(Colorado Springs, CO) - CTS Athletes Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) and Ryan Trebon (Kona FSA) won their respective races at the USA Cycling Elite Cyclocross National Championships on Sunday, December 14 in Kansas City, Missouri. It was Compton’s fifth consecutive victory at the US Cyclocross National Championships. The victory was Ryan Trebon’s second elite cyclocross national title; he won his first in 2006.
Compton Dominates Again
After struggling with a flare-up of a chronic muscle-cramping ailment earlier this season, Compton returned to form over the past several weeks and won the World Cup Cyclocross race in Koksijde, Belgium, before returning to the States to compete at US National Championships. Her primary competition for the title, Georgia Gould (Luna), won the US Grand Prix of Cyclocross series title in dominating fashion, but it had been a long time since Compton and Gould raced head-to-head. Compton went to the front before the end of the first lap, opened up a gap on the rest of the competition, and never looked back. Gould rode strong in second place for most of the race, and finished 45 seconds behind Compton.
After the race Compton told Cyclingnews.com, "It always feels really good to win - it gets harder every year, but it's always good to win a championship. Georgia is definitely riding strong, so I tried to keep the power on and keep pushing through it, hoping not to make any mistakes."
Her coach, CTS Premier Coach Craig Griffin, commented, “Katie faced some challenged earlier in the season, but she showed a lot of poise and maturity in the way she dealt with it. She was patient and returned to the top of her form with a victory at the World Cup in Koksijde. She knew she had the power to win today, and she’s excited about going back to Europe to prepare for Worlds.”
The next step for the five-time US National Cyclocross Champion is a return trip to Europe for more World Cups and other races in preparation for the Cyclocross World Championships in January. She earned a silver medal at the World Championships in 2007.
Trebon Powers to National Championship
Ryan Trebon was within striking distance of winning the 2007 national championship, before a head-on collision with an errant rider left him unconscious at the side of the course. The 2006 US National Cyclocross Champion came into this year’s event having won both of last weekend’s muddy races in Portland, Oregon and finishing second overall in the US Grand Prix of Cyclocross series. He also won the North American Cyclocross Trophy series and is the leader in the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Calendar points series as well.
The Elite Men’s race started with 135 riders, but the lead group of contenders separated themselves from the pack early in the race. Trebon was there with other favorites including Jonathan Page, Tim Johnson, Jeremy Powers, Jamey Driscoll, and Todd Wells. Jesse Anthony, who is a CTS Athlete coached by CTS Senior Coach Gord Fraser, was also in the group and instigated the first major attack of the race. A few laps later, Trebon attacked the chasing group, bridged up to Anthony and Driscoll and went right by to win by 28 seconds over Jamey Driscoll. Anthony paid for his aggression, but held on for a strong fourth place finish.
Trebon’s coach, CTS Premier Coach Jim Lehman, commented, “Ryan had a great race. He saw that his rivals were looking at each other and went on the attack. It was a good move, but a risky one just four laps into the race because Page and Johnson are strong riders. He had the confidence and the power to take that risk and ride a smart race, and that won him another National Championship.”
Trebon leaves for Europe on Tuesday to compete in World Cups and other races in preparation for the Cyclocross World Championships in January.
About CTS:
Founded by Olympian, US Olympic Committee Coach of the Year, and bestselling author, Chris Carmichael in 2000, Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) inspires and empowers the athlete in EVERY BODY to perform at their best. The company offers personal coaching, training camps, and performance testing services to athletes of all ability levels. CTS has been the coaching choice for some of the world’s greatest athletes, including seven-time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong, 2008 Ironman World Champion Triathlete Craig Alexander, NASCAR drivers Carl Edwards and Bobby Labonte, 2000 Olympic Time Trial Silver Medalist and World Champion Mari Holden, Montreal Canadians Captain Saku Koivu, 2001 Mountain Bike World Champion Alison Dunlap, and Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer Ed Moses.
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