The race formerly known as CrossVegas moves to a new town and venue for 2018. Reno, Nevada will play host to this C1 race at the same venue as the 2018 US National Championships.
The course is a lot more compact compared to the one used for the US National Championships. This is due to both the use of lights and ease of viewing. The course features a lot of heavy grass (similar to CrossVegas) along with the more traditional features like stairs, barriers and a sandpit. The course also includes a very banked turn and a flyover. It should keep things fast, but tough, for all riders. One added “feature” is the high altitude of Reno (4,800 ft), which will make the race a bit harder.
The past few seasons CrossVegas has been positioned between the two US World Cup races. This year however, it takes place the Wednesday before the first round of the World Cup in Waterloo. As a result, some top American riders such as Stephen Hyde and Kerry Werner are skipping the race to rest for the first round of the World Cup. However, many American riders, especially those from the West Coast, will be racing to gain valuable C1 points.
It looks like most European riders are skipping the race this year, including last year’s winner Lauren Sweeck and his brother (and runner up) Diether Sweeck. This should open the door for some top North American riders to land on the podium. The favorite heading into this years race is Jeremy Powers. Powers finished third last year and looks to be on form. The likes of Tobin Ortenblad, Michael van den Ham (5th last year), Anthony Clark, and Lance Haidet should all compete for victory under the lights.
Predictions
- Tobin Ortenblad
- Michael van den Ham
- Lance Haidet
Dark horse: Geoff Kabush
We had JPows winning this thing, but he is unable to race due to health issues.
