The start of the Elite Women’s 2015 Cyclocross National Championship. © Cyclocross Magazine
When the whistle blew, Arley Kemmerer (PB2 Pro Cycling) jumped ahead on the pavement for the holeshot. Crystal Anthony (Optum b/b Kelly) and Georgia Gould (LUNA Pro Team) also had strong starts, with Gould in fifth. But as the pavement cornered upwards to the mud, it was Ellen Noble (JAM Fund/ NCC), a rider contending for the U23 title today, who battled for the front with Kemmerer.
Arley Kemmerer grabbed the lead on the way to the first limestone stairs. © Cyclocross Magazine
Neither Kemmerer nor Noble automatically qualified for this year’s World’s Team, which only had one spot remaining, and both needed a strong result today in order to convince the USAC committee that they deserved the pick. To add to the drama, both riders had been fighting toe-to-toe all season, including a tire’s width win by Kemmerer at Day One of the Supercross Cup in New York.
After a week of sickness, Lloyd surprised herself with her ability to hold Compton’s wheel and ride in second for the early part of the race. © Cyclocross Magazine
At the first half-lap, the crowd was wondering what happened to ten-time Cyclocross National Champion Katie Compton (Trek Factory Racing) as she could not be seen in the top ten coming around to the pits for the first time. She had missed a pedal at the start and was fighting mid-pack alongside Brittlee Bowman (House/Simple Human/Richard Sachs) as the pack funneled into the early corners. Compton is not known for her fast starts, but could she move through the traffic on such a muddy course?
Andi Zolton (Nemesis Racing) was involved in a crash just after the start, and she and a handful of other racers had a long chase to the contenders. © Cyclocross Magazine
Rachel Lloyd (California Giant) and Gould chased Kemmerer and Noble up the Bonk Breaker steps. Lloyd had quickly moved through traffic to get within sight of the leaders, and by the second limestone staircase, she was only trailing Kemmerer. Lloyd told Cyclocross Magazine days before the race that she was battling over a week’s duration of a severe flu. Sunday was the first day she felt recovered: “There’s no training to be done when you’re that sick,” she said, “only rest.” After the race, she said her expectations were realistic. While a racer with a high drive like Lloyd would give everything they had during a nationals race, it should be mentioned that at least her spot on the world championship team was guaranteed after her ninth place finish at Milton Keynes.
