Fluckiger wins second round of Trek USGP

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Lukas Flückiger (Trek World Cycling) left the first day of the Planet Bike Cup knowing it was a race he could win. On the second day of racing Flückiger took an early lead and went head to head with Ryan Trebon (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld) for the next 10 laps before taking his first US cyclo-cross victory. Trebon comfortably held on for second place, while Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) chased back on for third after a frustrating race, which required multiple visits to the pit in an attempt to dial in his tire pressure.

"It was a bit faster than yesterday," said Flückiger who was assailed by mistakes and mechanicals on Day 1. "It’s cool to always have a second chance in the US races. If it’s not working, you have a second chance on Sunday so I like it."

The dry Wisconsin summer provided a dry, slippery, bumpy course giving many riders, including second place Trebon, additional factors to contend with. "I was managing how my back felt, those last four laps," said Trebon who started to feel the impact of the course midway through the race on Saturday. "He [Flückiger] was making some small mistakes on the more grassy field turns, but he was ripping in through the woods. He’s got good skills, and just had a little bit more left in the tank than me at the end."

Powers took the hole shot at the start but quickly fell behind Flückiger and Page who led the early laps of the race. Page eventually faded back, but Flückiger pressed on and was joined by Trebon. The two would trade pulls for the next six laps testing each other’s skills and fitness across the Wisconsin prairie. Flückiger’s gains in the woods and technical areas were offset by Trebon’s flawless navigation on the grass and power sections.

The lead duo was chased by a splintered group of riders, which included Chris Jones (Rapha-Focus), Ben Berden (Raleigh-Clement), Page and Tim Johnson (Cannondale p/b Cylcocrossworld). Jones looked especially strong as he chased from the third position and at one point threatened to close the gap on the lead pair bringing the gap down under 10 seconds. Jones started to tire in the closing laps of the race just as his teammate Jeremy Powers started to come on strong.

Powers, the previous day's winner, ran into difficulty early in the race as he attempted to dial in his tire pressure lap after lap. After several bike changes the pit crew discovered a faulty pressure gauge and gave Powers a tire manually inflated to 27 psi enabling him to start clocking faster lap times. "It’s the third day where we have had the mechanics, and it's only the fifth day of our season," said Powers after the race "To have something go wrong now like the mechanical issue with the pressure is going to get fixed and won't be a problem from here on out. We move forward from here. Third is still a nice 'consolation prize' if you will."

Zach McDonald (Rapha-Focus) overcame recent illness to take the U23 race over Yanni Eckmann (Cal Giant Cycling) and Evan McNeely (Specialized Canada.)

Flückiger will head back to Switzerland for a short break while the rest of the US cyclo-cross peloton descends on Gloucester, Massachusetts for the famed "New England Nationals."