C2 Elite Women
Rochester’s reversed course opened with a sprint to the stairs. Nico Knowles led the first lap charge with Caroline Mani, Sidney McGill and C1 winner of yesterday Manon Bakker. Coming out of lap one Maghalie Rochette surged through the opening technical sections on the backside, by lap two reaching the stairs first and carving an early gap on Manon Bakker and McGill.
Through the first half of the race Rochette held steady at ten seconds over Bakker, then added time every lap with clean handling and powerful accelerations on the flat grass straights. By the second half she had more than thirty seconds and continued to grow the margin despite the 85-degree heat.
Behind her, Bakker rode alone while McGill held third under constant pressure from Raelynn Nuss. Nuss repeatedly closed the gap in the technical sections but McGill responded on every straight, refusing to yield the podium. Lauren Zoerner maintained fifth with Caroline Mani and Nico Knowles chasing.
On the final lap Rochette sealed a solo victory, finishing about 45 seconds ahead of Manon Bakker. McGill secured third, holding off Nuss’s late charge. Zoerner crossed fifth and Mani sixth, giving the retiring French veteran a memorable finish in her 13th and final Rochester start after years of shaping U.S. cyclocross racing.
Rochette’s balanced power and precision defined the day, proving decisive on a course that rewarded both technical mastery and relentless pacing.
C2 Elite Men
The men’s C2 race started at 4:05 p.m. in Genesee Valley Park under a hot 85 °F sun. Sunday’s course reversed the C1 layout, sending riders straight to the stairs before diving into a twisting, technical back half. The dry track promised roughly eight laps over the 60-minute race.
Andrew Strohmeyer of CXD Trek Bikes set the early tone, driving the pace into the opening stair run-up with yesterday's C1 winner, Comp Edge Racing's Eric Brunner. Strohmeyer’s mix of speed and handling marked him as a podium favorite, while Brunner’s power and clean technical lines made him equally dangerous for this technical course.
By the second lap Strohmeyer and Brunner had broken clear, carrying a 15-second gap over a four-man chase of Kerry Werner, Tyler Clark, Jules Van Kempen, and Tofic Bashir. A line of three Competitive Edge riders including Cody Scott sat just behind with teammate Ryan Drummond followed by Dylan Zakrajsek,—working to bridge and round out the front ten. Trying to connect with the Werner-led group.
At the start of lap three Brunner attacked before the stairs, opening a small separation on Strohmeyer, who was forced into chase mode. The second chase group tightened its pursuit, prompting Brunner to keep the hammer down to preserve his advantage. By lap four Brunner continued to add time, extending his gap over Strohmeyer with each section of the course. Kerry Werner and Tyler Clark began to distance themselves from Van Kempen and Bashir before the stairs, though the quartet eventually re-formed heading into lap five.
As the race crossed into its second half Brunner’s lead over Strohmeyer held steady at about 20 seconds. Both riders were at full effort, Brunner looking smooth and controlled while Strohmeyer fought to limit losses. Behind them the chase group stayed intact with Clark on the front, Werner close behind, to Jules Van Kempen. Tofic Bashir of CXD Trek Bikes, an18-year-old in his first elite season—matching the tempo of seasoned pros, was riding confidently in only his second UCI men’s elite C2. Bashir sat calmly at the tail of the group, conserving energy like a criterium racer and eyeing the lone remaining podium spot.
Going into lap six Brunner maintained the same relentless tempo he set from the gun. His perfectly timed attack had created the winning move, and with two laps remaining he continued to ride with machine-like consistency as Strohmeyer chased. By the bell lap Brunner’s advantage had grown to about 30 seconds, smooth and unshaken as he powered toward a solo victory.
On the final lap Werner surged before the finish area stairs, jumping clear of Jules Van Kempen and Tyler Clark splitting the chase for the decisive podium fight. Bashir lost contact as the group stretched under the pressure. Drawing on years of experience, Werner used perfect timing and veteran craft to lock in third place. Werner’s late move secured the final podium step, while Van Kempen followed for fourth after a hard-fought final lap, Clark in fifth, Bashir in sixth.
