Rewinding the highlight reel to the first week of January 2017, Stephen Hyde took his first of three consecutive US cyclocross national titles in Hartford, Connecticut, running, not riding, across the snow-packed final turns after breaking a derailleur. His victory across the icy circuit amid fresh snow broke a string of four wins in five years by perennial elite men’s champion Jeremy Powers.
2022 brings a new generation to the fore at the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships, a week of racing at Riverside Park in Hartford culminating on Sunday, December 11 with elite, U23 and junior 17-18 events for men and women.
Just a handful of elite men make a return to Hartford this time and there is a complete new make up for the off-road duels for the elite women. The Powers vs Hyde battle is no more, as both have retired. Powers rode to fifth place in his final nationals in Louisville in 2018. Fifteen-time elite women’s champion Katie Compton departed for good in 2020 after a four-year suspension from the US Anti-Doping Agency for a positive out-of-competition test.
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However, Hyde is back but this time on the other side of the tape as the Cyclocross National Team coach for USA Cycling. The New England resident offered his perspective on riders to watch this time around.
“I am very excited that Nats are back in Hartford. It's close to me and that means I can share resources and be more available for athletes. Plus it's always nice to have them back here in New England,” Hyde told Cyclingnews from his home base in Easthampton, Massachusetts, located less than an hour away from Hartford.
“However, it's a bit bittersweet for me. I would have loved to race another Nats here before retiring. I think it will be a good show to watch!“
Hyde retired from elite competition just last year after a 10-year career. He competed in his final two seasons with the Steve Tilford Foundation and finished ninth in his final CX Nationals in DuPage County, Illinois.
“Nationals sometimes has a special way of throwing curveballs at racers. So I will never place too high of bets,” Hyde responded when asked if there were distinct favourites for the final races on Sunday in Hartford.
Eric Brunner (Blue Competition Cycles p/b Build) is a favourite to defend as elite men’s champion, but he’ll have to deal with three-time nationals runner-up Curtis White (Steve Tilford Foundation) and Blue Competition teammate Scott Funston, who moves up to the elite race after winning the U23 crown last year.
Kerry Werner (Kona Adventure Team) is on form this year with an abbreviated ‘cross schedule but two recent victories. Werner finished third in the elite race in 2017. Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz Bicycles), who has two podiums this year, was fifth in his first elite field that year. The duo are still capable of podiums, though now considered the veterans.
“Brunner has shown his capabilities these last two years and still has some progression in him. Curtis, I know as a hard worker and someone due for his time. I think the New England crowds will have their eyes on him and the support should be palpable,” Hyde told Cyclingnews.
“Kerry might not have done a ton of racing CX this season but he knows a thing or two about showing up. If I remember correctly, he podiumed here in 2017... Perhaps someone will step up to the plate and give us a race worth watching!”
Clara Honsinger (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) is the favourite to win her third national title among elite women. She has a full season of road racing this year and has focused on a European campaign, with a pair of C2 wins in France and a fourth-place at C1 Koppenbergcross. That means she has had limited interactions with the domestic field, which will see Pan-American champion and last year’s runner-up Raylyn Nuss (Steve Tilford Foundation) trying to nip at her heels or drop her in the mud.
“LIke the men’s race, I think we have a pretty solid hierarchy of talent,” Hyde said about the Elite Women’s field. “Again, I will never count out an underdog on Nats day. Raylyn showed what she was capable of in Falmouth [Pan-Am Championships] and has her eyes solidly set on dethroning Clara. The rest of the race seems pretty wide open. We will see who else fills the shoes.”
One of the more interesting races, according to Hyde, will be the Junior Men 17-18, which sends 72 entrants off at 8:00 a.m. to open Sunday’s events on what should be frozen mud on a very cold day. The Junior Women 17-18 follow.
“The Junior men’s field is the strongest of all of them and is heavily stacked on the performers' side of things. Magnus White has been the one to beat as of late. And Dan English, AJ August, to name some hitters in the 17-18. But all of these, the junior fields are going to be great races to watch. We have a lot of good talent right now in these ranges,” Hyde said.
“The U23 races will be worth keeping an eye on as well. Not huge fields but really good close battles.”
There will also be an eye on the weather, as snow showers are predicted on Sunday amid freezing temperatures, but should not bring the piles of snow and ice that made 2017 intriguing.
Saturday and Sunday racing will be live streamed on FloBikes, with access for paid subscribers via a desktop computer, mobile device or TV. The broadcast is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV.
