NEOCX’s Northcoast November has wound its way to Kirtland Park, sadly meaning we’re upon the final contest of the 2025 NEOCX season. In addition to some amazing color analysis and cycling hats, grief counselors will be made available at PHYT’s awards ceremony. Until then, the current standings:
The XC and Juniors podiums have been decided, which is a nice thing as it will prevent the weekly I’m-going-to-preride-when-the-course-is-closed dullards to only affect an individual race, not the race for series title. It will also give ERIK MILLER, whose clever filing of Dean Donnelly’s handlebars prerace at Gordon came up a bit short, that extra time he’ll need to cut through his downtube. Some have suggested that the third spot will be Adam Karpowicz’s so long as he doesn’t show up at the Mormon Kirtland, however, Jack Visoky has reportedly been developing a Garmin firmware bug for Adam’s shifting. You just can’t rest easy in the 4/5s.
The Elite Mens race….okay, let’s skip that. How about the All-stars? John West and Tom Franek are separated by one slim point and have flip-flopped positions throughout the year. While such an action would literally be the ultimate sacrifice, the prop markets place an outside chance on West being able to convince teammate Weaver to focus his elbows on Franek, listing a Weaver DNF at +650.
Addie Slutz and Sam Brode had the duel of the season at Gordon Park, where it took Addie 44 minutes to finally get a winning gap. With 7 points between them and the tie-breaker being the finishing position at Kirtland Park, this race is a winner-takes-all event on a course that Sam has won the last three visits to but where Addie has consistently closed the gap. Lest we be satisfied with only one premium storyline in the Womens Elite field, the battle between Bryna, Korin, and Ames for the third step is equally enthralling, with each racer making an argument to be favored.
The Mens 3/4 race is well-nigh as compelling as the Womens Elite. Scott Gartman, who Szabo starting claiming some relation to only after strong finishes, Marty McDonald, who fell for the JMR classic “no, no race this weekend” trick to miss Gordon Park, Brian Klueber, whose form may be at the expense of belt production, and Ryan Fletterick, who is at risk of sacrificing eternal glory for a couple of gigs, are the front runners for the podium. Unfortunately for Mark Milliren, after showing extreme utility in making sure Rosen pays attention to the race, there is no way that, even if he did feel healthy enough to race, the organizers would not rabbit punch his spine into a DNS.
The traditional Masters fields are generally set with the exception of Mens 45+, where Brian Rybak, of all people, has been snake-bitten by mechanicals, and Mens 55+, where 6 of 7 can still make the podium and 5 of 7 can still win it all (probably). And of course the Fat Bike is all Dave Toppston’s. Well deserved.
Which brings us to the NEOCX Single Speed championship. As with Mens Elite, Yuanshuai prematurely spoiled another climax, clinching the belt at Osborne, but the races for second and third are wild. It’s been all fur and no knickers for Nathan Molnar, who has kept a perfect record of electric starts and suck-ass finishes, leaving Gerry Pfug, who spends just enough time in Shaker for North Union to consider, Woody and Scott looking like the three people for two steps. It’s going to be one exciting final to the Finale!
Standings Update: 5 of 7
Novemeber 6
It’s with great sadness that we have to report our analysis team’s day jobs have caused this week’s deadline to be missed, but we do have the numbers. See where you’re at heading into this weekend’s Star ‘Crossed at Gordon Park and then go put on a show Saturday!
Standings Update: 4 of 7
October 31
Going into the final three races of the NEOCX season, with the best 4 of 7 finishes determining the champions, attrition has yet to begin. Everyone can still win, but who actually will?
In the XC running world, Dave, Sean, and Loman are all squeezed into the catbird seat, though winning performances from Szabo and Angry Larry suggest they’re not out of it. It’s a similar situation for the women as Rosalie has been strong during the first half but the deal is not done as Mallory Hatmaker, who would’ve finished mid-pack in the Mens 4/5 race at DBTRCX, is registered and has been training at Osborne Park all week.
Speaking of the Mens 4/5, we once again have a giant crapshoot. Thursday night skills have been put to good use by Erik Miller and Jack Visocky, placing them at the top, and Dean Donnelly’s mastery of the riverbank has him well-positioned. Just how quantitively everyone can have a cute baby, but qualitatively that simply is not true, the same goes for the chances to be champion for the lower half of the standings. Alas, 2026 may be your year!
The Womens Elite field is the most intriguing. In this field anyone actually can win it, from the current leader Addie Slutz on down the list. The same can be said for the top of the Mens 3/4, where Marty McDonald is trying to show that he is, in fact, the unknown god.
In singlespeed, the race for Fuzzy Stitchworks champion’s belt is Yuanshuai’s to lose, although also scattered in the leaderboard are some other strong showings from Woody, Ryan Fletterick, and stink bug himself Gerry Pflug. These next three weeks are going to be amazing!
Standings Update: 3 of 7
October 7
To go back to November 16, 2024, at the Kirtland Finale, when friends tried breaking each other’s will before breaking bread, and take stock of all the things in this world that have changed is, frankly, astonishing, NEOCX included.
NEOCX to NEOCX|XC? We can all agree, were a track meet to break out in our backyard we’d close the blinds, maybe yell out for them to keep it down. Take the same race and put it between the tape? Magic! The 5k XC running race day kick-offs have been dynamic, exciting affairs. From Aunt Bri at Akron to the largest women’s field of the young NEOCX season at Hiram, watching the graceful bounds over hurdles, the love for non-flat surfaces, and the chance to easily get lost on course via these things called pits, the XC races have been a great addition to the program.
NEOCX coverage goes back decades and we never, in our wildest dreams, thought we’d say that Joy Machinces Racing is the team to beat. But here we are, folks, with JMR having more podiums than the rest of the teams combined. Heck, it used to be if you could escape the JMR tricks at the start you’d be scot-free from hijinks until lapping them. No longer reliant of guile and skullduggery, this year’s edition seems to have both fitness and skill. To turn the tide, for the North Unions and Team Lake Effects and Summit Freewheelers to gain parity, let alone the upper hand, will take some teamwork and quick learning of the dark arts as well. The next race, at Todd Field complete with a sled hill, a river bank, and a stone retaining wall, will be a great place to start.
Ten months, astonishing change.