If you haven’t watched the men’s elite US cyclocross national championship in Louisville, do yourself a favor and check it out now — we’ll wait. Full contact racing and a fight for every feature, that’s what national championship racing is all about. There were crashes, mechanicals, sharp elbows, and lots of power. Ultimately, on-lookers were treated to an inspiring ride by the Pan-American champ (now current US National champ) Eric Brunner (WTB/Pivot Endurance).
We caught up with Eric and his team before the race and discussed his Pivot Vault, tire selection, and the changing course conditions.
The Race
When the lights turned green — the riders charged the slight uphill start straight, battling to be first to the stairs. Andrew Strohmeyer (CXD Trek Bikes) took the hole shot and quickly distanced himself from the field, with Brunner’s teammate Scott Funston (WTB/Pivot Endurance) on his wheel. After the first lap, the duo was joined by defending champion Curtis White (Steve Tilford Foundation) and former national champion Eric Brunner.
The select group traded blows at the front while jockeying for position into features. On lap three, Brunner and Strohmeyer connect after the barriers, fighting for the lead. What looked like a small bump turned into something more. Sending Brunners Di2 derailleur into crash mode and sticking him in high gear on a muddy, challenging course. The same thing would happen a few minutes later. Causing Brunner to dismount and troubleshoot the problem far from pit two. The later crash mode incident would cause Brunner to lose touch with the lead group. Eventually drifting into 6th place behind Kerry Werner (Bikeflights p/b Kona Adventure Team).
The ensuing laps would see Funston and Strohmeyer duke it out, with Brunner a seeming afterthought. After a pit, however, Brunner rode himself back through the field, surmounting a considerable gap. Throughout the next four laps, Brunner caught and passed Strohmeyer displaying his maturity and perseverance. In the end, Brunner finished 9 seconds in front of Strohmeyer and 28 seconds in front of his teammate Funston.
Brunner pointed to the sky while crossing the line, dedicating his win to Magnus White. White was killed by a reckless driver while training in the lead-up to the UCI Road World Championships in Glasgow.
Brunner started the 2023 season early. Racing the LifeTime Grand Prix and partnering with Pivot and WTB on a new endurance-focused team. Brunner would pilot the Pivot Vault for most gravel races and the 2023 cyclocross season.
The Pivot Vault leans towards gravel, sporting dropped seat stays and a vibration-damping seat tube, but it is (clearly) capable on the cross course. Brunner’s team commented on the seatpost damper as an excellent tool for long-distance gravel racing but not a deciding factor for cyclocross.
Brunner’s Pivot Vault is decked out with a full Shimano Dura-Ace 12-speed Di2. Brunner rides a traditional 46/39 double gearing in the front and 11-34 in the rear.
Bunner has run a double for many years, and the setup is similar to his custom Blue Cycles (featured here).
The FSA/Vision cockpit is aero and tight. The fit works well with Brunner’s riding style and position on the bike. Brunner rolls the Vision Metron 4D aero bars and a FSA SLK 120mm stem. Like the groupset, Brunner’s team rolls on Shimano Dura-Ace tubular wheels with whatever tire best fits the course.
Since WTB sponsors the team and does not produce a ‘cross-tubular, Brunner is free to choose the best. The saddle, however, is all WTB, and like most road-focused WTB athletes, Brunner rolls on the WTB Gravelier. The front is narrow with lots of thigh glide room, and would be easy for on/off the bike ‘cross work.
For our photos and the race, the team chose Dugast Rhino 33mm tires (one of our favorites). The Rhino has a fast-rolling center tread and side knobs that grip well in off-camber terrain. Besides the grip, the Rhino clears mud quickly. With a fair amount of pavement on the Louiseville course, the Dugast Rhino was an excellent tire choice. As for what’s next; Brunner will head back to home base in Colorado and prep for his lead-up to Worlds later in the new year.
Eric Brunner’s Nationals Winning Pivot Vault
- Frame/Fork: Pivot Vault
- Bar: Vision Metron 4D 40
- Stem: FSA SL-K 120mm
- Shifter/Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace R9200
- Rear Derailleur: Dura-Ace Di2 Rear Derailleur SHADOW RD 12-speed
- Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace 170 46/39
- Cassette: Dura-Ace 11-34T
- Rotors: Dura-Ace 140
- Pedals: Shimano XTR
- Wheels: Dura-Ace
- Tires: Dugast Rhino 33 Storm Compound
- Saddle: WTB Gravelier
- Seatpost: FSA K-Force Light 27.2
For more info on Eric and his cyclocross program, check out WTB-Pivot-Endurance
