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The final weekend of the 2024 Trek USCX Series started with last year’s overall champion, Maghalie Rochette, taking the hole shot at the Trek CX Cup, leading the charge for the first half-lap, and looking like her return to winning form might be hitting its stride in the final weekend.

Halfway through the lap, however, things settled into the all too familiar rhythm of series leader Hélène Clauzel and Manon Bakker taking over the top two positions, with Rochette in third and Sidney McGill in fourth.

The high pace of the leaders, combined with increasing wind speeds became a major factor in the first half of the race. Riders knew they needed to be smart with their efforts as riding solo would surely come back to haunt them.

As the race wore on, Clauzel and Bakker continued to ride together, throwing little test moves at each other to see where they might gain an advantage. The barriers proved one major spot where there was a visible difference in tactics — Clauzel dismounted and ran each time, while Bakker rode each time. While throughout the race it never caused any significant advantage either way, it was sure to be a focal point for the final lap.

Further back, early leader Rochette continued to slip back through the top 10 before eventually abandoning, seemingly due to struggles in the heat.

Into the final lap, it was still Clauzel and Bakker working together and the crowd wondering where, if any, separation would occur. These questions were answered as the riders came past pit two with Clauzel throwing down a big attack opening up a few seconds’ gap. It was a bold move. Knowing the wind at the top of the course was in their face, Clauzel secured her seventh consecutive win, continuing her dominating streak in the TREK USCX Series.

Behind, McGill earned her third place the hard way, solo nearly the entire time, a testament to her continually impressive fitness and aggressive racing style. Further back, the ageless wonder Caroline Mani steadily moved up through the group to come in fourth, with Katie Clouse rounding out the top five.

Hélène Clauzel Completes USCX Series Sweep at Trek CX Cup, Andrew Strohmeyer Wraps Up Overall Win 2 — (Photo By Bill Schieken/CXHAIRS Media) (Photo: Bill Sheiken/ CXHAIRS Media)

Kerry Werner Wins C1 with patience and tact against top competitor Andrew Strohmeyer

Scott Funston took the hole shot, followed by the USCX Series leaders in the first couple laps: Andrew Strohmeyer, Kerry Werner, Tyler Clark, and Curtis White. Elite men’s field veteran Ben Fredrick made his way to the front of the race right away. Funston led for the whole first lap on the day, driving the pace and causing the initial splits in the field.

Eric Brunner, current Pan American and US cx national champion was a no-show after a solid season opener at last weekend’s USCX Charm City Cross in Baltimore. Joining on the TREK CX Cup grid for his first race of the series was USCX Series Caleb Swartz riding for Forward Endurance/Enve.

The initial laps started out very fast. The air was dry and the sun was beating down throughout the 3.2km course. The temps were hotter than usual and riders were taking on water. Leaders’ lap times were all under seven minutes. The lap times for the course distance are the fastest times we have seen all year in the TREK USCX series. The course offered less elevation than previous venues; allowing the riders to really tick up their technical skills with speed and accelerations.

The first half of the race we saw a separation of what would be our leaders on the day. This group had Swartz up in the mix. Werner, Strohmeyer, Funston, Clark, Swartz, and Ben Frederick were off the front of the race with a time gap of 15 sec and gaining as the laps went into the second half of the race.

Strohmeyer went in for a pit bike in lap three. Frederick and Swartz had been gapped off from the lead group of six in this same lap.

The second half of the race, through the barriers, is when the real separation started to happen. Strohmeyer and Werner were then a five to 10 second gap to Funston, then at the same distance behind we saw Clark and Fredrick.

At four laps, Swartz pulled into pit two and abandoned the race. Funston, still clambering to get back to the leaders, the gap was opening up to about 15 sec. The race stayed the same for about a lap here in this rhythm. Werner and Strohmeyer kept the speed high enough to keep Funston at bay, but not burn up the legs. Every time through the start finish line we saw the top five taking gels and onboarding nutrition. The weather conditions with the heat and wind made for challenging times for the riders leading the race.

With three laps to go Ben Frederick had moved up to fourth place in the group; Tyler Clark looked just as happy sitting in fifth place.

With two to go, Strohmeyer coming inside of pit number one put in a 20 second out of the saddle attack. He put Werner on the ropes a bit. Strohmeyer took it all the way over the flyover near Factory Hill and held the gap. The battle to determine the win for the final TREK USCX C1 started at this moment.

