Despite the 2018 season being her toughest yet as a pro, Katie Compton (KFC Racing p/b Trek Knight) said she was going to fight her hardest to get her 15th-consecutive national championship on Sunday in Louisville.
Although after the race she admitted it was just a case of staying off the front brake and letting it ride, Compton sent a message that she would not go down easy with an impressive first-lap pass of Ellen Noble (Trek Factory Racing CX) on the muddy chicane descent after the limestone steps.
After the race, Noble pointed out that Compton’s entire dominant win was the “winning move,” but the downhill pass was still an impressive display of technical skill by a living legend.
For the second straight year, Katie Compton used an aggressive downhill turn to get by Noble and ride to the National Championship, but in Louisville, it came on lap one. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships, Louisville, KY. © D. Smaic / Cyclocross Magazine
Compton’s pass looked impressive on the USA Cycling live stream as well as some up-close, in-person footage.
First up, the live stream:
Then from the mud outside the barriers:
Down the chute, @KatieFnCompton makes the pass! #cxnats pic.twitter.com/xfaNB0XTBl
— USA Cycling LIVE (@usacyclinglive) December 16, 2018
For more from Louisville, see our growing archive of 2018 Cyclocross Nationals coverage.
