On a blustery December morning in western North Carolina, Gage Hecht added another cyclocross National Championship to his palmares, taking his fifth ‘cross Stars and Stripes jersey in a solo victory in the 17-18 Elite Juniors race.
You don’t many Campagnolo-equipped cyclocross bikes at Nationals or at local races, but on the third day of the 2016 USA Cyclocross National Championships, Tanya Bettis of Sport Systems 505 Cycling won the Master Women’s 45-49 race aboard one such bike.
In her third year racing Nationals, Kaya Musgrave (Avout Racing) won her first National Champions jersey today in Asheville. North Carolina’s Keren Bennett (Evolution Jr. Devo Team) and Boulder, Colorado’s Reagan Long joined her on the podium.
With the excitement of Saturday’s Junior events still fresh, it’s it’s time to take a look at what we might expect in the main events from the 2016 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships.
For the first time in a while, Jonathan Page is lining up at today’s Cyclocross National Championships as a longshot in most fans’ minds. Racing …
Belly laughs, belly aches and at least one racer dressed as a bunny. The Donut Race at the Cyclocross National Championships was a fun-filled affair for a good cause. And while there were smiles all around, the race didn’t have any sprinkels, but did have some controversy.
If you’d like to tell your friends about this pint size phenomenon, Hludzinski can’t help you. “I don’t even know how to pronounce my own last name,” she admits. If she keeps up at the rate she’s going, it’ll be a name the cyclocross community will recognize soon enough.
David Thompson (CT Cycling Advancement Program) convincingly took the Cyclocross National Championship title in the Junior Men’s 9-10 race. “I always wanted this victory. I’ve been training for a couple of weeks. I knew I could get it and I just went as hard as I could.”
Benjamin Crismon (Papa John’s Racing Team) is no stranger to the top step of a podium and Saturday the young man earned yet another accolade in his first Cyclocross Nationals performance by claiming the national title in the Junior Men’s 11-12 category.
The only race of the day to feature riders older than 16 was the Collegiate Relay race. Co-ed teams of four riders from both Division 1 and Division 2 schools raced for four laps in a bid to take home the title for their respective schools.
Today Tea Wright (Boulder Junior Cycling) became a National Champion for the second time, adding to her 2012 hometown win in Boulder. In a close race Lizzy Gunsalus (Bay Hill Capital p/b Corner Cycles) and Lauren Zoerner (Alpha Bicycle Co.- Vista Subaru) joined her on the podium.
Magnus Sheffield (Park Ave. Bike Shop) brought home the gold while racing for the first time at nationals to conclude his first full season racing cyclocross. In a strong ride on a damp, technical course he was able to outmaneuver the competition to claim the national champion title
Before the first call up Ben Gomez Villafane’s name was on many spectators’ lips. His sister Sofia won the day prior in the Women’s Collegiate D1 race and word outside the tape was that he typically bests mosts if not all comers in the Elite races in his local scene of NorCal.
MILLS RIVER, N.C.—History was made on the expansive grounds of Sierra Nevada’s East Coast brewery. Aspire Racing’s Tom Hopper was crowned the inaugural Mechanic’s National …
On the start grid there were 152 riders vying for the Single Speed title. With various equipment set-ups and gear ratios, they set off in the afternoon sun and spun up the paved start-finsih straight in a whirlwind of high rpms.
Nicole Mertz (ISCorp Cycling p/b SmartChoice MRI) had never raced a single speed bike before, but she didn’t let that little detail stop her from claiming the national title in the Women’s Singlespeed category late Friday afternoon.
Friday’s Women’s Division 1 National Championship race would have been hard for anyone to call ahead of time. With a field jam-packed with talented women, many of whom also have their sights set on Sunday’s Elite U23 race, the event promised to be exciting.
The Women’s Collegiate D2 Champion Clara Honsinger felt the Asheville course was similar to the courses back home in Portland, Oregon. “There’s a lot more elevation here, but otherwise it felt just like home.”
Andrew Dillman (Marian University) earned his second Division 1 national title during Friday’s overcast race. The course had only just begun to dry out by the start, but the slippery terrain didn’t seem to pose much of a challenge for Dillman, who claimed a handy victory.
As day broke it was clear that the course racers faced over the first three days of the 2016 National Championships would be nowhere to be found. A light but steady overnight rain had fallen and greasy mud replaced what was primarily dirt and dust for the first race of the day.
In the biggest field of the day, and perhaps the week, some of the most well-known names in Men’s Masters racing took to the start at a chance to be the 45-49 National Champion.
Coming from a second to last call-up, Melinda McCutcheon (Canyon Bicycles-Shimano) took the race by the horns before the first pass through the barn and climb up Ingles Heckle Hill and never looked back.
The last race of the day saw the combined Master Women’s 60-64, 65-69, 70-74 and 75+ fields take to the course. The women in the field fought good battles, had tumbles and raced their way on to the late afternoon podium.
Karen Tripp (Finkraft Cycling Team) took home the gold in Thursday’s Masters Women 55-59 National Championship race after taking a decisive early lead.
The racing was hot and the temperature warm for the Master Women’s 50-54 Championship race. Short sleeves were in abundance as Karen Brems (SunPower Racing) took the victory ahead of Laura Trace (Team Oregon p/b Laurelwood Brewing Co.).
An exciting solo breakaway in the last laps won Spencer Whittier (Privateer Cyclocross Chattanooga) the Masters 30-34 National Men’s 30-34 “baby masters” title on a clear but chilly morning in Asheville.
Tanya Bettis (Sport Systems 505 Cycling) managed to edge out defending champion Catherine Moore (Trek Cyclocross Collective) to win her first national title in Thursday’s Masters Women 45-49 championship.
In a heated battle for the front of the race, Melissa Barker (Evol Elite Racing) overcame a late-race crash to take the win just ahead of Sally Annis (Pedal Power Team-MA) and Christina Gokey-Smith (Dallas Bike Works CX).
Corey Coogan Cisek (Power Fix CX) won her second Masters 35-39 National Championship, following up on her 2013 win. Seattle’s Tricia Fleischer (Ten Speed Hero) overcame a flat tire to take second place with Kristen Kelsey just eight seconds behind.
In a reversal from last year’s second place finish, Jacob Lasley (SPCX p/b R. K. Black), took the win in the Men’s 35-39 Championship race at the Biltmore Estate earlier this morning ahead of Matt Shriver (Trek Cyclocrosss Collective).