BALTIMORE — Manon Bakker (Alpe d'Huzes) and Tofik Beshir (CXD Trek Bikes) conquered the mud to win the C2 elite races at Charm City Cross on Sunday at Druid Hill Park, sweeping both days of UCI racing in Baltimore, Maryland and securing the overall titles in the six-race US Cyclocross Series (USCX). Bakker soloed to victory in the elite women's race in 50:04, while 19-year-old Ethiopian Beshir took the elite men's honours in 58:07.
Despite overnight rain and continued drizzle on the twisting Druid Hill Park course, Bakker did not switch to mud tyres to start and used her speed to gain an early advantage on Mansion Hill, where Sidney McGill (Materiaal-Lastig) briefly matched her pace before putting a foot down and losing contact. Bakker rode alone thereafter despite slipping several times and requiring pit stops to claim her fifth victory of the series, finishing 34 seconds clear of McGill with Mia Aseltine (Competitive Edge Racing) third a further 14 seconds back. "These 3 weeks have shown me why I love 'cross so much. The competition during the games and the fun outside. Feels good to be back on track," Bakker posted on Instagram a day later, adding "Finally, I got it" after finishing second in the series in each of the last two seasons.
The men's race became a showdown between Beshir and Pan American champion Andrew Strohmeyer (Competitive Edge Racing), who took the holeshot and initially rode in tandem with teammate Ryan Drummond before Beshir and CXD Trek Bikes teammate Miles Mattern moved up on the second lap. Beshir and Strohmeyer then locked horns through the second half, tangling twice on the slippery course — in the pits with three laps to go when Strohmeyer hit the deck, and again on an off-camber section on the final lap when Beshir's outside line interrupted Strohmeyer's momentum. "I was trying to hold back a little bit and save energy for the later part of the race," Strohmeyer said. "The separation came naturally. No one really accelerated. People just make mistakes and the people who stay consistent start riding away."
Beshir stayed away to the finish for his fifth victory of the series, with Tyler Clark (Caledon Hills Cycling Armada) second at 18 seconds and Dylan Zakrajsek (Competitive Edge Racing) third at 25 seconds, followed by Drummond at 39 seconds and Strohmeyer at 47 seconds. "It was definitely hard, but I was just trying to have fun and trying to follow Strohmeyer and learn from him," Beshir said. "I saw my opportunity and I chopped him a little bit. I really felt bad because I respect this guy." He added: "I immediately regretted it once I came out of the pit and saw he crashed. Yes, it is racing, but I have so much respect for this guy."
The finale concluded three consecutive weekends of C1 and C2 racing in the 2026 USCX, which opened at Rochester Cyclocross in New York and continued at Virginia's Blue Ridge GO Cross in September. Clark finished second overall in the men's standings with Calvin Conaway third after placing eighth on Sunday, while in the women's standings Kaya Musgrave locked third overall with fifth on the day behind teammate Aseltine. Bakker, who announced on social media last month she would race without a team in a blue kit to promote cancer foundation Alpe d'Huzes, wrote: "Alpe d'huzes is a charity that is very close to me, the mountain I've been climbing since I was young. The slogan 'Giving up is not an option' fits me perfectly now."