race preview or predictions. We’re sorry about that and will get it right next time.
This past weekend there were four UCI races in North America. HPCX, in New Jersey, offered a pair of C2 races, which were won by Justin Lindine. The podium was the same both days, with Kevin Bradford-Parish and Scott Smith rounding out the podium. Cincy CX drew most of the big guns this past weekend with a C1 on Saturday and a C2 on Sunday. Gage Hecht picked up his first ever C1 victory ahead of Lance Haidet and Kerry Werner. Werner took the win on Sunday followed by Hecht and Stephen Hyde. Hyde returned to racing after crashing out of the Trek CX Cup in September.
The return of Hyde, Jeremy Powers and Spencer Petrov all had an impact on this weeks rankings. So, without further ado, here are this weeks rankings:
Spencer PetrovSpencer Petrov returned to racing after suffering from a severe concussion he got in September. Petrov looked sharp at times and finished 14th on Saturday and tenth on Sunday. We expect him to be back in the battle for the top five very soon.
Anthony ClarkClark struggled this past weekend with a DNF on Saturday and an 18th on Sunday. Like Petrov, he should be back in the mix very soon.
Michael van den HamVan den Ham returned to action with strong results both days. He was seventh on Saturday and eleventh on Sunday. The focus of North American cross is slowly shifting to his home nation of Canada, where we are sure he will shine.
Stephen HydeHyde finally returned to action after breaking his sternum at Trek CX Cup in September. He finished tenth on Saturday, but really shined on Sunday where he finished third. We know he’s gunning for another Pan-American Championship in a few weeks and he looks capable of defending his title.
Jamie DriscollDriscoll returned to action with a solid pair of top ten finishes. He was ninth on Saturday and just off the pace in fifth on Sunday. His form still looks good and he remains a podium threat this weekend.
Tobin OrtenbladWe have been guessing that Ortenblad is slowly ramping things back up for the last half of the North American season. His fourth on Saturday and eighth on Sunday show signs that he is coming back around. He should be a podium threat again in the coming weeks.
Lance HaidetHaidet continues to impress this past weekend in Cincinnati. He was second on Saturday and ninth on Sunday. At 21 he was one of the youngest riders in the field. That bodes well both for this season, and many more to come.
Curtis WhiteWhite drops one spot mostly due to Gage Hecht’s performance this past weekend. White looked solid and was a contender for the podium both days. He finished fifth on Saturday and fourth on Sunday. His strong performance against a stacked field is further proof he’s a rider to watch.
Gage HechtHecht was perhaps the most impressive rider of the weekend. We have watched him rise through the power rankings (and the results sheet) since returning from the road World Championships in late September. He picked up a very impressive win on Saturday and was narrowly out sprinted by Kerry Werner on Sunday.
Kerry WernerWerner was in the mix for the victory both days this past weekend at Cincy CX. After Hecht and Haidet got away from him on Saturday, Werner was able to beat a strong chase group for third. On Sunday, Werner set a good pace and was able to out sprint Hecht. It was a solid weekend from the rider that we still consider the top in North America.
