Werner earns first race of season at C2 Kings CX

American Kerry Werner (Kona Maxxis Shimano) scored his first win of the 2021-2022 cyclo-cross season on a muddy track at Kingswood Park in Ohio and won the C2 Kings CX race for elite men on Sunday. Curtis White (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld) improved to second after a third-place finish on Saturday, finishing 17 seconds behind Werner. Youngster Andrew Strohmeyer (CX Hairs Devo), 19 years old, grabbed his first elite podium of the year with third.

Werner racked up three podiums in the closing three contests of the inaugural USCX Cyclo-cross series and took the overall title for elite men. He vaulted to the top of the standings when Vincent Baestaens (CX Team Deshacht-Group Hens-Maes Containers), who swept the first five of the eight events, returned to Europe to chase World Cup points and left the stage open for Werner. 

With two top 10s at Kings CX, Gosse van der Meer of the Netherlands secured second place in the series with 196 points, and Baestaens’ take of 180 points left him in third place. Eric Brunner (Blue Competition Cycles) was three points behind in fourth overall.

Light rain mid-way through Saturday’s C1 contest made the course slippery and unpredictable in the corners and off-camber sections. Werner crashed on the bell lap and lost a battle with Brunner for the top step of the podium. The redemptive ride for Werner on Sunday was in a steady rain that brought thick mud and a series of bike changes on each lap, which proved decisive.

“Took my first win of the season today and it was even more special that it was such a team effort. Teammates cheering, my crew in the pits, killed it. Half lap exchanges meant 13 exchanges,” Werner said on Instagram. 

“I sure do love a good mud race. Yesterday @cincycx we got rain all morning and then the sun came out and tacked everything up. It got thick and heavy and there was a fine line between keeping the bike upright and picking it up off the ground. Lines were changing every lap so adapting was crucial, I love that.”

Werner had a 17-second gap on White after the first lap and held that advantage for the next six circuits for his victory.

Cincy CX capped the final two races in the eight-race USCX series, which included doubleheaders at Rochester Cyclocross, Charm City Cross and Jingle Cross. The new series provided points, not prize money, over the early season of racing. All eight elite races were also part of USA Cycling's Pro CX calendar.