Riding a wave of morale from two recent top-10 'cross race finishes in Belgium, Jonathan Page (Planet Bike-Blue) arrived Friday night in Madison, Wisconsin to contest Sunday's USA Cycling Cyclo-cross Championship for elite men.
The vastly experienced European campaigner will line up against rivals such as Ryan Trebon, Tim Johnson and Jeremy Powers and hopes to return to his base in Oudenaarde, Belgium with the fourth elite men's stars-and-stripes jersey of his career.
The demanding parcours at Badger Prairie Park leaves little room for recovery, featuring two climbs per lap, and power-sapping stretches of mud for much of the circuit.
Page spoke to Cyclingnews on Saturday afternoon under bright sunshine and unseasonably balmy weather to discuss his European season, his quick trip back to the US, and his impressions of the 2012 'cross Nationals venue.
Watch Page contest the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross Championships via live online coverage at Cyclingnews. Both the women's elite championship, starting at 12:00pm CST, and the men's elite championship, beginning at 2:15pm CST, will be available to Cyclingnews readers on Sunday.