Compton, Hyde lead USA team for cyclo-cross Worlds

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USA Cycling named its 31-rider team for the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships on Tuesday. The event takes place on February 3-4 in Valkenburg, Netherlands.

Katie Compton, 14-time national champion and Pan American titleholder, will head up the team for the elite women's race, with Kaitlin Keough and Ellen Noble also earning automatic selections. Elle Anderson, Courtenay McFadden and Rebecca Fahringer complete the squad.

For the elite men, Stephen Hyde, Tobin Ortenblad and Kerry Werner earned automatic bids, while Jeremy Powers, Cody Kaiser, Jack Kisseberth, and Tristan Cowie complete the team.

"We have assembled a talented team and look forward to competing against the world’s best cyclo-cross athletes at the World Championships on the hallowed and challenging Valkenburg circuit in cycling-crazy Limburg,” Cyclocross Performance Consultant Geoff Proctor said in a press release.

Team USA will be without U23 champion Christopher Blevins, who declined his spot. Gage Hecht earned an automatic spot. Runner-up in Reno Eric Brunner and third placed Grant Ellwood were also selected with Maxx Chance, Spencer Petrov and Denzel Stephenson.

U23 women's winner Emma White and four junior men - national champion Benjamin Gomez, Scott Funston, Alex Morton and Calder Wood - were the other automatic selections.

Elite Men: Tristan Cowie (Triple Oaks Racing), Stephen Hyde* (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld), Cody Kaiser (LangeTwins/Specialized Bicycles/SRAM), Jack Kisseberth (JAM Fund/NCC), Tobin Ortinblad* (Santa Cruz/Donkey Label), Jeremy Powers (Aspire Racing), Kerry Werner* (Kona Endurance Team)

Elite Women: Elle Anderson (Cycling.be - Alpha Motorhomes), Katie Compton* (KFC Racing p/b Trek/Panache), Rebecca Fahringer (Stan’s No Tubes/Maxxis), Kaitlin Keough* (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld), Courtenay McFadden (GE Capital/American Classic), Ellen Noble* (Aspire Racing)

U23 Men: Eric Brunner (EVOL DevoElite Racing), Maxx Chance (EVOL DevoElite Racing), Grant Ellwood (Boulder Cycle Sport), Gage Hecht* (Alpha Bicycle Co.- Vista Subaru), Spencer Petrov (ASPIRE Racing), Denzel Stephenson (EVOL DevoElite Racing)

U23 Women: Hannah Arensman (J.A. King p/b BR'C), Katie Clouse (Alpha Bicycle Co.-Groove Subaru), Clara Honsinger (Washington State Bicycle Association), Laurel Rathbun (Donnelly Cycling), Emma Swartz (Trek Cyclocross Collective), Emma White* (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld)

Junior Men: Scott Funston* (Rad Racing NW), Benjamin Gomez Villafane* (Top Club), Lane Maher (Hot Tubes Development Cycling), Alex Morton* (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld), Sam Noel (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld), Calder Wood* (Rad Racing NW)

Automatic qualifiers are noted with an asterisk (*).