October 24, 2009 (Louisville, KY) – Racing in front of record crowds and through heavy mud Katerina Nash and Ryan Trebon raced to victory and into the Series Leader’s Jerseys at Day One of the USGP Derby City Cup.
The elite races could not have been more different. While the Czech superstar Nash powered away to a solo victory, Trebon won in a thrilling come-from-behind sprint finish.
Elite Men: Top Dogs Converge in Lousivlle
It was once again a battle of KONA versus Cannondale/CyclocrossWorld.com as Trebon and teammate Barry Wicks took a first lap lead only to be chased down by the tenacious trio of New England racers Tim Johnson, Jamey Driscoll and Jeremy Powers. The addition of Canadian National Champion Geoff Kabush (Maxxis/Rocky Mountain), Chris Jones (Champion Systems), and Jesse Anthony (Jamis). After a barrage of attacks, the lead group boiled down to Trebon, Johnson, Driscoll and Anthony.
For three laps the pace cooled off. The leaders rode just hard enough to preserve their lead. With two laps to go the artillery barrage started. A Trebon attack dropped Anthony. An attack by Driscoll required Trebon to chase. A second attack by Driscoll pinned Trebon down with Johnson waiting to counter his teammate.
Trebon chose to wait. Over barriers and berms, Trebon held his last card for the end. With 200 meters to go Driscoll charged into a muddy bog before the finish stretch. But Trebon charged away from Johnson and reached the wheels of Driscoll as both arrived on to the pavement of the finish stretch.
Trebon passed Driscoll, but the Vermont rider surged back even. And Trebon found the kick to win in a bike throw at the line.
Johnson finished third; Anthony closed for fourth.
The win gave Trebon the overall series lead after three races. Trebon was happy with his win, but explained that the racing on the course was frustrating. “I was pretty annoyed out there…I don’t like it when it’s negative racing and slow. We were going so slow out there,” he said. “I’d race and it be fast and hard the entire time…a couple times I brought it down to a new level, walking pace.”
It was a contrast to Johnson’s recollection of the racing. “I was at my limit pretty much the whole day,” he recalled. “It was what we call…heavy!”
Driscoll was happy with his second place finish, and agreed with Johnson. “I knew Trebon had the best legs, because he was on the front for most of the race and still making me suffer like a dog.” When asked about the surprising sprint finish loss to Trebon despite his road racing speed, Driscoll said, “It wasn’t about who was a better sprinter, but who had more left in the tank.”
Erik Tonkin, who started on the back row, rode a strong race and survived a rolled tubular to finish sixteenth and claim the SRAM Most Aggressive Rider prize.
Nash Leads Luna Near-Domination
The Elite Women’s race started with a strong group of six that included Team Luna riders Nash, Georgia Gould, and Alison Dunlap, with Sue Butler (Mona Vie/Cannondale), Alison Sydor (Rocky Mountain/Maxxis) and Kristen Wentworth (Planet Bike). The move by Nash not an attack but a tourniquet. The Czech rider pounded away. Gould clung to second and Sydor held for third.
Farther back, the rising 22-year-old star Amy Dombroski (Richard Sachs/RGM Watches) wound up on the ground, having her front wheel slide out in a ditch. By the time she re-mounted, more than 20 riders had passed. “I had the confidence to start with those girls and see how long I could stay on Katerina’s wheel,” Dombroski said, but the crash clearly messed up those plans. “I was stoked [with my start], but the s-turn took out my front wheel and I went down pretty hard and lost a lot of spots.”
As Nash and Gould pulled away, Dombroski started to recover. Sydor faded. Butler faded. Wentworth faded. But Dombroski, along with National Road Champion Meredith Miller (Callifornia Giant) surged forward. With two laps to go Dombroski drew even to the legendary Dunlap, an Olympian and former World Champion, rode alongside briefly with her one-time idol.
