Compton and White Victorious at KMC Cross Fest Day 2 UCI C2 Races

by Peloton Sports

Compton Scores Double Win for Elite Women’s C2

American Katie Compton (KFC Racing pb Trek/Panache) broke away from a small group on the third of five laps and stormed with her stars and stripes national champion’s jersey to a commanding win on Sunday at KMC Cross Fest. The Wilmington, DE native scored back-to-back wins at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, winning Sunday’s UCI Elite Women’s Category 2 event in 46 minutes, 20 minutes.

Katie Compton Does the Double at the 2016 KMC Cross Fest. photo: Wil Mathews

French cyclocross champion Caroline Mani (Raleigh Clement) and Rebecca Fahringer (Amy D. Foundation) of Concord, N.H. drove hard all day to finish second and third, 18 seconds and 21 seconds back, respectively. It was Fahringer’s second podium of KMC Cross Fest (she was third in the C1 elite race), and Mani improved from a seventh place on Saturday.

“It just feels good to race fast again. It feels good to be at the front. I am enjoying the moment,” said Compton about being on the podium for two straight days. “The last three years have been a big struggle for me. I’ve had health issues and injuries. I haven’t been able to train and prepare like I wanted to. So I am finally healthy. I finally feel better, my allergies are under control, my fitness is good. I just want to have some good races. I want to be at the front again where I should be and where I can be.”

The 12-time national cyclocross champ had to work her way through the field to take charge of the C2 race. She slipped out of a pedal at the start of the race, then had a mechanical that forced her to make a bike change. “I spend the first two and a half laps chasing, and getting through traffic. It took a little bit of time, and a little bit of energy out of my legs. So once I hit the front, I just figured, I have already been riding fast and chasing, I might as well keep the momentum going and pushing hard.”

It just feels good to race fast again. It feels good to be at the front. I am enjoying the moment.

Overcast skies and milder weather was welcomed by the 42-rider field at Thompson Speedway for the second day of racing. With no additional rain, the course dried out and was a fast, challenging track. Athletes faced new features on Day Two, with a huge run up and a new, tricky line through the off-camber sections.

Emma White (Cannondale pb Cyclocrossworld) jumped to the early lead out of the gate by taking the Hole Shot. She was  joined in the lead with Mani and Fahringer on the first two laps. Another five seconds back sat Courtenay McFadden (unattached), Crystal Anthony (Maxxis-Shimano) and Amanda Miller (Boulder Cycle Sport/YogaGlo).

A hard-charging Compton caught the leaders on the third lap, and never looked back. White finished fourth, Miller fifth and Anthony sixth. McFadden did not finish.

Katie Compton goes back-to-back, wins 2016 KMC Cross Fest Day 2. © C. McIntosh / Cyclocross Magazine

Mani, a silver medalist at the 2016 UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Zolder, Belgium, attacked Fahringer in one of the final corners to secure her second-place finish. “I have the experience. She (Fahringer) is really powerful right now, she’s really strong. But I tried to use my brain and to look around and see where I could pass her. So I tried to be smart, keep everything together and not make a mistake. And in the end I attacked her at the pit, in the corner, and just went full gas to the finish line to get second place.”

Fahringer was happy with her second podium in two days. “I found myself at the front of the race, and it was the first time I had been at the front. I took a little spill and from there Katie was able to get away.  Caroline was on my wheel the whole time. She just stuck on me. She ended up coming around during the last lap. I knew exactly where she would pass me, and she took the inside line going around the pits. And she outcornered me at the finish.”

White Edges Teammate Hyde to Take Elite Men’s C2

With the New England skies under darkness of night rather than rain, KMC Cross Fest staged the UCI Elite Men’s Category 2 race under the lights at Thompson Speedway. Making his move with two laps to go, Curtis White (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) of Duanesburg, N.Y. moved to the top step of the podium, winning in a time of 1 hour, 3 minutes, 32 seconds.

Curtis White surprises more than a few by beating his teammate Stephen Hyde at Day 2 of the 2016 KMC Cross Fest. photo: Wil Mathews

Saturday’s C1 winner, Stephen Hyde (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) of Easthampton, MA made a late move on the last lap on the back half of the course to secure second, eight seconds back. Danny Summerhill (Maxxis-Shimano) of Centennial, CO secured third, 10 seconds back. And Kerry Werner (Kona) of Birdsboro, PA secured fourth, 14 seconds back.

“Today I feel like I raced a much smarter race,” said White, who was also the top U23 rider. Yesterday I went a little gung-ho in the beginning. I put a lot of pressure on guys, but it didn’t pay off well for me in the end. Today I was way more conservative with my efforts. I was always near the front but never at the front for the first half. There were a few times that the group got a little too big, but I just tried to stay towards the front of the group, tried to stay out of trouble. When I went, that was the first move I had made all night. That was the one move I needed to make.”

“For a lot of the race, moves were happening and guys would come off, and then slowly chase back on. No one wanted to force the pace. It was a fast course, so that was the deciding factor. When I made my move, I think that solidified the separation,” he added.

The selection of the Elite Men’s C2 race was made halfway through the nine-lap race. A group of 16 riders were strung out in the front. With two laps to go, White attacked the course and opened a small gap, with Hyde, Werner and Summerhill chasing.

“We had a good group dynamic. I know Curtis is riding really strong right now. So he was able to get off on his own,” said teammate Hyde, who came into the weekend leading the Pro CX individual points standings for men. “Kerry (Werner) and Danny (Summerhill) were driving it pretty hard. I was able to jump in on a couple technical sections and ride at my pace, and let Curtis get more of a gap. Pretty textbook teamwork, it worked out pretty well.”

Summerhill agreed that the team tactics paid off for the Cannondale presented by Cyclocrossworld duo. “Curtis attacked, and thankfully I just happened to be the next person behind him. So it was essentially up to me to try to pull him back, or just keep the pace. And I opted to try to pull him back. And I think I did the first time around, which was the deepest effort I had done all night, separated the four of us from the lead group. And that is what did it. So the second time around, when Curtis got a bit of a gap, [having] teammates really paid off there. He got to the front and set the pace.”

Curtis White takes the 2016 KMC Cross Fest Day 2. © C. McIntosh / Cyclocross Magazine

The next weekend stop for Pro CX C1/C2 Elite events will be in Baltimore, MD for Charm City Cross, Oct. 8-9. This is the 12th year for cyclocross racing at Druid Hill Park. For a detailed schedule of events, visit the official Charm City Cross web site, www.charmcitycross.com. Follow the race on Facebook (CharmCityCross) and on Twitter (@C3CX). Follow the Pro Cyclocross Calendar on Twitter at @USACProCX.

The KMC Cross Fest is the fourth of eight Pro CX events in the U.S. for 2016-17. For detailed information, visit the official KMC Cross Fest web site. KMC Cross Fest organizers will produce video clips throughout the three-day event, with comprehensive race recap videos of the elite men and women Pro CX events and the UCI elite junior race. Follow the race on Facebook (KMCcrossfest) and on Twitter (@KMCcrossfest). Follow the Pro Cyclocross Calendar on Twitter at @USACProCX.

2016 KMC Cross Fest Full Results - Elite Women C2

2016 KMC Cross Fest Full Results - Elite Men C2

2016 KMC Cross Fest Full Results - Elite Junior Men 17-18 C2