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Mud? A Tim Johnson course, right? © Peter Wayne

Lots of mud...made for Tim Johnson, right? © Peter Wayne

The blizzard cleared and the sun and blue skies emerged for the Blue Sky Cup in Longmont Colorado. With 18 inches of snow on the ground and above-freezing temperatures, Mother Nature created the perfect recipe for sloppy conditions that put a premium on bike handling.

Seeing the course conditions, most gamblers would have put money on Tim Johnson (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com) and Katie Compton (Planet Bike), and if they did, they were either smart or lucky. Both riders showcased their power and finesse in the slop, and stretched out early gaps into big leads extending well over a minute, and in Compton’s case, more than two minutes.

Behind Compton, the women’s field was blown apart, with Georgia Gould (Luna) chasing Compton but losing ground with every lap. The race for third was closer, but Gould’s teammate Dunlap continued her rise up the ranks, holding off her younger competitors in Amy Dombroski, Meredith Miller (Cal Giant Berry) and Kelli Emmett (Giant). It became a race of who made fewer mistakes, and Miller was the best of the rest, outlasting Emmett for fourth.

Compton never planned to have such a fast start, and husband Mark Legg-Compton said she was planning on sitting in for a couple laps, in part because her debilitating leg cramping problem reared its ugly head before the race.

Winning never gets old for Compton. This medal will go next to her childhood medals from Trexlertown. © Peter Wayne

Undefeated this season, but enjoying each one. © Peter Wayne

“I was hoping Georgia and Alison would give more of a fight in the first two laps, but it’s cross racing and sometimes you’re fighting the course more than anything,” the five-time National Champion explained.

So she took the gap she was given, extended it to twenty-five seconds by the end of lap one, and never looked back. “You never know when something goes wrong, flat tire or mechanical. I just wanted to gave a good race, stay smooth, work on the technical part with the mud and bike changes,” Compton explained.

Dunlap conceded that there was no use in staying with Compton. “Katie just disappeared down the mud…I couldn’t go any faster and I just watched her go away,” Dunlap revealed. But, still, despite basically admitting that overtaking Compton and defending exclusive record of six National Championship in Bend will be difficult,  she was happy. “I’m pretty psyched to be on the podium.”

In the men’s race, it was yet another podium sweep for Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com, but Troy Wells (Clif Bar), mountain biker Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Gary Fisher / Subaru) and Adam Craig (Giant) all were in contention to break up the sweep. But Horgan-Kobelski suffered a late mechanical and dropped back, and Craig left it too late as he surged past riders but would only make it up to fourth. Troy Wells benefited from JHK’s misfortune, to take fifth.

So the race for the second was left to Powers and Driscoll, and it was Powers that slid through the mess to take home second. “I thought I was first because I didn’t see the guy that was in first all day,” Powers joked. “This time I could do some work, James didn’t have to pull me around the whole race [unlike last week], so that was good.”

Perhaps the ride of the day was by Classic Cycle’s Zach McDonald, as the reigning Junior National Champ took a break from beating up his elders in Seattle to beat all but eight other riders in the Elite Men’s race. McDonald was happy with his result, gaining more UCI points. “The course was sweet, the mud was nice, I took a bit of a digger…but it was a lot of fun,” McDonald explained.

Check back soon for photos. Full results below.

Kevin Bracy Knight contributed to this report

Photo Gallery:


Video Highlights (courtesy of CyclingDirt)

Women’s race:

Men’s race:

Full Results:

