Plaxton and Davison remain 2011 Pro XCT leaders

Max Plaxton and Lea Davison (Specialized) are the leaders of the US Pro Cross Country Tour (US Pro XCT) following the fourth round at the Mellow Johnny's Classic in Dripping Springs, Texas, on Saturday.

Plaxton beat his teammate Todd Wells and Sam Schultz (Subaru-Trek) for the win in the most recent men's round. On a 90-degree (Fahrenheit) day during which several riders wore ice vests at the starting line, Plaxton used a surge on the last lap to overtake Wells for the win. Plaxton had started the last lap with a deficit of approximately five seconds.

"I let Todd push the pace at the start and just kind of sat on Sid (Taberlay) and Sam," Plaxton said. "But when Todd got that gap, I knew I couldn't wait too long to catch him. When I got on my own, I found that I was riding that stuff faster than anyone."

As a result, Plaxton has opened a 40-point margin over Wells in the US Pro XCT standings. Schultz, Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale Factory), who was absent from round four and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Trek) round out the top five. Stephen Ettinger (BMC Mountainbike Development) is the top Under 23 rider, sitting in ninth place.

In the women's round four, Georgia Gould (Luna Pro) finished five seconds ahead of Davison and Daniela Campuzano (Turbo Bike Team).

Gould opened an early lead and never relented. "I wanted to be in front and pick my lines," Gould said. "I just rode my own race."

Davison tried to stay with Gould in the early stages of the race, but changed her strategy at the midpoint. "It was important to relax and ride your own race because when I was focused on catching Georgia, I was all over the place," Davison said.

With her most recent victory, Gould narrowed Davison's lead in the women's US Pro XCT standings to 10 points. Chloe Forsman (BMC Mountainbike Development), who finished fifth in the race, is 170 points behind Davison in third. Erica Zaveta (BMC Mountainbike Development) is the top American Under 23 women's rider, in 13th place.

In the team standings, Specialized USA Factory Racing has a 36-point edge on Subaru-Trek. Luna Pro sits in third place, 10 points ahead of the BMC MTB Development Team. Specialized Factory Racing completes the top five.

The US Pro XCT heads next to the Subaru Cup in Mt. Morris, Wisconsin on June 25.  The series is run by USA Cycling.

See Cyclingnews' full coverage of the US Pro XCT round at the Mellow Johnny's Classic.

US Pro XCT Standings

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Elite men US Pro XCT Standings after four rounds
#Rider Name (Country)StandingHeader Cell - Column 3
1Max Plaxton (Can)770pts
2Todd Wells (USA)730Row 1 - Cell 3
3Sam Schultz (USA)640Row 2 - Cell 3
4Jeremiah Bishop (USA)560Row 3 - Cell 3
5Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA)440Row 4 - Cell 3
6Sid Taberlay (Aus)440Row 5 - Cell 3
7Adam Craig (USA)390Row 6 - Cell 3
8Spencer Paxson (USA)355Row 7 - Cell 3
9Stephen Ettinger* (USA)330Row 8 - Cell 3
10Geoff Kabush (Can)290Row 9 - Cell 3
11Rotem Ishay (Isr)275Row 10 - Cell 3
12Raphael Gagne (Can)250Row 11 - Cell 3
13Ryan Woodall (USA)246Row 12 - Cell 3
14Kerry Werner* (USA)205Row 13 - Cell 3
15Adam Morka (Can)190Row 14 - Cell 3
16Jason Sager (USA)185Row 15 - Cell 3
17Troy Wells (USA)185Row 16 - Cell 3
18Ignacio Torres (Mex)180Row 17 - Cell 3
19Barry Wicks (USA)160Row 18 - Cell 3
20Lachlan Norris (Aus)130Row 19 - Cell 3
20Derek Zandstra (Can)130Row 20 - Cell 3
22Mitchell Hoke (USA)126Row 21 - Cell 3
23Justin Lindine (USA)124Row 22 - Cell 3
24Dana Weber (USA)112Row 23 - Cell 3
25Peter Glassford (Can)100Row 24 - Cell 3
26Tj Woodruff (USA)94Row 25 - Cell 3
27Drew Edsall (USA)90Row 26 - Cell 3
27Ryan Trebon (USA)90Row 27 - Cell 3
29Kris Sneddon (Can)88Row 28 - Cell 3
30Benjamin Sonntag (Ger)85Row 29 - Cell 3
31Seamus Powell* (USA)80Row 30 - Cell 3
31Thomas Turner (USA)80Row 31 - Cell 3
33Juan Carlos Herndandez (Mex)80Row 32 - Cell 3
34Bryson Perry (USA)72Row 33 - Cell 3
35Alejando Barajas* (Mex)55Row 34 - Cell 3
36Vincent Lombardi (USA)50Row 35 - Cell 3
37Jack Hinkens* (USA)48Row 36 - Cell 3
38Emmanuel Valencia (Mex)45Row 37 - Cell 3
39Matt Gordon (USA)40Row 38 - Cell 3
39Jesse Anthony (USA)40Row 39 - Cell 3
41Miguel Valadez (Mex)39Row 40 - Cell 3
42Bryan Fawley (USA)35Row 41 - Cell 3
43Kalan Beisel (USA)35Row 42 - Cell 3
44Rick Wetherald (USA)30Row 43 - Cell 3
45Blake Harlan (USA)28Row 44 - Cell 3
45Colin Cares (USA)28Row 45 - Cell 3
45Antoine Caron* (Can)28Row 46 - Cell 3
48John Nobil (USA)26Row 47 - Cell 3
48Kevin Fish* (USA)26Row 48 - Cell 3
50Francis Morin* (Can)24Row 49 - Cell 3
51Zachary Valdez (USA)23Row 50 - Cell 3
52Lukas Buchli (Swi)22Row 51 - Cell 3
53Brandon Draugelis (USA)20Row 52 - Cell 3
53Brian Van Ulden (USA)20Row 53 - Cell 3
55Jorge Munoz (USA)18Row 54 - Cell 3
55Ben Bostrom (USA)18Row 55 - Cell 3
55Jeff Herrera (USA)18Row 56 - Cell 3
58Cody Kaiser* (USA)16Row 57 - Cell 3
58Brady Kappius (USA)16Row 58 - Cell 3
58Tyson Wagler* (Can)16Row 59 - Cell 3
61Russell Finsterwald* (USA)14Row 60 - Cell 3
61Sean Donovan (USA)14Row 61 - Cell 3
63Jason Siegle (USA)14Row 62 - Cell 3
64Aaron Elwell (USA)12Row 63 - Cell 3
64Adam Snyder (USA)12Row 64 - Cell 3
64David Tinker Juarez (USA)12Row 65 - Cell 3
67Marton Blazso (Hun)10Row 66 - Cell 3
67Carl Decker (USA)10Row 67 - Cell 3
69Lucas Brusseau (USA)9Row 68 - Cell 3
69Eric Batty (Can)9Row 69 - Cell 3
69Aaron Bradford (USA)9Row 70 - Cell 3
72Martin Cox (USA)8Row 71 - Cell 3
72Joshua Carlson (Aus)8Row 72 - Cell 3
72Kevin Smallman (USA)8Row 73 - Cell 3
75Jason Young (USA)7Row 74 - Cell 3
76John Rines (USA)6Row 75 - Cell 3
76Tim Allen (USA)6Row 76 - Cell 3
78Craig Wohlschlae (USA)5Row 77 - Cell 3
78Ken Onodera (Jpn)5Row 78 - Cell 3
80Anthony Sinyard (USA)4Row 79 - Cell 3
81Ned Overend (USA)4Row 80 - Cell 3
82Graham Aldredge* (USA)3Row 81 - Cell 3
82Menso De Jong* (USA)3Row 82 - Cell 3
82Jim Hewett (USA)3Row 83 - Cell 3
85Wiley Mosley (USA)2Row 84 - Cell 3
85Colin Osborn (USA)2Row 85 - Cell 3
87David Hanes (USA)1Row 86 - Cell 3
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Elite women US Pro XCT Standings after four rounds
#Rider Name (Country)StandingHeader Cell - Column 3
1Lea Davison (USA)720pts
2Georgia Gould (USA)710Row 1 - Cell 3
3Chloe Forsman (USA)550Row 2 - Cell 3
4Emily Batty (Can)530Row 3 - Cell 3
5Krista Park (USA)466Row 4 - Cell 3
6Catherine Pendrel (Can)390Row 5 - Cell 3
7Heather Irmiger (USA)350Row 6 - Cell 3
8Sarah Kaufmann (USA)344Row 7 - Cell 3
9Amanda Carey (USA)340Row 8 - Cell 3
10Daniela Campuzano Chavez (Mex)310Row 9 - Cell 3
11Carolyn Popovic (USA)306Row 10 - Cell 3
12Judy Freeman (USA)290Row 11 - Cell 3
13Erica Zaveta* (USA)290Row 12 - Cell 3
14Zephanie Blasi (USA)260Row 13 - Cell 3
15Katerina Nash (Cze)180Row 14 - Cell 3
16Lydia Tanner* (USA)172Row 15 - Cell 3
17Kelli Emmett (USA)160Row 16 - Cell 3
17Marie-Helen Premont (Can)160Row 17 - Cell 3
19Pua Mata (USA)140Row 18 - Cell 3
20Amanda Sin (Can)130Row 19 - Cell 3
21Linnea Koons (USA)126Row 20 - Cell 3
22Mical Dyck (Can)120Row 21 - Cell 3
23Kathy Sherwin (USA)90Row 22 - Cell 3
24Kelsy Bingham (USA)90Row 23 - Cell 3
25Teal Stetson-Lee (USA)80Row 24 - Cell 3
26Nina Baum (USA)80Row 25 - Cell 3
27Sarah Maile (USA)78Row 26 - Cell 3
28Shannon Gibson (USA)75Row 27 - Cell 3
29Deyanira Guerrero (Mex)67Row 28 - Cell 3
30Erica Tingey (USA)63Row 29 - Cell 3
31Kaila Hart* (USA)54Row 30 - Cell 3
32Laura Bietola* (Can)50Row 31 - Cell 3
33Rebecca Rusch (USA)45Row 32 - Cell 3
34Catherine Vipond (Can)40Row 33 - Cell 3
35Aleksandra Mooradian (Pol)30Row 34 - Cell 3
36Danelle Kabush (Can)26Row 35 - Cell 3
37Kristina Laforge* (Can)24Row 36 - Cell 3
38Alice Pennington (USA)22Row 37 - Cell 3
39Rebecca Beaumont* (Can)18Row 38 - Cell 3
39Brandi Heisterman (Can)18Row 39 - Cell 3
41Caroline Mani (Fra)10Row 40 - Cell 3
42Anna Fortner (USA)9Row 41 - Cell 3
43Caley Brooks* (Can)8Row 42 - Cell 3
44Laura Winberry (USA)7Row 43 - Cell 3
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Teams US Pro XCT standings after four rounds
#TeamStandingHeader Cell - Column 3
1Specialized Racing USA191pts
2Subaru-Trek155Row 1 - Cell 3
3Luna Pro Team146Row 2 - Cell 3
4BMC MTB Development136Row 3 - Cell 3
5Specialized Factory Racing9Row 4 - Cell 3

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