U.S. Cycling This Week: Could be your Spooky showdown in Irvine

The Hunter’s Moon is waning and frighteningly tough cyclocross racing awaits this weekend in Irvine, California. A Spooky Cross showdown highlights the U.S. ’cross calendar this weekend, while Granogue Cross whips into Delaware.

After a packed opening month on the U.S. cyclocross circuit, a number of the nation’s top riders have descended on Prague, Czech Republic, for the opening rounds of the World Cup in Plzen and Tabor. With national calendar and Cross After Dark leader Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) out of the picture, Ben Berden (Stoemper), Ryan Trebon (LTS-Felt) and Todd Wells (Specialized) will head to Irvine to fight for the series podium.

Berden sits second behind Powers with 71 points, while Trebon arrives in fifth, with 60 points. Powers, with 80 points, Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea) and Jonathan Page (Planet Bike-Blue), will each miss the series finale. Berden and Trebon should occupy the top two steps of the final podium Saturday night, but where exactly they stand is up for grabs.

Trebon is on a tear — winning day one of the New Belgium Cup and finishing second the next — and will enter his first Spooky Cross the odds-on favorite. The Hidden Valley Park course is a power rider’s track and Trebon is just that.

“Ben Berden — he and I are 10 points away from each other for the title. With a 15-point difference between first and second, I’ve got to go for it Saturday night,” Trebon told VeloNews. “It’s a good series — first year for it — but a win’s a win.”

In the women’s tilt, French champion Caroline Mani (CC Etupes) and Chloe Forsman (Momentum Endurance) will look to play spoiler for Teal Stetson-Lee (Cal Giant-Specialized), the only rider in contention to replace Katerina Nash (Luna) atop the standings. With 65 points to Nash’s 110, Stetson-Lee needs the 55-point winner’s bonus to clinch the series. Nash will miss the finale for her home World Cups.

Flood lights, costumes and hard-nosed racing – sounds like Halloween cyclocross, albeit two weeks early.

Spooky Cross – Irvine, California
October 8 7:20 p.m. (women) / 8:00 p.m. (men)
October 9 2:20 p.m. (women) / 3:30 p.m. (men)
40 min. (women) / 60 min. (men)
$1,681 (women) / $2,068 (men)
*UCI C2
*Saturday is the Cross After Dark finale

Granogue Cross – Wilmington, Delaware
October 8-9 12:45 p.m. (men 17-18) / 1:55 p.m. (women) / 2:50 p.m. (men)
40 min. (men 17-18), 40 min. (women), 60 min. (men)
$1,066 (men 17-18), $1,648 (women), $2,068 (men)
*UCI C2
*UCI categories not part of MAC series