Derby City Double: Nash and Hyde Two for Two at Louisville’s Derby City Cup

Both Katerina Nash and Stephen Hyde were repeat winners for Day 2 of the 2016 Derby City Cup at Eva Bandman Park in Louisville, KY. It was a fast, tough course and Sunday’s races offered up UCI C2 points for the men and women. Full Day 2 report and photos below.

Katerina Nash Beats Katie Compton Again

For the second day of racing at the Derby City Cup, temperatures climbed into the 70’s for a sunny, breezy day that kicked up dust on the serpentine course in Louisville. The hotter than normal temperatures ignited the pace for the C2 races, where the two leading ladies of the UCI Elite Women’s race from Saturday battled again.

Caroline Mani leads out the pack at the start. © Wil Matthews

Katerina Nash (Clif Bar) of the Czech Republic took charge on the bell lap for her second win in two days at Eva Bandman Park. She got out of the saddle several times on the final lap to gain an advantage on the pavement that would hold to the finish line, besting American Katie Compton (Trek/Panache) for a second day in a row.

Katerina Nash leads Katie Compton during Day 2 of the Derby City Cup. © Wil Matthews

“Yes, a similar outcome, just me and Katie out there duking it out,” Nash said with a smile at the end of the race. “I could not really ride the steep hill today, so at one point started running it. That’s where the separation happened. I was up front and ran it, and Katie must have tried to ride it, and didn’t have the momentum she needed to make it up the hill, because I was slowing her down. So I got a little gap and punched it for the last lap. I had enough energy to kind of get away, and carried it all the way to the finish.”

Katerina Nash rides while others push at Day 2 of the Derby City Cup. © Wil Matthews

Did that tactic cause Compton to slow enough that she could not close the gap at the end? “She knows. It happens. When you are the first one in there, the second one has to follow, right? We’ve all been there,” added Nash, who won the same C2 Elite Women’s race last year at Derby City Cup.

The race started with Caroline Mani (Raleigh Clement) of France taking the hole shot in this 50-minute Category 2 UCI race. After passing Pit Two, a small gap from a long line of riders opened up, led by Nash, Mani and Compton. Half of the 25-rider field was chasing, led by Courtenay McFadden (Zones), Amanda Miller (Boulder Cycle Sport/ YogaGlo), Crystal Anthony (Boulder Cycle Sport/ YogaGlo), and Sunny Gilbert (Van Dessel Factory Team).

Elite Women’s podium for the Derby City Cup 2016 Day 2. © Jake’s Point of View

Compton took over the pace setting on lap two with Nash responding, and the battle continued for all six laps. McFadden pushed to third place, and never relinquished the podium spot for the race. Miller closed the gap on a fading Mani with two laps to go to finish fourth, and Mani slipped back to finish fifth.

Other than the two leaders, the rest of the field was strung out one by one for most of the afternoon. Nash and Compton traded attacks in the sand each lap, with Nash finally getting a lead on the final climb.

“I think I was a little bit faster than yesterday,” said Compton. “I tried to attack a little bit more and keep the race faster, so we were going back and forth pretty much the whole day. And then she kept bobbling the little uphill before the finish. I should have been up front, but I wasn’t. I was in the back.”

“One of the times I thought she was going to ride it, but she ran it and when I got to the top it was just too big of a gap to close. She had about 10 seconds right there, and it was one lap to go. I didn’t have the legs to close it down. So I chased for half a lap, then just called it ‘good’ and finished up for second. I don’t feel like I rode great, but second is still good.”

Hyde Holds Off Powers and Ortenblad

The Men’s C2 event was the battle of the old guard and the new guard. The veterans reigned supreme for the second day of racing at Derby City Cup, with 29-year-old Stephen Hyde (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld) taking the win over a hard-charging 33-year-old Jeremy Powers (Aspire Racing). A string of up-and-coming riders kicked up dust in the chase, including 22-year-old Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz Factory Racing) who finished third.

This Elite Men’s field is stacked and fast. © Wil Matthews

“Powers was riding super well today. I was actually nervous being out there (at the front) for so long with him riding so well,” said Hyde, who won by six seconds. “I was able to stave him off. I wasn’t sure the whole time, that’s for sure. He’s a really consistent rider, and honestly, he’s been a little more ‘diesel’ than me in the past, like he has a good punch, but he’s got big power that he can hit for a lot of laps.”

Stephen Hyde looks unbeatable at Day 2 of the Derby City Cup. © Wil Matthews

After the second of eight laps, it was Ortenblad leading a group of 12 through the finish. He had Hyde and Powers on his wheel, followed by Gage Hecht (Alpha Bicycle co.- Vista Subaru), Spencer Petrov (Cyclocross Alliance), Grant Ellwood (Boulder Cycle Sport/ YogaGlo), Kerry Werner (Kona Endurance Team), Allen Krughoff (Boulder Cycle Sport/ YogaGlo), Cooper Willsey (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld), Travis Livermon (Maxxis Shimano), Cody Kaiser (LangeTwins/ Specialized Title), Maxx Chance (Evol Racing), and Yannick Eckmann (Boulder Cycle Sport/ YogaGlo) all there.

