This Week at The Cyclocross Buffet

Nationals, Namur and More

With the kid’s winter recitals and concerts done, Christmas tree chopped, set up and fully decorated, The Northeast CX Report is back at the cyclocross buffet to grab a little of this, a little of that and by the end of it all, will probably have way too much on our plate as usual. Let’s dig in!

U.S. Cyclocross Nationals

Centennial Park in Fayetteville Arkansas, has hosted CX World Cups, HC MTB events, a World CX Championship, and just this past weekend, the first of two consecutive U.S. CX Nationals. This little joint in Northwest Arkansas isn’t the first place we think of when we want to dine out on delicious off-road action, but even though it’s a little fussy to get to and a little too expensive, it kind of feels like the special-occasion hot spot for championship racing right now.

We’re not here this week to give you a breakdown of all the exciting racing action, but just in case you’ve been stuck in a Faraday Cage, let us be the first to tell you that Lizzy Gunsalus (CCB p/b Levine Law Group) and Eric Brunner (Competitive Edge Racing) are the new U.S. Elite National Cyclocross Champions.

By the Numbers: General Trends and Fun Facts

• Race Promoter Red, White and BLUES: Over 5 days of racing, riders paid for 1070 race entries. This year’s race was down by an average of 309 entries going back to 2021’s CX Nationals in Wheaton, IL. Very broadly speaking, if the average entry fee was $75, that’s roughly $23,000 in entry fees not collected this year versus previous years.

• Quality over Quantity: This year’s biggest individual race fields were the Collegiate Women Varsity with 41 starters and Junior Men 15-16 with 66 starters.

• Double Trouble: 3 women and 4 men doubled up by winning both their Pan American and U.S. National Championship races this season.

• Press Repeat: 11 racers defended their 2024 championship titles with repeat wins in 2025.

• A Different Program: NONE of the top 4 finishers in the Elite Women’s race, nor the U23 race winners competed in the USCX this year. New U.S. National Champion Lizzy Gunsalus started her season the earliest, with her two wins the weekend of October 18th at Kings CX. Katherine Sarkisov (2nd) and Alyssa Sarkisov (3rd), and Cassidy Hickey’s (4th) first cyclocross races of the season were in November. Both U23 Champions, Henry Coote and Makena Kellerman also waited until November to kick off their CX season.

Cyclocross on our TV!

Let’s be honest, FloBikes doesn’t get a lot of love in our corner of the sporting world, but The Northeast CX Report was pleasantly surprised with the overall quality of the coverage this year. Somewhere there’s a version of our resume that includes time spent working at major market television and radio stations, and so you know…we’ve got opinions.

It wasn’t too long ago when the some North American cyclocross streams, were put together with a mixture of grainy fixed finish line cameras, buzzy drones from the upper stratosphere, plus “squint and you can make out the shape of a rider way off in the yonder” shots. We don’t know exactly how many cameras were on course this year, but it really felt like all the important race sectors got full HD coverage. More importantly, the director had us watching the proper action with appropriate shots and camera switches. “Ready camera 2. Go camera 2.” Catching all the best action in a live race on 2+ mile outdoor course has to be a unique challenge in sports broadcasting, but as a spectator watching from our stationary trainer at home, we really felt like the director hit all the right buttons.

Finally, dueling pronunciation of the Sarkisov sisters’ last name aside (Sar-KEY-sov is correct), the commentary team was on-point. Veteran bike racer announcer Brad Sohner’s familiar bass voice hit the right notes on the play-by-play, while Ellen Noble’s added insight into the athletes and the intricacies of cyclocross training and racing were excellent. Helen Wyman on the mic is The Report’s current favorite in CX color-commentators, but Noble is closing that gap!

Now Tell Us What YOU Think: Elite Rider Reviews!

We checked in with some of the Northeast’s (and country’s) most experienced cross racers to ask them a couple a few quick questions about 2025 Nationals. What did you like about Nationals and the course? What would you change? And, because we’re cyclocross racers, we have to know: What tires and pressure did you run?

