Cyclocross Vibe Check: Elite Men's Domestic Preseason Rankings
See who we're vibing on in the Elite Men's field heading into the new season
Any time you try out a new bit or gimmick, there is a lot of uncertainty about how it will go. Will it work? Will people like it? Can I actually keep doing this? This is especially true when you borrow the gimmick from someone else.
When we published the first Cyclocross Vibe Check for the Elite Women last week, it was unclear how it would go. In that post I noted I lightly/heavily borrowed the idea from Maxx Chance, so it came as a relief when the man himself chimed in with positive vibes about the CX Vibe Check.
And if you haven’t seen the original CX Vibe Check, this is submitted without comment.
Last week we counted down our preseason top 10 for the Elite Women. This week, we go to the Elite Men’s side. Unfortunately, it appears the Vibe Check will once again not be vibing on Maxx Chance. Maybe next time, my guy.
Elite Men’s CX Vibe Check Preseason Rankings
Just as with the women, there is some news about folks not racing cyclocross this season. Foremost among those not racing is 2019 Elite national champion Gage Hecht. When Hecht signed with Rally, now Human Powered Health, the expectation was that he would not race ‘cross this year, and in our survey of riders, he verified that he will not be racing this year.
Last month in Bill’s Cyclocross Radio interview, we also learned that Kerry Werner, who has been the workhorse of the U.S. cyclocross scene the past several years, will be racing a much more reduced cyclocross schedule as he takes more of a gravel focus this fall. The Vibe Check is obviously not vibing on that, but the Vibe Check is always vibing on Sherman Shields, so we’ll see which ends up winning out in the end.
With the folks not racing out of the way, let’s focus on the riders who will be racing ‘cross this coming fall.
10. Andrew Strohmeyer (CXHairs Devo - Trek Bikes)
We are kicking off the Elite Men’s CX Vibe Check with a bit of a youth movement. After winning the Junior Men’s National Championship in 2019, Strohmeyer had to sit out his first season as a U23 due to the pandemic. He did not let that slow him down, however, as he turned heads with a 4th-place ride in the season’s opening race at GO Cross last September.
Strohmeyer earned a spot in each of the three U.S. World Cups, and then followed those up with 3rd and 4th-place finishes at Kings CX. He then capped his domestic campaign with a 2nd-place finish behind our number 9 rider at U23 Nationals.
With his first full season racing with the proverbial big boys out of the way, Strohmeyer is well situated for a strong season coming up this year.
North American UCI Ranking: 10th
U.S. Nationals Result: 2nd (U23)
Instagram: @andrew.strohmeyer
9. Scott Funston (Blue-Build)
Right now, the CX Vibe Check has a bit of a short memory—I mean, I turned 40 on Sunday, woof—so riders who finished 2021 on a high note are likely to stand out. Among the riders who saved their best for last in 2021 was Scott Funston. A U23 last year, Funston took an Elite UCI win at Major Taylor and then closed his season with a sprint win at Pan-Ams and a win at U23 Nationals as an encore. He also had two top 10s in U23 races in Belgium and finished 17th at Fayetteville Worlds.
This year Funston graduates to the Elites where he will look to make the leap just like teammate and 2019 U23 national champion Eric Brunner did. Word in the ‘cross grapevine is Funston had a strong summer and that chances his leap at the end of 2021 was not a fluke.
North American UCI Ranking: 7th
U.S. Nationals Result: 1st (U23)
Instagram: @fun_scott2
For folks on our free list, this is the last of these free previews we will be spamming you with. We’d love to have your support this season, which gives you access to all of our content and helps support the only publication in the U.S. providing consistent quality coverage of North American cyclocross.