Fountain will look to replicate his StarCrossed singlespeed performance © Kenton Berg
For full Cyclocross National Championships coverage and information, visit our 2010 USA Cycling National Championships Page.
Thursday December 9th is the first day of championship racing at the 2010 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships. For the Male Masters categories, the 60–64, 65–69, 70+ and 55–59 age groups will be battling it out. In the Female Masters, the 60+, 45–49, 50–54 and 40–44 will compete for the coveted stars and stripes. In addition to these groups, we will see the now-official championship race for the fastest cyclocross singlespeeder for both men and women.
Taking a quick glance at the Nationals time trial start list for today, this year is looking to be an exciting match up in all of the different categories. In the Men’s 60–64 Glen “Dan” Norton will be returning to defend his title from last year. For the 65–69 category James Wagner will be another returning champion looking to hold onto those stars and bars. The 70+ category this year shaping up to be a great battle between 2009’s 70–74 national champion Joe Saling and 2009’s 75–79 national champion Walter Axthelm. The final Master’s category of the day, 55–59, will see Paul Curley, a ’cross institution, back to attempt to add another of many stars and stripes jerseys to his collection, but cycling legend Ned “the Lung” Overend – the first-ever UCI World Champ mountain biker, XTerra world champ, and multi-time Masters cyclocross national champ – will be among those looking to prevent that from happening. According to Overend, the only time he’s matched up against Curley in cyclocross, the New Englander got the better of him in an Elite race in New Jersey.
Master’s Women will see just as much intense racing as the Master Men. In the 60+ category, last year’s national champion for the 60–64 category, Martha Iverson, will be battling against last year’s 65+ national champion Julie Lockhart. For the Women’s 45–49 category, look to Karen Hogan from Colorado as the favorite with her consistent top-five finishes throughout the season in Colorado in both the Women 35+ and the Women’s Open category. For the 50–54 race look to Marilyn Ruseckas to put up a good fight in defense of her title, but she has her work cut out for her with Kris Walker, last year’s 45–49 national champion, entering into her field. The final Women’s masters race will be the 40–44 race, where Gina Hall will be looking to defend her 2009 title.
New for 2010 is the addition of the Singlespeed National Championship race. On the men’s side the standouts from the start list are 2009 Super D national champion Aaron Bradford (Specialized/On Site Ultrasound) and Olympic mountain biker and multi-time national champ Adam Craig (Rabobank–Giant). Defending singlespeed winner in Bend J.T. Fountain and his brother Louie, who was on the podium last year in Bend, are also sure to be factors. Though, as with all ’cross races, anything can happen, and anyone could take home the stars and stripes.
For the women singlespeeders, look to Kari Studley as the favorite with a fifth and seventh place finish in the UCI Elite Women’s race at Jingle Cross Rock one and two.
For more National Championships coverage don’t forget to keep checking the 2010 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships Event Page
