White beats Baestaens in technical and tactical elite men's Charm City Cross

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Curtis White (Steve Tilford Foundation) got the better of Vincent Baestaens (Spits CX Team) to win a two-up battle for the victory on day two at Charm City Cross on Sunday. 

The rain and mud led to a challenging event that saw both riders struggle with untimely mechanicals and crashes but in the end White sprinted to the win, breaking Baestaens' winning streak and forcing him to settle for second.

Kerry Werner (Kona Adventure) finished third. 

"It was a technical and tactical day," White said. "I knew that I had to go at my own pace. It was very tactical and it all came down to that last lap. It was who ever didn't make the last mistakes."

Day two at the Charm City Cross, a C2 event, was part of the third round and sixth race of the USCX series. It was held under rain and slippery conditions on a reverse-route to the previous day's C1 event.

Baestaens took the early lead through the technical grass section but Scott Funston (Blue Competition) soon passed the Belgian to lead the front group that also included White and Werner, Eric Brunner (Blue Competition Cycles) and Andrew Strohmeyer (CX Hairs Devo).

Brunner ran the mud straightaway and jumped over the barriers to open a small lead on the opening lap. He was followed by Baestaens, who chose to ride rather than run through the mud, and the pair connected off the front of a chasing group of four riders.

White later joined Brunner and Baestaens over the stairs and into the second lap. 

Baestaens ran smoothly through the mud and then remounted along the off-camber mud straightaway and opened a small lead, which forced Brunner to use energy to regain contact. However, White slid out on the section and lost significant time.

White managed to get back into the chase group behind with Werner, Strohmeyer, Funston, Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz) and Scott McGill (Wildlife Generation).

Baestaens raced through four-to-go with 10 seconds ahead of chasers Brunner, McGill and White. 

Brunner, however, appeared to have a problem with his bike and was forced to drop back even further. 

Funston also had an untimely mechanical as his tubular rolled off and he had to carry his bike and walk to the pit zone, effectively ending his race.

Three laps to go, Baestaens had eight seconds on White as McGill, who then had to dismount because he appeared to have a problem with his shoe. 

White then caught up to Baestaens and the pair pushed their lead out but the Belgian dropped his chain and had to get off his bike to fix it, losing 12 seconds. 

White wasn't able to maintain his lead as Baestaens picked up speed and then closed down the gap over the stairs on the next lap.

Behind the two leaders, Werner was caught in third place alone ahead of chasers McGill, Ortenblad and Michael van den Ham (Giant-Easton).

On the last lap, Baestaens rode into the pit to get a clean bike and lost some seconds ahead of White, but he quickly caught back up, ready for the two-up race for the win.  

Baestaens appeared to have the advantage on the slippery off-camber section, running and then remounting but he slide out as White ran passed him. White's advantage didn't last long as the two raced into the last third of the circuit.

Baestaens then crashed, which momentarily blocked White from passing through a tight corner. 

The pair were back up and racing head-to-head over the flyover and onto the tarmac with White taking the win by seven seconds.

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