NCGP 2025 Day One Recap

Timothy Hopkin • November 22, 2025

Olympian Neff Wins, Werner takes 12th UCI Victory at Day One of the 20th Edition of the NCGP

female cyclists race through a grassy field

Racers gathered to celebrate the 20th edition of the North Carolina Grand Prix in Hendersonville, NC on Saturday. The race weekend, presented by Hunter Subaru, is the final stop on the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Series calendar.

In the Elite Women’s race, Lizzy Gunsalus of Marion University and current Pan-American Champion, took the hole shot. Followed by Jolanda Neff, with Cannondale Factory Racing and Lauren Zoerner with Competitive Edge Racing, the three formed a gap going into the barriers on lap one, forming a strong group that was given chase by Ella Brenneman from CXD Trek Bikes, and Amelia Shea of Feedback Sports.

Four female cyclists ride up a steep grassy hill. Photo by Jamie Arkfeld Photography. Used by permission.

The group of three stayed together until 4 laps to go, with Gunsalus and Neff gaining time over Zoerner on the Collegiate Off Camber on the far side of the course. With three laps to go, Neff began to push the pace, slowly building a gap over Gunsalus that held until the end. Neff took a strong win in 48:06, followed by Gunsalus in second :39 seconds behind. Zoerner rounds out the day one podium in third.

Neff last raced cyclocross at the NCGP in 2022, taking the day one win. Neff shared that she enjoyed being back on the cyclocross bike and racing the NCGP course due to its numerous turns and features, after just returning back to riding after her off-season.

A female cyclists crosses the finishline. Photo by Jamie Arkfeld Photography. Used by permission.

The full elite woman’s results can be viewed at https://usacycling.sport80.com/pub/results/events/30621/d/cx/2025-11-22

The elite men’s race has been long anticipated following Kerry Werner’s announcement of his retirement at the end of 2025 cyclocross season. The NCGP was Werner’s first UCI win in 2012, and he expressed the desire to make the NCGP his last UCI wins of his elite career. The elite field set a hectic pace from the whistle that only began to separate heading into the second half of lap 1. A group of seven comprised of Werner of Velo Mafia Racing p/b Bikeflights, Tom Scott from Marion University, Tyler Clark of Caledon Hills Armada, Tyler Orschel with Pan American Union Racing, Tofik Bashir from CXD Trek Bikes, Jules Van Kempen with Team Winston Salem, and Nate Gervez from Roanoke College lead after the first lap.

Clark, Werner, and Bashir took control of the front group, pushing the pace to slowly splinter and pull away, leaving Van Kempen chasing in fourth position. A mid-race mechanical ended Orschel’s race for the day.

Three male cyclists ride off road on a narrow dirt hillside. All photos by Jamie Arkfeld Photography. Used by permission.

Clark, Werner, and Bashir maintained their lead despite Van Kempen’s pursuit, trading places throughout the race. With one lap to go, Bashir overtook Werner, leaving Clark dangling within striking distance. Clark continued to chase, seconds off the pace. Werner took control into the barriers, but Werner’s barrier hopping gave a slight edge over Bashir’s lead. A misstep on a couple of the final feature turns allowed Werner to take advantage and create a gap over Bashir heading into “The Wall” feature for the last time. Werner held the lead to take his 12th UCI win. Clark fought back to overtake Bashir, leading to a hard chase out of the final turn onto the paved finish straight, with Clark finishing second, and Bashir in third.

A cyclist rides across a finish line. All photos by Jamie Arkfeld Photography. Used by permission.

The full elite men’s race results can be viewed at https://usacycling.sport80.com/pub/results/events/30621/d/cx/2025-11-22

Werner shared that to get his last win at the North Carolina Grand Prix is storybook perfect, with his long history of racing in Hendersonville. When asked about his impact on cyclocross, Werner shared that he’s always approached racing in a way to make it fun, while remaining locked in within the tape, and that the friendships developed through racing with the same people week in and week out has been his favorite aspect of racing.

The NCGP course features wide open straightaways into technical turn sequences, off camber sections, a belgian stair run up, The Wall, and paved straightaways. 2025 marks the 20th year of the NCGP, presented by Hunter Subaru, with support from DeFeet and Baird Private Wealth Management. The NCGP is the longest running elite-level cycling event in North Carolina, celebrating 20 years in 2025.

Day two of racing will resume on Sunday, November 22, 2025.

All photos by Jamie Arkfeld Photography. Used by permission.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

NCGP 2025 Day Two Recap

By Timothy Hopkin • November 24, 2025

Dry and sunny conditions welcomed racers to the second day of the NCGP weekend in Hendersonville, NC. The race weekend, presented by Hunter Subaru, is the final stop on the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Series calendar. The day two race course featured several course changes, including a double-180 transverse on the Collegiate Off Camber and 180 turn to approach the barriers in reverse. The course also brought back the traditional “Wall,” a steep grass ascent with a paved approach. The elite women started strong keeping together in the first half of the lap. A small group of 4 composed of Ella Brenneman from CXD Trek Bikes, Lizzy Gunsalus of Marion University and current Pan-American Champion, Jolanda Neff, with Cannondale Factory Racing and Lauren Zoerner with Competitive Edge Racing broke away with Brenneman taking the lead into lap two.

Welcome to the 20th Anniversary of the NCGP!

By Timothy Hopkin • November 19, 2025

Welcome to the NCGP!

Rock Creek Rumble 101

March 17, 2025

What is the Rock Creek Rumble? It’s a youth-only cross-country mountain bike race for ages 10-18. Get all the race details here and register on BikeReg here ! What is a race age? The race age is your age at the end of the year – ex: if you are 15 now but turning 16 this year, your race age is 16. Learn all about that here! What category do I race? Categories are decided on race age, except for the older categories. There will be two race category options for Junior Men and Women 15-18 years of age. The OPEN category is for faster more experienced racers. The regular category is for new and developing racers. You can only register to race in one category, not both. Is there on site registration? No, registration is online only and closes on Wednesday, March 19. Can I pre-ride? Pre-ride will be open Friday, March 21 from 1pm to 7pm. There will also be pre-ride Saturday at 7:30am-9:30am and 12:50pm-1:50pm. Packet pick-up : Riders and coaches can check in and get race numbers/coaches pre-ride plates starting at 1pm on Friday. All riders accessing the course must check in prior to riding. What’s the course like? The course is a mixture of grass start/finish/feed zone, double track, and single track, with lots of areas for passing as well as using your cornering skills! The course has multiple line options for riders depending on age/skill level, and is very fun to ride! What’s included? All racers will be professionally timed, with results submitted to USAC. Riders will also receive a discount for a Sunday ride pass at Ride Rock Creek! Top three in each category will get some fun awards from Ride Rock Creek. We’ll also have an announcer, food trucks, coffee trucks, and more fun! Can we camp? Yes, camping is allowed for this event! Spaces can be reserved from Ride Rock Creek here . Can coaches/parents pre-ride? Yes, coaches/parents can pre-ride but must sign up in advance and submit the required waivers at registration. Other things to know: Cell service at the race venue is limited depending on carrier. Public wifi is available at the park shop. Team area will be available for teams or large groups to set up near the start/finish area. If you set up tents, please stake/weight them.