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| Sunday, February 1, 2009 |
Compton scores bronze at cyclo-cross world championships
by VeloNation Press at 12:32 PM EST
Categories: Pro Cycling, Cyclocross, Press Release
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Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo.) became the first two-time medalist in U.S. Cyclo-cross history on Sunday, winning a bronze medal in the elite women’s contest behind world champion Marianne Vos (NED) and runner-up Hanka Kupfernagel (GER) at the 2009 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Holland.
The trio separated themselves from the remainder of the 35 finishers, ultimately contesting a three-up sprint that went to Vos, arguably the world’s most versatile rider with elite world titles in road, track and cyclo-cross events on her résumé.
Compton took control of the race early on, mounting a 15-second advantage on her competitors a lap-and-a-half into the four-lap contest. But by the end of the third lap, Kupfernagel had closed the gap while Vos kept pace, establishing the three-woman group that would contest the decisive sprint. Entering the final, paved 200-meter stretch to the finish, Vos led out the sprint and managed to keep ahead of Kupfernagel and Compton.
For Compton, the bronze medal caps off perhaps the most successful season for a U.S. cyclo-cross racer. Throughout her 2008-09 campaign, she won three UCI World Cup races, placed second in another and won the USA Cycling elite women’s national championship – all before finishing on the podium in Hoogerheide.
The silver medalist in 2007, Compton entered the race as one of the favorites, along with Kupfernagel and Dutchwoman Daphny van den Brand. But as Vos emerged as a contender throughout the day, the orange-clad Dutch squad developed an advantage in numbers. With van den Brand in the first chase group behind the leaders, Vos was largely able to conserve her energy in the breakaway and save it for the finishing sprint.
“It was frustrating, but it was a good ride,” Compton explained afterwards. “It’s been a good year and the bronze is nothing to be disappointed with. There were tactics, but I rode a good race.”
Compton’s third-place effort led a respectable showing for American women as all five finished in the top 20. Rachel Lloyd (Fairfax, Calif.) placed 11th, 32 seconds off the pace of the leaders, while Georgia Gould (Boulder, Colo.) crossed the line in 13th place, 1:02 back, Sue Butler (Portland, Ore.) was 17th, 2:04 back and Laura Van Gilder (Pocono Pines, Calif.) finished 19th, 2:57 back.
Also on Sunday, the elite men took to the fields of Holland as Jeremy Powers (Hadley, Mass.) turned in the top U.S. finish, placing 35th, 2:54 off the pace of winner Niels Albert (BEL). Powers was joined by teammates Matt Shriver (Salt Lake City, Utah), who finished 44th, 4:44 behind, Brian Matter (Sheboygan, Wis.), who placed 49th, 5:12 back and Jonathan Page (Northfield, N.H.), who came across the line 5:47 down to finish 52nd.
On Saturday, Luke Keough (Sandwich, Mass.) provided the U.S. National Team with its best result of the day with a 13th-place finish in the junior men’s contest, finishing 40 seconds off the pace of winner Tijmen Eising (NED). Zach McDonald (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) added a second top-20 finish for the junior contingent with a 19th-place effort, 1:18 back. The balance of the team, Chris Wallace (Shawnee, Kan.), Gavin Mannion (Dedham, Mass.) and Eric Emsky (Fall City, Wash.), finished 28th, 30th and 38th respectively.
Finally, in the U23 men’s contest, Bjorn Selander (Hudson, Wis.) was the top American finisher in 27th, 1:36 in arrears from winner Philipp Walsleben (GER). Other U.S. finishers in the U23 division included Daniel Summerhill (Englewood, Colo.) in 32nd at +2:09, Will Dugan (Burlington, Vt.) in 42nd, 2:09 behind, Nicholas Keough (Sandwich, Mass.) in 39th, 3:09 back and Nick Weighall (Millcreek, Wash.) in 49th at +5:08.
2009 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
Hoogerheide, Netherlands
Jan. 31-Feb. 1
Results:
Elite Men
1. Niels Albert (BEL) 1:02.24
2. Zdenek Stybar (CZE) +0:22
3. Sven Nys (BEL) +0:38
35. Jeremy Powers (Hadley, Mass.) +2:54
44. Matt Shriver (Salt Lake City, Utah) +4:44
49. Brian Matter (Sheboygan, Wis.) +5:12
52. Jonathan Page (Northfield, N.H.) +5:47
Elite Women
1. Marianne Vos (NED) 42:39
2. Hanka Kupfernagel (GER) +0:01
3. Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo.) +0:02
11. Rachel Lloyd (Fairfax, Calif.) +0:32
13. Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo.) +1:02
17. Sue Butler (Portland, Ore.) +2:04
19. Laura Van Gilder (Cresco, Pa.) +2:57
U23 Men
1 Philipp Walsleben (GER) 52:48
2. Christophe Pfingsten (GER) +0:21
3. Pawel Szcepaniak (POL) +0:21
27. Bjorn Selander (Hudson, Wis.) +1:36
32. Daniel Summerhill (Englewood, Colo.) +2:09
42. Will Dugan (Burlington, Vt.) +3:41
39. Nicholas Keough (Sandwich, Mass.) +3:09
49. Nick Weighall (Millcreek, Wash.) +5:08
Junior Men
1. Tijmen Eising (NED) 40:06
2. Corne Van Kessel (NED) +0:25
3. Alexandre Billon (FRA) +0:25
13. Luke Keough (Sandwich, Mass.) +0:40
19. Zach McDonald (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) +1:18
28. Chris Wallace (Shawnee, Kan.) +1:44
30. Gavin Mannion (Dedham, Mass.) +1:45
38. Eric Emsky (Fall City, Wash.) +2:22
For more information visit www.usacycling.org
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