Curtis White (Steve Tilford Foundation Racing) delivered another impressive solo charge in Falmouth, Massachusetts, to claim his second victory of the weekend in Sunday’s C2 race at the Really Rad Festival of Cyclocross.
Even though the US champion claimed first spot in the elite men’s race again – and the USCX Cyclocross Series title as well – it was far from a carbon copy of Saturday’s C1 race. The lower spots of the podium switched, with Luke Valenti (Ecoflo Chronos) taking second after an impressive early challenge and Dylan Zakrajsek third, plus the conditions transformed the 3.3km course at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds with the dry terrain turning into slippery mud.
“I was kind of curious to see how this course would change with the rain,” said White in the televised post-race interview with CXHAIRS Bill Schieken. “It was really greasy top soil and then you had the sand factor so some parts you had plenty of grip, some parts it was just like an ice skating rink.”
That took a toll right from the start, with a crash on the first corner which caused disruption to the momentum for some. The field quickly stretched out with the 21-year-old Zakrajsek putting serious pressure on as he charged early.
White, though was in hot pursuit and it wasn’t long before he was the rider out front again. Still Valenti wasn’t going to let him ride away alone in the first lap, bridging the gap to join White at the front in the second lap of eight and then riding aggressively to pour the pressure on.
“It’s great to see a young guy like him pushing it, and pushing me, here,” said White of the 19-year-old Canadian.
White then struck out alone on the fourth lap, quickly getting a gap that he held till the end, however Valenti didn’t let it stretch too far. He finished just seven seconds back after White shed a little of his margin to celebrate victory.
There was then a solid gap to third, which looked like it was going to come down to a three-way sprint between Michael van den Ham (Giant-Easton), Canadian champion Tyler Clark (Hockley Valley Resort Armada) and early aggressor Zakrajsek. Then Van den Ham slipped out on a final corner and it was down to two, with Zakrajsek claiming the final step of the podium ahead of Clark.
White also took the USCX Cyclocross Series pro men’s victory with 268 points, 60 ahead of second-placed Vincent Baestaens (Spits CX Team) and 70 points ahead of Van den Ham.
Results
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