Photo by Luc Claessen | ISPAphoto.be
1. Jeremy Powers – After taking a trip to Plzen and nabbing a top-ten in a World Cup race, Jeremy Powers not only rakes in the UCI points (which will assist his starting position in future international races) but starts to suggest that an impressive international result is just around the corner.
2. Ryan Trebon – Lest his occupation of the #2 spot sound like a slight after an early season firmly as #1 in Pavé’s Power Rankings, we’ll go ahead and remind you that Trebon won two races this past weekend, California’s Spooky Cross. He looked comfortable each race, despite Todd Wells and Ben Berden keeping close. Trebon’s in ripping form – he and Powers will continue to give each other a run for the money.
3. Geoff Kabush – Kabush didn’t race this past weekend, which saw North America’s talent split between a trip to the Czech Republic for the World Cup, and mid-level races like Spooky Cross and Granogue. The quiet weekend makes his ability to hard to check, but we feel okay keeping him in third place, riding the wave of his performance at the USGP two weeks ago.
4. Christian Heule – Another speculative placement. Heule didn’t race in Plzen and has been troubled by a cartilage injury in his ribcage, but rumors are that the pain is rapidly subsiding – will he be a force to be reckoned with in Tabor? We’ll see.
5. Tim Johnson – If I were TJ, I would have spent the first 50 minutes of the World Cup race in Plzen blasting around, passing people with a head full of steam, a stomach full of anger, and any and every other bodily function that allows one to put more force to the pedals than is ordinarily possible – then I would have bonked hard for the remaining ten minutes. The interrupted start, during which a videographer on the starting line blocked many riders from starting with everybody else, affected Johnson heavily. A bummer – will he make up for it in Tabor?
6. Todd Wells – Our National Champion wheeled his cyclocross bike to Spooky Cross in California and picked up two podium positions, keeping close to Ryan Trebon and Ben Berden. Just another sign that it’s a bummer that Wells won’t race the full season or defend his Championship.
7. Jamey Driscoll – Mister Consistency had a disappointing 44th place in Plzen, but I can’t help but attribute that to less European experience than his countrymen, rather than to a lack of form or power.
8. Ben Berden – The big tough Belgian joined Todd Wells and Ryan Trebon on the podium on back to back days in California this past weekend. What will it take for him to squeeze out a win on American soil?
9. Justin Lindine – Speaking of back to back podium positions, New England’s hometown hero, Justin Lindine, took a sortie down to Delaware and beat up on the Mid-Atlantic region, winning both days of Granogue. With more UCI victories, he’s secured himself a front row starting spot on future North American races. Will he hunt results against the continent’s best riders?
10. Chris Jones – Powers’ teammate, who provided Powers with some helpful first-lap full-gas assistance at the USGP race at Fort Collins, went to California and grabbed a fourth place and a fifth place – the types of performances we’re hoping to see more of from the Rapha-Focus rider.