Eric Brunner won his third elite men's US cyclocross title in mid-December, which was the main checkbox on his 2025 to-do list when the calendar year started. The months leading to his solo victory on the dirt in Fayetteville, Arkansas, were anything but choreographed, however. It turns out that the road to his success really was on the road.
"I raced a lot more on the road this summer than I have in a few years. And that wasn't my original plan going into 2025, to be right for Project Echelon Racing in 2026. It really kind of pulled me in this direction again," the 27-year-old said about his preparations for cyclocross season and then refocusing for the road in the new season.
