Hyde Survives Bell Lap Battle – 2018 Rochester Cyclocross Day 2 Men’s Race Report, Results

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Sunday proved to be a repeat double feature for the elite competitions at Rochester Cyclocross, the second weekend stop for the 2018 USA Cycling Professional Cyclocross Calendar (ProCX). After back-to-back victories by Maghalie Rochette (St-Jerome, Quebec/CXFever p/b Specialized) in the women’s races, could Saturday’s men’s winner pull off the same feat?

Stephen Hyde (Easthampton, Mass./Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) certainly hoped so, and had an all-or-nothing strategy to try and land the double.

“The game plan for me was to go out as hard as I could and maintain that until I either exploded or won the race,” Hyde explained. “It was definitely faster than yesterday. We went hard today, from the gun. We kept that pace up and kept pushing it.”

Taking the reins from the start, Hyde had multiple chasers in the early circuits of the eight-lap affair. With four laps to go, an impressive foursome had made separation – Hyde, Kerry Werner (Birdsboro, Penn./Kona Maxxis Shimano), Gage Hecht (Parker, Colo./Alpha Bicycle Co./Groove Subaru) and Jeremy Powers (Southampton, Mass./Aspire Racing).

From among the 33 other riders, a select group of 3 followed 15 seconds back – Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz, Calif./Santa Cruz/Donkey Label Racing), Lance Haidet (San Luis Obispo, Calif./Donnelly Sports) and Spencer Petrov (McKinney, Texas/Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld).

“It was a big group. We were changing up,” explained Hyde about the group of four pushing each other. “Guys were coming off, coming back and coming off. We never let up. I think there was some back patting, like ‘come on man, let’s do this, go hard.’ We all needed it. It was a great kick in the pants. It just worked out.”

With three laps to go out of eight, the foursome had increased the lead to 30 seconds. Separation in the lead pack then took place with 1.5 laps to go, when Hyde and Powers powered up the stairs section. Powers made a big move and pushed into a higher gear on the final lap, not allowing Werner or Hecht to make up any time.

“I don’t think any of the guys were expecting me to do much,” the 36-year-old Powers said. “I think they all have results. I think I’m the guy that doesn’t have results (this year). I’m also the oldest guy. I might as well take advantage of that. I truly didn’t know where I was at fitness wise. When I decided with two to go that I would turn the screws as hard as I could, I didn’t know what would happen. Either I blow up and I go backward, or these guys blow up and I go forward. Stephen was better in the final for sure. In the final lap he rode away. I couldn’t do anything else. He was a worthy winner. Today was really hard.”

Hyde took the time he needed coming out of the woods, and would sprint to the win in a time of 56 minutes, 58 seconds.

Powers improved on his seventh-place finish Saturday, scoring second overall, five seconds behind Hyde. Werner would round out the Top 3, finishing 16 seconds back, earning his second podium finish for the weekend. Last year in the C2 Elite Men’s race at Rochester Cyclocross, Werner topped Hyde for the top prize of the day.

Hyde ouduels Powers on the last lap at the 2018 Rochester Cyclocross Day 2. photo: Bruce Buckley

“It was nice just to be up there racing,” Powers added. “Today was way better than yesterday. Yesterday, the bike just wasn’t dialed, things weren’t quite 100 percent. Today, I made some adjustments, rode things a little bit differently, and played my cards a little better. I’m very happy. If I had gotten first, or fourth, today I’d have been happy with the effort.”

Hecht and Petrov would finish in fourth and fifth, respectively. It was the same order of finish for the 21-year-olds that they had in January’s U23 contest at the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships. Jack Kisseberth (Westhampton, Mass./Garneau Easton p/b Transitions), who was fourth on Saturday, did not finish the C2 race due to illness.

L to R: Jeremy Powers, Stephen Hyde, Kerry Werner. 2018 Rochester Cyclocross Day 2. photo: Bruce Buckley

Sept. 15-16 ProCX races continue in Breinigsville, Penn. After a one-year absence on the ProCX calendar, Nittany Lion Cross returns with two days of Category 2 events for Elite Women and Men. Now in its 13th year, Nittany Lion Cross also features two days of racing for Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross series.

Full results below.

2018 Rochester Cyclocross Day 2 Results - Pro Men, UCI C2