Adam Myerson (Cycle-Smart/ShiftGear) is not only a multiple times/multiple disciplines cycling national champion, but he has been organizing cross racing in Massachusetts since he was 19 years old. Northampton is currently the longest running UCI race in America. After his young start in race organizing, he was also member of the UCI Cyclocross Commission as well as USA Cycling’s Cross Committee. Myerson was the defending 50-54 champion heading into this year’s race and based on his own reporting in social media was feeling strong about his chances to repeat before a late-race collision with another rider put him on the ground. Here’s how he answered our 3 questions!

What did you like?

“The course rode a lot better than it looked. I expected it to just be a w/kg contest with no skill required. It turned out to be very fast, which lead to a good balance of bike handling, group racing, and opportunities to attack and ride solo. If it rains, it will be very, very challenging.”

What would you change?

“While it was fun to race in front of big crowds on the weekend, I’m not sure if saving the “big” masters fields for the weekend really worked for everyone. I would probably move those masters races back to the weekdays, and move all the juniors to the weekend.”

What about those tires?

“I used Challenge Dunes at 24/26. Early in the week the course was very bumpy and lower pressure felt good. As the week went on, it got faster and smoother, but more rocks were exposed. So I went with my standard pressure, worried about flats.”

Andrew Wulfkuhle (Team Rock Lobster International) has been racing CX since 1999 and took on his first Nationals in 2001. Wulfkuhle is the 2025 PACX series Elite champion and is a constant podium pick in mid-Atlantic cat 1/2 racing. When he’s not racing, he’s busy raising a 5-year-old in Lancaster, PA and making sure other kids (and teachers) find great books to read! At this year’s Nationals, the public school librarian of 21 years, took on 3 different races in 4 days! Master’s 40-44, Single Speed and Elite Men. In the 40-44 race, Wulfkuhle overcame a slower opening lap, was consistent in the middle of the race, then dialed up the watts and clocked his fastest lap of the day at the end of the race to finish in an impressive 4th place. Lets all go to school and hear what the librarian’s read on Nationals was this year.

What did you like?

“The non-UCI course was fun and flowing. A good mix considering the lack of elevation. It was super dry and bumpy which allowed for lots of rocks to appear which caused many flats. Overall it raced better than it rode in recon. The UCI course added some elevation and distance which was appreciated but it also added some terribly constructed turns and transitions which just added to the negatives. (Bumpy, rocky)”

What would you change?

“I don’t really know how they could change what they have. Not much they can do about the rocks and bumps and the overall conditions. They could improve the flow and construction of the UCI course to make it more enjoyable. The second run-up after the stairs was a mistake. It was a cool feature but should be added somewhere not directly after the stairs.”

What about those tires?

“I ran my Grifo tubulars, which are my go-to for most courses unless the course is super muddy or tons of grass. Ran 24 psi in the front and 25 psi in the rear for masters and single speed. Ran 23/24 for the UCI Elite race because my back was hurting from the bumps. Paid for it with a rear flat after 30 mins which ruined my race but to be honest I was sucking anyway. Three races in 4 days was too much for this old man’s back and hip!”

Ian Muller (Shark River Devo) has been racing cyclocross since 2017 and in that time, has been to 5 U.S. National Cyclocross Championships. After finishing on the podium (sometimes winning) of many local Cat 3/4 races, Muller transitioned to racing cat 1/2/3 events locally, and the UCI Juniors at big weekends like Really Rad and Northampton (where he finished in the top 10 on both days). When he’s not floating over roots and making the trickiest corners and features of a cross course look easy, Muller is a busy high school student who especially likes his art classes, playing Fortnite with friends, and watching F1 to unwind. So what did an Elite Junior think of U.S. CX Nats this year?

What did you like?

“Even though the registration was lower, the depth of field in the Junior 17-18 was very deep and the competition was really hard. It gave me confidence and motivation that there would always be someone to race. The weather was really cold and the course never thawed, so it was dry, dusty and really fast. The barriers required a really fast entry and footwork.

