Compton Wins Again at One of Her Favorite Venues: Cincy3 Cyclocross Festival—UPDATED: Full Report, Photos, Brief Results

Katie Compton takes the win on day one of the Cincy3 Festival. © Jeffrey Jakucyk

DEVOU PARK, KENTUCKY—In the women’s race, after UCI officials checked every rider’s tire width, the French national champion Caroline Mani (CC Etupes Le Doubs Pays De Montbeliard) snagged the soft holeshot from pavement to grassy downhill with Sue Butler (River City Bicycles-Ridley), Georgia Gould (LUNA), Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com), Katie Compton (Rabobank-Giant) and Meredith Miller (Cal Giant Berry Farms) in tow. Surprisingly it was Miller, not Compton, who attacked the first climb out of the bandshell mud pit, creating an early selection of Miller, Gould, Compton and Mani and gapping Antonneau and Butler.

Seeing Mani make the front group was impressive after hearing she left Chicago at 4am and drove five and a half hours to make the race. Mani’s early snap would fade fast, however, as she was popped out of the group by an attack by Compton late on the first lap. Now with Compton, Miller, and Gould driving the front into lap two, and Antonneau chasing with Butler, Mani found herself working alone in sixth. Between Compton’s pace and the grinding hills, the race split into pairs with Compton and Miller on the front, Gould and Antonneau next and Mani and Butler struggling to maintain contact.

Before the race Sue Butler joked that she had only took one pre-race lap on the course. While it may have saved her another bike cleaning, maybe Butler didn’t have the lines dialed as well as the others. On lap four, Compton finally shook Miller to take the win solo by :38. Antonneau pegged it on the climb from the Bandshell, dropping a struggling Gould to secure the third spot on the podium. Mani stayed determined, keeping the pedal to the floor and eventually passed both Gould and Butler for fourth. Georgia continued to fade from her fast start to finish sixth. After the race, Mani promised a much better day on Saturday.

Results after gallery.