We've made it! Another Cyclocross season here in the US is almost over. Only one race stands between us and a warm beach somewhere in the Caribbean. Well, more like a warm couch in Boston, but you get the picture. This week's rankings are not so much ment to rank as they are to predict. At this point, it doesn't matter what you did last week, or last month, or last year. All that matters is what you do in Bend. Here's our picks. 

 

Elite Women USA National Championships
 1. Katie Compton* | Do I really need to say anything? Number 6 is in the bag. 
 2. Amy Dombroski | Miller got her on Sunday in Portland, but she's showed all season that one bad day does not effect her the next. She's mastered the art of performing well at National Championships and there's no reason she shouldn't do it again in Bend.
 3. Meredith Miller* | As the Elite US National Road Champ, she too knows how to get it done at the big races. She did well in Portland on fast dry courses, but Bend is looking like a mudfest. I think with equal fitness Dombroski has the advantage with handling. 
 4. Alison Dunlap | Alison put herself out there in Portland going in the front group both days at the start. She fell off the pace both times, but the confidence was palpable. She'll do everything she can to keep Katie from tiring her record of 6 titles. 
 5. Kelli Emmett | She rode past half the field both days in Portland to great finishes. With a good start, who knows what she could have done. With so many women going out faster than usual at Nationals, Kelli might get stuck in the pack while the leaders ride away. She's still strong enough to ride her way up into the top 5 in the later stages of the race. 
 6. Mary McConneloug | Swept both days in RI ahead of a watered down field. Of all the Women coming in from the East coast, none are better at dealing with the travel than Mary. With mud and cold in the forecast, her mountain bike skills should play a roll.
 7. Sue Butler* | I'll admit it, I was dead wrong about Sue. I thought she should have curled up in a ball and died after NJ, but she's got her asthma figured out and proved everyone wrong. She looked more like her old self in Portland than she has in Months. Another week and the homestate advantage should be enough to see her at least 7th n Bend. 
 8. Mo Bruno* | No one ride the mud like Mo. Just look at Providence in 2005 when she took 3rd. The nastier the conditions, the better her chances. She'll also be skipping the Masters race this year and focusing all her energy on Sunday. She'll be ready. 
 9. Laura Van Guilder* | On the right course, LVG could finish as high as third. Bend is not one of those courses. She's strong enough to get through the tough conditions, but she doesn't have the skills to gap people in the technical sections. In only her second year of 'cross, top 10 is no small feat. Looking like another worlds team spot too. 
 10. Andrea Smith | We left her off the list last week after a great performance in MA. After another stellar weekend in RI where she pushed McConneloug on the second day, we can't ignore her any more. She's been surpassing expectations all season so why not beat her to it and set the bar high? Andrea Smith will go top 10 at Nationals. 
 11. Linda Stone | Linda made a big impression in Portland this weekend finishing inside the top 10 against one of the best women's fields assembled all year. If she cna hold this fitness, she'll be in the mix for a top 10 in Bend.
 12. Barbara Howe | After having some problems on Sunday, we only got Saturday to watch Barb race. The result: 9th place. She's been steady all year and can perform in all conditions. Rain or shine she'll be in the 10th-14th range. 
 13. Deirdre Winfield | She wasn't bad in Portland, but she wasn't exceptional either. When she's on, she's top 10, but it seems like she's having trouble finding that sweet spot. It's not to late to turn it around for Nationals, but it's also not likely. 
 14. Alice Pennington | Anytime you're in the North West you have to keep an eye on Pennington. She's one of those women who can just go out and ride fast at the drop of a dime. With a good weekend of USGP's under her belt now, she'll be strong in Bend. 
 15. Kari Studley | Not sure if it was the cold weather or maybe the course, but Kari didn't look herself in Portland. Hopefully a week here to acclimate will see her back on track. 


