Nash Holds Off Noble for Jingle Cross UCI C1 Win – Full Results, Photos

While the course was similar to Saturday’s World Cup, conditions couldn’t have been more different on Sunday for the C1 race. Missing from the start was Sanne Cant, Ellen van Loy Sophie de Boer and the heavy mud and oppressive heat and humidity that taxed riders on Saturday.

As racers lined up, a light sprinkle started, and cool temperatures in the 70s kept racers from overheating. Gone were the mud treads and in their place were file treads and “all around” tread patterns like the Challenge Grifo and Clement MXP were commonplace on the drying course. The track wasn’t nearly as heavy, as the mud had dried and gotten packed down. The course also wasn’t nearly as heavy with spectators as it was on Saturday, but the hardcore fans showed up and made up for the lower numbers in volume.

Eva Lechner leads the women to the dirt. 2016 Jingle Cross Day 3 UCI C1, Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

When the gun went off, it was clear that even without World Cup fans or points, the race wouldn’t just be a Sunday ride through the fairgrounds.

California-based Katerina Nash (Clif Pro Team) of the Czech Republic, slowed by a broken rear derailleur on Saturday, showed she was ready to make up for a missed opportunity, hitting the front of the race, and never straying far from the lead.

The first time up Mt. Krumpit, and it’s a foot race to make it to the downhill in front. 2016 Jingle Cross Day 3 UCI C1, Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

A group of 10 riders split away from the 49-rider field early in the race. The group included Eva Lechner, Nash, Ellen Noble, reigning USA champion Katie Compton (KFC Racing p/b Trek/Panache) and Courtenay McFadden (American Classis/Zones). With three laps to go, Nash, Noble and Lechner broke away to battle for the podium spots.

Lechner leads the first time down Mt. Krumpit. 2016 Jingle Cross Day 3 UCI C1, Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

Lechner was the first to pop off, while American Ellen Noble (Aspire Racing) gave chase of a surging Nash. Noble kept Nash within sight on the long Mt. Krumpit run-up, but couldn’t quite close the gap. Nash went on to put together the two fastest laps of the day, back-to-back on laps three and four.

The conditions changed once again on the third day of racing at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Iowa City, and Nash found them to her liking. “It was good. A little different than yesterday, it dried up a bunch. Definitely faster, but just as hard,” Nash said with a laugh.

Nash also had a chance to use her mountain bike racing endurance a bit more than in Saturday’s short, 37-minute race. Completing five laps instead of four, Sunday’s race was 44 minutes long.

Nash and Noble dropped Lechner with three to go. 2016 Jingle Cross Day 3 UCI C1, Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

Forty four minutes wasn’t enough for the U23 World Cup leader Noble to catch Nash, and the final gap was 13 seconds. With her victory at Sunday’s UCI Volkswagen Jingle Cross C1 Elite Women’s race, Nash claimed her eighth victory in four years at the Iowa City event. Nash’s teammate Eva Lechner of Italy was third, 31 seconds off the lead.

Katerina Nash wins the 2016 Jingle Cross Day 3 UCI C1 race on Sunday. Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

“It was fast racing, pushing hard the whole time but I felt really good,” agreed Lechner who took the holeshot. “I had a good start with good speed, leading the girls from the beginning and I tried to stay there as long as possible, and I’m happy with the third place today.”

Today’s C1 race comes on the heels of a big block of World Cup competitions in the U.S., the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup CrossVegas on Wednesday and the UCI Telenet Cyclo-cross World Cup Jingle Cross on Saturday.

Rebecca Fahringer leads Caroline Mani, and capped off an impressive three weeks of racing. 2016 Jingle Cross Day 3 UCI C1, Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

“That’s the thing, we’re all on a pretty even playing field. All the top 10 women, most of them did Trek [CXC Cup], so we’ve all been racing straight out since last weekend. I think we’re all going a little bit slower today but I felt pretty good,” Noble said about everyone feeling the World Cups in their legs.

“I just arrived on Monday evening from Europe, then racing on Wednesday (Las Vegas), Interbike on Thursday, Friday traveling, Saturday race, and today race again,” Lechner stated about a crazy week. “It was exciting. A lot of people watching and cheering for us, loud cheering. A really nice welcome for me and I just enjoyed the racing in the U.S.”

2016 Jingle Cross Day 3 UCI C1, Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

Nash and Lechner will now take time to rest and recover before continuing their cyclocross seasons. Nash explained, “I just finished the mountain bike season not that long ago. so I need to stay home a little bit and head to Europe a little later on.”

On the other hand, Noble plans on defending her U23 World Cup lead. “I’m going to do the full World Cup circuit. but when I’m here [in the United States], I’ll be doing the big ones. So next we’ll go to Thompson, Connecticut, which is pretty close to my house, which I’m excited about. And then we’ll go to Charm (City Cross) and then head over to Valkenburg, a quick trip over. With these results and especially being the [U23] World Cup leader, you’ll see me at all the World Cups this year.”

Saturday’s World Cup winner Compton had an off day, and husband Mark Legg-Compton told Cyclocross Magazine it was partly due to Compton’s asthma problems as she didn’t take her medication before the race.

Sanne Cant, although not on the start list, suffered from a shoulder injury sustained in a crash at the barriers on Saturday. Cant had trouble raising her arm and will be visiting a doctor when she returns to Belgium.

Podium: Noble, Nash and Lechner. 2016 Jingle Cross Day 3 UCI C1, Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

Jingle Cross is traditionally held in late November or early December. The 2016 event was moved to September to accommodate the inclusion of World Cup cyclo-cross races for the first time. Jingle Cross, Inc is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation and proceeds from this event are donated to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Over its history, the event has raised well over $100,000 for the hospital.

Reporting by Peloton Sports and Andrew Yee

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2016 Jingle Cross Day 3 - UCI C1 Elite Women's Results