2014 U.S. Open of Cyclocross
Boulder, CO – Three days after CLIF Bar CrossVegas, and the elite men and women were back hunting for more UCI points on yet another jolting course designed to punish the upper body as well as the legs at the Boulder Reservoir.
Jeremy Powers upgraded his 3rd at CrossVegas 2014 into a win in Boulder. © Cyclocross Magazine
Caroline Mani (Raleigh/Clement) took the holeshot and lead early, although by the end of the first lap, Katie Compton (Trek Factory Racing) took the reins of the race with a hard effort. Unlike the course in Las Vegas, the Boulder Reservoir offers little advantage to riders who sit mid-pack on other wheels, and Compton’s early attack paid off as she controlled the race to the finish line.
Mani finished second for the day, and Chloe Woodruff, who was donning the pink of the women’s Stan’s NoTubes teams rather than the black of the Backcountry.com team she has raced for in the past, rounded out the podium for third. See the 2014 U.S. Open of Cyclocross women’s race results here.
Like Compton, Jeremy Powers (Aspire Racing) took a third place during Wednesday at CrossVegas, and had a better placing on Saturday. He took the holeshot in the men’s elite race, and was closely followed by Allen Krughoff (Noosa) for most of the laps. Ben Berden (Raleigh/Clement) trailed behind the two of them.
Unlike the women’s race, the leader, Powers, didn’t put in a large attack until the final lap. The timing couldn’t have been worse for Krughoff, who was changing out bikes in the pits. Berden was able to meet Powers’s effort, and follow him to the finish line for second while Krughoff took third. See the full 2014 U.S. Open of Cyclocross men’s results here.
Subaru StarCrossed
As we reported over a month ago, this year’s Subaru StarCrossed would be an unsanctioned race, but would also have possibly the largest single-day payout for the leaders in the history of American cyclocross. Zach McDonald (KCCX) and Beth Ann Orton (Team S&M Sellwood Cycle Repair) would reap those benefits, each winning $2,500 as they won Subaru StarCrossed this year in Washington.
Russell Stevenson (NW MTB/Voler), who led for the majority of the race, was able to hold on for third, while Barry Wicks (Kona) passed Stevenson for second.
In the women’s elite race, Jessica Cutler (Jamis Bikesport) followed Orton to the finish line, while Andi Zolton (Nemesis Racing) finished third.
