Adam Myerson decided to stick around after Saturday’s Kingsport Cup to race the Tennessee State Championships this past Sunday. Then he decided to win. “Sunday was not quite the same field as on Saturday,” he said, “we only had about half as many racers [due to the competing NCCX#12], but still had strong riders on the front – John Hamblen, Michael Stewart. It was still unseasonably cold, with snow on the ground. The course was a bit tacky, and I was able to ride some technical sections where others had to dismount, which was a nice advantage.”
“I thought the course was great,” he continued. “It’s why we were there, to see ’cross grow in this part of the country and support races in January. The organizers are making a point of getting us races, and we want to support that. The infrastructure of the course was good, and it had some great technical sections, off-camber turns, and wide open hard sections – it had a bit of something for everyone.”
Myerson made no secret about his excitement in seeing a US rider take the holeshot in a World Cup race on the same day. “The joke this weekend is that it took a village to make a Jeremy Powers. I coached him, CycleSmart supported him. We think of him as one of ours. He’s a friend as much as anything else. So to see him over there is great.”
“It’s great for the US to be making such a showing over there. The whole country can’t wait. All these guys over there representing us are showing that we’re legit, that American ’cross isn’t second rate and should be taken seriously,” he said.
“I won’t make predictions; so much of St. Wendel will depend on the weather. If it’s frozen it can be treacherous. It will be a true ’cross race.”
