Kerry Werner claimed the victory on a snowy, heavy Hendersonville course at the opening day of the North Carolina Grand Prix.
Werner topped Cooper Willsey (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld) and Eric Thompson (Mspeedwax.com) in the C2 race.
A strong winter storm blanketed the region in nearly a foot of snow overnight, making for treacherous conditions getting to the race. But once there, the races went off smoothly even if riders were concerned about plowing through deep snow.
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"I was a little worried at first that it wouldn't be ridable," Werner said of the course. "But then I saw some of the amateur racers riding around and you could see mud, so that was a good sign. By the time we rode, after noon, it was fun. I ran super low pressure because the speeds were pretty slow today and also there wasn't anything to hit. We don't always get the opportunity to do that. I felt really good out there today on the tricky bits. Kind of my forte is the slip and slides."
In the mix with Werner were Thompson, Willsey, and a trio of regional riders, Travis Livermon (Maxxis/Shimano), Tristan Cowie and Merwin Davis (Cycle-Smart).
"Three laps in, I gapped Eric (Thompson) off the back, and Cooper (Willsey) was chasing for a few laps," Werner added. He would not only have his fourth ProCX win, but a 10th podium for the year. "I put an emphasis on hitting it hard in the power sections. I knew he (Willsey) was holding it together and wouldn't hit those sections super hard. So I built my gap and from there it was just trying to stay smooth, taking a bunch of bike changes and making sure there were no mechanicals were happening."
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