Stephen Hyde full tilt at Day 2 of the Derby City Cup. © Wil Matthews

Hyde opened it up with five laps to go and had Ortenblad glued to his wheel. The second chase group was whittled down to Powers, Petrov and Hecht. Powers moved to the lead group on the next lap.

“It’s just a long time coming back,” said runner-up Powers about the two crashes he had back in September on the final day at Trek CXC Cup. He did not finish that race, and has not won a C1 or C2 event all season. “I know my fitness is there. It’s more of wanting to push it again. The crash was bad enough that it got me spooked on the high speed stuff. The Pan Am Champs was a good race for me because it didn’t have as much tight, fast turns, but had more power output which is kind of the way I am trending as I get older. A big power course is good for me.”

The Eva Bandman course in Louisville, KY featured a pretty wicked run up. © Wil Matthews

“This high-speed stuff, it’s going to take my body a long time to get back to leaning the corners and pushing the tape out. I have been training super hard. That has made it frustrating, but I have been in the game a long time so I know it’s going to be a little bit before it comes back, before I feel ultra confident just leaning the bike over like that.”

With four laps to go, it becomes a lead group of five – Hyde, Ortenblad, Powers, Hecht and Petrov. And with three to go, Hyde unleashed his fury to go solo. Powers was off his bike on the last climb, with Hyde riding it to the pavement, but could not close the gap.

Jeremy Powers had a great race during Day 2 of the Derby City Cup. © Wil Matthews

Ortenblad shadowed very move made by Powers, but began to lose his wheel on the last lap. He finished 9 seconds behind Powers and 15 seconds off the winning pace.

Derby City Cup Cyclocross Race 2016 Day 2 © Wil Matthews

“I was hoping to hold the wheels again today, but I think I need a little bit more (time) still,” said the Californian, who battled to a second place finish in the C1 contest on Saturday. “I was right on Powers and he was just whittling me down. I just eventually cracked a little bit. I couldn’t keep it going. I’m really stoked to be in that group with those guys.”

Men’s podium for Day 2 of the Derby City Cup – Powers, Hyde, Ortenblad © Wil Matthews

A group of five riders pushed to the end, with Krughoff leading at the line for fourth. “The Kid” Kaiser (24) was fifth and Werner (25) was sixth. The next six positions were taken by a string of Under-23 riders, led in seventh position by 19-year-old Willsey and in eighth by 19-year-old Petrov. Last year Petrov won the UCI Junior 17-18 event at Derby City Cup.

Derby City Cup Cyclocross Race 2016 Day 2 © Wil Matthews

Hyde commented on the youth in the Elite Men’s races. “Tobin’s been riding out of his mind lately. The cool thing about Tobin is that I think he is a rider that pays attention. He’s strong as an ox. You see him out there, him and Kerry (Werner) both. They both pay attention at every race and pull something new. They are very talented riders.

Elite Men’s U23 Podium – Spencer Petrov, Cooper Willsey, Gage Hecht © Wil Matthews

“I was thinking about this, it’s constantly cycling through. These guys are always there. There’s always one just behind the other, just behind the other, and there are all on different places on the learning curve, me included. I think they are all coming along right where they should and we have a really good crop (of new Elite riders) right now. The changing of the guard. We have a very, very, very strong couple of years ahead of us for sure. The next crop will be pretty fierce.”

Stephen Hyde celebrates his dominant performance at the Derby City Cup. © Wil Matthews

A total of 19 UCI C2 races will be held in November and December across nine states for Pro CX points. The next events on the Pro CX calendar will be held on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Cyntergy Hurtland in Tulsa, Okla., and a full weekend of racing Nov. 12 to 13 at Verge Northampton International in Northampton, Mass.

Cyntergy Hurtland returns for a second season, and offers one of the largest, single-day prize purses for American cyclocross racing. There will be night racing this year in Tulsa, with the Elite Women taking off in Owen Park at 5:20 p.m. CT and the Elite Men at 6:20 p.m. CT. Racers will again be tested on the championship-caliber course designed by reigning U.S. National Cyclocross champ Powers.

This season’s Verge Northampton International returns for a 26th time. Held at Look Park, this cyclocross stronghold of the calendar is the oldest UCI race in the U.S. It is the second of four stops on the Vittoria Northeast Cyclocross Series presented by Cycle-Smart.

2016 Derby City Cup Cyclocross Results Day 2: Elite Women

2016 Derby City Cup Cyclocross Results Day 2: Elite Men