Trebon Claims Victory, Series Lead at Mercer Cup USGP – Updated: Full Results

Ryan Trebon cruises to victory at the Mercer Cup USGP. © Tom Olesnevich

by Jason Elhardt

(West Windsor, NJ)- National Champion Ryan Trebon (Kona – FSA Factory Team) is back to his winning ways, taking an easy victory and regaining the overall series lead in the third stop of the USGP of Cyclocross in Mercer County, NJ.

Trebon is coming off a heavy crash which ended his race in the Derby City USGP two weeks ago in Louisville, Kentucky.  The forced rest may have made the difference on the slick and technical course.  On a day when mud and long running sections dominated pre-race conversations, Trebon dominated the competition, winning solo over early breakaway companion Tim Johnson (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com).

In the beginning of the six-lap race, it was Davide Frattini (Team Fuji) who was fastest off the line though, as he and Canadian National Champion Geoff Kabush (Maxxis/Rocky Mountain) set the early pace.  Valentin Scherz (Pro Cycles-Scott Newwork), Nick Weighall (Cal Giant Berry Farms/Specialized) and Chris Jones (Champion Systems) followed closely with Trebon in no-man’s land and Johnson chasing hard.  “The start really wasn’t that bad… if a dry, fast race is an hour, this was going to feel like two hours ’cause it was such a slog fest,”  Johnson said after the race.

After starting the day in the overall USGP series leader jersey, Jamey Driscoll found himself trying to make good out of a bad start as he spent the early laps chasing from mid-pack.

Trebon, too, was playing catch-up early. After the race he commented on the speed of Kabush, Jones and the other early leaders as his body was still trying to warm up on the muddy course. “I was having a heck of a time just riding the first lap; I fell on the stairs, I was tripping over my bike… I was too excited, maybe that was the problem,” said Trebon.

With the first lap in the books, Kabush continued to lead as Jones tried to grab his wheel. Weighall fell off the pace, with Trebon fourth and Johnson closing quickly.  A recent bout of the flu meant that Kabush was unable to hold his early pace and a bike change by Jones left the pre-race favorites, Trebon and Johson, to take their fight to the front.

Deep into the second lap, Trebon made his move and left Johnson struggling to answer, leaving him ten seconds down at the half-way point in the race.

The fight behind saw Jamey Driscoll closing in on the top five and the former Junior World silver medalist, Danny Summerhill, fighting hard for position.  An untimely mechanical would drop Chris Jones down a spot to fourth and make room for a hard-charging Driscoll on the podium, securing his spot as the SRAM Most Aggressive Rider.

At the bell lap, it looked to be Trebon’s race to lose.  Taking the careful lines throughout the last lap, Trebon cruised to a solo win over Johnson, followed by Driscoll and Jones.  Frattini put in a late move to gap Summerhill who held on for sixth.

Barry Wicks (Kona), Scherz, first-year U23 Zach McDonald (Stevens/Classic Cycle) and Todd Wells (Specialized) rounded out the top-ten.

Improving weather promises a faster course as racing continues tomorrow at Mercer County Park.  Look for Driscoll and Johnson to fight back and chip away at Trebon’s overall lead.  Johnson confirmed what everyone saw, “Ryan just had more power, he was just killing it.”

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