The Cincinnati International Cyclocross Festival features a UCI C1 race at Kingswood Park Saturday, October 31 and culminates in the Pan-American Continental Cycloross Championships Sunday, November 1, just over the Ohio River at Devou Park in Covington, KY.
Pan-American Championships will be awarded in the following categories: Elite Men, Elite Women, U23 Men, U23 Women, and 17-18 Junior Men.
With the exception of Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team), who is focusing on mountain bike racing with the Rio 2016 Olympics as a goal, and the Elite’s Men’s race, which was not contested at the 2014 Pan American Championships, all reigning champs will be in attendance, and eager to hold onto their titles.
We took a look at the start list to give you a breakdown of some contenders in all categories.
Elite Men: An On-Form Jeremy Powers is the Man to Beat
Jeremy Powers, fresh off of a European campaign, looks to take the Pan-American Elite Men’s title. © Bart Hazen
Jeremy Powers (Aspire Racing) has had a string of results this season that is nothing short of impressive. Powers has earned a career-best sixth place at the CrossVegas World Cup, and a slew of domestic UCI C1 wins at Ellison Park, Gran Prix of Gloucester Days One and Two, the KMC Cyclo-cross Festival and the Trek CXC Cup. He goes into the weekend the clear favorite.
Powers will go head-to-head against in the Pan-American Championship race against the Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossword.com duo of Stephen Hyde and Ryan Trebon who have netted some impressive results of their own.
Danny Summerhill (Maxxis-Shimano) will be in attendance, along with Geoff Kabush (Scott-3Rox), who recently finished second at the Canadian National Championships.
Although preregistered for U23, Logan Owen (California Giant Cycling) let Cyclocross Magazine know that he will be racing the Elite Men’s Pan-American championship race. Owen is on good form from an impressive road season, ending in a strong ride at the Road World Championships in Richmond, Virginia. Can he play the spoiler?
Elite Women: Katie Antonneau Vs. Katie Compton—Can the Upstart Upset the Legend?
Katie Antonneau is all smiles after a second place finish in the Elite Women’s race at the Valkenburg World Cup—can she bring this caliber of racing stateside for the Pan-American Championships? © Bart Hazen
Time will tell if there is a changing of the guard in the Elite Women’s field, but Katie Antonneau’s (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com) results this season have shown that she has reached the next level of her cycling career. With a win at day one of the Trek CXC Cup, and a personal-best second place at the World Cup at Valkenburg, she is on form and motivated to bring home the Pan-American jersey.
The 2014 champion, Katie Compton (Trek Factory Racing), has gotten off to a slow start this year. As her form builds, she has strung together a respectable series of results, and will surely come out swinging as the season progresses.
Other contenders for the Elite Women’s crown include: Elle Anderson (Strava Cycling) who is restarting her elite racing campaign, Amanda Miller (Boulder Cyclesport/YogaGlo), Georgia Gould, (Luna Pro Team), Meredith Miller (Noosa Professional Cyclocross Team) and new Canadian Champion Mical Dyck (Naked Factory Racing). Will any of them be able to play the spoiler?
U23 Men: Curtis White Looks to Defend Pan-Am Jersey
Can Curtis White defend his U23 Pan-American title? © Kevin White
Last year’s Pan-American U23 Champion Curtis White (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com) once again faces off against 2014 podium companion and Drew Dillman (Cyclocross Network Racing P/b Medical Remarketing). White has put together strong early season results, and comes into the U23 race as the man to beat.
Dillman is always a threat, and will be motivated to ride well in front of his home crowds in the Ohio Valley.
U23 Women: Emma White vs. Ellen Noble—New Englanders Duel for Pan-American Title
Ellen Noble goes head-to-head with Emma White for the U23 Women’s Crown. Photo by Todd Prekaski
Emma White (Cyclocrossworld.com) and Ellen Noble (JAM/NCC/Vittoria) come into the U23 Women’s race the heavy favorites. White has made the transition from the road to ‘cross smoothly, and has began piling up victories, including Charm City days one and two. Noble has also mounted a strong season so far, coming out swinging in the early season and earning an well-deserved second place at day one of the Gran Prix of Gloucester.
Double World Junior Road Champion and local racer Chloe Dygert (Twenty16 p/b Sho-Air) could give them a run for their money, as evidenced by her win last weekend in the OVCX Storm Eva Bandman event.
Junior Men: Spencer Petrov and Gage Hecht Look to Square Off
Spencer Petrov had an excellent ride in the Valkenburg World Cup Junior’s race, finishing in 10th place © Bart Hazen
Junior 17-18 will be a battle between native son Spencer Petrov (Cyclocross Network Racing P/b Medical Remarketing), who placed 10th at the World Cup in Valkenburg and Colorado’s junior phenom Gage Hecht (Alpha Bicycle Co.-Vista Subaru), who went head-to-head with Petrov at the KMC Cyclo-cross Festival, finishing second both days, and has come off a series of strong local results, including beating Danny Summerhill at a local race.
Nearly 40 other top juniors from around the U.S. and Canada will be in the mix as well.
Coverage begins Saturday for the 17-18 Elite Juniors at 2:45pm EST and runs through the end of the Elite Men’s race at 6:30pm.
For Sunday’s Pan-Am Championships, coverage begins at 11:45am EST prior to the Women’s U23 race and runs continuously through the end of the Elite Men’s race at 5:15pm.
