The 2026 US Cyclocross Series got underway with Rochester Cyclocross on Saturday as Dutch racer Manon Bakker and Rochester local Miles Mattern (CXD Trek Bikes) raced to glory.
Bakker won the race for the second year on the trot, with this outing marking his return from iliac artery surgery. The 27-year-old raced clear of the field on lap two, pushing on towards victory.
She got away with Sydney McGill (Materiaal-Lastig) before eventually getting the better of the Canadian on a technical section of the course, putting 48 seconds between them as she soloed clear.
"I was pretty nervous beforehand because of my surgery. But after lap one, I was, like, ‘I got this,’ and the confidence came back," Bakker said after the race.
Behind the lead duo, Lauren Zoerner (Corner Racing p/b Beyond Hori) got the better of Kaya Musgrave (Competitive Edge Racing), who faded later in the race, to take third place, 1:21 down.
Miles Mattern won the elite men's race (Image credit: Bruce Buckley)
In the men's race, things were less straightforward as several teams controlled the early running, including the Competitive Edge Racing squad of Pan American 'cross champion Andrew Strohmeyer.
It was Miles Mattern who came out on top, however, pushing to the front on lap three. As he pushed on out front, Tofik Beshir (CXD Trek Bikes) kept things in check behind before he, too, forged ahead of the pack.
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The move blew the group apart as Calvin Conaway (Midwest NXT) proved the only man able to keep up. He dropped back, too, though, linking up with teammate Ethan Brown. Out front, Mattern and Beshir raced away to take the top two spots, while Conaway eventually rode clear to grab third.
"It was getting difficult to stay safe with the group. So, I decided to go to the front and stretch it out," Mattern later said of his attack.
"I've been doing this race since I was probably seven or eight. It's very nice to come back to this community, and the cheers were great."
Women's Results
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Position
Rider (Country) Team
Time Gap
1
Manon Bakker (Ned)
0:48:38
2
Sidney McGill (Can) Materiaal - Lastig
0:00:46
3
Mia Aseltine (USA) Competitive Edge Racing
0:02:48
4
Lauren Zoerner (USA) Corner Racing p/b Beyond Hori
0:01:21
5
Kaya Musgrave (USA) Competitive Edge Racing
0:02:20
6
Daniela Bronk (USA) Green Mountain CX
0:04:25
7
Ellen Noble (USA) JAM / NCC
0:04:42
8
Aleah Heiland (USA) CXD trek bikes CXD
0:04:44
9
Emma Betuel (USA) DRRT
0:05:38
10
Siobhan Kelly (Can) Black Dog Racing
0:06:42
11
Victoria Glascock (USA) JAM / NCC
0:07:24
12
Erin Gordon (USA) 717 Cycling
0:08:13
13
Kim Coleman (USA) Green Mountain CX
0:08:26
14
Amanda Deleo (USA) 717 Cycling
Row 13 - Cell 2
15
Ella Dishong (USA) Columbia Cycles
Row 14 - Cell 2
16
Kristen Taylor (Can) Cyclery Racing - Abacus Data
Row 15 - Cell 2
17
Kelly Roberson (USA) Haute Factory Racing
Row 16 - Cell 2
18
Gabriella Dominguez (USA) Team BOOGER
Row 17 - Cell 2
Men's Results
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Position
Rider (Country) Team
Time Gap
1
Miles Mattern (USA) CXD TREK BIKES CXD
0:57:41
2
Tofik Beshir (Eth) CXD Trek Bikes CXD
0:12:00
3
Calvin Conaway (USA) Midwest NXT
0:34:00
4
Ethan Brown (USA) Midwest NXT
0:39:00
5
Tyler Clark (Can) Caledon Hills Armada
0:47:00
6
Ben Frederick (USA) The Small Monsters Project
1:18:00
7
Aidan Vollmuth (USA) Competitive Edge Racing
1:20:00
8
Dylan Zakrajsek (USA) Competitive Edge Racing
1:44:00
9
Ryan Drummond (USA) Competitive Edge Racing
1:56:00
10
Sam Brown (USA) Mountain Pedaler - Dusty Boot
1:56:00
11
Jules Van Kempen (USA) Corner Racing p/b Beyond Hori
Row 10 - Cell 2
12
Alexander Scopinich-Burgel (USA) JAM Fund / NCC
Row 11 - Cell 2
13
Rhett Bates (Can) Caledon Hills Cycling Armada
Row 12 - Cell 2
14
Remi Brisebois (Can) ride with rendall
Row 13 - Cell 2
15
Gray Steves (USA) CXD Trek Bikes CXD
Row 14 - Cell 2
16
Sagan Goertz (Can) Stimulus Trek
Row 15 - Cell 2
17
Mark Fagnan (Can) The Bike Shop
Row 16 - Cell 2
18
Farland Lamont (Can) Collingwood Collective
Row 17 - Cell 2
19
Ryan Popple (USA) Cycle-Smart
Row 18 - Cell 2
20
Jack Billowitz (USA) Bear Development Team
Row 19 - Cell 2
21
Alden Copley (USA) DRRT NYC
Row 20 - Cell 2
22
Frederick Junge (USA) Broom Wagon Works
Row 21 - Cell 2
23
August Chamot (USA) Total Civil Construction Race D
Row 22 - Cell 2
24
Lucas Goertz (Can) Stimulus Trek
Row 23 - Cell 2
25
Jayden McMullen (Can) TaG Cycling Race Team
Row 24 - Cell 2
26
Jack Bernhard (USA) Grey Ghost STARS
Row 25 - Cell 2
27
Haru Watts (USA) Central Park Raccoons
Row 26 - Cell 2
28
Elijah Banish (USA) Catalyst
Row 27 - Cell 2
29
Thierry Laliberte (Can) Julbo - Union
Row 28 - Cell 2
30
Patrick Urichich-Abreu (Dom) 4D Off-Road Racing
Row 29 - Cell 2
31
Cole Oberman (USA) Haute Factory Racing
Row 30 - Cell 2
32
Mark Hewitt (USA) GREEN LINE VELO
Row 31 - Cell 2
33
Mark Bischof (USA) Knabe Law/Litzler Automation
Row 32 - Cell 2
34
Steve Hunchuck (USA) Visit Pittsburgh Cycling Team
Row 33 - Cell 2
35
Nathaniel Picard-Busky (USA) DRRT NYC
Row 34 - Cell 2
DNF
Andrew Strohmeyer (USA) Competitive Edge Racing
Row 35 - Cell 2
DNS
Drew Brooks (USA) UVM Cycling
Row 36 - Cell 2
DNS
Aaron Seip (USA) Down Tube Shifters Cycling Clu
Row 37 - Cell 2
DNS
Tyler Morgenson (USA) team Booger
Row 38 - Cell 2
Row 39 - Cell 0
Row 39 - Cell 1
Row 39 - Cell 2
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Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor before being hired full-time. Her favourite races include the Paris-Roubaix, Tour de France Femmes, Tro-Bro Léon, and cycling's fourth Grand Tour, the Volta a Portugal.
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