U23 Men USA National Championships 
 1. Danny Summerhill* | I wouldn't go as far as to say he's the Katie Compton of the U23 field, but you could certainly make that argument. He hasn't been beat by an American all season and I don't see that changing in Bend. He'll be pushed early, but 45 minutes is a long time. The only person who can beat Danny is Danny. 
 2. Zach McDonald* | As solidly as Danny has been 1st, Zach has been 2nd. If you wanted to keep the analogies rolling, he's like the Katerina Nash of the U23's: 5% behind the best but 10% better than everybody else. Does that make sense? 
 3. Jerome Townsend* | Give Jonny Bold all the credit, he called this two months ago. Jerome has his stuff together and he couldn't have timed it better. Baystate could have been another fluke but after Portland we're officially on the bandwagon. 
 4. Dave Hackworth* | From September to December, no other U23 can match the resume of Dave. Consistency may win you series overall titles, but it doesn't mean much at Nationals. It's all about putting it together on that one day. 4th will be a great ride for him.
 5. Luke Keough* |  Hard to say if Luke was going all out or training trhu the VERGE races in RI this weekend. He's been smart all season about how he prepares for the big events. If things go his was he could be on the podium, but all signs are pointed to 5th.  
 6. Chance Noble | Coming in to Portland, it'd been a while since we saw a healthy Chance go up against the best U23's in the country. With two solid results, he went from outside chance to legit favorite. He's got his work cut out for him if he wants to keep the U23 title within the Cal. Giant team. The sloppy conditions should also play in his favor. 
 7. Alex Howes | Probably the biggest unknown in the field. The U23 Road Champion has got horse power to match Summerhill, but it's yet to be seen if he's in the shape to use it. He did well at Jingle Cross, but has he been training specifically for cross? With a big road season planned in 2010, he may just be here for fun. Still, Howes at 75% is still top 10.
 8. Joshua Berry | We went out on a limb ranking him 4th last week and that limb snapped in Portland. The fitness was there, but the rest of the pieces didn't come together. He said the angrier he gets the faster he races. Hopefully being ranked 8th will piss him off enough to go out and prove us wrong. (or prove us right from last week...)
 9. Eric Emsky | With no travel budget this season, we haven't had the chance to see Eric go head to head with the best guys every week. He's been staying fit racing local in the North West and is still in good enough shape to be top 10. He'll be fresh, at the least. 
 10. Travis Livermon | It's going to be 71 degrees in Winterville, NC tomorrow vs. 15 degrees in Bend, OR. If the climate shock doesn't kill him, he should be able to put together a solid ride. He should be well training with Euro Cross Camp on the horizon. 
 11. Joe Dombrowski | If Nationals were being held in the Mid Atlantic, Joe might have a shot at winning it! He's been crushing the MAC races this season but hasn't yet showed the same form on the big stage. Nationals is his chance to really turn some heads. 
 12. Jeremy Fergason | After a quite start couple of months, Jeremy roared to a pair of solid finishes in Portland this weekend. Solid enough to rank him 12th. 
 13. Steve Fisher | Steve will also be making the trip overseas this month for the Euro Cross Camp. He did well in Portland and, if his form is on the rise, has an outside chance to go top 10 in Bend. You'd think he be getting in his best shape before Europe...
 14. Carson Miller | The Landrover rider showed good legs in Portland, but there's another 10 U23's out there just as fast who weren't in Portland that will be in Bend. 
 15. Brad Perley | Brad is in town for the Collegiate race first and foremost but we like his chances in the U23 field as well. The Maine resident should have no problem in the cold and snow. If he can recover well, he's got a chance at top 5 in Colligate too. 


