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The Trek USCX Series continued over the weekend with Rochester Cyclocross, the second of four race weekends of the premier professional cyclocross series in the US. After a bit of afternoon rain at Genesse Valley Park in Rochester, New York, the UCI level C1 women’s and men’s elite races got underway.

Both the men’s and women’s events saw athletes racing in better fitness, and ticking off faster laps as the race went on.

The women’s race featured the return of eight-time Rochester Cyclocross winner Maghalie Rochette (Canyon) who was making her cyclocross season debut.

Rochette couldn’t add another victory to her impressive palmarès, finishing just shy of last weekend’s winner Hélène Clauzel (Van Rysel Racing Team) in a hard-fought battle to the finish line.

The race was close through the top five competitors — rounded out by Sidney McGill (Cervelo/Orange Living), Manon Bakker (Crelan-Corendon), and Caroline Mani (Groove Off Road racing) — with them all finishing within 18 seconds of each other.

Results: Strohmeyer and Clauzel Win Rochester Cyclocross UCI C1 Races 2

The men’s race was a hard-fought battle of technical skill mixed with patience. Andrew Strohmeyer maintained his early position at the front of the race for the win, putting in his harder efforts in the second half of the race and in the technical sections, gapping off riders like Scott Funston and Tobin Ortenblad, and putting Curtis White off the pace. White finished 10th on the day.

The event was Tobin Ortenblad’s return to cross after racing a gravel-heavy calendar recently. It was his first USCX C1 level race of the season.

Kerry Werner (Groove Off Road Racing Team) took to the starting line after a successful weekend of racing at Go Cross last weekend. He had a rough start getting off the grid but in the first half of the race still worked his way up to the front of the field. Werner finished fifth on the day.

Results: Strohmeyer and Clauzel Win Rochester Cyclocross UCI C1 Races 3 — Andrew Strohmeyer wins the Rochester Cyclocross C1 Race.

Henry Coote is a U23 rider to keep your eye on

U23 rider Henry Coote (Competitive Edge Racing), who placed ninth last month in the junior men’s race at the mountain bike world championships in Andorra, had a breakout performance, and was quick to thank his coach Curtis White for all of the training. White himself had a good first half of the race but blew up during the second half with his protégé, Coote, overtaking him.

Coote seemed to go faster each lap, maintaining a pace in the flat sections that earned him a fourth place finish on the day. During the final laps of the race, Coote rode together with Ortenblad, but Coote dropped his chain causing him to fall back behind Ortenblad and miss out on the podium position. Regardless, Coote was ecstatic and bright about his result and thankful for his team, his coach, and family.

Results: Strohmeyer and Clauzel Win Rochester Cyclocross UCI C1 Races 4 — Henry Coote had an outstanding performance on Saturday.

Coote is supported by UCI developmental team Competitive Edge Racing out of Boston, Massachusetts. Tyler Samson, the team owner and hands-on team manager at each USCX event, has big goals for the UCI elite squad, so the top-five finish for Coote is a massive success for the whole squad.

This is Coote’s second year with the Boston based program. Samson started working with him last season as a second-year junior. “Henry has a great ability to lock into his race-day process and be extremely focused when it is going time,” Samon said. “It has been rewarding and a lot of fun to watch his progression.”