Ryan Trebon (Kona) claims victory (Image credit: Mitch Clinton)
Ryan Trebon (Kona) took his second US cyclo-cross championship in a thrilling battle over Jamey Driscoll (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld) and Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) in Kansas City on Sunday.
Trebon won the title in 2006, but last year crashed head-first with an oncoming rider who crossed over the course marker. This year he had no such problems, and after a few laps of marking his competition, Trebon chose just the right time to launch his move and held a solid lead for the last half of the race against one of the strongest fields in USA championship history.
In bitterly cold but dry conditions, Trebon rode a clean race and was able to power through to take the victory without incident.
"This was just a grind all the way up the hill - it wasn't easy - but it worked out well for the type of effort I'm able to do," Trebon explained. "My ears are frozen, my feet are frozen, my hands are frozen - it was a tough day."
The win was remarkable in that Trebon fell ill just a few days before the race. "I was so happy, I felt so good on Wednesday, then I started feeling a little sick then I was like, 'aw, you gotta be kidding me'," Trebon said. "I had to rest out my cold. I started feeling better yesterday. It certainly wasn't easy."
