Eric Brunner (Boulder, Colo.; Competitive Edge Racing) reclaimed the top step of the podium on day two of the Trek USCX Cyclocross Series at Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park. Dry and fast conditions returned for Sunday’s race on the Charm City Cross course and the reigning men’s elite Pan American Champion used it to his advantage, pulling away from his main rival, U.S. men’s elite National Champion Andrew Strohmeyer (Mount Airy, Md.; CXD Trek Bikes) in the closing laps.

Sunday’s victory was a bit of redemption for Brunner, who fell out of contention on day one after he went down in a crash and snapped the BOA dial on one of his shoes.

“Honestly, it was a bit of a mental victory for me today,” Brunner says. “Yesterday, I really struggled mentally after my crash and I just never got back in it. So today, I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do something.”

As has been the case at every stop of the Trek USCX Cyclocross Series, Brunner and Strohmeyer attacked and countered each other throughout the race. The dry course conditions helped keep the pace high from start to finish with Brunner and Strohmeyer both turning sub-seven-minute laps the entire race. Brunner consistently found success on the long climb up to Mansion Hill, which finished off with a steep, punchy runup followed by a tricky off-camber section along the top.

“I was riding it pretty well, so that was the main section that I was trying to go for,” he adds. With three laps to go, Strohmeyer put in a big effort ahead of the Mansion Hill section, hoping to negate Brunner’s advantage. “I tried to go over the top of him, but he was right there on my wheel,” Strohmeyer recalls. “As soon as I was done, he countered and I just didn’t have the legs to follow.”

Brunner was able to build on his gap in the waning laps and rolled in 11 seconds ahead of Strohmeyer to take his third victory in the series.

Behind the leaders, Kerry Werner (Vinton, Va.; Velo Mafia Racing p/b Bikeflights), Tyler Clark (Caledon Hills Armada) and Jules Van Kempen (Chapel Hill, N.C.; Team Winston Salem – Flow) fought for the final step on the podium. Clark made a move early to close the gap on the leaders, but ultimately was reeled back in.

“I think Tyler burned some matches at the beginning, trying to hang with those guys, so then it was just Jules and I battling at the end,” Werner says.

Like Brunner, Werner also saw Mansion Hill as his best opportunity to make a move. On the final laps, he was able to gap Van Kempen and secure his second third-place finish of the weekend.

“I knew I wanted the lead coming off a Mansion Hill because it was pretty easy to keep the speeds high without much effort and there weren’t good power sections to pass people,” he recalls. “So, I knew that if I could come into pit two in the lead, I could hold it.”

After six races in the Trek USCX Cyclocross Series, Brunner and Strohmeyer have both garnered three wins, however after Brunner fell back to sixth on day one in Charm City, Strohmeyer holds the overall lead in the series. The series now heads to the final weekend at Trek CX Cup in Waterloo, Wisconsin.

Results

1. Eric Brunner (Boulder, Colo.; Competitive Edge Racing) 

2. Andrew Strohmeyer (Mount Airy, Md.; CXD Trek Bikes)

3. Kerry Werner (Vinton, Va.; Velo Mafia Racing p/b Bikeflights)

4. Jules Van Kempen (Chapel Hill, N.C.; Team Winston Salem – Flow)

5. Tyler Clark (Caledon Hills Armada)