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Rumors & Rumblings is our regular offseason column that looks at what cyclocross (and now gravel!) stars are up to during the offseason. Today, we report on U.S. Road Nationals, some pre-Road Nationals races and exciting cyclocross news. Only *checks notes* 72 days until Toronto Cyclocross and Deschutes Brewery GO Cross, after all.

If Phil Gaimon is having the “Worst Retirement Ever,” Adam Myerson’s is pretty bad too. The former pro cyclocross and road racer has been on a roll at Cyclocross and Road Nationals the last two years. He won the Stars-and-Stripes in Hartford in 2017 and again in Reno in 2018 in the Masters 45-49 category, and on the road, Myerson won the Masters 45-49 Road Race in 2017.

Last weekend, Myerson did not get the Road Race jersey again, but he did win the Masters 45-49 criterium in—poetically—Augusta, GA.

There will be no rest for Myerson, as he takes his new Crit Stars-and-Stripes (DO NOT CONGRATULATE Adam for winning the Stars-and-Bars if you do see him there!) to Massachusetts’ NE Crit Week starting on Sunday.

Kimberly Pettit, who finished third in the Masters 50-54 race in Asheville in 2016, took home the win in the Masters 50-54 Road Race in Augusta. Fred Schmid put his road legs to the test again in 2018 and took home wins in the 85+ Road Race and Criterium.

Full Masters Road Nationals results are available on USA Cycling’s website.

Rivera and Vos Turn in a Classic in Great Britain

With Pro Road Nationals coming up this weekend in the U.S. and Canada, different riders took different approaches to get ready. Canada’s Sara Poidevin went out and won the Ghost of the Gravel race in Alberta last weekend, and Coryn Rivera, who is one of the favorites in the U.S. Women’s Road Race on Sunday, did the five-day OVO Energy Stage Race in Great Britain that is part of the UCI Women’s WorldTour.

Not only did Rivera race with her Team Sunweb trade team, she also won the GC title by 11 seconds over Marianne Vos. One of the highlights of the race was Rivera’s thrilling sprint win over Vos in Stage 2. If you are looking for bike throw lessons, you probably need to look no further than Rivera for how to perfect the move.

Christine Majerus continued her strong road campaign with a 4th place in the GC. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot took ninth. Full stage and GC results are available here.

A live stream of the U.S. Pro Road Race Nationals will be available from USA Cycling on Sunday. The Women’s race is at 9 a.m. EDT and the Men’s is at 1:15 p.m. EDT. See usacycling.org for more info.

Women Race for Free at Virginia’s Deschutes Brewery GO Cross

The Deschutes Brewery GO Cross weekend is September 1-2, 2018.

The Deschutes Brewery GO Cross weekend is September 1-2, 2018.

One of the new additions to this year’s U.S. slate of UCI cyclocross races is the Deschutes Brewery GO Cross weekend in Roanoke, Virginia. GO Cross helps kick off the 2018-19 cyclocross schedule in the aforementioned 72 days (but who’s counting, right?).

The race, which was held at the non-UCI level last year, is making a big entry to the UCI level by offering free registration for all women at both the amateur and UCI levels. The free registrations are sponsored by East Coasters Bike Shop and Trek Bicycles.

Free registration for all women is available via pre-reg. Visit the race’s bikereg.com page for more information.

Get Well Soon Benny Hops

Injuries suck, so we want to take this chance to wish Ben Gomez Villafane a quick recovery from hernia surgery earlier this offseason. The 2018 Junior 17-18 National Cyclocross Champion has laid low after having Laparoscopic Bilateral Inguinal Hernia Repair surgery.

During his recovery, Gomez Villafane was busy graduating from high school and is now back to riding his bike. We hope to see him back at full strength this fall as he tackles his first year as a U23.

Ellen Noble Podiums Up North

After travelling to Europe for the last two UCI XCO World Cup races, Ellen Noble raced closer to home last weekend, with “closer to home,” of course meaning “in Canada.” Noble traveled to Barrie, Ontario for the Trek Store Canada Cup XCO race over the weekend.

Noble came home with a podium finish for her efforts, taking third against a field of Canada’s best mountain bike racers.

Stephen Hyde also made the trip up north with his former JAM Fund teammate and finished ninth in the Men’s race.

Full results are available here.

For more offseason coverage, see our Rumors & Rumblings archive. Got a story we missed? Let us know at news [at] cxmagazine.com.