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While we’re still thawing out and digging out from the ever-growing Hartford snow and content piles, there were a number of National Championship jerseys given out over the weekend that did not have stars and stripes. Here’s our round-up of the title races across the pond outside of Belgium and the Netherlands. See our Dutch Championships reports and video here and here, and Belgian title races here and here. 

Austrian National Championships in Stadl-Paura

Men’s Title

Gregor Raggl took the win at the Austrian National Championships. Chasing hard, Daniel Federspiel finished 48 seconds behind Raggl, and almost four minutes ahead of Felix Rizinger.

Women’s Title

Young star Nadja Heigl was named Austrian National Champion on Sunday. She battled Lisa Pasteiner throughout the race, and pulled ahead for a six second win. Silke Mair crossed the line next, two minutes after Heigl.

Danish National Championships in Odder

Men’s Title

Simon Lien Andreassen took a dominating lead at the Danish National Championships. Sebastian FIni Carstensen came in second, 40 seconds back from Andreassen, whereas Kenneth Hansen finished over two minutes back from Andreassen to take third.

Part-time American-based Dane Joachim Parbo finished fourth and made the Worlds team, competing in his 16th championship race.

Women’s Title

Malene Degn snatched up a first place finish and at Danish National championships, through chunky mud. Caroline Bohe came in second, and Mie Saabye chased hard to take third.

 

Portuguese National Championships in Valongo

Men’s Title

Ricardo Marinheiro roared as he crossed the cobblestone line first at Portuguese National Championships. He was followed by Mario Costa just a few seconds behind, and then Roberto Ferreira, who took third this weekend.

 

Women’s Title

Sandra dos Santos took first place this weekend, for a National Championship title. Joana Monteiro and Ana Vigario put in their best effort for second, and third place.

Irish National Championships in Dublin

Men’s Title

Roger Aiken (Unattached Ulster), defending champion, won this weekend’s National Championships in Dublin, Ireland. Glenn Kinning (Kinning Cycles) followed behind to take second, and Christopher McGlinchey (Chain Reaction Cycles) wrapped the podium up in third.

Women’s Title

Beth McCluskey (Jadan-Weldtite), defending champion, won this weekend’s National Championships in Dublin, Ireland. Maria Larkin (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew), who had taken bronze last year, came back to claim silver in 2017. Fiona Meade (Blarney Stone CC) came in third after a strong race.

Luxembourg National Championships in Schengen

Men’s Title

Scott Thiltges took first this weekend in a close race, through and through. Pit Schlechter was second over the line, after a sprint finish against Gusty Bausch, who took third.

Women’s Title

Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans) took the victory of National Champion for the eighth time in Schengen this weekend. She finished three minutes ahead of Nathalie Lamborelle after appearing to dial it back after opening a gap mid-race. Suzie Godart came in third after a solid race on the power course.

 

British National Championships in Bradford

Men’s Title

Ian Field (Hargroves-Ridley-Montezuma) rode away with his fifth British National Championship title on Sunday. Dominating the muddy race from start to finish, Field left no opportunity for last year’s winner, Liam Killeen, to edge him out. Killeen came over the line 30 seconds after Field.

Paul Oldham (Hope Factory Racing) was one minute behind Killeen, after being tailed by Grant Ferguson (CST Brentjens MTB Racing) for a good portion of the race. “It was fantastic to have a home crowd as I moved up here three years ago and it is a really tight cyclo-cross community here,” said Field to Cycling News.

Women’s Title

Nikki Brammeier (Boels-Dolmans) cleared the Bradford course’s mud slicks to take home her third British National Championship title on Sunday, just months after suffering a concussion. Hannah Payton (Team Kinesis UK), who came in second by over two minutes, attacked relentlessly on the first lap, but Brammeier showed an impressive display of power and gapped Payton before the end of the first lap.

 

Bethany Crumpton (Boot Out Breast Cancer CC) had a strong showing and finished just under 20 seconds behind Payton after navigating a massive crash and consequent gap on the first lap.

