Johnson narrows gap to Pro CX leader Powers

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Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) and Elle Anderson (Cal Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) continue to lead the USA Cycling Professional Cyclo-cross Calendar (Pro CX) standings, but their respective leads in the elite men's and elite women's categories were both reduced in this past weekend's racing. Austin Vincent (Race CF | racecf.org @racecf) remains the junior men's leader.

The top riders in the elite Pro CX standings opted to contest the points-rich Deschutes Brewery Cup in Bend, Oregon, on Saturday, the final UCI-rated C1 race in the US this season. Also on tap for the Pro CX was a pair of UCI C2 events in Warwick, Rhode Island, as the NBX Gran Prix of Cyclocross served as the final races for the Shimano NEPCX series.

Tim Johnson (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com) endured frigid wintry conditions in Bend on Saturday to win the Deschutes Brewery Cup and the points earned kept him in second overall in the Pro CX standings with 936 points. Pro CX leader Jeremy Powers continues to lead overall with 945 points after his fourth place effort in Bend, but his advantage over Johnson was reduced to just nine points. Ben Berden (Raleigh-Clement), ninth at the Deschutes Brewery Cup, retains his third place position with 866 points. Bend, Oregon's Ryan Trebon (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com) remains in fourth overall at 711 points while the top five is completed by Jamey Driscoll (Raleigh-Clement) at 530 points.

Justin Lindine (Redline), seventh overall in the Pro CX, and Shawn Milne (Keough Cyclocross) won the men's races at the NBX Gran Prix of Cyclocross.

Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) won the elite women's race at the Deschutes Brewery Cup and remains in second overall in the Pro CX standings with 755 points. Overall leader Elle Anderson finished third and continues to remain on top of the standings with 809 points, but her advantage over Nash has been reduced to 54 points. Anderson's teammate Meredith Miller, fifth in Bend, holds third at 677 points while Crystal Anthony (Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies), runner-up to Nash on Saturday, remains in fourth, 24 points behind Miller. The top five is rounded out by Laura Van Gilder (Van Dessel p/b Mellow Mushroom), who finished on the podium both days at the Shimano NEPCX-NBX Gran Prix of Cyclocross.

Emma White (Cyclocrossworld.com), 14th overall in the Pro CX, and Arley Kemmerer (C3-Twenty20 Cycling), 8th overall, won Saturday and Sunday respectively in Warwick.

There was a junior men's event at the Deschutes Brewery Cup, won by Nolan Brady (Rad Racing NW), which moved him from 11th to sixth on the Pro CX standings with 234 points. Overall leader Austin Vincent (Race CF | racecf.org @racecf) did not compete in Bend but remains in top position nonetheless with 345 points. Lance Haidet (Bear Development Team), who placed second in Bend, moves into second overall at 286 points while Peter Goguen (RACE CF | racecf.org @racecf) drops from second to third at 254 points.

Only three events remain in the elite-level Pro CX series: a weekend of racing at the North Carolina Grand Prix (Dec. 14-15) in Hendersonville, North Carolina followed by the finale at the Kingsport Cyclo-cross Cup (Jan. 5, 2014) in Kingsport, Tennessee. With the elite men's Pro CX title still up for grabs, Powers, Johnson and Berden will all travel to North Carolina this coming weekend to compete at the North Carolina Grand Prix.

Elle Anderson, meanwhile, appears to have wrapped up the women's Pro CX as only Katerina Nash has a mathematical possibility to surpass Anderson's points tally, but the Czech had stated that the Deschutes Brewery Cup would be the final 'cross race of her season.

Only one race remains for junior men in their Pro CX season, the Kingsport Cyclo-cross Cup, and Austin Vincent holds an insurmountable lead in the standings.