Scott Hoffner has moved into the Top Banana Competition lead with just three races left on the Programme. 

Alex Vanias entered the day as the heir apparent to take the Competition lead at the Battle at the Burg, but even with an amazing second place finish on the day, the BISSELL rider is one point shy of the overall. A great ride from Priority Health’s Scott Hoffner put the Man in Green into the lead with 61 points, one in front of Alex Vanias and clear of third by six.

Ryan Cross is still that third placed rider after leading the Competition for all of the summer and much of the spring. The Michigan points winner migrated to the state south of Wyoming just two weeks back, making it impossible to defend a title he certainly deserved after an amazing season for Einstein Racing.

Now, it’s a showdown between Vanias and Hoffner, with other riders needing a lot of help and a lot of points in the last three races of the season. Adam York is still in touch, but he’d have to make two mountain bike starts to contest the final standings, something that isn’t likely. It’s a little ways back to Vanias’ teammate Derek Graham with 44 points, but he will certainly feature in both the Peak2Peak and Iceman races on October 19 and November 2.

Worth 15 points to the winner, Cross the Bay’s Pumpkin Pie SuperPrestige on December 1 could well decide the overall, especially if Hoffner can start both Peak2Peak and Iceman. If he does, he will have a showdown with Vanias at the Grand Traverse Civic Center in frigid, most likely snowing conditions to put a big punctuation mark on the closest Competition yet.

Here are the full standings after Battle at the Burg: