Francis Mourey outkicks Ryan Trebon to win his first cyclocross race in the States. © Joe Sales
StarCrossed typically has one of the more diverse pro cyclocross fields of the year. Racers from all around the world are lured by the night race party environment, the promise of UCI points (in combination with the Rad Racing GP) and recently, the relative close proximity to Interbike and CrossVegas.
Tonight, racers from France, Switzerland and the Czech Republic (or Truckee, Calif. depending on your perspective) showed their class, surviving a muddy, slick course and worsening conditions and strong North American competition to take the wins at StarCrossed and steal the first West Coast UCI points of the year. [Didn’t get to attend or watch our live coverage? You can relive it here.]
For a brief moment, there was a familiar face in the lead in the women’s race, with 2008 winner Sue Butler (Hudz-Subaru) getting a flying start and showing her new team colors at the front of the race. Wendy Simms (Kona), in her first race back from a maternity break, quickly gave chase while Katerina Nash (Luna) was patiently making her way through the field after a slow start.
“I was just taking it easy in corners, I didn’t want to go down, because it’s the beginning of the season and it’s kind of silly to start with a broken collarbone,” said Butler. “It’s about risk, and if I’d taken more risks, maybe I would’ve been a little closer to the front. But third is a great place to start, I feel good about that. And I could breathe, this is my first cyclocross race since struggling with asthma last year. And it’s a new team, new gear so there are still some adjustments to be made.”
Soon after joining the leaders, Nash showed she’s enjoying great form from the mountain bike season, and the Luna rider accelerated away from Simms and Butler. Simms did her best to keep Nash in sight, but the Czech champ kept pouring it on as the rain strengthened, and she would cruise to win her season opener.
Butler, who lives down the road in Portland, has seen the event grow over the years. “The race gets bigger, we’re getting more talent in. There’s definitely a deeper field here – not even just the top end with people like Katerina, there were people like Barb here, Natasha, and a bunch of the people who are consistently at the front of races in North America.”
In the men’s race, Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) and French National Champion Francis Mourey used their European experience to battle for the holeshot, and as the field backed up in the tight, slippery corners, the pair squeezed out an early lead as Troy Wells (Clif Bar), Jake Wells (Hudz-Subaru), and Christian Heule (Team Champion System – LBS) chased. Ryan Trebon (Kona – FSA) was caught behind an early crash, as Geoff Kabush slid out into the first corner. The lanky Kona rider remained calm and moved up through traffic in an attempt to keep the early leaders in sight.
Soon the Kona star would catch and pass a fading Page, and worked his way up to join a relaxed-looking Mourey at the front. “I had to slow down a lot and go around Geoff at the beginning. I stayed calm and worked my way to the front,” said Trebon.”Once I made it to Francis, I wanted to push the pace on the front. I felt good, and I was riding pretty well, and I felt good going through the turns. I was trying to keep the pace high, and hopefully he’d make a mistake, but he’s strong and it didn’t work out too well – sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. I knew I wasn’t going to outsprint him, he’s got a pretty good kick.”
The French rider told Cyclocross Magazine that he was doing everything he could to match Trebon’s power and speed, and showed his roadie roots as he drafted incredibly closely – especially considering the slick conditions – behind the much taller American. Once Trebon hit the front of the race on the third lap, he would remain there until the final corners.
“I felt really good and had a great start,” said Mourey. “When Trebon came back really strongly, I sat in and paced my race based on his race. I couldn’t take the front – Trebon was just too fast and strong, and he was accelerating really hard out of each corner. I was just trying to catch up and stay on his wheel. Trebon also never asked me to take the front, otherwise I would have.”
“I’ve been a professional on the road for eight years,” Mourey said, when asked about his racing style and up-close drafting tonight. “This year I raced 70 days on the road – so that’s my habit. Later in the year, I suspect I will leave more of a gap in a similar race, because the way I rode is more dangerous, especially in the conditions today.”
Meanwhile, mountain bikers Adam Craig (Giant Rabobank) and Barry Wicks (Kona) pushed through the field to fight for third with Heule and Page, with Jake Wells lingering not far off the pace. The group would remain close in the battle for the final step of the podium, until a late crash entangled both Page and Wells, knocking them further off the pace.
Adam Craig shows off his mud-riddled Giant post-race. Photo by Josh Liberles
“I should’ve started harder – once I got going I was running the same lap times as the front guys,” said Craig. “I was trying to shake Christian, but couldn’t quite do it. Then on the last lap, I kicked my wide-profile ’cross brake open [followed by a stream of expletives]. Starting with CrossVegas I’ll be running the dope TRP mini-Vs, so I can stop kicking my brakes open.”
Craig’s feelings about disc brakes adoption were not thinly-veiled. When asked if he’s someone who would consider making the switch, the MTB’er said, “Hell yeah. For the last 10 days I’ve been riding my 6.5-inch-travel bike with 8” disc brakes. So, I’d love to run ’em for ’cross, but it’ll be four to five years. We just finished developing Giant’s new carbon ’cross bike.”
Heule, who will be racing on American soil through the USGP in Madison next weekend, started his season off solidly on the podium, even though it wasn’t the repeat StarCrossed win he was looking for. “My start was not very good, but I was in good position after a half a lap,” said Heule. “I came back to Jonathan, then Ryan came to us and rode very hard. I slipped twice in the corners on the same lap and lost some time, and I couldn’t come back to the two guys in the front. Adam rode very well, especially in the corners, he was very fast.”
Trebon and Mourey controlled the race, much to the fans' delight. Photo by Joe Sales
At the front, Trebon powered along, in the drops, accelerating out of every corner, doing his best to tire and shake Mourey. But it was all to no avail, and the French champion was content to study the “Treefarm” to decide when to use his hatchet.
Trebon attacked the final lap, and looked like he had the gap he needed to take the win, but Mourey accelerated aggressively to lead into the velodrome. Trebon made one last desperate attempt at a pass with just a couple of corners remaining, and when Mourey closed the door, Trebon was forced to slow. The resulting small gap was more than enough to seal Mourey’s victory – he sprinted out of the final corner to take the win by three bike lengths and had time to post up and salute the crowd.
“In Europe, when the best in the world show up, the level is a little higher and harder, but I was really happy that the level was so high today,” said Mourey. “The champ of Switzerland [Heule] came, and the Americans are really good. For an early season race, the level was really high and the atmosphere was fantastic – the spectators were numerous and awesome. The course was technical and challenging, it was great.”
It’s an exciting block of racing for U.S. cyclocross, with Rad Racing continuing the West Coast – and internationally-flavored – UCI action, followed by CrossVegas during the week and the USGP in Madison, Wisconsin, next weekend.
Full results below the photos.
Joe Sales Photo Gallery:
Janet Hill Photo Gallery:
CXM Photo Gallery:
Full Results:
Elite Women:
Pos Bib Nat U23 Name Team Time
1 212 CZE NASH Katerina Luna Pro Team 0:41:25
2 224 CAN SIMMS Wendy Kona 0:41:44
3 202 USA BUTLER Susan Hudz-Subaru 0:42:02
4 205 CAN DYCK Mical Trek Canada / Terrascape Racing 0:42:13
5 201 CAN ELLIOTT Natasha Garneau Club 0:42:24
6 210 USA HASKELL Devon Bike Station Aptos 0:42:55
7 207 USA WILLIAMS Wendy River City Bicycles 0:43:06
8 204 USA STUDLEY Kari Redline 0:43:17
9 209 USA PENNINGTON Alice Team S&M 0:43:23
10 206 USA HOWE Barbara Ibis And The Danger Twins 0:43:38
11 211 USA MAILE Sarah Ventana Mountain Bikes 0:43:41
12 226 USA SHERWIN Kathy Hudz-Subaru 0:43:44
13 231 USA CUTLER Jessica Cucina Fresca 0:43:51
14 232 USA BENJAMIN Kelly Kccx 0:44:38
15 223 USA BISHOP Serena Sunnyside Sports 0:44:39
16 208 USA GAERTNER Jennifer Riverstone Cda 0:44:54
17 234 USA BRUBAKER Tina Veloforma 0:45:25
18 229 USA MARKHAM Kristin Jo Olympia Orthopaedics Associates 0:46:04
19 230 CAN GUYNUP Joele Island Racing Club/Everti Bicycle 0:46:31
20 203 USA SONE Linda Planet Bike 0:46:32
21 222 USA ERA-MILLER Brandee Olympia Orthopaedic Associates 0:47:39
22 221 CAN JONES Kelly North Shore Sports Medicine 0:47:40
23 233 USA ALLBUT Elizabeth Team Beer 0:00:00
24 225 USA OPPENHEIMER Karen Bend Memorial Clinic/Total Care 0:00:00
25 228 USA MYSLIWIEC Angela Old Town Bicycles 0:00:00
220 USA JORDAN Sarah Bay 101 / Hrs / Rock Lobster DNS
227 USA RITTER Ali Hagens Berman DNS
Elite Men:
Pos Bib Nat U23 Name Team Time
1 1 FRA MOUREY Francis Francaise Des Jeux 1:00:15
2 2 USA TREBON Ryan Kona 1:00:17
3 19 SUI HEULE Christian Team Champion System – LBS 1:00:58
4 25 USA CRAIG Adam Giant 1:01:06
5 26 USA PAGE Jonathan Planet Bike 1:01:13
6 3 USA WICKS Barry Kona 1:01:16
7 4 CAN ST JOHN Derrick Garneau Club Chaussure Ogilvy 1:01:48
8 6 USA WEIGHALL Nicholas California Giant/Specialized 1:02:13
9 8 USA WELLS Jake Hudz-Subaru 1:02:25
10 11 CAN RICHEY Craig Cyclocrossracing.Com P/B Blue 1:03:03
11 24 USA DECKER Carl Giant 1:03:14
12 5 USA WELLS Troy Cliff Bar 1:03:18
13 7 CAN SCHOOLER Aaron Team H&R Block 1:03:18
14 30 USA BABCOCK Sean Kona 1:03:20
15 9 CAN TRACE Tyler Trek Red Truck 1:03:36
16 18 USA * FISHER Steve Rad Racing / Hagens Berman Llp 1:03:56
17 48 USA SPITERI Frank Peninsula Velo/Pomodoro 1:03:59
18 15 USA CAMERON Molly Castelli Usa 1:03:59
19 23 BEL VAN NUFFEL Tim Van Goethem-Prorace 1:04:00
20 31 USA BAKER Jonathan Hudz-Subaru 1:04:01
21 35 USA PAXSON Spencer Team S&M Young Guns 1:04:21
22 21 USA MCGRATH Adam Feedback Sports/Van Dessel 1:04:27
23 20 CAN KABUSH Geoff Maxxis-Rocky Mountain 1:05:15
24 41 USA GALLAGHER Michael Cyclorossracing.Com P/B Blue 1:05:19
25 13 USA YEATER Davy River City Bicycles 1:05:43
26 46 CAN BERRY Nicholas Mighty Riders 1:05:50
27 45 NZL TUCKERMAN Aaron Corsa Concepts 1:06:03
28 16 USA BANNERMAN Nathan Cyclocrossracing.Com P/B Blue 1:06:20
29 22 CAN NOILES Kevin La Bicicletta Pro Shop
30 43 USA MCGILVRAY Kyle Old Town Bicycle
31 44 USA * EMSKY Eric Blue Competition Cycles
32 32 USA BRADFORD Aaron Www.Aaronbradford.Com
33 56 USA BAILEY John Bailey Bikes
34 62 USA ERICKSON Landon Stanley
35 42 USA BEHRENS John Bailey Bikes
36 34 USA RATHKAMP Ben Fanatik
37 52 USA DOLL Jesse Montanacyclocross.Com
38 63 USA MARINO Darren Unattached
39 64 USA COLTON Eric The Team
40 65 USA OSBORN Gregory La Velocity
41 59 USA PEASE Michael Collision One/Bicycle Centers
42 69 USA BESTWICK Andy Allegiant Airlines/Pain Md’S
43 60 USA REEDY Kamden Web-Op
44 51 USA YARRA Derek Box Dog Bikes
45 66 USA ADAMS Alan Hagens-Berman Cycling
46 58 USA ANDERSON Jeff Team Stanley
DNF 10 USA IDDINGS Ryan Redline
DNF 14 CAN MACKENZIE Drew Island Racing Club
DNF 33 USA CHAPIN Scott Bay101/Hrs/Rocklobster
DNF 36 USA BENNO Michael Veloce Racing
DNF 37 USA FLACK John-Christian Olympia Orthopaedic Associates
DNF 38 USA FOX Matthew Sunnyside Sports
DNF 39 CAN CHADDOCK Ben Rubicon-Orbea
DNF 40 USA WORK Alex Bay 101/Hrs/Rock Lobster
DNF 49 USA SYVERTSEN Brue Murder
DNF 53 USA HUNTER Steven Embrocation Cycling Journal
DNF 55 USA WEAVER Ryan River City Bicycles
DNF 67 USA GROVE Phil Hammer Nutrition
DNF 68 USA * WORSECH Sean Rad Racing / Hagens Berman Llp
DNF 50 USA KUBAS Benjamin Tai Cycling Team/Genr8/Smith Optics
I had to slow down a lot and go around him. I stayed calm and worked my way to the front.