Spanish National Championships in Valencia

Men’s Title

The racers of the Men’s Spanish National Championships may have spent more time out of the saddle, charging the grassy straightaways, than in it. After a furiously fast hour, Ismael Esteban Aguado (Maestre Bikes) came across the line first, with Kevin Suarez Fernandez (Bioracer Mmr Nesta) taking second by under ten seconds, and Oscar Pujol in third just a few seconds behind Fernandez.

Women’s Title

A dry, grassy course with wide corners made for fast racing for the Spanish National Championships. Alicia Gonzalez was solo off the front at the long, straight, tree-shaded crushed gravel finish, with Aida Nuno Palacio just a few seconds behind, and Lucia Gonzalez Blanco (Lointek) another few seconds behind Blanco.

 

Czech National Championships in Hlinsko

Men’s Title

Michael Boros took first in an extremely close sprint finish against Tomas Paprstka, who achieved second. Jan Nesvadba was half a minute behind the dueling duo and took third.

Women’s Title

Pavla Havlikova brought home another National title, beating out Nikola Noskova, who suffered a crash near the end of the race. Young rider Adela Safarova took home third place.

French National Championships in Lanarvily

Men’s Title

A mud-soaked long-grass course awaited racers on Sunday for French National Championships in Lanarvily. Clement Venturini (Cofidis) took a gleeful first place with an aerial celebration, winning the title over Arnold Jeannesson (Fortuneo Vital Concept), who claimed second, and John Gadret (USO Bruay), who finished in third.

Women’s Title

Caroline Mani became four-time French National Champion on Sunday afternoon with a significant gap after a strong, clean race. Donning a brand-new team’s kit, Juliette Labous (Team Sunweb) took second, followed by cross-country mountain bike superstar Helene Clauzel.

 

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Yesterday was my 20th medal at french national championship ! – 3rd at junior MTB nationals 2005 – 2nd at U23 MTB nationals 2006 – 2nd MTB team relay 2006 – 3rd at U23 MTB nationals 2007 – 2nd at MTB team relay 2007 – 2nd at MTB team relay 2008 – 3rd at elite MTB nationals 2009 – 1st at U23 MTB nationals 2009 – 1st at MTB team relay 2009 – 3rd at CX nationals 2009 – 3rd at U23 time trial nationals 2009 – 1st at MTB team relay 2010 – 1st at CX nationals 2010 – 1st at CX nationals 2011 – 3rd at CX nationals 2012 – 2nd at MTB team relais 2013 – 3rd at CX nationals 2014 – 2nd at CX nationals 2015 – 1st at CX nationals 2016 – 1st at CX nationals 2017

A post shared by Caroline Mani/Balance Coaching (@piloucaro) on

 

Italian National Championships in Trebaseleghe – Padova

Men’s Title

Gioele Bertolini led a group of three other riders to the finishing straight, but they stood no chance against him at the line. Bertolini took first, with Marco Aurelio Fontana (Cannondale Factory Racing) four seconds back, Luca Braidot (CS Carabinieri) right behind him, and Braidot’s teammate Daniele Braidot (CS Carabinieri) only seven seconds back from first place.

Women’s Title

A tight, technical course gave riders quite the race at the Italian National Championships in Padova. Eva Lechner, no stranger to National titles, took home the win. Young rider Alice Marzuffi (Guerciotti) took second place.

Swiss National Championships in Dielsdorf

Men’s Title

There were mud splatters galore in the Men’s Swiss National Championship race. Several groups of two to four riders formed on course, in rutted and snowy conditions. A sprint to the line went to Julien Taramarcaz for a National title, with Lars Forster in second, and Nicola Rohrbach in third.

Women’s Title

The Swiss National Championships race was snow-covered, rutted, deeply muddy, and full of sweeping turns that allowed for power sliding. For both Junior and Elite races, the races were close, and there were not many opportunities for passing, leaving the finish straight as the main opportunity to take the win. Nadia Grod took first in the Juniors race, with Lara Krahemann taking a close second, and Tina Zuger landing in third. In the Elite race, a close first place went to Jasmin Egeer-Achermann, with Lise-Marie Henzelin in second and Nicole Koller in third.