Kelly Warner (Kona Maxxis-Shimano), ranked 13th in the UCI individual rankings, will compete in Sunday's race in Waterloo as an elite male rider in the UCI Cyclocross World Cup. He has already competed in seven races this season and has not finished lower than fourth, including a third-place finish at the Trek CX Cup C2 on Friday.

The bulk of his 2021-22 season will be focused on the national scene, with a total of eight races in four events for the new USCX Series title. In addition, the USA Cyclocross Nationals will return after a year since the coronavirus outbreak, and the world championships will be held in the United States for the first time since Louisville in 2013. The chance to earn World Cup points this week within driving distance of my new home in Roanoke, Virginia, is a fitting start to the season.

"We just have to chase this first six weekends. Rochester, Charm, and now here (Waterloo). I'm looking forward to the season," the 31-year-old told Cycling News. I'm looking forward to the season. I've changed my training and done some different things in the last two years, so I'm looking forward to seeing how that affects my ability to sustain these good results.

"Worlds are always great, but you don't get many chances to win Worlds. So winning the Nationals and having the jersey on my shoulders is definitely a higher priority than being 10th or 15th at the World Championships," added Werner, who finished 17th at the 2019 World Championships, moving up from 22nd and 26th in the previous two years to become the top American.

He has a solid chance to win the new USCX series, trailing Vincent Vestance (CX Team Deschacht-Group Hens-Containers Maes) by just 14 points.

"For me, to do well in the new USCX series is a big deal. With the new live stream, I can get exposure with good results. But it's kind of hard not having the prize money. Still, there is exposure and glory," Werner said of his modest expectations. It's typical of American bike racing. I'm not going to be pessimistic. You have to start somewhere and this is a good step in the right direction."

He is no stranger to the World Cup course, having had two podium finishes in 2019, including one win in Fayette Cross, before it became a big World Cup event. He will be looking for another top finish this time around, but he is not sure what the field will look like due to the movement of international athletes.

"I don't really like the way the logistics of this block work. Everyone has to deal with it, but it takes some of the top racers out of the equation. Some of the top racers skip the Fayetteville World Cup because of the travel involved. For Euro racers, getting their equipment together can be a nightmare. [But regardless, it's great to have all three World Cups here [in the U.S.]. It also puts the spotlight on the World Cup courses.

In March, Werner posted a video on his YouTube channel, checking out the World Championships venue. Since then, he has been very interested in what has changed.

"Lots of berms and corners; I don't think there's a single off-camber on the course [in March]. It's laid out like a mountain bike World Cup course, with lots of berms and wide open areas for power. It's super unique and a course that favors the power riders."

Kona Maxxis-Shimano teammate Rebecca Fahringer will also be competing in the World Cup and USCX; both are riding the same equipment for a third year, and the changes he has made to his training are paying off.

"Rebecca and I are in our third year as teammates. The equipment was the same, but I had a new coach, Chris McGovern, and I changed my training a bit. We did some testing to find my weaknesses. My aerobic capacity is pretty poor, so I started doing longer runs to improve that.

"I love to ride my bike. So it's really great to be able to go on bigger bike rides more often. Road, gravel, mountain bike ...... I do it all and I don't discriminate.

"Next year I'm going to step away from cyclocross a little bit and focus on the big gravel races. That doesn't mean I won't do cyclocross, but I will be doing some gravel races in the spring and summer; I really enjoyed BWR Asheville, but there is a three-day stage race in August. I grew up in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Werner said he was disappointed to start the season without a win because his hometown of Roanoke, Ga. has been promoted to UCI Category 2 this year. But he still grabbed a glimpse of glory with two second-place finishes. According to Werner, winning the USCX series "sparked the fire" to win the USCX series and earn World Cup points.