The course overall was good. I thought it was better than the World Championship course [held at the same venue in 2022]. My favorite features were the off-camber sections by the road. There were a few options of how to ride or run it based on who you were racing with and positioning. The stairs and run-up were a good feature. The depth of the treads forced you to find a good running rhythm.

And this year the expo area had a few more vendors and food trucks.”

What would you change?

“The course was elongated so there weren’t a lot of spectators throughout. The main features had a few spectators on them, but overall, less spectators than last year. I’d like to see more fans, plus more interesting and challenging UCI features. The UCI course added a couple off-camber features and the run-up, but the other sections were just more pedaling to increase time on course.”

What about those tires?

“Dugast Tubeless, Small Birds. 22 psi front. 24 psi rear.”

Ryan Popple (Cycle-Smart) has been racing cyclocross, according to crossresults, since 2001, when he got 11th place in a Cat 4 race. 24 years laters, the defending National and current Pan American 40-44 champion’s race resume is absolutely flooded with podium finishes. In 2025, his race program was perfectly designed to answer the question, “how would the fastest Masters do in an Elite race?” Throughout the USCX series, Popple would race the C1 Elite race on Saturday, and then line up with the 40+ field on Sunday. In UCI Elite racing this year, his best finish was 11th (Kings CX) and “worst” was 20th (DCCX). After Nationals, Popple reported on his Instagram that he was “a little disappointed not to be in the Stars and Stripes again next year but that’s bike racing and fuel for next season. I’m still proud of how I raced, I left it all out there, was the only dude in my race hopping the barriers. I’m really stoked on how great of a CX season I had.” After reading his post, we really wanted to hear more.

What did you like?

“This year, the nationals course on paper looked like it was gonna be a dud, but at race pace it actually was pretty challenging. I really liked how they used the lumpy topography to incorporate some strange uphill and downhill off-camber turns. Uphill barriers were also unique and anyone riding them had a great advantage.”

What would you change?

“Next year, it would be nice to see them do more prep work to the ground condition. It was extremely bumpy, rain-rutted, and lot of rocks. I think a lot of people did not attend nationals this year because of the location. From the east coast, it’s basically a 2-day drive. It would be nice to see USA Cycling hold nationals in an area with an existing and thriving cyclocross scene.”

What about those tires?

“Tire and pressure was tubeless Grifos at 23f/24r which is one psi in both front and rear higher than I normally run on a dry course, but with all of the rocks, I felt like it might provide a little more security.”

The championship races all return to Millsap Mountain (sounds like a Disney live-action movie sequel? Return to Millsap Mountain) in 2026 and we’ll have to stay tuned to see if any of these or other changes are made! We’d love to hear from other Nationals racers too! Post your thoughts down in the comments!

World Cup Round #4: Namur

Back in Belgium, on a course that even the grumpiest of cyclocross traditionalists can’t accuse of being “just a grass crit,” just a few Americans and Canadians took to the start on December 14th.

After strong 12th at Tábor and 16th at Flamanville, we were excited to see what Andrew Strohmeyer (CXD-Trek Bikes) could do in a Belgian World Cup. Strohmeyer had an incredible start moving himself up to 3rd place before a rough off-camber section bucked him up off his bike like an angry horse with a saddle sore. He impressively maintained control of his bike, re-set, and still finished the opening lap of Namur’s iconic craggy cobbles and corners in 7th place. The Pan Am champion reported in an Instagram post, “I was relaxed and riding within myself, but 20 minutes in the lights went out. Not a blow-up, just empty, nothing left to burn. New training has new fueling requirements, but unfortunately the only way to learn that is in a race.” In the end, Strohmeyer hung onto a lead-lap finish in 39th place. Other North American Elite men included Carden King 2 laps down in 42nd, Finn Westover 4 laps down in 49th, and Sam Junge 5 laps down in 51st.