Elite Men USA National Championships
 1. Ryan Trebon | Hours of deliberation, and I'm still not 100% confident with this pick (and the order of the top 5 in general.) In the end it just comes down to a feeling. When Trebon floors it, there's not another American 'crosser who can match his horse power. He doesn't always seem to get the most out of himself but his record is pretty good when a title's on the line. Then factor in that he'll be sleeping in his own bed all week across the street from a course he's no doubt been working out on all year. I'm picking Ryan to take his 3rd title.
 2. Jonathan Page | Page's results in Europe were hard to read this season. A 27th at the World Cup is good, but is it as good as winning a USGP? Then he went and cleared up any confusion as to how good he's going coming in to Nationals with an 8th place at this past weekend's World Cup. If it weren't for having to travel from Europe to Bend the week before the race, he'd be the clear favorite. Then again, he did it in '04 and '05 in Portland...
 3. Todd Wells | He backed up his triple at Jingle Cross with a huge USGP win on Saturday in Portland. Sunday he was probably the strongest guy in the race but got worked over by the Cannondale guys and lost the sprint to J Pows. It's scary to think he'll probably be even fast this Sunday. Plus the muddy course should suit his strengths. 
 4. Tim Johnson | After owning the top spot in the rankings for two months strait, we go and drop Tim to 4th coming in to the biggest race of the season!? I can't believe it either. Maybe he was training thru Portland or Maybe he just had an off day. Either way, he didn't look himself. A muddy course will help him more than anyone, but if he can't find that top form by Sunday it may not matter. (I'm fully prepared to look stupid if he wins by a minute.)
 5. Jeremy Powers | 2nd on Saturday and 1st on Sunday in Portland. You could just as easily argue that Powers is coming into the best form of anyone heading in to Bend. There's no reason he shouldn't be the favorite, just more reasons why others should. 
 6. Adam Craig | AC flipped the power switch on again this past Sunday in Portland and decided to ride his way across a huge gap to Trebon with 1 lap to go and take 4th. Are you kidding me? Either this guy is a secret super interval trainer or he's the most genetically gifted cyclist in America. Oh yeah, he also lives across the street from the race course. 
 7. Jamey Driscoll | Jamey showed us last year that pre race rankings don't mean anything to him when he came out of nowhere to finish 2nd to Trebon at Nationals. I can't see him getting any higher than 7th, but I'm not putting any money on it just to be safe. 
 8. Chris Jones | Top 10 as usual. I'd pay money out of my own pocket to see Chris on the podium, or at least in the mix with a lap to go. If he ever gets the chance to take the road season easy and train properly for 'cross he could be the next big thing. 
 9. Barry Wicks | After a shaky start to the season, wicknasty has found some good form just at the right time. In Portland, he was at the front for the first couple laps and then faded. Racing at home in Bend will hopefully give him the boost to keep the pedal to the medal.  
 10. Carl Decker | Carl is the 4th guy in our top 10 who calls Bend home. We've seen glimpses of his A game all season with great rides in Boulder and New Jersey. We think it's timing things just ride to have a huge ride in front of the hometown crowd. 
 11. Justin Robinson | Factor out the U23's and Canadians in Portland and he was 9th and 10th. In two days, Justin went from being a tiny dot on our radar to contending for a top 10 spot at the National Championships. This is why I love Cyclocross! 
 12. Troy Wells | He's finally over the Troy1N1 that had been holding him back for 6 weeks. By late in the race on Sunday, you could tell he was back to normal (,as normal as he was before the illness at least.) With another good workout in his legs before Bend, he should be pretty close to top form. His goal is top 5. I'm thinking 12th. 
 13. Dan Timmerman | The East Coast King took another pair of victories in RI this past weekend to wrap up the overall win in the VERGE New England Series. Jamey Driscoll showed us last year not to count out the VERGE winner at Nats. Now, for the first time all season, he'll get on an airplane. What he does when he gets here is anyones guess. 
 14. Nick Weighall | Nick is like a slower version of Ryan Trebon this season in that he'll either finish 10th or 40th. Like Trebon however, he comes in to this weekend as a reigning National Champion (U23) and has proven he can deliver in mid December. 
 15. Matt Shriver | We haven't seen much of Matt this year, but what have have seen has been good. If he can find that same form that saw him take 7th at Nationals last year, top 15 shouldn't be a problem. His Fort Lewis team is also looking good for the Colligates. 
 16. Justin Lindine | 2nd and 3rd in RI this past weekend. He rode to a top 15 in this race last year and wasn't as fit is he is now. The rest of the field is just that much stronger now. 
 17. Adam McGrath | Newt's got a good shot to be inside the top 20. A technical, muddy course that's still faster to ride would be perfect for him. From the looks of the forcast, that's exactly what we're going to have. Win or loose, he's off to New Zealand (which is a win.)
 18. Ryan Iddings | Not sure how Ryan managed to slip down to 18th, but here we are. If Jingle Cross was any sign, he's ready to go. Top 20 is respectable this year. 
 19. Brian Matter | The next couple mid Westerners should have no problem adjusting to the below zero temps we're experiencing this week in Bend. Brian has been steadily raising his game the last six weeks with this race in mind. If guys in the top 15 struggle with mechanicals, which is not unlikely,  he could find himself as high as 15th. 
 20. Mark Lalonde | As we've said every other week, he's got the same story as Matter. A couple tattoos and you couldn't tell the difference between them this season. 
 21. Adam Myerson | Adam found his way on the podium twice this weekend against strong competition in RI. 2nd Saturday and 3rd Sunday. A top 20 ride at Nationals this year would be a great cap to the best 'cross season of his life. 
 22. Tristan Schouten | Jingle Cross showed that Tristan had some more work to do to get back to the form that saw him winning races a couple years ago. Europe looks like it's out of the question for him this year so hopefully he can wrap things up with a good Nats.
 23. Jake Wells | The question is, which Jake Wells will be at Nationals. The "fully trained, ready to go top 12" Jake, or the "full time job with a family and no time to train but my natural ability will carry me through" Jake. Hopefully the first. Or at least somewhere in the middle. A good ride would help his chances of getting some better support next season. 
 24. Josh Dillion | Like his teammate Dan Timmerman, Josh will take his first plane ride this season when he travels to Bend. He's been riding well the last two weeks at VERGE races in the North East and should be relatively fresh coming in to Nationals. 
 25. Ned Overend | Consider this my dark horse pick. The Captain showed up at Jingle Cross last week and displayed some impressive form for a guy going on 90 years old (sorry Ned.) If it's muddy enough to force riders off their bikes, he's probably the best runner in the entire field. (think back to his Xterra days.) 

You know the drill. Let's here what you think.