Werner repeats with win on second day of North Carolina Grand Prix

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Tyler Orschel takes second in the sprint finish after long stretch setting pace on front, Tobin Ortenblad third again

North Carolina Grand Prix day 2 2022 men's elite podium: Kerry Werner first, Tyler Orschel second and Tobin Ortenblad third
North Carolina Grand Prix day 2 2022 men's elite podium: Kerry Werner first, Tyler Orschel second and Tobin Ortenblad third (Image credit: Laura Rice)

Kerry Werner (Kona Adventure Team) made it two for two at the Hunter Subaru North Carolina Grand Prix in Hendersonville, on Sunday backing up his opening stage victory, with the windy race in Hendersonville coming down to a sprint finish. 

On day 1 Werner had managed to come over the line solo after distancing Tyler Orschel (Canyon Devo Racing) after the Canadian faltered on an off camber section, but this time it came  down to the final dash for the line for the duo.

“There was a pretty heavy tail wind on the way out and then a headwind on the way back so I was keen to not really be on the front too much,” said Werner. “And Tyler seemed content to just sit up there all day. He pulled us around for the last five laps or something and it felt like he just kept upping the pace …  and he was getting rid of everybody else. 

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“I just kept telling myself there is no way he can keep this up. So I just tried to maintain contact in the last lap and just get him in the sprint.”

It was Werner’s second victory of his autumn cyclocross campaign, shortened due to the USA Marathon Mountain Bike Nationals, where he finished sixth, and then the Iceman Cometh Challenge in Michigan, where he came ninth. 

Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz Bicycles) came over the line in third, to create a carbon copy of the opening day podium, as Jules Van Kempen's attempt to break onto the steps just fell short.

The weekend of UCI C2 races at Jackson Park were a part of the North Carolina Cyclo-Cross Series, and the final events in USA Cycling’s Professional Cyclocross Calendar (ProCX). 

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