Dombroski and Jamey Driscoll both grew up in the Vermont hamlet of Jericho. And neither have much reverence for Olympians. Dombroski surged away to finish third. For her strong efforts on the day, Dombroski was also named the SRAM Most Aggressive Rider. Full results below:
Video highlights: (courtesy of CyclingDirt)
Men’s race
Women’s race:
Men’s Results:
Rank First Name Last Name Team Name
1 Ryan Trebon KONA
2 Jamey DRISCOLL Cannondale / CyclocrossWorld.com
3 Timothy JOHNSON Cannondale/cyclocrossworld.com
4 Jesse ANTHONY Team Jamis Bikes
5 Geoff KABUSH Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain
6 Christopher JONES Team Champion System
7 Davide FRATTINI Team Fuji
8 Nicholas WEIGHALL California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized
9 Barry Wicks Kona
10 Brian Matter Team Geargrinder
11 Joachim PARBO CCV Leopard Cycles
12 Dave Hackworthy Bianchi/Grand Performance
13 Mark LaLonde Planet Bike
14 Andy JACQUES-MAYNES Bissell Pro Cycling
15 Adam Bergman Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team
16 Troy Wells Team Clif Bar
17 Braden Kappius Clif Bar
18 Erik Tonkin Kona
19 Travis Livermon Cannondale
20 Joseph Schmalz KCCX/Verge
21 Adam McGrath Thule/Van Dessel
22 Mitchell Kersting Bob’s Red Mill / Rocky Mountain
23 Ben Popper HRS / Rock Lobster
24 Shannon Skerritt Vanilla Bicycles
25 Justin Robinson California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized
26 Jack Hinkens Team Plan C
27 Eric Wondergem Hup United
28 Mark BATTY Planet Energy
29 Joshua Berry Team BODE
30 Nathan Rice Michelob Ultra-Big Shark
31 Andrew Reardon Starbrite Carwash / MOAB
32 Will Black Moots
33 Kevin Hulick THE VANILLA WORKSHOP – SPEEDVAGEN RACING
34 Robert Kendall Barbasol
35 Mike Purvis WORKitOUT / KHS
36 Andrew Llewellyn Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team
37 Michael Kennedy Bob’s Red Mill / Rocky Mountain
38 Christopher Bogedin Wolverine Sports Club
39 Eric Muehl Industry Nine
40 Clayton Omer Calistoga Racing Team
41 Bryan Fawley PARK PLACE DEALERSHIPS
42 Pat Lemieux Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team
43 Brad Cole Ciclismo
44 Matthew Willing ABRC/Mars Hill College
45 Noah Metzler VO2 Sports
46 Logan VonBokel KCCX / Verge
47 Michael Hemme Courage
48 Scott Ogilvie Unattached
49 Derek Strong Natural Grocers P/B XP Companies Cycling
50 Kat Statman Pioneer Racing
51 Kip Spaude
52 Bill Marshall Jr Mercy Cycling Team
53 Zachary Edwards DRT Racing
54 Dustin Greer Ohio Valley Velo/Maxxis
55 William Street Sisu Custom Cycles
Women’s Results:
Rank First Name Last Name Team Name
1 Katerina Nash Luna Pro Team
2 Georgia Gould LUNA Pro Team
3 Amy Dombroski Richard Sachs-RGM Watches-Radix
4 Alison Dunlap LUNA Pro Team
5 Meredith Miller Team TIBCO
6 Alison SYDOR Rocky Mountain – Maxxis
7 Kristin Wentworth Planet Bike
8 Susan Butler Monavie-Cannondale.com
9 Kari Studley Velo Bella
10 Kaitlin Antonneau Planet Bike
11 Kimberly Flynn Vantaggio/Specialized
12 Devon Haskell BH USA
13 AnnaJean Dallaire Cannondale Factory Racing
14 Wendy Williams Hudz/Subaru
15 Nicole Borem DRT Consulting
16 Elizabeth Frye Boone Velo
17 Robin Williams Mercy-Specialized
18 Anne Schwartz Flying Rhino Cycling Club
19 Corey Coogan Ridley Factory Team
20 Ashley James Team Kenda
21 Marne Smiley Scott bikes
22 Lauri Webber Secret Henry’s Team
23 Dayna Deuter Church of the Big Ring
24 Therese ( Teri) Meek BikeClicks/Team Louisville
25 Sarah LUKAS Gear Grinder – Hyundai
26 Whitney Kroll Cane Creek
Espoirs:
Rank First Name Last Name Team Name
1 Yannick Eckmann SV Kirchzarten
2 Cody KAISER California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized
3 Chris Wallace Navigators Insurance/KCCX/Verge
4 Jeffrey BAHNSON Thule / Van Dessel
5 Robin Eckmann SV Kirchzarten
6 Sam OKEEFE C3 – Athletes Serving Athletes
7 Jeremiah Dyer HUDZ-Subaru Jr-Development Team
8 William Bain Team Louisville
9 Jarrett Frauhiger Prochain
10 Jacob Arnold Pioneer Racing
Other category results are here.