Strohmeyer at about a half a lap to go hit the wall and ran out of gas. Werner was still charging and had his eye on the win. By Pit #2; one lap to go, Werner had overtaken Strohmeyer. Werner was now in the lead, legs burning, focused on his goal of securing the top step of the Trek CX CUP C1.

Werner and his Groove Off Road Racing teammate, Caroline Mani, a five-time French national cyclocross champion, have been a force to be reckoned with in the 2024 Trek USCX Series. The celebration on the finish line of Werner’s win was a rekindling of excitement for what’s to come from this team for the rest of the season.

Hélène Clauzel Completes USCX Series Sweep at Trek CX Cup, Andrew Strohmeyer Wraps Up Overall Win 3 — (Photo By Bill Schieken/CXHAIRS Media) (Photo: Bill Sheiken/ CXHAIRS Media)

Women’s C2 Race

Under sunny skies, cooler temps, and the same gusty winds from Saturday, Sunday’s C2 race came off the line spirited with riders shoulder to shoulder vying for the hole shot. Sidney McGill, Maghalie Rochette, Kaya Musgrave and Katie Clouse led the charge, with McGill ultimately taking the lead through pit one.

By pit two, the leading group was Clauzel, Bakker, McGill, Musgrave, Rochette, Zoerner, with Mani trailing by 6 seconds.

By the start of lap two, Bakker had gone on the offensive and the result was she led with Clauzel a few seconds behind, and McGill, Rochette, Clouse all separated by a few seconds behind, and Zoerner trailing a bit further back.

It didn’t take long for Clauzel to get back on terms with Bakker, and the two opened up a 10-second gap. Behind, the three chasers united with hopes to contain the Europeans and claw their way back to upset the top end of the podium.

This configuration was the theme that continued to dominate the remainder of the race. From there, the question on everyone’s mind was — could Clauzel close out the series with a clean sweep?

The answer came late in the race as Bakker struggled on the infamous Factory Hill and allowed Clauzel to open a gap, which she would run with to the end of the race, thus stamping absolute authority on the series with a clean sweep.

While Bakker was unable to nail down a win in the series, consistency on the podium showed that, like Clauzel, it was a fruitful campaign here in the series and the fitness was in a good place for the return to Europe.

In the battle for the final podium spot, Clouse made a strong move late in the final lap but crashed on Factory Hill. That opened the door for Rochette to come to the line third, and put the disappointment of the prior day’s abandonment behind her.

Men’s C2 Race

Like Rochette, Caleb Swartz had an axe to grind after abandoning Saturday, and he led the charge off the line, with Ben Frederick just behind. By pit one, Frederick took the reins and led the bulk of the first lap, clearly inspired by his career best fourth place performance in Saturday’s C1.

By the start of lap two, it was a 10 rider group at the front — the usual suspects of Strohmeyer, Funston and Werner, along with Swartz, Frederick, Tyler Clark, Jules Van Kempen, Dylan Zakrycjek, Cody Scott and Owen Brennaman.

Funston, clearly feeling good, threw down a massive attack to split the group, and quickly drew out Strohmeyer and Clark, with Swartz and Van Kempen the next two trailing.

With the wind continuing to blow strong, it didn’t take long to see gaps starting to form. Clark was dropped, leaving Funston and Strohmeyer in front. Werner was back in third spot on the chase, after having to pit early with a puncture, with Clark and Swartz now trailing Werner.

While consistent shuffles ensued in the chase, a noticeable pattern at the front was Funston seeming to be doing the bulk of the pacemaking from Strohmeyer. While Funston was focused on retaining his narrow lead over Werner for second in the series, Strohmeyer was clearly playing his cards close to his chest in his bid to end the series with his sixth win.

With four laps to go, Werner finally reconnected with Funston and Strohmeyer. Just as he made contact at the line, the pace eased and they were three abreast, with Strohmeyer looking over with a grin and tongue out. The series was clearly going to finish just how it started back in Roanoke, with these three riders the class of the field.

Werner was the first to make a move just before three to go, but both his companions were quick to respond.

Into the final lap, Strohmeyer launched another of his notoriously devastating attacks, again on the headwind rise out of pit one. With a tiring Funston, sandwiched between Strohmeyer and Werner, unable to respond quickly enough, Strohmeyer was able to ride the gap to the line for a very emphatic victory.

Behind, Werner got ahead of Funston for second, and thus moved up to second overall in the series.

Henry Coote — who looked like he may connect with the leading trio with three to go — held on for fourth on the day, with Tyler Clark in fifth.