Compton beats Vos at Rome World Cup

Katie Compton (Trek Cyclo-cross Collective) won the sixth and penultimate round of the 2013-2014 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup at the fast but wet Capannelle race course in Rome, Italy. Thanks to her fifth World Cup victory of the season, Compton did more than enough to secure the overall World Cup title.

She rode most of the race in front together with world champion Marianne Vos (Rabo-Liv Women Cycling Team) and then outpowered her halfway through the final lap to finish 24 seconds ahead of Vos. It's third time in a row that Compton has beaten Vos. Italian champion Eva Lechner (Centro Sportivo Esercito) pleased the few local spectators by taking her first podium spot of the season at the Ippodromo delle Capannelle.

"I'm happy with the way I rode, being able to attack in the end and carry it on," Compton said in the post-race interview. The 35-year-old American was delighted with her overall victory.

"This is great. It feels really good to be winning lately. I haven't won here before. I have good legs and that's always nice. It's exciting to win. I wasn't expecting the mud here in Rome."

Compton wasn't confident about whether or not Vos was in good form. "You never know how hard the other person is working. She was riding really well at the switchbacks and accelerating very well. I knew I was strong in the mud. It was hard in the power sections, because there's always a headwind. I didn't want to do too much work at the front."

Rain during the races in the youth categories turned the course into a wet but speedy affair in Rome. That changed when the women started in the afternoon although the wind was still a factor. Top favourites Compton and Vos both had a good start. They followed early leader Ellen Van Loy. Halfway through the first lap, Compton and Vos moved forward and everybody but Van Loy got dropped. By the end of the first lap, Van Loy faded, too.

During the second lap, Compton kept the pace high with Van Loy losing ground. On the long road back towards the grand stand, Van Loy clearly struggled with the crosswinds. The Belgian rider was caught by Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Rabo-Liv Women Cycling Team) and Lechner early in the third lap at nearly half a minute back from the two leaders. European champion Helen Wyman (Kona) was a lone chaser 10 seconds further back.

Halfway through the third lap, the sun came out and Vos struggled for the first time to keep up with Compton, but she didn't crack. Early on in the final lap, Vos tried to turn things around. She attempted to catch Compton by surprise by taking the muddy inside of a corner while Compton made a wide turn to maintain her speed. The move was quickly neutralized.

Halfway through the final lap, when taking on the endless switchbacks, Compton gained ground on Vos. This time around, the world champion was unable to close the gap and Compton was gone. In the background, Lechner distanced Ferrand-Prevot towards a podium result on home soil. Compton had a lot of time to celebrate the victory. A mud-clad Vos finished second at 24 seconds. The small home crowd went wild when Lechner crossed the line in third place at 1:10 after Compton, having gotten rid of Ferrand-Prevot in the final lap.

British champion Nikki Harris (Young Telenet-Fidea) only managed a distant ninth place in Rome, but maintains her second place in the World Cup. Belgian champion Sanne Cant (Enertherm-BKCP) was fifth in Rome and is third overall with Vos on her heels. In three weeks' time, the final round of the World Cup will happen in Nommay, France.

