USGP New Belgium Cup

By Eddie Clark  

(October 8, 2011) FORT COLLINS, Colo.—The first day of the USGP New Belgium Cup served as a real opener to cyclocross season for Colorado with a cold, wet, and muddy day of racing.  The perfect storm, which made for the perfect 'cross race, was predicted days in advance, and amazingly showed up with perfect timing to turn the dusty dry course into a full-fledged mud race.  It was only about 10 degrees of warmth that kept the snow high while the pouring rain gave the course a royal soaking.

With the course well worn in by masters and juniors racing, the Elite Women's race got off to a blazing start at 3pm.  Nicole Duke (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld.com) got the hole-shot and led perhaps the strongest women's field to take the start line together in U.S. cross racing history.  Duke held the lead for a fair bit of the first lap until Katie Compton (Giant/Rabobank), Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team), Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) quickly started applying pressure. 

In short time, Compton and Gould distanced their selves from the chasers to open a sizable gap.  Behind, Fort Collins resident Georgia Gould did the home team proud by putting in a solid performance to claim third place in front fourth placed Canadian Mical Dyck and French National Champion Caroline Mani.  Notably, US Junior National Champion Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld.com) would ride to an impressive seventh place.

With two laps remaining in the women's race, Compton slid and crashed in the mud to allow Nash a small gap which she steadily increased upon until rolling across the finish in first place. 

For the main event, the Elite Men's race boasted an incredibly talented and fast field which provided  for an excellent sixty minutes of racing.  For racers such as US National Short Track Mtn Bike champ Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Trek) who had no UCI points, they would have a giant field to work through since not having any UCI Cyclocross points required a last place start. 

"It was like an obstacle course the first couple laps", Jeremy said of his start.  Even with a packed field of 71 racers, Jeremy piloted his way through the mud to finish in twelfth place and collect some valuable UCI cyclocross points.

The big suprise of the race went to 18 year old Yannick Eckmann (Pearl Izumi/Shimano) who rode all the way up into 5th place to claim another USGP U23 leaders jersey.  "When I heard it was going to be raining over the weekend I got really excited because it's so much fun racing in the mud" claimed Eckmann of his stunning performance.

In contrast, top-runners such as Ryan Trebon (LTS), Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis/Rocky Mountain), Tim Johnson (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld.com), and Jeremy Powers (Rapha/Focus) had a clear line to start the race with.  Powers showed everyone the speed he was capable of by leading the field into the mud to claim the $250 holeshot prize.  Right behind was the lengthy Trebon who by all accounts has been having a very successful 'cross season this year.

The trio of Kabush, Trebon and Powers waged a classic battle that showcased the different strengths of each rider by attacking each other until the final laps of the race.  Powers relied on his deft technical skills to bunny hop the railroad ties and Zipp barriers which forced nearly all of the other racers off their bikes.  Utilizing his world class mountain biking background, Kabush maintained his power and precision in the mud while others slid all about in the mucky terrain. 

However, it was Ryan Trebon who came out on top by using his long legs to pound out an incredible climbing tempo on the straight forward grassy climbs.  In the end,  Trebon got the upper hand and rode across the line with a clear 24 second margin to claim first place and the USGP men's leaders Jersey.

Full results here.