Keough, Werner Reign on Day Two of 2017 Rochester Cyclocross – Report and Full Results – Updated

by: Peloton Sports

Elite cyclocross riders got one last opportunity to get ready for the Jingle Cross World Cup weekend with Sunday’s C2 race at Rochester Cyclocross. With the big week of cyclocross in the U.S. looming, Sunday’s C2 race at Genesee Valley Park had a C1 feel to it. Ellen Noble (Aspire Racing) and Stephen Hyde (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld.com) took wins on Day 1 in Rochester and were looking to repeat again on Sunday.

Kaitie Keough Outduels Rochette to Grab Day Two Win

The sunshine brought dry and dusty conditions to the 3.5-kilometer track, which amped up the competition for a fast and furious battle along the Genesee River. By the second lap, the string of 38 riders had blown apart and four riders took charge—Keough, Emma White (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld.com), Maghalie Rochette (CLIF Pro Team), and Saturday’s winner Ellen Noble (Aspire Racing).

“We had a really good battle today,” said Keough.  “Maghalie was a bit stronger in the technical sections, but I made sure to just keep it smooth. We were both pretty even today. I am happy with the win,” said Keough about crossing the line ahead of Rochette after five laps to secure her first ProCX win of the season. She won the C1 race last year at Rochester Cyclocross.

Rochette attacked and took the lead on the final lap, but had a mechanical over the barriers at the Rohrbach Beer Garden. Keough launched a counter-attack and never looked back.

Rochette scored back-to-back second-place finishes at Rochester Cyclocross.

“I was riding with Katie for the best part of the race. In the end, I tried to attack through one of the technical sections, and I got a little gap. But then I had a little mistake, and I kind of back pedaled and my chain got stuck in my cassette, and I couldn’t pedal then,” explained Rochette about the circumstances on the final lap. “Katie passed me and Emma was on my butt. So I really was trying to make it to the finish line in second. It was a super fun event.”

Emma White finished fourth on Saturday and was able to get onto the podium on Sunday with a third-place finish the home-state event. “This is pretty close to my home race, in my home state, so it’s exciting to be here and start the season,” said the N.Y. native, who also competes as a professional road cyclist in the summer. “I’m coming off a pretty strong road season, so I’m excited to get to ’cross season. I’m trying to nail down my technical riding. I’ve improved from yesterday, so I am happy with that.”

Kerry Werner Takes Top Step in Rochester

The same top names competed for the Elite Men Sunday afternoon in Rochester, but it turned out to be a whole new ballgame with an aggressive race from the holeshot through the end of the race. Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz-Donkey Label Racing) led the field of 38 into the first series of serpentine turns in Genesee Valley Park, and all the favorites took turns in setting the pace.

Small attacks took place throughout the one-hour battle. With five laps to go, last year’s Rochester Cyclocross winner Jeremy Powers (Aspire Racing) took over at the front, followed by Curtis White (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com), Rob Peeters (Pauwels Sauzen-Vastgoedservic), Spencer Petrov (Aspire Racing), Stephen Hyde (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld.com), Ortenblad and Werner.

With two laps to go and clawing his way through the technical Double Trouble section in the woods, Werner attacked after on a long, grassy section of the course near the pits. The aggressive move paid dividends for the 26-year-old who had two C2 wins in 2016.

“I knew the initial bit of that attack would be the most crucial, so I tried to settle in. I knew they would turn it on in the last half lap, so I was just seeing red,” Werner noted about creating as much as a 15-second lead in the final kilometer and holding on to a two-second win over Hyde. “After yesterday I wasn’t really happy with how I felt during the race, but after the race I was kinda surprised with how well I recovered. Finishing on top here today puts me in a good spot going into Jingle (Cross).”

Behind Werner on the final lap the chasers played a little cat-and-mouse, without any one rider taking charge. Eventually, it was Hyde out-dueling Peeters to take second, and the Belgian settled for third.

“He played that well. We were all looking at each other, and if somebody went off, that was a great time to do it,” said Hyde about Werner’s surge on the faster section of the course on lap two. “Kerry is a courageous rider for getting out there and attacking, not making it a boring show. Good for him on that. It’s good to see him take a win, especially so early in the season.”

Hyde continued, “Yesterday I think I did a lot more work than I should have. Today, maybe I did a little less work than I should have in retrospect. Maybe we’ll find that balance somewhere. If maybe I had attacked before the barriers, maybe the outcome would be different.”

Next Up on the ProCX Calendar

The ProCX calendar continues September 15 and 16 as part of the Jingle Cross Cyclocross Festival in Iowa City, Iowa. The UCI C1 races will be September 15 and UCI C2 races on September 16. Both Friday and Saturday’s races will be held under the lights. Sunday will feature the Telenet UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup events. For more information, visit www.jinglecross2.com.

USA Cycling ProCX features the premier cyclocross events in America and uses an overall ranking system to determine the best individual male and female ’cross racers over the course of the season. The ProCX calendar includes 43 UCI-inscripted category 1 and 2 races in the country. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit usacycling.org, and follow Pro CX all season on Twitter – @USACProCX (#ProCX).

Women's Results - 2017 Rochester Cyclocross Day 2

Men's Results - 2017 Rochester Cyclocross Day 2