Full Results

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Elite women
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Katherine Compton (USA) Trek Cyclocross Collective0:36:45
2Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team0:00:24
3Eva Lechner (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito0:01:10
4Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team0:01:24
5Sanne Cant (Bel) Enertherm - Bkcp0:01:33
6Helen Wyman (GBr) Kona Factory Racing0:01:35
7Ellen Van Loy (Bel) Young Telenet - Fidea0:01:37
8Sophie De Boer (Ned) Kdl Cycling Team0:01:42
9Nikki Harris (GBr) Young Telenet - Fidea0:01:56
10Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra) Ec Stephanois0:02:17
11Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)0:02:32
12Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team0:02:35
13Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team0:02:38
14Loes Sels (Bel) Young Telenet - Fidea0:02:42
15Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Selle Italia Guerciotti0:03:01
16Martina Mikulaskova (Cze) Tj Stadion Louny0:03:04
17Annefleur Kalvenhaar (Ned) Focus Xc Team0:03:05
18Francesca Cauz (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo0:03:10
19Pavla Havlikova (Cze) Young Telenet - Fidea0:03:23
20Elena Valentini (Ita) Selle Italia Guerciotti0:04:08
21Chiara Teocchi (Ita) Tx Active Bianchi0:04:55
22Ayako Toyooka (Jpn) Panasonic Ladies0:05:26
23Margriet Helena Kloppenburg (Den) Team Bmc Concept Store0:05:41
24Alessia Bulleri (Ita) Gruppo Sportivo Forestale0:05:57
25Giovanna Michieletto (Ita) Servetto Footon0:07:19
26Suzie Godart (Lux)0:07:25
27Martina Kukulova (Cze) Stevens Bikes - Emilio Sport0:08:02
28Béatrice Godart (Lux)0:09:15
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Elite women World Cup standings
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Katherine Compton (USA) Trek Cyclocross Collective350pts
2Nikki Harris (GBr) Young Telenet - Fidea249Row 1 - Cell 3
3Sanne Cant (Bel) Enertherm - Bkcp221Row 2 - Cell 3
4Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team210Row 3 - Cell 3
5Helen Wyman (GBr) Kona Factory Racing164Row 4 - Cell 3
6Ellen Van Loy (Bel) Young Telenet - Fidea160Row 5 - Cell 3
7Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra) Ec Stephanois145Row 6 - Cell 3
8Pavla Havlikova (Cze) Young Telenet - Fidea133Row 7 - Cell 3
9Sophie De Boer (Ned) Kdl Cycling Team120Row 8 - Cell 3
10Eva Lechner (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito105Row 9 - Cell 3
11Annefleur Kalvenhaar (Ned) Focus Xc Team99Row 10 - Cell 3
12Martina Mikulaskova (Cze) Tj Stadion Louny97Row 11 - Cell 3
13Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team96Row 12 - Cell 3
14Gabriella Durrin (GBr) Rapha - Focus88Row 13 - Cell 3
15Kaitlin Antonneau (USA) Cannondale P/B Cyclocrossworld.Com87Row 14 - Cell 3
16Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team75Row 15 - Cell 3
17Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra)75Row 16 - Cell 3
18Meredith Miller (USA) Cal Giant Berry Farms - Specialized73Row 17 - Cell 3
19Loes Sels (Bel) Young Telenet - Fidea65Row 18 - Cell 3
20Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team63Row 19 - Cell 3
21Marlène Morel Petitgirard (Fra) Vcc Morteau Montbenoit55Row 20 - Cell 3
22Githa Michiels (Bel)50Row 21 - Cell 3
23Caroline Mani (Fra) Raleigh - Clement48Row 22 - Cell 3
24Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Selle Italia Guerciotti46Row 23 - Cell 3
25Arley Kemmerer (USA) C3 - Twenty20 Cycling44Row 24 - Cell 3
26Crystal Anthony (USA) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies42Row 25 - Cell 3
27Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)35Row 26 - Cell 3
28Elena Valentini (Ita) Selle Italia Guerciotti28Row 27 - Cell 3
29Reza Hormes (Ned) Orange Babies Cycling Team27Row 28 - Cell 3
30Laura Verdonschot (Bel) Vzw Lotto - Ladiescycling24Row 29 - Cell 3
31Nikola Noskova (Cze) Kc Kooperativa Sg Jablonec24Row 30 - Cell 3
32Jessica Lambracht (Ger) Stevens - 1A - Crossteam23Row 31 - Cell 3
33Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Rtc Buitenlust22Row 32 - Cell 3
34Thalita De Jong (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team22Row 33 - Cell 3
35Ayako Toyooka (Jpn) Panasonic Ladies21Row 34 - Cell 3
36Nadja Heigl (Aut) Rlm Wien15Row 35 - Cell 3
37Lotte Eikelenboom (Ned) Drc De Mol15Row 36 - Cell 3
38Margriet Helena Kloppenburg (Den) Team Bmc Concept Store15Row 37 - Cell 3
39Asa Maria Erlandsson (Swe) Varbergs Mtb / Cube14Row 38 - Cell 3
40Francesca Cauz (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo13Row 39 - Cell 3
41Tereza Medvedova (Svk) Zp Sport13Row 40 - Cell 3
42Elle Anderson (USA) Cal Giant Berry Farms - Specialized13Row 41 - Cell 3
43Karen Verhestraeten (Bel) Kleur Op Maat Cycling Team13Row 42 - Cell 3
44Lana Verberne (Ned) Orange Babies Cycling Team12Row 43 - Cell 3
45Chiara Teocchi (Ita) Tx Active Bianchi10Row 44 - Cell 3
46Monique Van De Ree (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team10Row 45 - Cell 3
47Karla Stepanova (Cze) Kona Cycling Point10Row 46 - Cell 3
48Maureen Bruno Roy (USA) Bob's Red Mill P/B Seven Cycles8Row 47 - Cell 3
49Nicole Duke (USA) Marin - Spy8Row 48 - Cell 3
50Alessia Bulleri (Ita) Gruppo Sportivo Forestale7Row 49 - Cell 3
51Giovanna Michieletto (Ita) Servetto Footon6Row 50 - Cell 3
52Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) Ebe Racing Team6Row 51 - Cell 3
53Katrien Thijs (Bel) Kleur Op Maat Cycling Team6Row 52 - Cell 3
54Lisa Heckmann (Ger) Vc - Racingteam6Row 53 - Cell 3
55Suzie Godart (Lux)5Row 54 - Cell 3
56Martina Kukulova (Cze) Stevens Bikes - Emilio Sport4Row 55 - Cell 3
57Evy Kuijpers (Ned) Rtc Buitenlust4Row 56 - Cell 3
58Béatrice Godart (Lux)3Row 57 - Cell 3
59Stephanie De Croock (Bel)3Row 58 - Cell 3
60Janka Keseg Stevkova (Svk) Ck Epic Dohnany3Row 59 - Cell 3
61Esmee Oosterman (Ned) Wrv De Peddelaars3Row 60 - Cell 3
62Christine Vardaros (USA) Stevens Cycling Team2Row 61 - Cell 3
63Zuzana Vojtasova (Svk) Ck Banska Bystrica2Row 62 - Cell 3
64Courtenay Mcfadden (USA) Bicycle Blue Book - Hrs - Rock Lobster1Row 63 - Cell 3

 

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