Berden tops Boulder Cup podium

Ben Berden (Stoemper) secured a hard-fought and tactical victory at the UCI C1 Victory Circle Graphix Boulder Cup held at the new Valmont Bike Park on Sunday. The Belgian made his timely winning move during the final few hundred metres of the race, out-pacing the previous day’s winner Ryan Trebon (LTS-Felt) in second and Tim Johnson (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com) in third.

“Ben Berden was racing aggressive too and he rode a really good race today,” said Trebon who acknowledged Berden as the deserving race winner.

“He went with a last attack from Geoff Kabush and I waited a little and tried to bridge across later on the hill. Geoff led most of the last lap, but Ben put in a big effort on the one last mud section. I tried to bring him back but didn’t have anything. Ben rode a really good last lap and won, that’s all you need right.”

The race was held at the newly opened Valmont Bike Park where racers were challenged to a three-kilometre course that played off of the park’s steep run-ups and grass terrain. Racers were also treated to a 20-foot wide and 100-foot long staircase on each lap and two decisive mud section located close to the finish line.

“The course was awesome,” Johnson told Cyclingnews. “They had a great ‘cross course in the bike park. It was up and down, twisting around and a huge section for fans that was packed full of people. The course took people out left and right, there was mud and tight corners and so many things going against the group. But, it was an amazing park and lots of crowds.”

The top riders lined up to contest the Elite men’s 60-minute race included Trebon along with podium finishers US National Champion Todd Wells (Specialized Racing) and Jamey Driscoll (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com). Other strong contenders included Johnson and Berden (Stoemper) and Geoff Kabush (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain), and youngsters Yannick Eckmann (Pearl Izumi-Shimano-Focus) and Danny Summerhill (Chipotle Development).

Mid-race, a front group of riders emerged that included Trebon, Johnson, Wells, Berden, Kabush, Driscoll, Summerhill and Tristan Schouten (Cyclocrossracing.com), among others.

“The pace was really up and down,” Johnson said. “We would go full gas when Ryan or Geoff attacked but then the pace would fall back down again. It was a combination of altitude and some of those guys were hurting from yesterday’s race. I was aggressive at the end of the race but definitely being patient during the rest of the race.”

The race turned into a slug-fest on the final two laps with blow-by-blow coming from Trebon, Wells and Johnson. Kabush made one last attack with Berden in tow on the last lap. The pair gained a small lead heading into the final two decisive mud sections before the finish line.

“The group kept getting split and by the end there was about five of us,” Trebon said. “I didn’t think it would be so tactical today because there was a lot of elevation on the course and tough mud sections. But with the combination of a big hill and a long downhill to recover on, everyone was saving energy for the last two mud sections.”

Trebon and Johnson managed to work their way round late-race attacker Kabush for the final podium placing, but were unable to catch race winner Berden. Johnson was some-what pleased with his third place finish on the day after making the difficult decision not to race the previous day due to fatigue.

“We just couldn’t catch those guys until the last straightaway,” Johnson said. “Ryan over took Kabush and I had to throw my bike, so it was a photo finish for third between me and Kabush. I’m not happy with third but I’ll take it because it’s an improvement for me. The C1 was definitely the most important day and when I pre-rode the C2 course yesterday I knew that I didn’t have a lot in the tank and decided to listen to my body and what was going on.”

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Full Results
1Ben Berden (Bel) Ops Ale-Stoemper0:59:25
2Ryan Trebon (USA) LTS-Felt0:00:02
3Timothy Johnson (USA) Cannondale p/b CyclocrossworldRow 2 - Cell 2
4Geoff Kabush (Can) Maxxis-Rocky MountainRow 3 - Cell 2
5Tristan Schouten (USA) Cyclocrossracing.com p/b Blue Bicycles0:00:14
6Todd Wells (USA) Specialized Racing0:00:16
7James Driscoll (USA) Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld0:00:23
8Daniel Summerhill (USA) Garmin-Cervelo0:01:28
9Yannick Eckmann (Ger) Pearlizumi-Shimano-FocusRow 8 - Cell 2
10Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Mitchell Hoke (USA) Team Clif Bar0:03:06
12Allen Krughoff (USA) Boulder Cycle Sport0:03:32
13Troy Wells (USA) Team Clif Bar0:03:46
14Sean Babcock (USA) Kona0:04:23
15Robin Eckmann (USA) Pearl Izumi-Shimano Team0:04:34
16Russell Stevenson (USA) Raleigh0:05:11
17Bryan Alders (USA)0:05:22
18Brandon Dwight (USA) Boulder Cycle Sport0:05:24
19Peter Webber (USA)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Matthew Pacocha (USA) BikeRadar0:05:47
21Spencer Powlison (USA) Plains To Peaks Racing0:05:56
22Colby Pearce (USA)0:06:01
23Jacob Lasley (USA) Team Soundpony0:06:16
24Travis Woodruff (USA) Trek-Boulder/MomentumEndurance0:06:23
25Alex Howes (USA) Chipotle Development Team0:06:54
26Spencer Paxson (USA) Kona0:06:58
27Tyler Wren (USA) Boo BicyclesRow 26 - Cell 2
28Bryan Fawley (USA) Orbea Factory-Dallas Bike Works0:07:28
29Tim Allen (USA) Niner Stan's Ergon0:07:29
30Scott Tietzel (USA) Peaks To Plains Racing0:07:32
31Ken Benesh (USA) Feedback SportsRow 30 - Cell 2
32Mike Friedberg (USA) Service Course/World Bicycle Relief-3laps
33Chris Brandt (USA) Honey Stinger-TrekRow 32 - Cell 2
34Brian Hudzinski (USA)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Jake Wells (USA) Stan's NoTubes Elite Cyclocross TeamRow 34 - Cell 2
36William Iaia (USA) Groove SubaruRow 35 - Cell 2
37Bryan Mickiewicz (USA) Hammer NutritionRow 36 - Cell 2
38Grant Holicky (USA) Plains to Peaks RacingRow 37 - Cell 2
39Jason Holbrook (USA)Row 38 - Cell 2
40Andrew Templeton (USA)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Shawn Harshman (USA) Boulder Cycle SportRow 40 - Cell 2
42Ian Holt (USA) Pretty in Pink-4laps
43Kenny Wehn (USA) Notubes Race TeamRow 42 - Cell 2
44Kenneth Lundgren (USA)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Chad Haga (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealthRow 44 - Cell 2
46Brett Pirie (USA) ColoBikeLaw.com-5laps
47Aaron Bouplon (USA) Rocky Mounts-IzzeRow 46 - Cell 2
48Joseph Brenner (USA)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Bradford Sims (USA)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Jeremiah Gantzer (USA) Double I Cycling-6laps
51Lane Miller (USA) Louisville Cyclery-7laps
DNFBraden Kappius (USA) Clif BarRow 51 - Cell 2
DNFEric Emsky (USA) Cyclocrossracing.com p/b Blue Competition CyclesRow 52 - Cell 2
DNFWhitey Debroux (USA)Row 53 - Cell 2
DNFJosh Whitney (USA) Rocky Mounts-IzzeRow 54 - Cell 2
DNFZachary Edwards (USA) Boulder Cycle SportRow 55 - Cell 2

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Kirsten Frattini
Deputy Editor

Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.

Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.

She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.

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