Photo by Sasha Eysymontt | flickr.com/photos/sashae
After throwing down in the heart of New England at last weekend’s Gloucester slug-fest, Jeremy Powers (Rapha/Focus) and Tim Johnson (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrosworld.com) take their feud to Fort Collins, CO for rounds three and four of the USGP of Cyclocross. Three of the top-five overall in the USGP’s standings will not be competing in these rounds, leaving the door wide open for someone new to take control of the USGP series.
Overall leader and round two winner, Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea) headed back to Europe last weekend along with his teammate, Rob Peeters, who is third overall. Jonathan Page (Planet Bike/Blue Bicycles), fourth overall, also headed to Europe for the rest of the season. This leaves round one winner and currently second overall, Ryan Trebon (LTS-Feltl) and Jamey Driscoll (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrosworld.com), who is fifth overall, in command of the series.
Complicating Trebon and Driscoll’s attempts to solidify their lead is the fact that all the stars of last weekend’s action in Gloucester will be there – including Powers, Johnson, Christian Heule (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrosworld.com) and Ben Berden (Ops Ale – Stoemper). The key factor in the race is the ability of Trebon and Powers to fight off the three headed monster known as the Cannondale p/b Cyclocrosworld.com team. However, the massive men’s field could produce some surprises in the form of Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis / Rocky Mountain) or Tristian Schouten (ISCorp), just to name a few.
NEPCX – Providence CX (C1/C2)
Roger Williams Park in Providence, RI will host rounds three and four of the Shimano New England Professional Cyclocross Series presented by Verge. Saturday’s UCI Category 1 race and Sunday’s Category 2 race feature some of the biggest names in North American Cyclocross. With most of last weekends top-ten either heading back to Europe or out to Colorado, this weekend provides an opportunity for some of the top elite riders to take control of the NEPCX.
Justin Lindine (bikereg.com/Joe’s Garage) is looking for his first UCI victory of the season. He will be facing a stacked New England field including Luke Keough (Champion Systems p/b Keough Cyclocross), who, as a second-year U23 last year, won three Verge Series elite races, Dylan McNicholas (cyclocrossworld.com), who has a reputation as one of the fastest starters in the country, Adam Myerson, winner of the Verge Series last year and Jeremy Durrin (JAM Fund/NCC), who has been on the edge of a breakout performance.
While the Europeans may be gone, the Canadians are just getting things going. Craig Richey (Renner Custom Cyclocross) has spent his season in New England thus far and will be looking to impress. His countryman Derrick St John (Stevens p/b The Cyclery) has long been an impressive racer in New England and he chose Providence to mark his return to the States. Fellow Canadian Mike Garrigan (Lapierre Canada) has his sights set on victory as well.