Cyclo Cross world championship runner-up Katie Compton has received a boost to her career with the news that she has signed a two year contract with the Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team from this season onwards. The 32 year old will be joined by another new signing, the Kiwi Rosara Joseph. She has come on board for one season.
Compton had a superb cross season, winning five World Cup races in a row at Aigle, Koksijde, Kalmthout, Heusden-Zolder and Hoogerheide. She was runner-up in the overall standings in that series, and also took second at the cross worlds
She’s got big goals for the season and for the Olympic Games, and should have good opportunities thanks to the new deal. “I am very excited to join the Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team over the next several years, which I believe will be the best of my career,” she said. “I have high goals and expectations for myself for both Cyclo Cross and Mountainbike. I am happy to be a part of such a respected and well-run team as I continue to pursue these goals.”
Compton has had a good rather than spectacular MTB career, netting 14th in the 2009 world championships and fourth in last year’s Val di Sole World Cup race. She was also third in the 2009 USA championships and fifth last season. Her strong cyclo-cross performances means that she is motivated to improve and make the most of the remaining years of her career.
Ditto for Joseph, who was ninth in the last Olympic Games, second in the 2006 Commonwealth Games and fifth in the 2007 world championships. At 28 years of age, she should be coming into her prime and will aim to make the most of her time with the team.
Part of the race for their signing is that it will boost the team’s standing in the new UCI Elite Mountain Bike Team rankings of 2011, which now combines male and female riders.
“As of this year, for the rankings the team’s top 3 men and top 2 women will count as a team,” explained Jan ten Tusscher, team manager of the Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team. “Katie is very motivated to succeed at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and will be targeting this year’s Mountain Bike World Championships as a key stepping stone. The continued expansion and globalization of our team played a key role in attracting both Katie and Rosara to the Team.
“Rosara had her share of bad luck in the past years, but is back on track. We will give her all our support to develop herself.”
Compton is one of the Bike Pure anti-doping organisation’s most-high profile athletes.
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Katherine Compton (USA): 1st UCI Cyclo Cross Ranking / 40th UCI MTB Ranking 2010
CX:
2nd World championship 2011
2nd Overall World Cup 2011
5th World Cup victories 2010
MTB:
3rd USA Championships 2009
4th Val di Sole UCI World Cup 2010
5th USA MTB Championships 2010
14th Windham UCI World Cup 2010
14th UCI World Championships 2009
19e UCI World Cup Offenburg 2010
Rosara Joseph (NZ): 38th UCI MTB Ranking 2010
MTB:
2nd Commonwealth Games in 2006
5th UCI World Championships 2007 Fort William
9th Olympic Games Beijing 2008
17th UCI World Championships Mont Sainte Anne 2010