Elite Men
Place Name Team Bib Time
1 JOHNSON, Timothy Cannondale/CycloCros 3 07:02.0
2 POWERS, Jeremy Cannondale/CycloCros 1 07:54.0
3 DRISCOLL, James Cannondale/CycloCros 2 07:54.0
4 CRAIG, Adam Giant MTB Team 21 08:15.0
5 WELLS, Troy ClifBar 10 09:47.0
6 ANTHONY, Jesse Jamis Bikes 8 09:49.0
7 SUMMERHILL, Danny VMG/FELT 20 10:11.0
8 HORGAN-KOBELSKI, Jeremy Subaru/Gary Fisher 74 10:46.0
9 MC DONALD Zach Stevens/Classic Cycl 53 11:29.0
10 DWIGHT, Brandon Boulder Cycle Sport 23 11:36.0
11 PARBO Joachim CCV Leopard Cycles 17 12:02.0
12 SCHOOLER, Aaron Team H&R Block-Kona 11 12:03.0
13 WEBBER, Pete Boulder Cycle Sport 22 12:10.0
14 WELLS, Jake MafiaRacing.com/Pabs 14 12:30.0
15 PACOCHA, matt Hudz-Subaru 42 13:01.0
16 DECKER, Carl Giant MTB Team 15 13:51.0
17 IDDINGS, Ryan Lapierre USA 16 14:14.0
18 TONKIN, Erik Kona/FSA 66 14:32.0
19 KAPPIUS, Brady Team Clif Bar 47 15:39.0
20 PAXSON, Spencer Team S&M Young Guns 54 At 1 Lap
21 KRUGHOFF, Allen Team Rio Grande 63 At 1 Lap
22 SNYDER, Adam Team Jamis 68 At 2 Laps
23 HOKE, mitchell Cliff Bar Developmen 43 At 2 Laps
24 WHITE, Brad Hudz-Subaru 48 At 2 Laps
25 ALLEN, Tim Sports Garage 57 At 2 Laps
26 BERRY, Joshua Smith Optics 70 At 3 Laps
27 COLE, Brad Hudz/Subaru 61 At 3 Laps
28 BARKER, Andrew CLIF Bar Development 60 At 4 Laps
29 FERGUSON, Jeremy California Giant/Spe 29 At 4 Laps
30 BOUPLON, Aaron Rocky Mounts / Izze 36 At 4 Laps
31 GUESS, Martin Rocky Mountain Bicyc 69 At 4 Laps
32 MULLERVY, Conor dCLIF BAR developmen 50 At 4 Laps
33 HEITHECKER, Troy 37 At 4 Laps
34 HURST, Chris Team Wheel and Sproc 64 At 5 Laps
35 MELIS, Chad Oskar Blues Brewery/ 45 At 5 Laps
36 CARES, Colin Clif Bar Development 58 At 5 Laps
37 COYLE, Chuck Subaru/Vista Auto Gr 62 At 5 Laps
38 MICKIEWICZ, Bryan MAFIA/HAMMER NUTRITI 38 At 5 Laps
39 FINSTERWALD, Russell Team ClifBar 51 At 5 Laps
40 FRIEDBERG, Mike mafia 28 At 5 Laps
41 STEINBERG, Brent Wolverine Sports Clu 65 At 5 Laps
42 KOLES, Jan Mafia Racing 72 At 5 Laps
43 SALSKOV, john Bicycle Haus Racing 67 At 5 Laps
44 MATHENY, Daniel Mafia/Westside 73 At 5 Laps
45 STATMAN, Katriel Pioneer Racing 34 At 5 Laps
46 STEVENSON, russell First Rate Mortgage 13 At 5 Laps
47 LLEWELLYN, Andrew Texas Roadhouse 46 At 6 Laps
48 TADDEUCCI, Joe Natural Grocers pb X 25 At 6 Laps
49 NENNINGER, Geoffrey Unattached 55 At 6 Laps
50 FOUNDS, Darian 40 At 6 Laps
51 VONBOKEL, Logan KCCX/ Verge 35 At 6 Laps
52 WELLS Chad Hudz-Subaru Cyclocrs 75 At 7 Laps
53 LOUDERMILK, Derek Horizon Organic p/b 27 At 7 Laps
54 SONORA, Robert Durango Wheel Club 71 At 7 Laps
55 MILLER, Lane Louisville Cyclery 26 At 7 Laps
DNS TREBON, Ryan Kona USA 4
DNS KABUSH, Geoff Maxxis/Rocky Mountai 7
DNS JACQUES-MAYNES, Andy Bissell Pro Cycling 9
DNS SIEGLE, Jason Bike Religion 24
DNS CURRY, John GAS/Intrinsik 31
DNS SHRIVER, Matt Rocky Mountain Choco 32
DNS BERRY, Grant Rocky Mtn Choc Facto 52
DNF JONES, Christopher Team Champion System 5
DNF FRATTINI, Davide Team Fuji 6
DNF RICHEY, Craig Blue Competition Cyc 12
DNF POWLISON, Spencer Mafia Racing 30
DNF CARRINGTON, Taylor Team Lanterne Rouge 33
DNF COX, Cody Clif Bar Development 39
DNF SCHMALZ, joseph KCCX/Verge 41
DNF HARSHMAN, Shawn Konig Racing pb Hars 44
DNF MULLERVY, Kevin CLIF BAR Development 49
DNF GIORDANO, Jesse Nob Hill Velo 56
DNF BAKER, Jonathan Hudz-Subaru Cyclocro 59
Elite Women
Place Name Team Bib Time
1 COMPTON, Katherine Planet Bike 101 37:00.0
2 GOULD, Georgia Luna Chix 102 39:07.0
3 DUNLAP, Alison Luna Chix 104 40:29.0
4 MILLER Meredith Cal Giant Strawberry 108 41:03.0
5 EMMETT, Kelli Giant Bicycles 106 41:36.0
6 DOMBROSKI, Amy Webcor Builders 103 42:08.0
7 IRMIGER, Heather Subaru/Gary Fisher 126 42:19.0
8 HOWE, Barbara Vanderkitten 105 42:54.0
9 POWERS, Alison Team Fuji 107 43:12.0
10 MATLOCK STRONG, Lisa Natural Grocers p/b 116 “@1Lap”
11 BUSH, Lynn Tough Girl / SCOTT 115 “@1Lap”
12 MAILE, Sarah Ventana Mountain Bik 118 “@1Lap”
13 SEEHAFER, Kori Team Type 1 120 “@1Lap”
14 BONI, Kristal Blue Sky Velo 113 “@1Lap”
15 HECKMAN, Lora Peloton Cycles – Spe 114 “@1Lap”
16 HANNON, kathleen Freewheel/Hunter Cyc 119 “@1Lap”
17 BEGY, Cristina Gates/Spot /Dales 117 “@1Lap”
18 COSTANTINI, Lauren Blue Sky Velo 112 “@1Lap”
19 LONG, melanie Mafia Racing 123 “@2Laps”
20 HALL, Lauren Hudz-Subaru 121 “@2Laps”
21 PRIETO, Susan Blue Sky Velo 124 “@2Laps”
22 MILLER Ilianna Mafia Racing 128 “@2Laps”
23 JOHNSON, Catherine Rocky Mounts/ Izze 122 “@2Laps”
24 MUCH Rebecca Webcor Builders 127 “@2Laps”
DNS CURRY, Lisa GAS/Intrinsik 110
DNS SCHEIDER, Kate Mafia Racing 111
DNS SHERWIN, Kathy Velo Bella – Ellswor 125