This past weekend’s North Carolina Grand Prix marked the end of the domestic regular season UCI calendar. On December 14th, we have our final day of North American UCI racing in Louisville, where USA Cycling will award new cyclocross national champions.
Sunday at the North Carolina Grand Prix was a great way to end the season, with sunny skies, warm temperatures and an enthusiastic crowd taking advantage of Jackson Park’s amphitheater-esque viewing opportunities. Stand on the hill near the finish line, and you can pretty much watch the entire race from one spot.
And the racing did not disappoint. Although Vida Lopez de San Ramon left no doubt that she was the strongest rider in the women’s field on both days, Sunday’s race included exciting group racing and a reshuffling of Saturday’s top five.
For the men, Kerry Werner, Eric Brunner and Scott Funston gave us one of the best final two laps we’ve seen all season. Until Brunner got just a hint of daylight on the final turns of the course, who would win Sunday out of that trio was anybody’s guess.
One thing that North Carolina Cyclocross does better than any UCI race in the country—possibly because they are the only ones still doing it—is send out press releases, including race recaps of the day. Laura Rice does a fantastic job recapping all the action in the elite races. So, I’m going to let her take it from here:
Lopez de San Roman and Brunner Repeat Wins at Day Two of the NCGP
Sunday, November 24, 2024 – Hendersonville, NC:
Calm blue skies welcomed racers back to Jackson Park for Day Two of the Hunter Subaru North Carolina Grand Prix. Slight course adjustments changed racer approach into the Belgian Stairs and added a punchy step up following the far side off camber.
Day two saw Ella Brenneman from CXD Trek Bikes working to dictate the start of the Elite Women’s race, taking the lead on lap one into the Belgian stair section early in the course. Brenneman and a large group including day one winner Vida Lopez de San Roman of Bear National Team, Caroline Mani of Groove Factory Off Road Racing, Kaya Musgrave of Cervèlo/OrangeLiving, and Lizzy Gunsalus from Marian University putting pressure on to separate the remainder of the field. On lap two, Gunsalus, Lopez de San Roman, Mani, and Musgraves had created a gap, leaving Brenneman chasing in fifth position, with Lauren Zoerner - Competitive Edge Racing, Alexis Magner - L39gion of Los Angeles giving chase.
The front four continued to drive the race through lap three, until Mani moved to the front to control the pace. Pressure by Mani and Lopez de San Roman strung out the lead group, with Gunsalus chasing in third, and Musgraves falling back to fourth position. Mani and Lopez de San Roman continued to trade spaces, until a bobble over the regulation barriers with three laps to go caught Mani, giving Lopez de San Roman the opportunity to gain a few seconds. Gunsalus meanwhile was overtaken by Musgraves. An exciting battle for 6th place following Brenneman emerged between first time elite category racer and previous day’s 17-18 women’s winner Ada Watson - CXD Trek Bikes, and Alexis Magner - L39gion of Los Angeles.
Lopez de San Roman continued to extend her lead for the remainder of the race over Mani, finishing in first to cement her first full elite weekend with back to back wins. Mani solidly maintained her second position, followed by Musgraves in third, Gunsalus in fourth, and Brenneman in fifth.
The battle for sixth between Watson and Magner came down to final turn with Watson edging out Magner on the final straightway to take 6th in her inaugural elite campaign.
Following the show of Saturday’s race, the elite men’s field started with a large group working to separate themselves from the rest of the field. Caleb Swartz - ENVE/Forward Endurance Coaching, Owen Brenneman - CXD Trek Bikes, Eric Brunner, current PanAmerican Champion and USA National Champion - Competitive Edge Racing, Kerry Werner - Groove Off Road Racing, Scott Funston - Cervèlo/OrangeLiving, Tyler Orschel - Pan American Union Racing made the selection, coming into the finish straight as a paceline as they headed out for lap two. A chase group with Jules Van Kempen with Cervèlo/OrangeLiving, Calvin Conaway - Ignition pb Rigd/Leitner, and Tom Scott - Marian University worked to maintain contact.
Funston, Swartz, Brunner, Werner splinted the group, leaving Orschel, Van Kempen, and Brenneman to chase. The lead group of three traded lead, with Werner creating a small gap over Funston and Brunner. Schwartz was left off the back, joined by Orschel and Van Kempen to round out the smaller chase group. With three laps to go Werner and Brunner dropped Funston mid lap, but Funston dug deep to catch back on with two laps to go.
At the bell lap, Brunner attacked on the paved finish straightaway, but was matched by Werner and Funston, with Funston coming around to the front. The three leaders relentlessly attacked over the th remaining lap, with Brunner overtaking Werner on the approach to the Wall, and creating the gap needed to take the Day Two win over Werner’s second 2nd place for the weekend. Funston finished in 3rd.