In the Elite women’s field, Canadians Sydney McGill (21st), Maghalie Rochette (23rd), and American Lidia Cusack (CXD-Trek Bikes) were North America’s best finishers in a race won by Lucinda Brand. Canada’s Dorothee Perron finished 3 laps down in 46th place.

In the Junior men’s field, Canadian Sagan Goertz (Stimulus Trek) finished his race in 13th place. Teammate Grayson Franks (Stimulus Trek) was 21st, Fabrice Dufresne (Espoirs Laval) 24th, and Asher Bensimon (Halton Circa Syndicate) 30th.

In the Men Under 16 field, Canadian James Chalkley (Cyclemeisters/Bow Cycle) finished in 18th place.

World Cup Round #5: Antwerpen

With U.S. (and Canadian) CX Nationals complete, many of North America’s best crossers will be racing the rest of their seasons in Europe. This coming weekend, 17 Americans and 11 Canadians are currently registered to race Antwerpen. Only Belgium and the Netherlands have more riders scheduled to race than the U.S. delegation. For now, we’re tempering our expectations for the North American riders who have just arrived in Belgium. But we hope riders like Strohmeyer and Cusack who have been settled in Europe for longer—and racing very well already this season—have a good day in the sands of Antwerpen.

Elite Women

There are so many interesting riders and storylines to follow. Where do we start?

• Will Maghalie Rochette return to the form that had her finishing well in front of Dutch superstar Mannon Bakker in the USCX?

• Since she started racing in mid-October, Lizzy Gunsalus has been nearly unbeatable. How will this translate to Belgian World Cups?

• Rafaelle Carrier is Canadian U23 National Champion and was a dominating force in European Junior racing last season earning herself a bronze medal finish at Worlds. This Sunday she’s racing elites!

• American Lidia Cusack passed on a U.S. Nats where her chances of taking a stars and stripes jersey in the U23 category was very good. At a minimum, her 15th at the Flamanville World Cup make us think she’s going to be closer to the front than the back of the pack in Antwerpen.

Elite Men

With no U23 fields in Antwerpen, there are bigger than usual North American fields set to race on Saturday. 10 American and 5 Canadian men are starting. There are plenty of sub-plots, but let’s not kid ourselves, there’s one story in particular we can’t wait to watch.

• Andrew Strohmeyer is in the middle of a very steep learning curve regarding his fueling demands in response to his new training and racing program. We doubt he’ll be on the tail-end of “lead lap” like he was last week, but we also don’t know how he’ll manage the significant sandy stretches. Finkraft Junior Cycling Team Director and Coach Roger Aspholm once spoke with us about the wide varieties of sand in Belgium and how they each require different approaches to master. From behind our screens—an admittedly terrible place from which to postulate—Antwerpen’s sandy surfaces and sand consistency look similar to what Strohmeyer faced in Really Rad and possibly GoCross. Plus, no one in North America does pre-race hot-laps better, so hopefully the champ will have it dialed by the time the lights go green on Sunday.

• U23 Pan Am and U23 U.S. National Henry Coote (Trinity Racing) is having a killer season in America, but racing an Elite World Cup is a huuuuuuge step up from the competition he’s faced so far.

• Canadian Tyler Clark and American Jules Van Kempen often traded spots as “best of the rest” when Brunner and Strohmeyer were pummeling each other at the front of the field in the USCX. We hope to see them BOTH return to their early season form soon!

What’s Next?

We’re heading into an extremely busy time for racers, fans and newsletter editors alike. We learned last year that covering Kerstperiode cyclocross with our usual vigor is virtually impossible; unless we ignore our families this holiday travel season. And Nana will have none of that nonsense, so we’ll check-in when we can, but we want to take the time now to wish all of you a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season. This can be an enormously stressful time of year for everyone, but I don’t know anyone who can handle chaos better than a cyclocross racer. Did someone ride you into the tape or brake-check you at dinner? Pause, reset and get back in the race. You’ve got this.